The AAAS framework pre-release-v1.0

🏕 Some slides from the “Australian Adventure Activity Standard briefing and Q & A” session by Outdoors Victoria 12-Feb-2019. The Australian Adventure Activity Standard framework is really coming together – If you are involved in Adventurous Activities and have not had a look, jump over to http://australianaas.org.au/ and have a read through the pre-release-v1.0 documents.

How the new AAAS Standard fits in with the Good Practice Guides.

Good Practice Guide
1. Management of Risk
2. Planning
3. Participants
4. Environment
5. Equipment and Logistics
6. Leadership

AAAS – GPG Release schedule

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Protected: [Venturers] The Purpose of Zone Council Meetings

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Outdoors: Is it a privilege?

* Outdoors: Is it a privilege? (2019-Feb-06) [curious school of the wild]
https://www.curiousschoolofthewild.com/single-post/2019/02/05/Outdoors-Is-it-a-privilege

Definitely worth a read. My perspective is as a Venturer leader providing Adventurous Outdoor Activities to youth aged 14 to 18.

❝ This brings me back to the “There’s no such thing as bad weather, only bad clothing” mantra. Outdoor kit is an enormous barrier to outdoor activity. As an outdoor educator, I can unfortunately agree with the idea that when it comes to outdoor kit, you get what you pay for. It is difficult to find an effective pair of waterproof trousers for under £40 for example. Cheap tents are pointless, aside from fair weather opportunities in your garden [assuming you have a garden], and kit required for adventurous outdoor activity is just off the scale. We live in Cornwall, a surfing mecca, but I have never seen a wet suit in a charity shop. Surf boards, kayaks, expedition worthy rucksacks, walking boots, climbing equipment, climbing shoes, even second hand if you can find them, are all prohibitively expensive to many.❞

Ok, so we have a gear library, and people can borrow other kit items. If we are providing the tents, a backpack, a Trangia (cooking equipment) where is the other kit coming from? Waterproof jackets and pants, hiking boots, walking poles, … and that’s just for hiking.

❝ This is a commodification of outdoor adventure that just exacerbates accessibility. Young people in adverse situations will either not take part or do their best to take part with inferior kit. This may make their kit heavier, experience harder and more uncomfortable than that of more privileged peers or at worst, put them at risk. ❞

… and down the rabbit warren we go. Some equity issues that need to be looked at and addressed. How do you have good gear that is cheap but not inferior? We seem to recommend a fair bit of the Aldi kit (thermals, dry bags, hike stoves) but this is not always available; the gear library is good but is it really possible to supply enough kit – and who’s paying for that gear?

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