Expedition Base Camp is a new platform to support expedition teams to design, plan, and deliver great expeditions that deliver impact.
It’s a free online resource featuring expert advice, expedition blogs, and the exchange of ideas and advice in our forums on everything from figuring out where to go, how to fundraise, and whether or not you need to pack a shovel.
Why?
Well planned expeditions can change people and the world. We’re a group of people who have experienced that first hand and we want to encourage more of the same.
Specifically, we want to encourage and support meaningful expeditions that create the biggest bang for their buck. We’re about impact, and to us that means helping you think about that from the beginning of your planning stages, considering things like multidisciplinary approaches, inclusiveness, the effective use of traditional and digital media, and how to link everything you are doing to your definition of success.
How?
We have Members, Mentors, and Masters. Anyone can become a Member, but most members will be interested in or actively involved in expeditions and exploration, whether as part of a student society or a multi-million pound sponsored expedition.
Mentors are carefully selected, inspiring individuals who have plenty of experience in their field. They will often be expert in a few specific areas such as tropical rainforests or social media. Mentors write the bulk of the articles and are heavily involved in the forums. Mentors can also choose to sponsors Expedition Teams, becoming a seriously committed, expert adviser to the lucky team.
Masters are the real pros. Seasoned veterans who have a lifetime of fieldwork, logistical, fundraising, or other relevant experience. They will occasionally be celebrities and can be seen as patrons who will, from time to time, might pen an article or engage in a discussion. Mentors bridge the gap between Members and Masters, to seek out specific advice, contacts, or other support.
Discussion and Collaboration in the Forums
Forums: The greatest inspirations come from collaboration, and forums are simply the best way to achieve this digitally. Whether you have a question about what stove to take, an idea that you want some feedback on, or want to know the best way to remove a leech from your testicles, the forums are the place to go.
It’s really the forums we’re hoping to see take off, to build the online expedition community that’s about supporting and learning from each other that’s missing on the web today.
Groups: Not all expedition teams can meet regularly to work (and enjoy micro-brewed beer) together, and while remote collaboration sounds great in theory, it’s often very difficult to manage in practice, with massive and unwieldy email chains usually being the end result. In Expedition Base Camp teams can set up a private group and control their discussions according to the topic in a collaborative setting that is easy to use and easy to manage.
Groups could also be formed around universities, locations, different terrains, or specific types of research. It’s free and open and as long as the rules are followed, it’s your playground to see where your discussion takes you.
Sponsorship
Expedition Teams can apply for sponsorship from ExpedBaseCamp. Sponsorship comes in the form dedicated support from beginning to end: a team of mentors, promotion, access to sponsorship opportunities and free resources such as web design and hosting.