How nice is it to have friends that love backpacking as much as you? It’s amazing, isn’t it? But, how can you go about making these friends in the first place? That’s not always an easy thing. As we get older, it sometimes gets harder and harder to meet people that have the same interests. Therefore, we have to go out of our way to really find those special people.

Whether you’re looking for a romantic partner or just a few buddies to hit the trail with, one way to do so is by creating your own backcountry event. Having a platform where outdoor enthusiasts can come and meet each other can allow for great things to happen.

Want to get in on the fun and bring lovers of the backcountry together? Here are some tips.

Decide the Purpose of Your Event

Is the goal of your event to attract singles, create friendships, or just socialize?  Is it an event for hikers, backpackers, climbers, or for people who just love the outdoors? Do you want to keep it general, or more specific? Will you need people to bring their gear, or just their fancy clothes and their favorite backpacking stories?

You want to cater to the right crowd. Remember, even in the outdoors world, not everyone likes the same things.

Come Up With Ideas

If you’re leading the event, then you’ll need to come up with some kind of itinerary or approach to it. One way to do this is by joining in on an event that already has interest. The dating app, LuvByrd, has many backcountry events that welcome singles and people who want to make friends. Users have the ability to use their platform to plan their own events, or invite their friends to one of the events that’s already been planned.

If you choose to go your own route, you’ll need to have some solid ideas. What kind of activities do you want to do? Are people going to have to introduce themselves, or will there be formal icebreakers and introductions? Will you provide topics for people to discuss, or is this just a hike where people can make friends along the way?

Pick a Location

One of the most important parts of planning a backcountry event is the location. Do you want this to be a local thing, or are you opening it up to people far and wide? Are you planning on having outdoorsy people meet at a bar and talk about their favorite experience, or do you want people to make experiences together on a trail? Decide what it is, and make sure to get in touch with whoever you need to to reserve the space.

Choose the Time, Date, and Create!

Once the location is set, come up with a time and date. If you’re planning this event for friends or acquaintances, it’s probably best to ask them first what day fits them best. If this event is for all newcomers, then doing it on a Saturday or Sunday is a safe bet.

When the details are fully prepared, come up with a catchy name, and start to spread the word!

Promote Your Event

If you want people to come to your event (that’s the goal, of course) then you need to promote it. You can do this in a number of ways. You could first, create a Meetup group. There are millions of people on Meetup, so it shouldn’t be too hard to attract people to your event by doing it this way. You can also, of course, try a platform like LuvByrd, who is a huge supporter of this kind of thing already.

You can also promote your backcountry event via Facebook, Twitter, email, or on a blog you have. Make a page or group specific for the event. If you’re thinking of planning a large event, try getting in touch with big outdoor names either locally or regionally, and see if they can help. There are so many ways to go about doing this, but make sure you do it well in advance of your event (at least one month, depending on the size). Also, ask the people you know who are definitely attending to share the info publicly.

Collect Information

Make sure that you collect the information of people who attend your event. Send them a thank you afterwards, letting them know that you’re happy they came. This will help build connections for future events, or also give you the down low on events they might be planning. If you’re doing it through Meetup, have attendees “check in” when they arrive. If you’re taking another route, have a bin to collect business cards, or have everyone write down their info on a piece of paper. Though, we recommend having some type of digital page for your event so you can be sure this info doesn’t get lost.

If you’re having a hard time finding others that are as interested in the backcountry as you are, then it might be time to take the lead. Planning your own event means that you have the power to gather outdoor enthusiasts of all kind, in one place. Take these tips, and plan your backcountry event now!