Preparing for Your Trip

Once you have received a trip assignment, there are just a few more things you need to do to prepare for Orientation Adventure.

  1. All OA trips require Liability Release of Liability forms to participate. If you are under the age of 18, your OA Coordinators will email the required forms to have completed and returned by a parent or legal guardian. If you are 18 or older, the required forms will be waiting for you on campus.

As always, a coordinator will be happy to assist you by phone (909 607-2531) or by email (oa@pomona.edu) if you have further questions.

Arriving on Campus

When you arrive on campus for Move-In Day, you will see an Orientation Adventure check-in table near Sumner Hall. We will provide information on your trip departure time and the pre-trip dinner.

Packing Lists

Please use the appropriate link below to access the packing list for your trip.

Buying vs. Borrowing Gear

If you do not already own a frame pack, sleeping bag and/or sleeping pad and you will need one for your OA trip, you have the option of borrowing one from OA or purchasing these items yourself. You might consider buying and keeping this gear with you at Pomona if you think you will have a use for it in the future. A number of campus clubs organize wilderness outings during the academic year. Even if you're not very outdoorsy, at least two of these three gear items can prove useful outside of a wilderness context.

Here are a few things to think about when deciding whether to borrow or buy:

Frame packs: Frame packs are great. If you plan to do any international traveling during your time at Pomona, we highly recommend buying an internal frame backpack with a capacity of somewhere between 4,000 and 6,000 cubic inches. You'll be able to use the same pack for any wilderness trips you take while in college. Travel backpacks with zip-away straps for easier baggage checking on planes are widely available, but we don't recommend these. Their suspension systems (shoulder straps, hipbelt, etc.) are generally less extensive than those of their hiking counterparts, making travel packs less comfortable to wear for long periods. In our experience, travel packs are also less durable. Instead of a travel pack, buy a regular hiking pack and stuff it in an army duffel bag before checking it as baggage. These duffel bags can be purchased for about $10 at a military surplus store and come in a variety of sizes as well as colors other than olive green.

Sleeping bags: These can be useful anytime you need to spend a few nights somewhere and won't have a bed. A mummy cut bag certified for temperatures down to 20-30 degrees Fahrenheit is probably the most versatile choice. If you expect to be carrying it on your back very often, you should pay the premium for a lighter, more compressible down-filled bag. When not on the road or trail, remember to store these bags properly (i.e. not compressed) so that their insulation will remain effective.

Sleeping pads: These will make the floor a little softer, and you might be able to use them as sleds on a snowy day up at Mount Baldy, but beyond that, ground pads don't have many applications outside of wilderness uses.

All three of these items are available from outdoor equipment retailers (e.g. REI, Bass Pro Shops), warehouse stores (Target, Costco, selection may be limited) and online gear discounters (Campmor.com, REI-outlet.com). Note: whether you end up buying it online or from a physical store, you should always check a backpack model for good fit before purchasing it.