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Online course: Plan Like A Pro

FAQ

Watch a livestream FAQ Session

What is an appropriate ‘Goal Trip’ for this course?

At the beginning of the trip, we ask you to identify a goal trip. You will apply the Plan like a Pro curriculum around your goal trip – researching conditions, creating a gear list, and more – to be fully prepared to take on this trip by the end of the course.

Our experiences and feedback from previous students have helped us establish guidelines for an appropriate trip. These include:

  • The goal trip should challenge your skills and/or fitness.
  • Plan to complete the goal trip in the next 12 months.
  • A trip length of four to twenty-one days is ideal.
  • For thru-hikes, pick a seven to twenty-one day section of that trip to focus on as your goal trip. For example, if planning for the PCT, the 209 miles between Kennedy Meadows and Red’s Meadow is appropriate.
  • Our course is not structured to suit multi-modal trips (packrafting, bikepacking, etc).

Is the course relevant if you don’t live in the US?

Since the instructors are most familiar with US locations and since most of the students are US-based, the course is biased towards backpacking in the US. However, the framework applies equally well outside the US, like to Canada and Europe. Personally, I’ve used it for planning trips in the Yukon and Iceland, and for running events in the Alps and Chile.

Our international students have not reported difficulties that were exceptional compared to their US counterparts. You may have to do some extra legwork to find relevant resources like climate data and public maps.

What if I miss an assignment or am behind schedule?

You need not be always online while the course is running, and being gone for an entire week usually isn’t catastrophic. But you need to have 8 to 24 hours available during the live curriculum, and it’d be better to dedicate a little bit of time each week rather than letting the work stack up. Instructors will continue to review work for up to a month after the class is finished.

Can you gift this course?

Yes. Please get in touch with Mikaela, [email protected] about how to gift this course.

Will you retain access to the materials?

For as long as Google keeps Classroom live, you will retain access to the materials. However, a month after the course is over, it will be archived. This means that you can still access the materials and your submitted assignments, but no new comments can be posted and instructors will no longer review assignments.

What are the vendor discounts and perks offered to participants of the course?

In 2026, our partner brands are generously offering the following discounts:

These discounts are provided in addition to 2-month Pro subscription (for new CalTopo users), and a free download of one of Andrew’s High Route Guide.

Finally, if you decide to join us on a guided trip in the future, we’ll credit 50% of your course fee to your trip cost.