Long distance walking business idea

[Fingtam]

I am an experienced backpacker, and regularly go on long distance hikes. I just got back from a 36 day hitchhiking trip in which I travelled to 16 different states plus Washington DC with nothing but a backpack, and the clothes on my back. I've done this before, but this time was different in that I consistently updated my social media with posts of everything I was doing, and all the exciting places I walked to.
While I was doing this, several people messaged me, saying that they would like to have an adventure like the one I was on, but they didn't know how to start, they didn't have the gear, or they were too afraid to do it alone.

So an idea was planted in my mind to earn a small additional income by charging people to guide them on long distance walking and/or hitchhiking trips for groups of up to 3 or four people. This would include walking 10 to twelve hours a day and camping on the side of the road, or in motels along the way if they want to pay for that.

I would charge a rate of maybe $100 per day per group. I could stock up on gear and offer rentals if people don't have their own backpacks, sleeping bags, bivy sacks, or whatever. And since I am a photographer/videographer, I could also offer a video or photos of their adventure for an additional charge. Also, I would be willing to offer training/conditioning sessions before the trip to help prepare people who are not currently able to walk long distances.

The first potential problem that comes to my mind would be if someone were to be injured along the way. I don't have any experience owning a business, but I imagine that if someone is paying me to take them on a journey, they could sue me if they get hurt. Would it be enough to have them sign some kind of waiver beforehand that says I'm not liable for any injuries?

Other than that, I don't see any hangups that could come along or prevent me from following through on this. I'm not trying to make a living off this idea, just make some extra money doing the stuff I love to do while I am still young enough to do it.

[vangogh]

I think having people sign a waiver might be what you need, but I would ask an attorney and not trust an online opinion.

Before you decide what to charge you should figure out your costs. I know you're looking at this as extra income and not a full time business, but it's possible you'd need to get insurance and you mentioning stocking up on gear. There are quite a few business that do basically what you want to do. They should be easy enough to find through a search. See how they run things to get a feel for how you should and what you should charge.

I've noticed plenty of photography tours where a professional photographer takes a group of people out on photo hikes. That might be another angle for you.

One last point. Unless the people you take out live near where you're going to hike, they'll probably expect you to make the travel arrangements. They pay you and you book flights, hotels, etc. If you're thinking about having people travel longer than a short drive, know that they'll likely look to you for the travel arrangements.

In general, I think your idea is a good one. I've noticed more and more similar types of businesses over the last couple of years so I think there's definitely interest in it.

[Harold Mansfield]

I think this is a great idea. I agree with VG that a waiver should be good, but you definitely want to speak to an attorney to be sure.
I know you're just kicking it around, but I also agree that it's worth more than you're saying you want to charge.

I know it's not the same thing, but how much do the guides charge to take people up Mt. Everest or K2?

[TomasRed]

I'm no expert (and maybe this is overkill), but could you get a general blanket insurance that covers everyone on your hikes? Might not be needed, but might also help you sell the hikes ("fully insured").

[Tutor]

That's such a great idea!

You know what you could even do to cut your costs almost completely? Don't buy anything for anyone, and have campers bring their own rented or bought equipment. DON'T charge for photos and videos (make that a part of the cost!). I don't charge my clients for additional tutoring resources, such as hand-outs. It may look a bit fishy. Make them sign a waiver saying you are not responsible for their safety. If you don't need to purchase insurance, don't do it. From what I've seen you might be in the minus if you buy all of this insurance but don't have clients.

Hmm.. in terms of cost.. I guess you'd have to think about how long you're going and how many people. If you charge $100 for a 12 hour trip, you're essentially making less than $10 / hr. And if four people go, they're only paying @25! Maybe charge a rate per person, like $50 per person. Include some incentives and additional material in the trip, like the photos / video, maybe some hand-outs you can print out about the scenery. You could potentially make some real cash if let's say 6 or 7 people signed up!