The term adventure travel is pretty broad, and I like to keep my eye on travel trends that could fit into the category of adventure travel. I thought it would be fun to do a “trends” series on the blog.

Earlier this year I was on a climbing trip in the Tetons when our camping stove blew up (it didn’t just die a quiet death, it actually exploded). Rather than go hungry we hung our heads in shame and knocked on the door of a USFS researcher’s shack. He took pity on us and let us use his stove and hang out in his cool digs. I remember wondering if I could bribe him to let me stay there instead of schlepping a tent to 12,000 feet.

Southwestern Research Station

Well, it looks like my idea wasn’t too far off base. I recently noticed a BudgetTravel article discussing various research facilities that are now accepting overnight guests. Some of the trips from the article look really interesting and the prices are pretty incredible – some of the places even allow for free lodging in exchange for research assistance.

I’m surprised that research organizations actually allow this, but it will really appeal to the consumer on a lot of levels. It’s a bargain, they get the chance to learn and this option might seem a little more eco-conscious than staying at a typical resort. I would totally go on one of these trips.

I also see a cool opportunity for a tour operator to partner with one of these research organizations. A multi-day trip could feature a day of working in the field with researchers and learning about what they’re studying. Kinda like a “vocation vacation” within a trip.