NUHOC
FAQ
GENERAL / CLUB ACTIVITIES
What’s NUHOC?
Great question! The Northeastern University Huskiers and Outing Club, also known as NUHOC, is the outdoors club for Northeastern University. Since our founding in 1941, we have provided opportunities for students, alumni, and community members to get outside the city and explore the wilderness of New England.
What does NUHOC do?
We go on trips! While we have weekly meetings on campus, to truly experience NUHOC, you need to come on one of our trips. NUHOC runs dozens of trips every year, mostly to our Loj in the northern White Mountains. From there, it’s easy to hike, ski, rock climb, canoe, kayak, bike, swim, or do almost anything else you’d like to do outside. We also run a number of trips outside of the Loj, including our popular Intro Trips, which are aimed at newbies looking to try a new outdoor activity for the first time. If there’s something you want to do outside, we probably do it, and if not, there’s almost certainly other folks in the club who would want to do it with you.
That sounds awesome, I want to go on a trip! How do I make that happen?
Come to a NUHOC meeting on a Wednesday and sign up for a trip! Trip signups are also posted in our Slack after each meeting. Signups are typically posted a few days before the trip, but some may require signups a week or more in advance. Then, borrow any gear you need from the Gear Locker, follow the instructions in your Trip email, respond to your Trip Call the evening before the trip, and get ready to have a great time in the woods!
What if I’ve never done this before?
No problem! Some of our most popular trips are our Intro Trips, specifically designed to get people with no prior experience out into the woods and having fun. Past intro trips we’ve run include backpacking, climbing, skiing, and surfing. If there’s something else you’re interested in, let us know and we can try to make it happen. Or, if we’re not running an intro trip in the near future and you want to try something out, talk to an experienced NUHOCer (an e-board member is a good person to start with), and they’ll usually be more than happy to show you the ropes or introduce you to someone else who can.
If you want to get into skiing or snowboarding, we highly recommend that your first time on snow be with a professional instructor. We run an annual Intro to Ski Weekend in January or February during which we offer discounted beginner packages. We can also help you set up a lesson at one of the mountains in the area. Talk to our Ski Chair for more information.
How much does this all cost?
Not much! Most of our trips do not have any fees to participate. However, you may need to pay for food, transportation, or other costs depending on the trip. For Loj weekends, we ask that you pay for your share of group food and reimburse your driver for gas & tolls. This usually totals between $25 and $30 per weekend. If you need to rent gear from the NUHOC gear locker, you’ll need to be a club member, which costs $10 for the year.
MEMBERSHIP
How do I become a member?
First, fill out the membership form here. Then, bring $10 to the Treasurer at the next NUHOC meeting and fill out a waiver. You’ll get a membership card, and then you’ll be a member of NUHOC for 1 year!
Why should I become a member?
To support NUHOC! Besides helping out the club, you also get a bunch of great perks, including access to our Gear Locker, access to an AllTrails Pro membership, and discounts to local rock climbing gyms. Talk to our treasurers if you have more questions.
THE LOJ
What’s the Loj?
The Loj is a campsite property in the northern White Mountains of New Hampshire that is our home away from home. It is the home base for hundreds of NUHOC adventures every year and is completely student run by the Loj Committee, known as the LCs.
The property currently has several structures: an insulated canvas shelter for sleeping known as The Funhouse, a tool shed known as The War Barn, a small building for cooking know as the Kitchen Shack, a Pumphouse where we get our drinking water each weekend, a lovely Outhouse for pooping in the woods, and a large deck that will eventually have a new cabin constructed upon it. There are places to sleep in The Funhouse or War Barn, plus plenty of places to set up tents. There is also a swimming hole, various trails leading to wonderful views, and a central firepit for everybody to gather around.
Where is the Loj?
The Loj is located along the border of Maine and New Hampshire in the town of Shelburne, NH. The address of the Loj is 110 Carlton Notch Rd, Shelburne, NH 03581. This location is within an hours drive of nearly any hike in the White Mountains, including Mt Washington. There are also many great climbing and skiing areas nearby. It is about a half-mile hike into the woods from the parking lot (longer in the winter). The Loj property has been maintained by NUHOC since 1971, more info about Loj history can be found here. You can find driving directions to the Loj here.
What can I do at the Loj?
Almost anything you want! Every weekend, our members go on awesome adventures from the Loj. Some common activities include hiking, rock climbing, skiing, swimming, mountain biking, and apple picking. On the property, we have a wonderful swimming hole, a network of trails to explore, an awesome stargazing spot, and a great fire pit for s’mores.
What is an Open Loj?
An Open Loj is a typical NUHOC weekend at the Loj, where everybody collectively picks various activities to do together during the day. In the spring, summer, and fall, it usually involves hiking, rock climbing, biking, or paddling; in the winter, it usually involves skiing, snowboarding, or winter hiking. If these activities don’t appeal to you, you can plan your own adventures as well. Year round, there will be good food, warm campfires, great views, and plenty of friendly conversation!
There are also themed Loj weekends, such as Formal Hike, Winter Carnival, Hallowork, & more. At these weekends, there is a set activity that everybody participates in together for the day!
This all sounds so much fun! How can I go to the Loj?
Sign up for one of our Open Loj trips or themed Loj Weekends! The Loj is open whenever there is an LC to open the Loj, which in recent years has been almost every weekend. We organize transportation and group food for the weekend, which means all you need to do is sign up, get any gear you need, and come ready for a great weekend outside. If you’re not sure what to do around the Loj, you’ll always be able to find people to adventure with once you get up there.
How does a typical weekend at the Loj work?
After signing up at the NUHOC meeting on Wednesday, you will get a trip call from one of the trip leaders on Thursday night roughly between 6pm and 9pm. Keep your ringer on and answer your phone if you get a call around that time. During this call, the trip leader will check with you to make sure you are still planning to go to the Loj. They will also provide the time and location where you will be picked up by a driver, which is nearly always 6:30pm on Friday at the Bank of America ATM on Forsyth Street. Everybody meets in a group at BofA, then splits into cars and the NU van to head up to the Loj. The Loj is just over three hours from Boston, and we stop at Market Basket on the way up to get group groceries for the weekend. The Loj itself is about a half mile hike from the parking lot. When you arrive, we will help you find a place to sleep (in the Funhouse, another building on the property, or your own tent) and get ready for an awesome weekend! Food is planned for you, which on a typical weekend includes breakfast, lunch, and dinner on Saturday as well as breakfast on Sunday. If it is an Open Loj, there will be other people who will be doing activities that you can join if you don’t have anything planned. On Sunday, we will close the Loj and everyone will go back to Boston. People may do another activity, such as hiking, on the way home. You will arrive back in Boston at varying times, but you will probably be back in the city by dinnertime.
What should I bring to the Loj?
Great question! There’s a gear list on this page.
What if I have dietary restrictions?
When we do trip sign-ups and trip calls, we ask if you have any food allergies or dietary restrictions. We accommodate for vegetarians, vegans, lactose/dairy/gluten intolerance, nut allergies, etc. If you’re concerned about food, talk to a trip leader and they should be able to answer your questions.
What is an LC?
An LC (Loj Committee member) is someone who has earned their keys to the Loj for life and is allowed to open the Loj for other NUHOCers to enjoy. LCs know all the ins & outs of how the Loj works, so you can always go to them with any questions you may have! All LCs are Wilderness First Aid (WFA) trained. To become an LC, you first need to become an LCT and go through the Loj Committee Trainee process.
What is an LCT? How do I become one?
LCT stands for Loj Committee Trainee. An LCT is in the training process to become an LC (Loj Committee member). For more information, see here.
GEAR
What gear does NUHOC have in the gear locker?
Lots! We have a full range of hiking and backpacking gear, including backpacks (day and overnight), sleeping bags (including zero degree bags), sleeping pads, tents, tarps, micro spikes, snowshoes, cook sets, and more. We also have a bunch of climbing gear, including harnesses, helmets, shoes, belay devices, carabineers, and ropes. Most gear is available to everyone, but for some more technical items, the gear guys will ask you a few questions to make sure you know how to use the gear safely.
Note that we do not rent ski or snowboard gear; if you’re looking to get into snow sports, we can recommend options for renting or buying gear. Talk to our Ski Chair for more information.
How do I rent gear from the gear locker?
You have to be a current member of NUHOC to rent gear from the gear locker. First, fill out the form on our website here. Then check the Gear Locker schedule and show up to 350 Curry Student Center during GL office hours. The gear team will help get you the gear you need. Gear rentals are due one week after checkout, usually at the next week’s NUHOC meeting. Gear rentals are meant for personal use only (i.e one person cannot rent four sleeping bags for a group, all four people must visit the gear locker and get their own bag). For more gear locker info, see here or contact the gear people.
More questions? Contact us!