Bindlestiff Tours

Travel Safely With Bindlestiff Tours

At Bindlestiff Tours we are closely monitoring government policy changes, Centers for Disease Control (CDC) guidelines, government mandates, and public health advancements and will continue to make changes as deemed necessary and appropriate to our protocols and procedures. Therefore, the information contained in this document is subject to change at any time. Compliance with all posted and below Bindlestiff Tours policies and protocols will be required to participate in a tour and applies to all guests.

The health and safety of our employees and guests is our number one priority. We are pleased to announce our reopening plan beginning with phase one detailed below. Phase one will continue until further advice from the CDC and other relevant guidelines laid out by local authorities.

Our employees have been given clear instructions on how to respond swiftly and report all presumed cases of COVID-19. We will be ready to provide support to our guests. Employees are instructed to stay home if they do not feel well and are instructed to contact management if a guest has a cough, shortness of breath, or other known symptoms of COVID-19. Guests who are exhibiting any of the symptoms of COVID-19 while on tour are instructed to immediately notify their tour guide.

Guests will be advised to practice physical distancing by standing at least six feet away from other groups of people. Employees and guests will be reminded to refrain from touching their faces and to practice physical distancing whenever possible. Tour guides have been instructed to not handle guest’s cameras. Tour vehicles will have all center seats blocked in order to provide physical distancing while in the vehicle. We are limiting the number of people onboard each vehicle to provide our customers more personal space so there will be no need for the middle seat to be occupied (this is in effect until further notice). But if you’re traveling together, you can still sit together.

At the beginning of each tour all guests  and guide will have their temperature checked using a non contact forehead thermometer. Any guest showing symptoms of COVID-19 or have a temperature exceeding 100.0 Fahrenheit (ca. 38 °C) will not be permitted on tour.  Guests who are aware that they have a condition that causes a fever should bring a letter from a doctor stating that the guest’s fever is caused by said condition and the guest should have no other symptoms of COVID-19.

All camping equipment will be sanitized using a hospital grade fogger and sanitizer before the tour. Guests will be assigned the same camping equipment for the duration of the tour.

All tour vehicles will be sanitized before the tour using state-of-the-art UVA lamps. In addition, all community spaces on the tour vehicle will be additionally sanitized by the tour guide before the tour begins and during the tour whenever possible.

It is highly encouraged to bring your own hand sanitizer and face covering, and to wear your face covering while traveling. If you forget your mask, one may be available for you while stocks last. All guests will be assigned (1) disposable facemask per day on tour while stocks last. Guests will be instructed to wear their face mask whenever they are in the tour vehicle. Please note that some parks and states are mandating that members of the public wear face coverings at all times when in public. Since these mandates are continuously being updated we encourage you to reach out to us close to your tour date for the latest mandates in each area of your tour.

Hand sanitizer will be readily available and free for guests to use throughout their tour.

All hotels and campgrounds used by Bindlestiff Tours are following sanitization protocols and procedures. Please contact us for information on how to access each facility’s procedures.

Any tours that offer communally cooked/prepared meals will be altered in the short term. Included breakfasts and lunches will continue where applicable by providing individually wrapped items and disposable environmentally friendly cutlery. Any camping evening meals may be replaced with restaurant service at the guest’s expense. Due to these circumstances, local food kitty payments will be reduced and guests will be notified on a per tour basis.

All solo travelers will be provided with their own solo tent if camping. Private hotel rooms are available for additional fees.

We know guests are anxious to return to the great outdoors. Many guests might be more comfortable primarily traveling with those they know rather than being a part of  large tour groups. Due to these circumstances, we are happy to announce we have launched a series of new Self Drive and Private Tours.

• Wash your hands! This is your best defense to avoid sickness. When washing your hands, use hot water and soap. Be sure to wash your hands for 20 seconds or longer to efficiently get rid of any bacteria.
•  If you are feeling sick, please let your tour guide know immediately for the safety of yourself and others.
•  Cover your cough/sneeze with a tissue or your inner elbow. Do not cover your sneeze with your hands!
•  Be sure not to touch your eyes, nose, mouth with your hands if they are not clean.

We work hard to support environmental causes close to both our homes and our hearts. Our consistent focus is to lessen our impact and reduce, reuse, and recycle, to leave the areas we visit in better condition than when we found them. We know that our adventures will only be possible if we preserve the places we love! We are proud to be a member of Tourism Cares.

This op has the following sustainability certifications:
Tourism Cares
Leave No Trace

These are the initiatives that this operator has in place to make your adventure more sustainable:

Sustainability Programs
- Invests a percentage of revenue back into community projects or sustainability projects 
- We host community-building or sustainability projects for tour goers to partake in

Supporting Destinations and Local Communities
- Hires local guides
- Brings our passengers to locally run restaurants & businesses
- We consciously try to reduce over-tourism by taking travellers outside of the main visitor hubs

Reducing Waste
- Does not offer any single use plastic on tour
- Has a recycling program for our guests on tour

Animal Welfare
- Does not offer any tours that include elephant riding
- Does not offer any tours that use animals for entertainment
- We avoid places that sell/eat parts of endangered animals on tour

Transportation
- Uses local transportation while on tour

Accommodation
- Tours stay in locally run hotels/accommodations
- Selects accommodation providers that have sustainability programs in place
- Most/all of our suppliers have sustainability programs in place

Company Culture
- Hosts community-building or sustainability projects for staff to partake in
- Educates passengers about sustainability while on tour
- Educates people about sustainability through our marketing
- We are a paper free company