FAQs

The McGill Outdoors Club is one of the oldest (outing) clubs in Montreal! Founded in 1936, the MOC mission is to get you outside, no matter what your experience. We run trips, run weekly kayak rolling sessions, hold meetings, rent out gear at low prices, and own a communal house in the foothills of the Laurentian Shield.

If you are a McGill student, you can join the MOC! 

If you love the outdoors and are interested in becoming a member, but are not a McGill student, we ask that you fill out this form. This includes students from other universities, like Concordia, Université de Montreal, UQAM, and those who are no longer students. The MOC exec team reviews applications every month.

Becoming a member of the McGill Outdoors Club means you can:

• Rent gear from the club at very low rates
• Participate in club organized trips and activities
• Receive trip leader subsidies for running trips 
• Stay at the MOC House for a reduced rate
• Borrow from the club’s extensive library
• Be part of a wide-ranging, welcoming outdoor community 

There are many different ways to get involved with the MOC! Here are some options:

1. Become a member! If you are free during a general meeting or during any of our office hours, let an exec know you want to join! Alternatively, if you are not a McGill student, fill out this form.
2. Come to a meeting (or many)! Almost every Wednesday, at 7:30 PM, we will hold a general meeting to announce and report trips, sell memberships, and advertise future events. Then we’ll run a fun activity (which will differ depending on the week). Check our Instagram and Slack for meeting locations every week!
3. Sign up to the Slack! Through Slack, you’ll get announcements about a wide variety of trips from the MOC and the wider outdoor community. Weekly MOC meeting locations are announced there too! If you see an interesting trip, just respond to the person sending it!
4. Go on a trip (or many)! Respond to trip announcements and go do some cool outdoorsy stuff (hiking, rock climbing, paddling, cycling, downhill skiing, telemark skiing, cross-country skiing, ice-climbing, winter camping, and more!). Both member-run and exec-run trips are usually announced on Slack, but for more specific info, you can contact the execs who are respectively responsible for one of those activities. Or, just come to our weekly meetings and talk to people in person!
5. Rent gear from our office! Our extensive gear collection is located in Room 436 of the SSMU building. For more information on gear, click here. 
6. Run a trip (or many)! Want to go hiking, but don’t know where? Not sure what you need? Want to do something different, and looking for adventure partners? Ask your friendly neighbourhood execs for advice! Once you’ve got an idea of where, when, and the cost of your trip, announce it on Slack or at a meeting. Have tons of fun, get leadership experience, breathe the fresh air, meet new people.. and when it’s all over, apply for an MOC Trip Leader Subsidy so you have the funds to run another!
7. Join the Exec! Interested in a leadership position, and passionate about the outdoors? As a part of the MOC exec team, you’ll enjoy discounted gear rentals, Pro Deals, and discounted house stays. Elections happen at the end of each term.

Elections for MOC exec happen at the end of each term. There is no nomination process–just show up with a 1-2 minute speech prepared, explaining why you’d be a good fit for your chosen position. 

Our general meetings and our Slack are open to everyone. However, you must be a member to rent gear, run or go on trips, sign up for kayak rolling sessions, or run for an exec position. 

Membership costs are $20 for McGill students, $25 for everyone else. All MOC memberships are valid for 1 year from the day you pay for it.

Our executives lead various trips spanning all experience levels (many are beginner-friendly)! Our trip calendar is located here and is available for all MOC members to browse. Common trip activities include outdoor rock climbing, hiking, canoeing, white-water kayaking, ice climbing, biking, skiing (cross-country, downhill, and telemark!), etc. We also offer non-sport trips such as apple-picking, cabanes à sucre visits, horseback riding, jam making, and more. Keep an eye on our social media and Slack, or come to a general meeting to get a general idea of the types of trips currently being run. 

Don't care for any of our trips? No problem! With the help of our gear rentals and trip-leader subsidies, you (yeah, you!) can run a successful trip.

Great! Please send us suggestions by emailing [email protected], filling out our contact form, or reaching out to any of our execs! If you’re looking to contact a specific exec, you can find email addresses for all exec members on the Staff page.

Our gear room is located in Room 436 of the SSMU building. All MOC members have access to our wide selection of gear at student friendly prices. Gear is rented out on a weekly basis, with daily late fees equal to 1/7 the cost of a week's rental. You can check out our inventory here. Unless they have specific permission from the Gear Manager ([email protected]), Members may rent only one (1) tent, 2 crashpads, and up to three (3) items of the same type at a time. We do not reserve gear. 

Please note: we only take debit card and cash payments. 

No. Being an MOC member offers YOU access to the club’s gear. Without membership dues, we would not be able to afford to purchase and maintain the gear we provide. Please abide by this simple rule for the well being of our club!

Find information on our listserv and slack here.

Trips costs vary depending on logistical details, food and gas prices, car-ownership, and other factors. In general, the MOC runs trips at much lower costs than can be found elsewhere.

Heck yeah! If you’ve got a fun trip idea, bring it up at a weekly meeting or on slack–don’t be afraid to ask other MOC members for help! To encourage our community to run trips, we subsidize leaders up to $10 per non-leader participant based on the lowest of either the cost for the trip leader, or the average cost per participant. Don’t let those outdoor dreams be dreams!

Yes you can! Find more information about our house here.

Our mission is to provide an Outdoor Frosh option to incoming McGill students looking to begin their McGill University experience in a safe, inclusive, and adventurous way. Outdoor Frosh was established in 2010 by the MOC. It has grown since its inception, and has been able to include more and more froshies with each passing year.

We believe the best way to make friends is to experience new challenges together– Outdoor Frosh allows students to get to know one another in a low pressure, small-group environment. Led entirely by MOC members, Outdoor Frosh strives to orient McGill students to Montreal’s student culture and to imbue them with appreciation for outdoor activities. If you want to get involved with McGill and Mother Nature, Outdoor Frosh is the place to be! Our website is back up and running at mcgilloutdoorsfrosh.com

Our office is located at 3480 McTavish St, in Room 426 on the 4th floor.