The site appearance/layout and navigation works perfectly in the Firefox browser and decently in Internet Explorer versions 6.0 and above. If you're seeing layout problems, then your browser is unfortunately quite dated.

For problem-free viewing and security (NOT just at this site but all over the web), it is worth upgrading older browsers. Firefox is a community developed, high quality product - and highly rated by users too. In a few minutes you can upgrade and start enjoying the benefits!   Upgrade Info/Tips.  

Tip: If the page layout seems skewed when it initially loads (large blank areas etc.), you can try clicking on the browser refresh button once or twice.  If required, scroll down to see the rest of the page.

Tip: Another good idea is to clear your browser's cache once in a while (delete Temporary Internet Files/Offline Content in IE).  That ensures that you are seeing the latest version of the layout and content.

Links to external sites usually open in a new browser window. This ensures that if for some reason, there is a malfunction on any of their pages, you can simply close that window and resume browsing at this site where you left off.

Monitor / Browser Settings:
For best viewing, please set your display resolution to 1024 X 768 or higher and maximize (or resize) your browser window accordingly.

Almost ALL monitors out there are capable of supporting this, though there are many where the setting is left at 800 X 600 - which simply reduces your viewing area.

Here's a bonus tip to prevent screen flicker (which leads to eye strain and headaches) - make sure the monitor refresh rate (vertical) setting is at 72 Hertz (Hz) or higher.

It takes less than a minute to make these settings but they will enhance your surfing experience - not just at this site but all over the web!
For more detailed tips and steps, click here.

There are many Event Types e.g. Hikes, Walks, Bird Watching (Birding), Stargazing etc.  You can specify the Event Types you want to see or browse the full mix of events.

While most events are one-day events, some can span multiple days. There are also events that repeat - either every day or on specified days - for weeks or months. These are called Ongoing Events. To include these, click on the Event Filter links (at the top of Event Search Results) or use Advanced Search.

When you search for events, you may see an event with a Start Date that is earlier than the date or date range you entered. This is because the event is a multi-day event that is still going on.

These events are organized and run by various organizations - not Active-Days. Active-Days is simply a platform to bring together these diverse and numerous listings so it becomes easier for participants to search/browse and find events, related information and each other. For more, take a look at the Overview presentation.

Given the above, if you see missing information or have some other feedback about the event idea/concept, please contact the organization. Of course, you can also share your observations here in the forums for other members as well.

Some organizations / events require participants to register in advance and may also have a limit on the number of attendees. Advance Registrations may be required not only for events where there is a fee involved but also for free events.

Please review the event details carefully to check for the above and when applicable, follow the hosting organizations instructions to register by phone or online. You may also need to obtain meetup information (that is only provided to registered participants) before showing up for a registration required event.  

The start and end dates for registering is displayed if that information was provided by the organization.

The Active-Days RSVPs are meant to help you find activity and carpool buddies and to inspire/ encourage others to join in!   We hope eventually more organizations will use it to manage the registrations as well.

The amount indicated in the Fees area refers to fees charged specifically for the event and may NOT include other applicable expenses such as park entrance or parking fees etc.  

Sometimes participants get together for a post event dinner at a restaurant, but it is almost always optional, unless clearly stated otherwise. If you are carpooling, it is best to discuss this ahead of time and be clear on expected return times.

Sometimes, event descriptions mention these key basics - sometimes they don't!

Look up directions and travel time estimates so you can leave at the right time to arrive safely & comfortably (!) at the trail head/venue - with time to spare to get to know your fellow participants and to visit the restrooms, if necessary.

Come prepared with the right gear & supplies (e.g. appropriate footwear, food & water, sunscreen etc.) so you can have a good time along with everyone else! Check out our articles for more tips / info.

For some events, you are required to bring certain items (i.e. mandatory versus suggested/optional). You may not be allowed to participate (even forfeit any pre-payment) if you do not have the mandatory items. So plan ahead!

Really basic but worth mentioning - dress appropriately. E.g. If the area you are going to is known to have poison oak or ticks, long pants would be a smart idea. Based on expected weather variations, dressing in layers is often a great strategy. A hat or sun visor is also very useful. More tips here.

Look up weather and other details (such as tide timings, sunset or park closure timings) so you can plan a safe and enjoyable outing - without any nasty surprises!  E.g. many hikers may be comfortable with (and prepared for) wading through a muddy or gushing stream - are you? Find out & clarify ahead of time, and prepare / decide accordingly!

Most events have an associated level of physical difficulty (and fitness requirement), based on the number of miles covered, the elevation gained, and the duration in which the distance/climbs are covered. Thus 2 miles with a 1000 foot elevation gain can be "strenuous" if attempted in 30 minutes or less, but "easy" or "moderate" if you have allocated one hour or more for it.

A number of organizations rate their events using a scale to indicate the overall difficulty/physical challenge involved. However, these rating scales are unique to each organization and also influenced by the level of fitness of their usual/targeted participants. Thus an organization that focuses on fairly ambitious climbs might call an event "moderate" which would be "challenging" to participants who hike occasionally. This is worth remembering when you are reading the event descriptions as well!

This highlights the need for a Standard Rating scale so you can compare/narrow events across organizations at a glance. [Of course, reviewing the details including miles, elevation and duration and making your own assessment is always recommended.]

With this in mind we have, based on our knowledge of the event, location (park, trail) and organization, attempted to categorize all events on an easy 5 point scale of increasing difficulty:

Standard Ratings   ::      Easy  -  Moderate  -  Challenging  -  Strenuous  -  Hard Core

The "assumed typical level of fitness/ability" is that of someone who hikes/works out once or twice a week, can walk 2 miles on flat terrain or climb 500 feet in about 30 mins (i.e. a "brisk walking pace" or a "slow/medium paced climb" in commonly used terms). Obviously, depending on your exercise schedule and fitness level as compare to this assumed level, you can then adjust/interpret the given "Std. Rating" level. Thus, for example, if you do not get time to work out or take walks, an event with the Std. Rating of "Moderate" may be "Challenging" for you. Similarly, if your fitness level is higher than our "assumed typical level" then "Moderate" hikes may be "Easy" for you!

However you prefer to do it, please take a moment to evaluate your current fitness level and choose events that match your level and preference. That way, you will be able to enjoy the event along with all the other participants.

The idea is to provide a user-friendly, secure, and spam / nuisance free environment where you can connect with others who are interested in these events / activities. For a listing of member features, you can visit the About page.

Enjoy these member features when you sign-up:

• Connect directly with other nature / outdoors enthusiasts
• Using RSVPs, Discussion/Announcement Postings, Private Messages, you can easily find activity buddies & friends
• Create your personal list of Favorites, post Comments, Ratings, Photos, Events.
• Enter Trip Reports for Events and view reports entered by others.
• Get the weekly events mailer & member-only event invitations.

Sign-up today and join a new and growing community of interesting & active people and start enjoying the member-only features / events.

Creating your login and profile at Active-Days is easy.  To enter your info., proceed to Sign-up page (Main Menu - Community - Login/Sign-up).

Please review the tips and guidelines at the Registration Info page.

After you submit your Registration info, an "Activation e-mail" is automatically sent to your e-mail address. If you cannot find the Activation e-mail, please check your Bulk e-mail folder.

Just a single click on the Activation link in the e-mail serves to confirm your e-mail and activate your account. If necessary, copy and paste the full link into your browsers address bar and click on Go. If it gets wrapped (broken) into two lines, make sure to copy both the parts.

Troubleshooting Tip: Check that there are no spaces, commas or other characters (such as %20) between Member= and your Login Id. For example, if you chose Anita123 as your Id, then within the link above, you should see http:// .... _01.php?Member=Anita123&Key=8dg68cg..... The last part after &Key= is a long string of letters and numbers (unique for each user) - again with no spaces or commas.

If you do not find the Activation e-mail - or the link does not work after trying the above, please send an e-mail to Active-Days -at- Active-Days.org (include the Activation e-mail if you received it). Remember to add our e-mail address in your e-mail address book so you will not have any problems receiving subsequent notifications.  [ Replace the -at- with @ ].

NOTE: Please remember that all registrations are individually reviewed and approved for access. As you would have seen in the Activation Page, this may take a day or so. If you are a genuine enthusiast who has been enjoying nature for years and years, then you would certainly appreciate the need for the above to create a secure, spam/nuisance free, pleasant environment.

Thank you for taking the time to register at Active-Days. As mentioned in the Sign-Up page and again in greater detail in the Registration Tips and Guidelines page, the idea is to create a community of real people with real interests.

Please review those pages and you could update your profile accordingly. There are plenty of sites where registering (once or multiple times) with fake names / info. is allowed (after all - that enhances the site's bragging rights by saying they have x-thousand members etc.) Active-Days is about real world activities (not just virtual / online exchange) and therefore the idea is to ensure real people (i.e. real names & info.) - with steps taken to ensure individual privacy.

P.S. Courtesy, maturity and mutual consideration are key elements of enjoyable social interaction. Thus the minimal step of providing a brief but genuine introduction before reading others introductions - is certainly not a difficult or irrelevant requirement in our view.

(Providing a fake intro. to review others intros; or not wanting to spend a minute or two to write an intro.; or blatantly disregarding the clearly stated tips; or moaning & groaning over this simple step - these are usually indicators of a lack of the key attributes mentioned above - and therefore, in our opinion, a lack of interest in a real community!)

To keep your profile current or to correct any errors, please use the link below.

Update Profile

If you encounter any errors/issues, please let us know.

Sending Private Messages, Posting Discussion Items, Comments
The Community Section and Member features were designed to provide a user-friendly and secure platform where interested folks can get together and share their questions, experiences, photos and directly contact each other.

POSTING DISCUSSION & ANNOUNCEMENT ITEMS
Members can simply head to the Community Page to find the Discussion and Announcements Area. Simply click on the sub-section you are interested in (e.g. Activity Buddies, General Discussion etc.) to view previous messages. You will find links at the top titled "Post New Message". Simply click on it and compose your message and click Submit. You're done!

POSTING COMMENTS
While viewing Event Details or Park/Destination Details, you will find links near the top marked "Post a Comment". You can leave any comments/ questions that apply for that particular event or park. As this is a Member to Member area, please remember to check comments left by others and add any responses.

SENDING PRIVATE MESSAGES   Easier and more secure than E-mail!
The best way is to go to the Member Directory, use the search boxes to find and review profiles of other members and then simply click on the Send a Message icon / link.

You can also head over to the My Messages page where you will see your Inbox and Outbox. To the side of the Outbox tab, you will see a link titled "Send a Message". You can use that to send messages as well.

Active-Days members can post events that they would like to organize / lead for other members. For informal / casual / short-notice hikes etc. (OR for other events not led by you), you can post in the Activity Buddies section under the Announcements tab in the Community page.

Event coordinators / leaders from Organizations can also post events directly. For more information on posting events, please visit the Posting Your Events page.

You can post photos and "attach" them to your profile, or a destinations / park, or an event etc. (depending on the photo) in two easy steps!

1. View your profile, or the park, or event details page
2. Click on the Add Photo link from that page.

Once uploaded, the photos can be viewed from the profile / park pages and the Photo Gallery.

Please make sure the photo / image files are not larger than 300KB. (See tips below*)

IMPORTANT TIP - After clicking on Submit, please wait until you see the response message. Please read the system message to see if the photo was uploaded successfully OR if there were any ERRORs. In case of any errors, (e.g. image category not selected) simply enter the required info. and click on Submit again.

*TIPs / steps for RESIZING PHOTOS if you have never done it before:

Cameras these days are taking photos at 5-8+ megapixels - some 3000 by 2000 pixels!!   A full screen image is only about 1000 by 800 pixels - less than 1 megapixel - which is good for posting online or email-ing.

Please open the image in your photo editing program (that came with your camera - or simply Microsoft Paint that comes with most computers) and from the main menu, choose RESIZE the image. You can specify either the width (e.g. 800 pixels - less for vertical shots) - OR a percentage e.g. 50% - and the program will resize the image. Tip: For mugshots, a width of 300 or 400 is more than enough!

Then save the image with a new name (so your original file remains intact) as a JPG file e.g. Sunset-at-Shoreline-Park-1.jpg (best to have no spaces in the name). While saving, you should be able to specify the Quality ... choose Medium or a number between 50% and 70%. That should reduce the file size to a hundred KB or so - with practically no loss of quality (as viewed onscreen!)

Go ahead and try it, it's easier than it sounds - and takes a minute!

Posting an RSVP for an event is very easy - simply click on the Add RSVP link or icon and then enter the fields. If you were not already logged in, please remember to enter your Login Id and Password at the bottom of the RSVP fields. If you haven't signed-up yet, you can enter your Name, E-mail and City.

To update your RSVP: simply visit the My RSVPs page (RSVP icon in the My Active Days menu - at the top right of every page - just under the Main Menu). There you will find all your RSVPs listed - with an Edit link for each RSVP. Click on the Edit link to update your RSVP.

The tips and pointers above did not answer your questions or resolve your problem?

Have some suggestions/feedback on any of the above aspects or other features of the site?

If you are logged in, you can send us a direct message here.

Otherwise, please use the contact form and provide some details of the issue - with some information about your setup including browser & version, dial-up or broadband, pc or mac/operating system (e.g. Firefox 1.0, Windows 98).  

This is a work in progress. A lot of time, personal care and attention is focused on making this site a pleasant, productive and positive experience for all site users - but obviously there could be things that need to be refined further. Thank you for your feedback, courtesy and patience as we work on creating a valuable community resource together.