Privacy Policy

Based Adventures, LLC · Bozeman, Montana
Effective date: October 12, 2026

Based Adventures, LLC (“Based Adventures,” “we,” “us”) runs small-group wilderness expeditions. This policy explains what personal information we collect through basedadventures.com and our applicant portal, why we collect it, who can see it, and the choices you have. If you have questions, email mark.schattenberg@gmail.com.

1. What we collect

Account details. Your name, email address, phone number and password when you create an account. We store your password only in encrypted (hashed) form; we can’t see it.

Application answers. The expedition you apply for, your outdoor experience, why you want to go, how you meet the fitness standard, who referred you, and any short medical or dietary note you choose to add.

Medical information. On the Medical Information form: date of birth, allergies, medications, health history, injuries and surgeries, dietary needs, swimming ability and anything else you tell us about your health.

Emergency contacts and insurance. Your home address, two emergency contacts (names, relationships, phone numbers and optional email addresses), and your health insurance company and policy details.

Travel documents. Files you upload, such as a passport or ID, flight itinerary and insurance card.

Signatures and agreement records. When you sign a form or our waiver online, we record your typed name, the date and time, your IP address, your browser type, and the exact version of the text you agreed to (with a checksum so it can’t be changed later).

Payment records. Whether your deposit was received, and the deposit amount we sent you. We don’t receive or store your card or bank details (see section 5).

Technical information. Our web server keeps standard logs (such as IP address, browser and pages visited) for security and troubleshooting.

2. Why we use it

To review your application and talk with you about it.
To run an expedition responsibly: to plan for medical needs, respond to emergencies, contact your emergency contacts, and share information with medical and rescue providers if you need care.
To manage your spot: deposits, travel logistics, permits and border crossings.
To keep records of the agreements you sign.
To send you emails about your application and trip (see section 6).
To keep the website and your account secure.

We don’t use your information for advertising, and we don’t make automated decisions about you.

3. Who can see it

Based Adventures, LLC administrators only. Your application, forms and uploads are visible only to you and to our site administrators. Medical answers and travel documents are limited to administrators.
Your trip leaders, only as needed to run your expedition responsibly (for example, relevant medical information and emergency contacts).
Medical, rescue and emergency services, if you are hurt or ill, or in another emergency.
Service providers who host our website and send our email, only so they can provide those services.
Authorities, if the law requires it, or to protect someone from harm.

We do not sell or rent your personal information, and we don’t share it for others’ marketing.

4. Other participants

We don’t share your contact details, medical information or documents with other participants without your permission.

5. Payments through Venmo

Deposits are paid through Venmo, which is a separate service. When you pay, Venmo handles your payment details under its own privacy policy and terms, not ours. Venmo does not notify our website. We record only that a payment was received, which we check by hand.

6. Emails

We send you emails about your account, application status, deposit, and forms you sign (including a copy of any signed waiver). Our administrator gets a short notice when you submit a form or upload a document. These notices don’t include your answers, medical information or files. Because these emails are about your application and trip, you can’t opt out of them while your application is active. If you’d rather not hear from us anymore, email us and we’ll close your account.

7. Cookies and login

We use cookies that are needed to keep you logged in and to keep forms secure. We don’t use advertising or tracking cookies in the applicant portal. Our spam protection on the sign-up form works without third-party tracking. If you block cookies, you won’t be able to log in.

8. How long we keep it

Medical information and travel documents: deleted 12 months after your expedition ends, unless the law requires us to keep them longer, or we need them for an insurance claim, incident or legal matter.
Signed agreements and signature records (including waivers): kept as long as needed to protect our legal rights, generally until the time limits for legal claims have passed.
Account and application details: kept while your account is open, and then deleted or anonymized when you ask us to close it, unless we need to keep them for the reasons above.
Applications that don’t go ahead: deleted 24 months after the decision.

9. Your choices and requests

You can see and update most of your information in your account. You can also email mark.schattenberg@gmail.com to:

get a copy of your information;
correct something that’s wrong;
delete your account and information (we may need to keep signed agreements and records the law requires); or
ask any question about how we use your information.

We’ll reply within 30 days. We may need to confirm your identity first.

10. Security

We protect your information with logins, encrypted connections (HTTPS), restricted administrator access, and private storage for uploaded documents that can only be downloaded by you or an administrator. No system is perfectly secure, so please use a strong, unique password and tell us right away if you think your account has been misused. If a breach affects your information, we’ll notify you as the law requires.

11. Age

Our expeditions and portal are for adults 18 and older. We don’t knowingly collect information from anyone under 18.

12. Where your information is stored

Our website and its data are hosted in the United States. If your expedition travels to Canada, we may share relevant information with Canadian medical or rescue services in an emergency.

13. Changes to this policy

We may update this policy. We’ll post the new version here with a new effective date, and if the changes are significant, we’ll tell you by email or in your account.

14. Contact

Based Adventures, LLC
Bozeman, Montana
mark.schattenberg@gmail.com