DOST Club members are primarily "nature lovers" who do outdoor sports such as rock climbing, winter camping, rafting, mountain biking, and many others. When a member joins the club, he or she receives training. During the training, a member learns all about survival techniques in the nature when left alone, how to help others when there is a problem, such as helping a friend in difficulty. The trained members become "trainers" when they are ready to do so. They believe that one cannot fight against nature, but he or she can only adapt to the situation as was the case in the earthquake.

DOST members used their outdoor skills to save lives at the earthquake site. When the members in Avcılar, İstanbul felt the earthquake late at night, they immediately went down to the streets to save people under the rubble. In the following days, some were in charge of establishing communication between the members, some crawled into the demolished buildings to save lives, and some transported goods, which were necessary for the survivors. One of the members says he is clostrophobic. However, during his struggle to reach a body under a seven-storey demolished building, he never felt that fear. One of the members did not sleep for six days; he says "I had to choose between sleeping or saving a life. I chose not to sleep."