AMK to Raise Funds for NOLS Scholarship Fund

Lander, WY—Adventure Medical Kits (AMK) has volunteered to help provide scholarships for National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS) students.

During the first two days of the 2012 Outdoor Retailer Winter Market, AMK (booth number 6027) will be selling its award-winning SOL Escape Bivy for $20.That price is less than half the retail price of $50, and all funds raised Jan. 18 and 19 will go directly to NOLS for scholarship assistance.

“Each year, NOLS offers more than $1 million in scholarship assistance to participants that show great potential to excel as NOLS students and who would not be able to attend without financial aid,” said Jeanne O’Brien, NOLS PR and partnerships manager. “Without the generous support of staff, grads and organizations like Adventure Medical Kits, a NOLS education would not be possible for many students.”

AMK stated the fundraising initiative demonstrates a shared dedication to promoting outdoor safety through education and quality products.

“NOLS is by far the most prominent national organization teaching both outdoor safety skills and environmental stewardship,” said AMK Chief Marketing Officer Frank Meyer. “By selling the SOL Escape Bivvy—a product that significantly elevates the safety of emergency shelters—at such a low price, people can donate money to a great cause and receive an essential piece of survival gear to boot.”

AMK reports the SOL Escape Bivvy addressess a design flaw that has long afflicted most bivvies—moisture build-up. Made from a proprietary vacuum metalized spunbonded olefin, the Escape Bivvy’s groundbreaking design lets condensation escape at the same time it keeps rain, snow, and wind on the outside, AMK explains. The rip-resistant material also reflects radiated body heat to keep survivors warm, as well as dry.

Although AMK won’t start shipping the SOL Escape until later this month, the product has already racked up some significant awards, including 2011 Gear of the Year honors from both Gear Junkie and National Geographic Adventure.

NOLS will be accepting the Outdoor Industry Association’s Outdoor Inspiration Award during the Winter OR, making the tow organizations a well-respected match. Thanks to the scholarship fundraising efforts of AMK, NOLS will be able to inspire even more students to appreciate and recreate in the outdoors over the next year.

Founded in 1965 by legendary mountaineer Paul Petzoldt, NOLS is the leader in wilderness education, providing awe-inspiring, transformative experiences to more than 15,000 students each year. These students, ages 14 to 70, learn in the wildest and most remote classrooms worldwide—from the Amazon rain forest, to rugged peaks in the Himalaya, to Alaskan glaciers and Arctic tundra. Graduates are active leaders with lifelong environmental ethics and outdoor skills. NOLS also offers customized courses through NOLS Professional Training, and the Wilderness Medicine Institute of NOLS is the leading teacher of wilderness medicine worldwide. For more information, call (800) 710-NOLS (6657) or visit www.nols.edu.