NOLS Learns to Lighten Up

Representatives Demetri Coupounas (Coup) from GoLite and Ryan Jordan from BackpackingLight Magazine arrived at NOLS headquarters last week to display some of their favorite gear and to address questions from a captivated audience. We saw backpacks, sleeping bags, stoves and more that could all be tossed around like beanbags they were so light! We left the presentation itching to run into the mountains and test it out ourselves.

However, NOLS instructors at both the Southwest and the Rocky Mountain branches actually got to do the field-testing on three-day seminars with Coup and Ryan. The seminar gave instructors the opportunity to experiment with the durability and comfort level afforded by the new gear, and while the jury is still out on which items could become new NOLS standards, the potential for lighter packs has everyone buzzing!