NOLS Blog
Case Study: Bear Spray in the Face
The Setting You are almost done with a 3-day backpacking trip in the Wind River Mountain Range of Wyoming with two of your friends. You only have a couple miles left to get back to the car, and you’re already dreaming of the cheeseburger and milkshake you’re going to have once back in town. Prior…
Case Study: Fishhooks
Photo: Lindsay Nohl The Setting You’re on the first day of a twelve-day whitewater canoeing expedition down the ...
When Everything Came Into Focus — Hiking Patagonia’s Torres del Paine O Circuit Alumni Trip
Photo: Libby Poston I first learned about the O Circuit in 2025, a year before I actually did ...
Case Study: Heat Illness on an Early-Season Wildland Fire Assignment
The Setting You are working on a Type 2 initial attack handcrew in the Deschutes National Forest during the early part of fire season. It’s one of the first assignments of the year, and while conditions aren’t extreme yet, temperatures have climbed into the mid-80s°F with full sun exposure on a south-facing slope. The crew…
Rothberg-Birdwhistel Expedition Fund: Panchachuli III Peak Climb
In May 2025, Bharat Bhushan, Prerna Dangi, and I took on a challenge to climb Panchachuli III (6,349m), believed by local residents to remain unclimbed. We aimed to approach it via the northeast route through the Meola Glacier. Despite occasional visits by military and paramilitary personnel, there was no recorded mountaineering information or documented route…
Case Study: Non-Freezing Cold Injury on a Canoe Trip
The Setting You are leading an early-season canoe trip in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness. It’s mid-May, and while the days are mild, the water is still very cold. Travel involves frequent portaging and wading in and out of the canoe to load and unload gear. Despite good effort, everyone’s feet have been wet…
Lou Gordon: Three Decades of Influence
Louise “Lou” Gordon’s office in the Wilderness Medicine wing of NOLS Headquarters is tucked into the perpendicular intersection of two banks of offices, in the center of the activity but quiet and a little reserved. Like Lou herself.
After more than 30 years, the last 6 1/2 as NOLS Wilderness Medicine’s Wilderness EMT Supervisor, Lou is cleaning and packing up her office in preparation for her retirement. Her last day is May 1.
Climate Medicine: Where Climate Change and Healthcare Meet
Springtime has arrived in the Northern Hemisphere. Trees and grasses are greening up, flowers are blooming, and birds have returned to greet the morning with song. As many of Earth’s residents head into boreal summer, they know to expect rising temperatures. But what does that heat mean for human health? What happens when infectious diseases…
Summer Travel Programs for Teens: Why Wilderness Expeditions Offer More Than a Passport Stamp
Most summer travel programs for teens promise adventure. A select few actually deliver it. There is a difference between traveling through a place and learning to move through it with skill and intention. That difference is worth understanding before you commit to any program, and before your teen boards a plane. This guide breaks down…
How to Raise an Adventurer
A climber, alpinist, skier, photographer, filmmaker, and former NOLS instructor, Jimmy Chin believes adventure in the outdoors is key to successful parenting.
The Top 10 Hiking Illnesses and Injuries
Backpacker magazine consults NOLS Wilderness Medicine Curriculum Director Tod Schimpelfenig on how to prevent and treat the top 10 hiking injuries and illnesses identified in the NOLS database of medical incidents.
Freezer Bags: The Secret to Eating Well While Backpacking
Popular Science consults NOLS Rocky Mountain Rations Manager Claudia Pearson on how to prepare the best freezer bag meals for backcountry camping.
Building a Proper First Aid Kit
Outside Online looks to NOLS Wilderness Medicine for some tips on how to build a well-stocked first aid kit, starting with knowing how to use the supplies you packed.
Netflix Founder Says You Learn Leadership by Doing
Netflix co-founder and NOLS Board Chair Marc Randolph says the leadership experience he gained in the field as a NOLS student and instructor was the “single biggest contributor to my success as a businessperson.”
Why You Should Sleep Outdoors
NOLS Instructor and Financial Aid Counselor Cristina Edwards shares her thoughts on the benefits of sleeping outside.
Seeley Lake Student Funds Gap Year Working at Coffee Shop
He registered for a five-month course with NOLS. The Year in Patagonia course starts in Chile in October. Batchelder said this is exciting and very expensive.
TDA Cyclist Reflects on Expedition Behavior
Inspired by NASA astronauts who’ve completed NOLS leadership training, TDA cyclist Henry Gold reflects on how expedition behavior taught on NOLS courses applies to cycling tours.
Lessons from an Executive Leadership Expedition
Alison Wright, founder of The Cairn Project, reflects on the lessons she learned on a recent NOLS Executive Leadership Expedition in the Wind River Range.
Finding a Sense of Possibility in the Adirondacks
In the summer 2018 edition of LOCALadk Magazine, NOLS Northeast Manager and senior instructor Lindsay Yost reflects on the transformative power of a wilderness experience, especially for teenage students.
Riding into the Heart of Patagonia
In her 2018 book Riding into the Heart of Patagonia, former NOLS instructor Nancy Pfeiffer chronicles her adventures exploring the Patagonian backcountry on horseback over the past two decades.
An American Ascent at the Wild Center
On Sunday, July 29, 2018, in Tupper Lake, NY, The Wild Center will host a screening of An American Ascent in conjunction with NOLS Northeast, followed by a Q&A session with Expedition Denali member James Kagambi.
