NOLS Blog
Epistaxis on a Llama Packing Trip
The Setting It’s day two of a guided family llama packing trip deep in the Andes of South America. The scenery is stunning—glacial valleys, high alpine meadows, and dramatic peaks. You’re one of the trip guides, certified as a Wilderness First Responder (WFR). The group includes several families, and this morning’s plan is to trek…
Medicine in Orbit
Space, some say, is the final frontier. For N. Stuart Harris, M.D., M.F.A., Massachusetts General Hospital Emergency Department ...
6 Reasons Why You Should Take A WEMT Course (And Tips for How to Prepare)
Practicing patient care during a scenario. Photo by Angelica Rydelius Bergman. During the first multiple casualty scenario of ...
Paul Petzold, the U.S. Army, and NOLS
Paul Petzoldt was 36 years old in 1943 when he joined the U.S. Army’s prestigious 10th Mountain Division, an elite group of soldiers who were trained for alpine warfare. Already decades into his career, the future founder of NOLS had worked a slew of jobs, including farmer, waiter, and used car salesman. He was best…
How to Make Hash Browns with Cheese
Hash browns have a well-deserved reputation as a delicious breakfast treat, but this cheesy version is great for lunch or dinner too—and that’s before you add nuggets of ham or bacon and a few shakes of hot sauce into the mix! This recipe requires a little forethought—both the hash browns and dried onions benefit from…
NOLS Picante Sauce
Picante perks up almost any savory recipe—try it on eggs, beans, in soups and coupled with anything on a tortilla. This, our favorite picante recipe, can be made with a little tomato base and a well-stocked spice kit, but don’t shy away from adding your own favorites! NOLS Picante Sauce (makes about 1 cup) 1…
Backpacking Among Giants: A Trip Report from Norway’s Jotunheimen Mountains
In August of 2025, the inaugural NOLS Alumni Norway Backpacking Trip ventured into the Jotunheimen Mountains for ten days of challenging hiking amongst stunning scenery. Our group first met in Oslo before traveling about five hours by bus to the Jotunheimen region in western Norway. The bus conveniently dropped us off at our first hut of the trip and…
Case Study: Altitude Illness While Trekking
The Setting You are on the trip of a lifetime hiking the Annapurna Circuit in Nepal with one of your best friends. This trip has been in the works for over a year. You’ve spent countless hours training, reviewing maps, and daydreaming about being in the mountains. You can’t believe you’re finally here! You flew…
What a NOLS Risk Review Really Looks Like: A Case Study with NatureBridge
In the same year as NOLS’ 60th anniversary, we are celebrating 20 years since the formation of NOLS Risk Services. For 60 years, NOLS has operated in remote locations all over the world, and in 2005, NOLS Risk Services was formed to share what NOLS has learned about operational risk management in the process. NOLS…
WRMC Announces 2017 Charles (Reb) Gregg Award Recipient
Shana Tarter, founding member of the WRMC and assistant director of NOLS Wilderness Medicine, received the Charles (Reb) Gregg Award at the 2017 WRMC.
Michael Foale, astronaut extraordinaire teaches on leadership and teamwork
We used an approach, starting quite recently in the year 2000 or so, where we adopted the outdoor leadership models of NOLS.
Drilling Near Dinosaur National Monument Draws Criticism
Changes loom near remote Dinosaur National Monument in Utah. It’s a rough region of 1,000-foot cliffs and canyons, and two wild rivers, the Green and the Yampa.
Medicine in the Middle of Nowhere
The course, led by instructors from NOLS and a fourth-year medical resident from Harvard, also introduced them to wilderness medicine.
How to Keep Your Camp Kitchen Clean
I spoke with Marco Johnson, who’s been teaching wilderness skills and first aid as the field staffing director at NOLS in Lander, Wyoming.
Working With Difficult Teammates You Didn’t Choose
When Cady became concerned that their crisis preparation training wasn't going well enough, she pushed to have the three of them do a short NOLS program.
“Exploration Film Tour” challenges stereotypical norms on the outdoors
NOLS will bring a series of eight independent films to the big screen for this year's Exploration Film Tour at Ohio State University.
My Drowning (And Other Inconveniences)
Thrown from a raft in Grand Canyon’s Lava Falls, Tim Cahill was trapped underwater. His heart stopped for several minutes. He decided to try Lava again.
Why it’s a Real Mistake To Count on a Cellphone When You Go Hiking
“The classic behavior when you get lost is to speed up,” said Jamie O’Donnell, a field instructor with NOLS, a nonprofit based in Wyoming.
Recreation economy accounts for 50,000 Wyoming jobs
Recreation continues to play an important and growing role in Wyoming’s economy, according to a report released July 26 by the Outdoor Industry Association.
Renowned Astronomer Jill Tarter Says Eclipse Reminds Us We’re Earthlings
Tarter said she’s seen two other total solar eclipses in her life but she chose to see this one in Wyoming because her daughter works for the NOLS in Lander.
Genius Tips to Master Campsite Baking
A week into her NOLS class in the wilderness, Katherine Boehrer experienced the biggest shock of the trip, at dinnertime. "They made this chocolate cake."
