NOLS Blog
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 ...
Backpacking Among Giants: A Trip Report from Norway’s Jotunheimen Mountains
Photo by Amanda Klein In August of 2025, the inaugural NOLS Alumni Norway Backpacking Trip ventured into the Jotunheimen Mountains ...
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…
Case Study: Dental Emergency while RaftingÂ
A member of your rafting party loses a tooth partway through a 4-day trip. How do you respond?
Where Play Meets Purpose: A Journey Through the Canyons
Since 2022, NOLS and the University of Michigan Ross School of Business have collaborated on a yearly weeklong expedition to the canyons in southeastern Utah. This expedition is the culmination of a semester-long leadership course for Ross undergraduate students. It combines concepts and learnings from the classroom course with the NOLS leadership curriculum in a…
Rothberg-Birdwhistell Exploration Fund: Expedition to the Peruvian Andes
In the spring of 2025, we set out on an Alpine and ski mountaineering expedition to Peru’s Cordillera Blanca. As outdoor educators with experience leading students on NOLS courses, our team shares a deep commitment to learning through challenge and a connection to wild places. Our goals: explore new terrain, attempt several high peaks, and…
How to Make Oat Scones in the Backcountry
Oat scones taste delicious plain or with honey, peanut butter, wild berry jam, or cheese. They are also excellent with soups or casseroles and make good trail food. Oat Scones ½ cup butter 2 cups oatmeal 1-1/2 tsp. baking powder Pinch of salt (allows recipe to use less sweetener) ¼ cup honey or brown sugar…
A Can of Calm: Applying Wilderness Medicine in Disaster Zones
NOLS Wilderness First Responder trainings aren't just for outdoor enthusiasts—they're also great prep for humanitarian work in disaster zones.
NOLS Awards Close to $2M in Need-Based Scholarships This Year
In 2019, NOLS awarded more than $1.9 million in need-based scholarships to over 900 students participating in wilderness expeditions and wilderness medicine courses.
2019 Holiday Gift Guide
Searching for the perfect gift for an outdoorsy friend but not sure what to get? Check out our 2019 holiday gift guide!
Camping Recipe: How to Make a Backcountry Pie
What's a meal without dessert? Satisfy your sweet tooth and show off your backcountry cooking skills with this tasty fruit pie recipe from NOLS Cookery.
Thankful for Wilderness Medicine
Audrey Goral took a NOLS WFA thinking she would only use the skills for a sprained ankle. She never expected to use the skills on her twin in an emergency.
Our Favorite Places to #OptOutside
Do something different on Black Friday—join NOLS in opting outside! Here are some of our staff's top picks for awesome places to #OptOutside.
Wilderness Medicine and the Zombie Apocalypse
The horror movies turned out to be real—it's time to adapt your wilderness medicine skills to survive zombies!
Case Study: Anaphylaxis in the Backcountry
This case study tests how well you can adapt when your patient has a potential life threat.
Add Some Wild to Your Halloween with Our Pumpkin-Carving Stencils
Happy Spooktober! Carve some fun nature-themed pumpkins with our first-ever NOLS pumpkin-carving stencils this Halloween.
Domenic Bravo is NOLS 2019 Stewardship Award Recipient, Professor of Practice at the University of Wyoming Outdoor Recreation and Tourism Management
Dominic Bravo Receives NOLS 2019 Stewardship Award
How Backpacking Sparked a Love for Wilderness Medicine
On a NOLS expedition, Jack Johnson fell in love with wilderness medicine. Read about his journey from a 14-year-old backpacker to a Wilderness EMT!
