NOLS Blog
Knee Injury While Cross-Country Skiing
The Setting You are cross-country skiing with four of your friends on a beautiful December day. The sun is shining, the temperature is a balmy 25℉, and you’re enjoying feeling the wind against your cheeks as you ski. You are roughly 3 miles into your 6-mile loop. Your moment of enjoyment is broken when, out…
Epistaxis on a Llama Packing Trip
Photo by Nick Springer The Setting It’s day two of a guided family llama packing trip deep in ...
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)
Here are the top six reasons why one NOLS Wilderness Medicine grad recommends taking a Wilderness EMT course.
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…
Patient Assessment: Visualizing the Head-to-Toe Exam
Review the steps of the head-to-toe exam with this NOLS Wilderness First Aid grad's hand-drawn diagram.
Whitman College Student Pushes Boundaries in the Canyons
Whitman College student Reza Darvish recently joined 10 fellow students on a week-long NOLS expedition in the Utah canyonlands, backpacking and canyoneering for the first time.
Case Study: Hiking through a Thunderstorm
Test whether you know what to do in this case study of a storm brewing and a nearby lightning strike.
No Phone Calls, No Emails, No Texts
When her 14-year-old son went on a two-week backpacking NOLS course in the Wind River Range, Robin Noble realized that in a world of constant connection, there’s value in disconnecting. Temporarily unable to call, email, or text each other, both Robin and her son learned from the experience.
Climbing for More Than the Summit
NOLS Wilderness Medicine grad Carina Ahlqvist will be the first Scandinavian woman to summit Makalu— but that's not why she joined the 2018 Climate Climb.
The Good, the Bad, and the Beautiful: Why I Went Back to NOLS
Struggling with the big city life she thought she wanted, Elena Rodriguez realized that what she actually needed was a NOLS course—or two.
Quiz: Handling Burns in the Outdoors
If you're camping and someone gets burned, do you know how to help? Test your first aid skills with this wilderness medicine quiz.
Why Students Who Learn Leadership Stand Out
Learning leadership doesn't have to wait till you're an adult—given the opportunity, teens show they're capable of good decision making and problem solving.
Using Your Wilderness Medicine Skills to Treat Pets
You never know when your first aid training might come in handy—you might even wind up using your skills to treat your pet!
How to Convince Your Boss to Let You Take a NOLS Course
Want to take a NOLS course? Here's how to get your boss on board.
What to Do When You Hook Yourself: Removing a Fishhook
Getting caught by a fishhook isn't fun, but it doesn't necessarily mean the end of your fishing trip—if you have the appropriate first-aid skills.
4 Strategies Leaders Use to Make Better Decisions
Stop! Before you make that decision—have you considered what type of decision-making strategy you're using and why?
