NOLS Blog
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…
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 ...
Case Study: Dental Emergency while RaftingÂ
Photo by Anvesh Thapa The Setting You are on day three of a 4-day rafting trip on the ...
Case Study: Sea Kayaking SlipÂ
A fall partway through a sea kayak trip deep in the wilderness poses unique issues. How do you apply your wilderness medicine skills to this incident?
Gap Year Pros and Cons: Solo vs. Group
Explore the gap year pros and cons of solo vs. group programs to find the right balance for you between independence and shared experiences.
Trip Report: Inaugural NOLS Alumni Climbing Trip In Greece
In May of 2025, the Inaugural NOLS Alumni Greece Climbing Trip traveled to the Greek island of Kalymnos, one of the most famous climbing destinations in the world. Our small but mighty group of alumni and NOLS instructors climbed, swam, staged breathtaking photo shoots, practiced climbing skills, visited nearby islands, sampled the best spinach pies…
Exploring the World and Finding Yourself: The Power of a Gap Year After High School
Discover the power of taking a gap year after high school—adventure, cultural immersion, and self-reflection highlight this transformative experience.
Case Study: Embedded Tick while Backpacking
In the Appalachian Mountains of New York you friend notices that they have an engorged tick on their leg. How would you apply your wilderness medicine skills in this scenario?
Instructor Spotlight: Caeden Greene
A NOLS experience can truly be a transformative experience for a young person’s life, and that was certainly the case for field instructor Caeden Greene. In high school, Caeden embarked on a 30-day Waddington Range Mountaineering Expedition (WAD), long known as one of NOLS’ most rigorous courses. The WAD expedition had such a profound effect…
Quiz: Winter Injury and Illness
Do you know how to help with first aid for winter injuries and illnesses?
Black Wolf Expedition: First Descent Packrafting in the Canadian North
An instructor team heads to North America's largest wilderness to explore new rivers and mountains by packraft.
Camping Recipe: Biscuits [Video]
You know you've found the perfect adventure partner when you wake up to the smell of biscuits baking in the morning. Grow your cooking skills with this delicious biscuit recipe.
Kids on Outdoor Trips: First Aid Recommendations
Knowing how to identify and manage pediatric medical issues can help your family have a fun adventure in the backcountry.
The Poetry of Experience
Looking back with a critical eye, I can see the poetry of the experience I had in Alaska. Dramatic, refreshing, limit-pushing poetry.
Responding to Hurricane Harvey with Wilderness First Aid Skills
We found ourselves in a boat pulling away from the only dry land we could see. It looked like a normal city neighborhood had been built in the middle of a lake—all due to Hurricane Harvey
Climbing Denali, in Photos
Covered with white glaciers, Denali towers incredibly high above all the other Alaska Range peaks and the surrounding green tundra.
Case Study: BASE Jumping Accident
You are a member of your community’s Search and Rescue team. You and an EMS team are responding to the scene of a BASE-jumping accident…
Learning a Helping Mindset While Camping
Knowing what needs to be done and how to do it are important parts of expedition behavior.
Find Your Next Adventure in the City
Call it a microadventure or a day out of the house—just get out and explore what’s around you.
9 Hygiene Tips for Your Camp Kitchen
Telling your friends about the peak you climbed or the rapid you ran are the things you want to bring home from the backcountry—not a foodborne illness.
Camping Recipe: No-Bake Energy Nuggets
These no-bake snacks are an easy recipe to keep in your fridge so that, when it's time for your next adventure, you don't need to scramble for a snack.
