NOLS Blog
Case Study: Fishhooks
The Setting You’re on the first day of a twelve-day whitewater canoeing expedition down the Green River. Your group consists of fifteen students and four instructors. Everyone is paddling close together down a stretch of flat water practicing strokes, building skills, and getting to know one another. Spirits are high. People are laughing, chatting, and…
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
Photo by Kirk Rasmussen The Setting You are working on a Type 2 initial attack handcrew in the ...
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…
Staying Power
Shari Kearney didn’t just find a place at NOLS—as our longest serving female instructor, she has worked over 424 weeks in the field and influenced generations of students. Shari Kearney is checking on Three Peaks Ranch’s stable of horses, kept on pastures outside of Lander, Wyoming in the offseason. Each autumn, the horses—dozens of them—are…
Make Your Gear Have Multiple Purposes
Packing enough to be prepared without going overboard and letting your worries hijack your decision making takes practice.
The Alaskan Tundra Jumpstarts New Adventures
Alum Dave’s NOLS course jumpstarted a new life of activity and adventure—at age 49.
Camping Recipe: Potato Pancakes
Fill up for breakfast or dinner with this tasty camping recipe for potato pancakes.
How to Create a High-Functioning Team in the Outdoors
For first-time trip leaders or seasoned explorers, here are some tips to encourage a high-functioning team on your next excursion.
How to Fix Your Outdoor Gear
Fixing outdoor gear isn’t complicated, as long as you have a few of the right tools.
6 Lessons I Did Not Expect to Learn from NOLS
After dropping my pack and pulling out a much-needed Snickers bar, I sat on the ground and tried to digest what had happened over the past few days.
Instant Camping Recipe: Geikie Curried Rice
Prepare this instant meal at home before hitting the trail, then just add boiling water when you’re ready to eat.
New Courses for Winter and Spring 2018
Do service work at a school in Tanzania, explore remote cave paintings in Baja California, and grow your avalanche awareness with a winter ski training.
Teaching Leadership Through Storytelling on Wilderness Expeditions
2017 NOLS Summit speaker and instructor Eric Boggs shares how storytelling is a powerful way to teach leadership.
The Art of a Good Re-Ration Care Package
During a NOLS course that’s longer than a week, you’ll likely have a number of “re-supplies” or “re-rations” where you’ll receive new food, fuel, and supplies..
Make Your Camping Gear Last Longer
Besides saving money, choosing durable gear means conserving natural resources and minimizing your carbon footprint by not constantly replacing your equipment.
5 Things to Check in Your First Aid Kit
Revamp your first aid kit before a trip with these five tips.
