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…
10 Classic Health and Safety Risks Among First-Time Campers
Read ten health and safety tips for first time campers. Marco Johnson, a senior field instructor at NOLS offers his tips for beginners.
27 Considerations for a Wilderness First Aid Kit
There’s no such thing as the perfect first aid kit, so you should consider your needs and build a kit that meets them.
DIY Composting
Instead of contributing organic matter to a landfill, try composting with a few simple steps. It’s easier than you’d think!
Gap Years: Why Most Adults Say, ‘I Wish I’d Done That’
A gap year with the National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS), has a focus on leadership and outdoors skills in the most awe-inspiring locations in the world.
Kayakers Finish Expedition Down Elk River
Kearns went on a trip with the National Outdoor Leadership School down Utah’s Green River. There, he met Swisher and the two hit it off.
Thriving as Women Boaters on the Main Salmon River
Thriving as Women Boaters on the Main Salmon River
NOLS to Match AmeriCorps Education Awards (Americorps – 2016)
NOLS to match AmeriCorps Education Awards
How to Find the Best Campsites in the US
Marco Johnson, Field Staffing Director at NOLS outlines how to pick the best campsite. His tips include: explore the nearby area, go in the off-season and more.
Forest Kindergarten Teacher Trained at NOLS
She pursued continuing education courses with the National Outdoor Leadership School. That coalesced into the Kindergarten Forest program at Antioch School.
Ugly Boxes Doing Beautiful Things: How You Can Do Sustainability
Ugly Boxes Doing Beautiful Things: How You Can Do Sustainability
