Wilderness Safety Training

Manage Risk on Wilderness Trips

You’re ready to go deeper into the outdoors—but it takes more than luck to get home safely.

Risks can’t be eliminated from the wilderness, but you can learn to manage them. In this 2-day classroom course, you’ll learn to plan your adventures with risk management in mind.

When you start a trip with a plan, you can focus on having fun instead of managing unexpected problems. When you’re able to identify hazards, injuries are less likely. And if something goes wrong despite your preparation, having a plan sets you up for an effective response.

This course is relevant for outdoor enthusiasts, guides, and trip leaders of all experience levels, especially those who may venture beyond the reach of traditional emergency services (places with unreliable cell service, poorly maintained roads… or none at all).

What You’ll Learn

  • Trip planning principles and how to identify life-threatening wilderness hazards
  • Outdoor leadership and decision-making strategies
  • Emergency planning (self assessment tools included)

Course Topics

  • Trip planning
  • Hazard identification and assessment
  • Outdoor leadership and decision making
  • Communication
  • Emergency planning
  • Risks unique to solo adventures
  • Working with third party contractors
  • Reflection and post-trip learning
Explore Your Options for Improving Risk Management

We offer a variety of risk management trainings for individuals and organizations, as well as consulting services and the annual Wilderness Risk Management Conference. Learn More

Additional Details

Hours: 9:00 a.m.  -5:00 p.m. (with 1 hour break for lunch)
Group size: 18-30
Taught by: NOLS Expedition Instructor

Duration

2 days

Age

18+ yrs

Course Session Dates

No Course Sessions enrolling.

Financial aid & Scholarships

NOLS supports a variety of outside financial aid options:

  • AmeriCorps
  • 529 College Savings Plans
  • Veteran's Benefits (In Wyoming only)

If you are fluent in American Sign Language or Signed Exact English, you may be eligible to receive a full scholarship to your wilderness medicine course.