NCOAE Blog

From November 1st to the end of the year, you’ll be bombarded with advertising, discounts, and announcements of “shopping holidays.” In the winter months, you’ll find all sorts of sales on camping and backcountry clothing and gear, as retailers clear out their 2023 stock and announce new products for the spring and summer. 

And if you’re looking for the perfect gift for yourself or your loved ones who spend lots of time outdoors, you can find plenty of Shopper’s and Buyer’s Guides to consult for ideas.

This is not any of that.

In this post, we do not steer you toward specific camping or outdoor adventure products or brands. In fact, depending on your situation, our advice may inspire you to shed some gear. The ultimate objective is to accumulate gear that makes your human-powered outdoor experiences more awesome than ever without spending so much money that you can’t afford to go anywhere!

Gear Up with a Leave No Trace Mindset

Leaving no trace in the backcountry doesn’t only apply to the seven principles of Leave No Trace (LNT). It begins with how we buy, use, and consume only what we need when engaging with the outdoors. Buying the latest, greatest outdoor clothing and gear each year runs counter to that philosophy. In addition, if you’re on a limited budget, it reduces the funds you have available to take (more…)

For decades, spinal immobilization (SI) has been the standard practice when moving trauma patients with potential spinal injuries. Indeed, this particular procedure has long been commonplace for patients injured in the backcountry. Spinal immobilization involves the use of various devices, including a long spine board (LSB) and a cervical collar to stabilize the spine and prevent further injury.  

However, recent research has called this practice into question. In fact, while current techniques limit or reduce undesired motion of the spine, they do not succeed in fully immobilizing the spine. For this reason, the term “spinal motion restriction (SMR)” has gained favor over “spinal immobilization.” 

Both terms refer to the same concept — minimizing unwanted movement of the potentially injured spine. However, while LSBs have historically been used to attempt spinal immobilization, SMR may be achieved using a scoop stretcher, vacuum splint, ambulance cot, or other similar device to which a patient is safely secured.

The National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians (NREMT) defines the term “spinal immobilization” as the use of adjuncts (LSB, cervical collar, etc.) to prevent movement of the spine. The term “spinal motion restriction” is defined more broadly as attempting to maintain the spine in anatomic alignment and minimizing gross movement — irrespective of adjuncts.

Evaluating the Efficacy of Spinal Immobilization

The effectiveness of the LSB to prevent further trauma to the spine has never been proven in high-level trials. Its use was adopted largely by consensus and not driven by data from any formal studies. An extensive literature review on the history of not using the LSB as a tool concluded that it is ineffective and may be detrimental by delaying time-sensitive treatments for some patients.

A study published by Cambridge University Press examined patient outcomes over a decade during which Emergency Medical Service (EMS) systems decreased backboard use as they transitioned from SI to SMR protocols. The study included (more…)

Editor’s Note: Today’s post is the 250th since we launched our blog in December of 2013. And what better way to mark the occasion than by publishing a post about the efficacy of outdoor and adventure-based experiential education. Thank you to everyone who has been along for the ride so far. From our writers and editors to our readers and those who choose to share our posts, we appreciate the opportunity to share our expertise and experience and we look forward to continuing to do so for many years to come.

Leadership Skills, Personal Development are Backcountry Bonuses at NCOAE

By, Elizabeth Shirley, WFR, NCOAE Director of Outdoor Programming & Education

For those of us who work in adventure-based and experiential outdoor education, it’s pretty much a given that backcountry, expedition-style experiences can set students up for success in life, sometimes well beyond the expedition itself. Whether these wilderness experiences include the mountains of Alaska, the rivers of the Pacific Northwest, or the coast of North Carolina, outdoor education expeditions offer an opportunity for meaningful life experiences. 

In fact, backcountry courses  planned and expertly guided by The National Center for Outdoor & Adventure Education (NCOAE) are intentionally designed expeditions, with a focus on leadership and personal development that goes hand in hand with learning or improving technical outdoor skills and environmental science.

The term “empower” has become a trite and ineffective word in today’s world, much like a father telling his son, “I empower you to mow the lawn.” However, there are numerous occasions during an NCOAE wilderness expedition where students are offered a variety of opportunities to step into leadership roles while in the field.

These assignments include serving as a Leader of the Day — a student charged with making sure the group stays on task and on the trail, utilizing a map and compass. The Cook of the Day guides the assigned expedition members in the preparation of meals and the subsequent cleanup. And the Gear Crew helps the group set up camp, position bear hangs, collect water, and more. Students also participate in a variety of (more…)

Tina Currin’s dance card remains full after completing our 27-day Hybrid Wilderness EMT course this past March. For starters, Tina is currently wrapping up the Triple Crown of American long-distance hiking. In fact, she’s about 1,600 miles into the Continental Divide Trail, which runs the length of the Rockies — from Canada to Mexico.

“I should be done in about a month, by which point I’ll have hiked more than 10,000 miles on National Scenic Trails across the USA,” she recently told us. We should note that traversing the Divide isn’t the first of her long-distance backpacking rodeos. Tina’s also tackled the Appalachian & Pacific Crest Trails, as well as major trail systems in Arizona, Florida and throughout New England.

Depending on the season, Tina is a freelance writer, National Park Service (NPS) Ranger, and a long-distance backpacker. She’s worked as a ski liftie, spent a summer season guiding cave tours, and organized large-scale charity events and bike races.

Professionally, Tina has created content for the NPS’ social media accounts and currently contributes articles to NPS.gov. She also writes blog posts and conducts product testing for Hyperlite Mountain Gear and Nashville Pack and Equipment Company. And she occasionally contributes what she terms “grainy photographs” to Outside Magazine.

Why Tina Chose NCOAE’s W-EMT Course

So, with a schedule that makes her feel “like a strange assemblage of a zillion somewhat-related skills stuffed inside a hiker’s body,” why did this backcountry wonder carve out a full month of time for NCOAE’s intensive W-EMT training program?

Tina said the reason she signed up for the (more…)

In the world of outdoor education and adventure-based recreation, there are shining stars that not only inspire peers with their reputation but also for setting the bar high for industry best practices. And here at NCOAE, we operate as if we’re one of those shining stars — not at the exclusion of anyone else, but to push ourselves to be the best we can be. 

As a result of our, The National Center for Outdoor & Adventure Education (NCOAE) has been named the 2023 Organizational Member of the Year by the Association for Experiential Education (AEE).

This prestigious honor comes as a result of developing and maintaining innovative programming at continuously high levels, including high ethical standards in our operations and programming, and being a supportive association member.

AEE the Organization

If you’re unfamiliar with AEE, it’s a well-respected and influential organization in our sector of the outdoor industry, that has been honoring organizations for their contributions for nearly a half century. NCOAE now joins the ranks of renowned organizations such as Deer Hill Expeditions, Thompson Island Outward Bound, Prescott College, and Project Adventure — all previously recipients of this accolade.

The St. Petersburg, Florida-based association, which was previously headquartered in Boulder, Colorado, is a (more…)

In the context of wilderness medicine, soap and SOAP are both indispensable. An explanation is in order. We’re all familiar with lower-case soap. This noun refers to a substance that’s added to water to remove dirt, grease, grime, and germs from various surfaces, including skin, hair, clothing, pots and pans, and so on.

Soap In The Wilderness

Traditional soap works in two ways — as a surfactant to break water tension, improving water’s ability to penetrate surfaces, and as a molecule that has a love-hate relationship with water. Soap molecules have two ends, one that’s hydrophilic (loves water) and the other that’s hydrophobic (hates water). The hydrophilic end binds to water, while the hydrophobic end binds to anything other than water — dirt, grease, grime, germs. Imagine soap molecules as tiny carabiners that shackle dirt molecules to water molecules to enable the water molecules to usher them away.

In backcountry and wilderness settings, soap plays a vital role in preventing infection and transmission of disease. In fact, scrubbing vigorously with soap and water may be among the most important risk-management technique you practice during your time in the wilderness.

SOAP (Subjective, Objective, Assessment, Plan)

Now let’s move on to the other SOAP — all uppercase — which is an acronym for Subjective, Objective, Assessment, and Plan. As an outdoor educator, field instructor, or wilderness guide, this note-taking procedure is nearly as important as scrubbing your hands regularly with soap and water. This is especially true when you’re dealing with a client injury or illness in a remote setting. 

SOAP Notes, which I’ll be covering in this post, separate important information from the chaos and fog of emotion in order to provide clean, uncluttered details for making informed medical decisions and emergency response plans. 

With SOAP Notes in hand, field instructors and outdoor educators trained in wilderness medicine, as well as backcountry guides, are better prepared to respond to a medical emergency. They do this by:

• Following an organized, methodical process
• Tracking changes in a patient’s health status
• Keeping a record of assessments, anticipated problems, and any interventions already provided
• Communicating with emergency responders
• Ensuring a seamless transfer of patient care to next-level healthcare providers
• Documenting cases and care for improving organizational outcomes

Here at The National Center of Outdoor Adventure and Education (NCOAE), we developed the SOAP Note form shown below.

Our SOAP Note’s Form

Our SOAP Note form consists of the following seven sections (more…)

What happens when someone answers the call to outdoor adventure and enrolls in a wilderness education, outdoor education, or backcountry expedition like the ones we offer at The National Center for Outdoor & Adventure Education (NCOAE)?

 They’re pretty much guaranteed they’ll be engaged in an experience that involves adventure, challenges, and fun, but most important — learning. I mean, just do the math: “Adventure” and “Education” is at the tail end of our name.

Our Educational Framework (see below) is the basis for what we do within the practice of outdoor education, just as the Experiential Learning Cycle itself defines how we do it, and our Theory of Change explains why we do it. 

At NCOAE, we are undeniably invested in teaching technical outdoor skills, the science of applying risk management to wilderness and backcountry expeditions, and planning and logistics — the cornerstones of living safely and in relative comfort during an adventure-based expedition. Our course areas are spread across the globe and provide a unique context to engage in lessons on environmental stewardship and Leave No Trace’s principles of outdoor ethics. However, one of the top areas upon which we focus during an NCOAE expedition is leadership.

Our students are guided to process, generalize, and apply what they are experiencing during an NCOAE program, with the ultimate objective of (more…)

The suicide rate among emergency medical service (EMS) professionals rose a shocking 38 percent since 2009, according to a study published in the Western Journal of Emergency Medicine. But as shocking as that statistic is, it should come as no surprise.

As an emergency medical technician (EMT) or paramedic, you typically work a five-day rotation of 12-hour shifts (days or nights). You may start the week working Monday and Tuesday and then have Wednesday and Thursday off. You spend half your first day off catching up on sleep, doing chores, and running errands. You’re free the next day, but pretty much alone because everyone you know is at work or school or busy with other normal weekday obligations. 

As a result, you likely lack the social connections many of us rely on for emotional support and psychological well-being. Come Friday, Saturday, and Sunday — when your friends and family are off work — you’re back on the job, providing critical medical care in highly stressful situations involving people who don’t always treat you with the respect and appreciation you deserve. And you have to perform this service with a smile on your face, because you don’t want a complaint on your record.

To make matters worse, emergency medical care leaves no room for mistakes. Quality assurance (QA) and quality improvement (QI) programs ensure that Monday morning quarterbacks are always looking over your shoulder to spot mistakes and offer their criticism and sage advice from their comfortable seats along the sidelines.

It’s Getting Worse Instead of Better

Thanks to high healthcare costs and doctor shortages, many people don’t have access to (more…)

As we do each year, we are once again taking advantage of this space to inform you about opportunities for you, your staff, and your organization to participate in professional development, networking, and business growth and development available at upcoming outdoor industry conferences.

In this edition, we are spotlighting nine events taking place between now and the end of this year, as well as bringing to your attention six more events scheduled for the first part of 2024 that might be worthwhile marking on your calendar.

5TH ANNUAL OUTDOOR ECONOMY CONFERENCE
Sept. 18-21, 2023 | Cherokee, North Carolina
Website: https://outdooreconomy.org

Why you should attend: This in-person, multi-day event is designed to foster intentional connections among stakeholders across the outdoor economy, igniting collaborations and catalyzing meaningful actions.

Why your company or organization should exhibit: Whether you’re a conference sponsor with booth space included in your sponsorship package or an independent exhibitor, conference organizers have curated a dynamic program that allows you and your staff to engage with the attendees while respecting the event’s other scheduled activities.

2023 OUTDOOR MEDIA SUMMIT
Sept. 24-26, 2023 | Boise, Idaho
Website: https://outdoormediasummit.com

Why you should attend: Outdoor Media Summit is where some of the brightest minds in outdoor media and marketing gather to share their tips, tricks, strategies, and warnings. If you are a marketer at an outdoor industry brand or an editor, freelancer, podcaster, or other content creator, this may be the conference for you.

WILDERNESS RISK MANAGEMENT CONFERENCE
Oct, 18-20, 2023 | Portland, Oregon
Website: https://www.nols.edu/wrmc 

Why you should attend: Attend the Wilderness Risk Management Conference in order to gain practical risk management skills, network with others in the outdoor education and adventure programming industry, share field and administrative techniques, and help develop risk management standards for the outdoor adventure and education industries.

Why your company or organization should exhibit: Connect with more than (more…)

Kate Javes has been a huge part of NCOAE’s continued success for a number of years, most recently as our EMS program director. Recently, Kate has decided to step back from that leadership role following three years of developing our Hybrid EMT training program. 

In addition, Kate oversaw all of our EMT and AEMT courses as well as instructed students, helped author the first editions of the NCOAE Wilderness Medicine Field Guide and the NCOAE EMT Program Manual, and played a pivotal part in helping our organization navigate the health pandemic caused by the virus named “SARS-CoV-2” and the disease it causes, named coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

A 2003 graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy who also attended Rutgers (The State University of New Jersey) where she played Division I soccer, Kate is now taking on the duties of an NCOAE EMT instructor, teaching hybrid and in-person 21-day EMT courses, both in North Carolina and in Oregon. In addition, Kate is our clinical coordinator, working with local hospitals and EMS agencies to schedule required clinical hours for the courses in both states.

And she’s also our American Heart Association (AHA) training site coordinator. As such, she is the point of contact for the Southern Regional American Heart Education Center regarding all of our AHA courses, responsible for maintaining and submitting documentation for these courses. This is primarily for our BLS (basic life support) for Healthcare Providers courses taught as part of our EMT curriculum. It also includes HeartSaver CPR and First Aid courses as well as instructor certification and recertification. 

Before joining NCOAE in 2013, this Maryland native was a paramedic for the New Hanover (NC) Regional EMS for eight years. Prior to that, she was a paramedic and firefighter for a summer for the Antarctic Fire Department. And while serving in the U.S. Marine Corps, Kate was a (more…)

In the world of emergency medical services (EMS), future EMTs and paramedics accept the reality that their immediate future includes hundreds of hours of lectures, extensive bookwork, and plenty of written tests. 

Each of these students has an objective in mind for taking EMT training courses, and their reasons are many. Some are looking to start careers in the EMS profession. Others plan to use their EMT certification as a stepping stone to medical school or physician assistant (PA) school. And there are those who are uncertain about what direction their future might take, so they’re exploring their options. 

Regardless of the reason why,  there are a number of things that simply can’t be “taught” in the classroom. Equally important as “book learning,” and perhaps more vital, is clinical and field experience. What is clinical experience? In the real world, clinical settings feature healthcare providers conducting actual exams and procedures on real patients. Physical examples might be a bustling hospital emergency department, a crowded local health clinic, or finding yourself hovering directly over an (more…)

As you’ve probably heard or read, last month was the hottest June our planet has ever experienced — topping a prior record set in 2019. In fact, according to the European Union’s Copernicus Climate Change Service, the nine hottest Junes ever occurred over the past nine years.

In addition, extreme heat creates crispy conditions, and last month’s torrid temps were all the kindling needed to promote the one of the worst wildfire season in Canadian and North American history. Add to that a record-breaking cyclone in southeast Africa, heatwaves across Asia, and extreme flooding throughout the world. Oh, and this just in: June sea ice levels in Antarctic were at their lowest level since scientists began keeping records.

All of this highlights what many of us have sensed and now know for certain: Climate change is upon us — and that’s a scary situation for those of us who work in the outdoor industry. The cumulative effect of all of these climate catastrophes has created what the American Psychology Association (APA) calls “eco-anxiety.” 

According to the American Psychology Association, eco-anxiety is “the chronic fear of environmental cataclysm that comes from observing the seemingly irrevocable impact of climate change, and the associated concern for one’s future and that of next generations.”

Media coverage adds to the angst

This fear is evident across our land, with hand-painted yard signs and a variety of bumper stickers on vehicles, all advocating that “Science is Real.” Newspaper editorials push for “immediate action,” or ask, “Are We Too Late?” Such articles often crowd out other headlines and newscast bulletins, which only increases our angst.

These conversations about our planet’s future — most of them based on science — have had an effect on most everyone’s emotional state. Words have weight, words plant ideas. And ideas spread faster than anything else, for good or bad. 

Some people pay attention, some don’t notice, and some dismiss the science out of hand, pushing the notion aside without realizing they are being affected at a cellular level by the emotions that are under the surface. This is what is happening, and sometimes we see it, sometimes we miss it, but in the end we’re all going to feel it personally, or collectively. (more…)

Undoubtedly, you’re either reading this on a smartphone or you’ve got a smartphone in your pocket or sitting on the table or desk in front of you. Most likely, that device features a compass. In fact, the digital app version of one of the most ancient navigational tools in the world comes standard with most cell phones and other mobile devices these days. 

Toss in Google Maps, Pacer, Apple Maps, MapMyWalk, Waze, and other directional apps that rely on GPS technology and you’ve got to ask yourself, “Why the heck should I bother using unwieldy paper maps and a handheld compass to explore the backcountry?” 

Of course, there are plenty of good reasons to master traditional map and compass skills, the most obvious being, “Damn, I got no signal.” 

Here at The National Center for Outdoor and Adventure Education (NCOAE), we include lessons in basic map and compass skills on every expedition we lead. In fact, it’s part of our “First 48” programming, which teaches students important technical skills they’ll need to know within the first two days of any NCOAE backcountry expedition. 

During the Fist 48, NCOAE course participants learn the basics of a baseplate compass, as well as how to (more…)

As an accredited outdoor and adventure education provider, we here at The National Center for Outdoor & Adventure Education (NCOAE) know that people are diligently doing their homework in their search to find the best guided wilderness trips for their children or for themselves.

And topping their list of questions is this query: What makes NCOAE different from programs like Outward Bound, programs like NOLS, and even traditional summer camps? How do you make a well-informed choice between our outdoor education company’s offerings and those offered by a summer camp, tour operator, GAP semester provider, or an unaccredited outdoor adventure programming company?

Many organizations like ours seek to set themselves apart from the top two standard bearers, namely, The National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS) and Outward Bound (OB). Truth be told, NCOAE’s similarities to those organizations far surpass our differences. In fact, like so many other organizations, we trace our pedigree back to programs like Outward Bound and NOLS.

NOLS and OB are leaders in the field, and for very good reason. They’ve been around longer than most every other outdoor education and adventure programming organization out there. Both brands are highly recognizable and trusted, and each has trained hundreds of thousands of people — many of whom have gone on to found outdoor recreation companies of their own.

In addition, these two organizations play leading roles within the outdoor education industry, from convening the annual (more…)

As The National Center for Outdoor & Adventure Education (NCOAE) has grown, so have the skills and knowledge of our expertly trained and credentialed staff members. Take Wesley Hawkins, WFR, for example; a young man who grew up in the Southeast and eventually landed in Georgia where he attended Georgia College and State University.

Majoring in outdoor education with a minor in business administration, Wesley was given a class assignment that brought him to NCOAE for a site visit back in 2014. That trip resulted in Wes becoming an NCOAE intern, assisting with our outdoor programming, and eventually working his way up to lead instructor.

Fast forward to 2023. Wes is now our Director of Course Management and Logistics. He’s responsible for managing all course-related needs, such as transportation, gear, and food, and he makes sure our staff and students are prepared before heading out on their expeditions. He also supervises and assists staff on our backcountry wilderness courses as needed.

Shortly after Wes settled in for the upcoming summer season, we pulled him away from his duties to answer a few questions for the latest post in our Meet the Team series. Here’s what he had to say: (more…)

This is the last post in our four-part series on trends to be aware of in outdoor and adventure-based experiential education. In Part 1, we covered DEI (diversity, equity, and inclusion). Part 2 focused on restorative practices. And Part 3 called attention to trauma-informed learning. 

Here in Part 4, we’re wrapping up the series with a call for action about stewardship.

According to research from Pennsylvania State University’s Department of Recreation, Park, and Tourism Management and the Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor Ethics, 13 percent of people who regularly participated in outdoor recreation activities prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, stopped doing so once nationwide lockdowns went into effect. 

At the same time, that 13 percent was offset by 20 percent more participation coming from people for whom the researchers say were likely entirely new to recreating in local, state, and national parks.

In New England alone, according to an article published in the journal for the International Association for Society and Natural Resources, overall recreation visitation increased by a whopping 61 percent during the summer of (more…)

In EMS (emergency medical services) education, generations of students have been taught to put safety first.  “Don’t enter a scene if it’s not safe,” is what all EMS students are told.  “Your safety is most important,” we say. “If you don’t feel safe, get out.”  

That being said, there’s another concept called “Safety Third” that’s become popular in recent years, claiming that it’s really up to the individual — not the institution — to ensure their safety on a continual basis. For more details about this, please read Safety is Third, Not First, and We All Know It Should Be in the Journal of Emergency Medical Services, written by our Medical Director, Dr. Christopher Davis, MD. 

But what is “safe” and why do we put so much emphasis on it?

Personally, I think even the notion of chatting about “safety” leads us down the wrong path. Instead, we should be discussing risk management and decision making. Let’s face it. Absolutely nothing in EMS is “safe.”  Emergency services personnel respond on a near-daily basis to situations that the regular population is unable (or unwilling) to handle.  Why, just the simple act of driving an ambulance can be unsafe.  Again, nobody becomes an EMT (Emergency Medical Technician) because they’re desperately seeking a safe career.

Most emergency healthcare providers will agree that “safety” is not really our focus. Whether they realize it or not, every EMT or paramedic who spends more than a few shifts in the field will develop their (more…)

If you asked me to list the attributes that allowed Sir Ernest Shackleton’s Trans-Antarctic Expedition (1914-1917) to survive more than a year stranded in Antarctica, I point to characteristics like leadership, adaptability, teamwork, ingenuity, and perseverance. 

What Shackleton and his men employed was a mindset that intentionally embraced a set of values and behaviors that are essential for success and survival in extreme conditions. Here at The National Center for Outdoor & Adventure Education (NCOAE), we refer to that as having an expedition mentality (and I’ll have more to say about that later in today’s post).

If you’ve ever spent a full week backpacking in the Appalachian Mountains of western North Carolina between May and August, chances are you encountered some rain somewhere on the trail.

That’s because that region of the country — particularly in Pisgah National Forest — encompasses areas categorized as Appalachian temperate rainforest that traditionally receive more than 100 inches of rain per year. Generally, this rain is a (more…)

Why We Need Trauma-Informed Learning

Time warp yourself back to early-February of 2020. We were a month into a new decade when news broke that the U.S. Department of Homeland Security had directed all flights from China be routed through one of 11 airports in the United States for enhanced screening procedures and possible quarantine. 

A few months later, just as our nation’s students were preparing to end another school year, our country found itself in virtual lockdown. 

While students of all ages may experience loneliness, anxiousness, and uncertainty, the global health pandemic caused by the virus named “SARS-CoV-2” and the disease it causes — COVID-19 — had an unequivocal impact on school-age youth. 

From extreme levels of disengagement and isolation to the loss of school-based nutrition and healthcare programs, we’ve only recently begun to understand how bad it really was. As more children fall behind in terms of social and academic development, the more serious the case for trauma-informed learning and trauma-informed practices in education. (more…)

A few weeks ago, we published Part 1 of this series, which covers what we here at The National Center for Outdoor & Adventure Education (NCOAE) view as the trending best practices to know about in outdoor and adventure-based experiential education. 

• Here, in Part 2 of this series, we introduce you to Restorative Practices, and share how they’re incorporated in the programming here at NCOAE.

• For Part 3, we will shift our attention to Trauma-Informed Learning.

• And we’ll wrap up the series in Part 4 with a discussion on Stewardship.

At NCOAE we recognize the power of the outdoors and how it can shape the lives of those who participate in our outdoor education courses and wilderness medicine  trainings. Take a backcountry teen expedition for example. By experiencing hiking, climbing and paddling, we see physical obstacles turn into (more…)