National Outdoor Leadership School Offers Tips For Avoiding Top Wilderness Woes With Kick Off To Summer

LANDER, Wyo., May 22, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- More than 31 million Americans will be hitting the road this Memorial Day weekend(1), and many of those will be heading to the great outdoors to kick off the summer recreation season. The National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS) offers tips for making the most of these excursions and avoiding common outdoor maladies from poison ivy to snake bites. The leader in outdoor education, NOLS teaches outdoor skills and leadership in the world's most spectacular wilderness classrooms and has taught U.S. military, NASA astronauts, Olympic athletes, executives from major U.S. corporations like Google and Salesforce, and students from top MBA programs.

While NOLS' outdoor summer courses span the globe, from the Rocky Mountains to Alaska, the Yukon, the Tetons, Australia, Scandinavia and the Himalayas, the skills taught there also apply to day hikes or summer weekend outdoor adventures:

1)     No Pain, No Gain Is a Myth – Enjoying the outdoors shouldn't hurt. Choose the right gear, including properly fitted shoes or boots, with plenty of toe room, and snug, seam-free socks to avoid blisters. A good hiking boot offers stability to help prevent ankle twists and sprains. When using a backpack, make sure the fit is correct (and it's not overloaded) to avoid back injuries and shoulder fatigue.

2)     Leaves of Three, Beware of Me – Skip the poison oak/poison ivy on your next hike or walk through the woods. Stay on a marked trail, wear boots and high socks, protective clothing (such as long sleeves/long pants) and learn to identify these plants to avoid contact. Poison ivy and poison oak leaves both cluster in sets of three.

3)     Stay Cool – Heat-related illnesses can be common during even moderate activity when the temperature and humidity are high. Hydrate early and often – before you are thirsty. Recognize the symptoms of heat exhaustion which include profuse sweating, weakness, nausea, lightheadedness and headache. If these occur, stop, move to a cooler environment, rest and rehydrate with water or a sports drink.

4)      Dress In Layers – Dress in lightweight, compressible layers. Layering allows you to shed and add clothing as conditions or exertion levels change. A base layer helps wick moisture away from the skin. An insulating layer can help hold in warmth, and can be shed easily once your body heats up. Pack a thin waterproof outer layer to protect against rain.

5)     Know Your Limits, Do Your Homework – Don't be a weekend warrior and end up lost or hurt or both. Do your research and know what you're getting yourself into. It's okay to challenge yourself, and a bit of preparation such as studying the route beforehand for orientation, can help ensure a rewarding outdoor experience. Before taking on a strenuous or technical hike, make sure you're at the right fitness and skill level to handle the distance and terrain.

6)     Banish the Bonk – You remembered water; don't forget food. Don't hike on an empty stomach and, as with water, don't wait until you're hungry to eat. Carry energy bars or trail mix with a good balance of carbohydrates and protein to snack on throughout a hike.

7)     Make Sure You'll Be Missed – The golden rule of heading into the outdoors: Make sure to tell someone where you're going and when you expect to return. Let family or friends know your hiking plans.

EDITOR'S NOTE: high-resolution photos and videos available here

About NOLS:

Founded in 1965 by legendary mountaineer Paul Petzoldt, NOLS is the leader in wilderness education, providing awe-inspiring, transformative experiences to more than 15,000 students each year. These students, ages 14 to 70, learn in the wildest and most remote classrooms worldwide—from the Amazon rain forest, to rugged peaks in the Himalaya, to Alaskan glaciers and Arctic tundra. Graduates are active leaders with lifelong environmental ethics and outdoor skills. NOLS also offers customized courses through NOLS Professional Training, and the Wilderness Medicine Institute of NOLS is the leading teacher of wilderness medicine worldwide. For more information, call (800) 710-NOLS (6657) or visit www.nols.edu.

(1) According to AAA, 31.7 million people will drive to their Memorial Day weekend destination

SOURCE National Outdoor Leadership School