Mistakes are essential to learning in the outdoors. They make it easy to do the right thing because you know what the other choice looks like. And camping mistakes have been the ultimate source of some of my most meaningful... READ MORE

I’m 30 years old and the smell of spring still means one thing: it’s time to start making a hideous picture collage to paste into the lid of my camp trunk. (For those of you who didn’t go to camp,... READ MORE

When I was in high school, I had a dream of hiking Vermont’s Long Trail, a footpath along the spine of the Green Mountains that would take around a month to complete. I was inspired by my father who had... READ MORE

On day one, students, tense and apprehensive, load their belongings into my van at the airport, unsuspecting of the magnitude of the experience they are about to have. When we unload at the trailhead, they grip their trekking poles and... READ MORE

From all angles, Scotty Hernandez is an unlikely author. That may be because he is only 19 years old, or because he is a product of the Bronx, a notoriously dangerous but culturally rich borough of New York City. “Statistically... READ MORE

If you’ve made it this far on the Outward Bound website, you’ve probably seen some pretty cool pictures and videos. You’ve seen people of all ages paddling through whitewater rapids, carrying big backpacks far away from home, climbing vertical rock.... READ MORE

When I was 22, I was really confused. I’ve never been good at planning—mostly because I never knew what I should be planning for. During my freshman year of college, I was completely overwhelmed by how many people seemed like... READ MORE

Keilani Lai-Hipp didn’t grow up camping. “I was a beach baby,” she explained. Her one exposure to camping had been on a southwest road trip, tagging along with her brother, an avid climber—far from their home in Boston. During that... READ MORE

If you’re like me, the final days leading up to your summer expedition will feel like a series of events put in motion that you can’t stop. It’s this edginess that reminds me I’m about to do something great, something... READ MORE

From a distance, Outward Bound may sound similar to summer camp. While there is some overlap, like fun outdoor activities, adventure, and sleeping under the stars with friends, the purpose and structure of the experience is different. Outward Bound is... READ MORE