In outdoor education, reflection transforms experience into knowledge. Writing activities facilitate reflection. In designing writing activities, instructors should ask themselves why they are asking their students to write, what type of writing is appropriate for their purpose, when and in what context the activity should take place, how they want students to complete the assignment, what audience students should address, and how the instructor will respond to what students write. Six writing activities appropriate for outdoor education are discussed. Journal writing asks students to express their feelings at a given moment; record what they see, hear, smell, and touch; and probe the emotional and intellectual significance of their responses to the experience. Freewriting is helpful for insecure writers and breaks the habit of editing while writing. Freewriting should not be graded. Descriptions help students capture and reflect on sensory experiences. Literary responses broaden student understanding of an experience by viewing it through another's eyes. Letter writing serves as a record of experiences and an impetus to reflection. The more formal process of essay writing carries perception and understanding deeper than the other activities. Essay writing is most effective when essays are intended for an audience. (Contains 13 references) (TD)