Situational awareness, which informs the decisions made by sea kayaking guides, is a critical safety factor in guided sea kayaking experiences. This study examines the situational awareness of a group of sea kayak guides operating in moderate water conditions. Utilising virtual reality technology, a freeze probe technique was employed with a small…

Background: Over the past 10 years, research has started to investigate the pedagogic practices of instructors and coaches working in adventure sports settings. Outdoor instructors face particular challenges regarding the impact the dynamic environment has on the coaching process and their students. This challenging combination of factors obliges…

The purpose of this study was to evaluate summer camp counselors' perceived competency prior to and after an 8-day training at an independent for-profit overnight camp. The participants in this study were 101 camp counselors who were employed at an overnight summer camp in the northeastern United States. Counselors' perceived competency was…

Establishing trusting relationships between leaders and participants is one way that outdoor leaders can create an emotionally safe and productive milieu that supports the attainment of desirable outcomes. Multidisciplinary literature offers considerable insight into leader trust development and the outcomes that are linked to trust in a leader.…

Allowing students a sense of autonomy has long been considered an important pedagogical tool. This paper synthesizes the current literature on student autonomy from the education, youth development, and outdoor adventure fields and explores its value through an analysis of data from the National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS). The results…

Provides outdoor leaders with suggestions for items to include in a leader pack. The pack should include a first aid kit, as well as survival and emergency gear. Recommends using a journal to document information about participants, events, and accidents. (KS)

The Union Internationale des Associations des Guides de Montagne's (UIAGM) rope handling techniques are intended to form the standard for guiding ropework worldwide. These techniques have become the legal standard for instructional institutions and commercial guiding organizations in UIAGM member countries: Austria, Canada, France, Germany, Great…

As more people use wilderness areas, the need to protect pristine areas increases. Tips for minimizing impact include advance planning, knowing the rules of the area being used, packing properly, dispersing impacts when off-trail, leaving no garbage, taking nothing from the site, and conducting activities away from water sources and trails. Three…

This paper outlines management guidelines for outdoor adventure pursuits based on analysis of accident case studies in the literature. Managing risk, to a large degree, involves managing human errors related to natural environmental hazards. The knowledge needed to manage risk may be gained through personal experience (the most dangerous way),…

Presents leadership models for outdoor education which emphasize flexibility and a balance between achieving the task and exercising affective skills. Leadership styles run on a continuum from high leader control to high group control. Stresses safe practice in outdoor activities. Offers recommendations to improve outdoor leadership. (KS)

Tips for successful hikes include explaining to young hikers what their trip will be like; learning the trip route including weather patterns, indigenous wildlife, unique topography, and water resources; establishing a leader to help keep the group together; and other basic elements of good hiking. Includes backpack essentials for hikers and…

The study identified land-based outdoor leadership competencies deemed necessary by outdoor leaders in the western United States. Using resources such as outdoor leadership literature, competency-based teacher education manuals, consultation with outdoor leadership specialists in educational, private, and governmental agencies, and personal…

Describes a 10-step process for analyzing danger as a way of reducing the chance that an accident will happen, or minimizing its consequences to acceptable and recoverable levels. Factors that can inhibit the process include inappropriate attribution, relaxed concentration, rushing to maintain a schedule, group or peer pressure, and poor judgment.…

Discusses safety management at the National Outdoor Leadership School. Describes safety responsibilities of staff and administrators, staff training and skills development courses, administration and paperwork, student responsibility for safety, field support services, evacuation support system, safety audits, and the safety review process. (SV)

Intuition is knowledge of something without the conscious use of reasoning. The question of where intuitive knowledge comes from may be addressed from neurophysiological, spiritual, or philosophical perspectives. In some cases, hunches may be traced to the unconscious processing of immediate sensory input with previous knowledge. In other cases,…