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The National Outdoor Leadership School, located in Lander, Wyoming, is considered a leader in wilderness education. In addition to teaching the skills needed in various outdoor sports and activities, equal importance is given to teaching what to do in emergencies, how to communicate, and how to lead. This updated wilderness guide covers technical skills and knowledge, such as choosing the right tents or boots, but also stresses the overarching importance of leadership, environmental awareness, planning, expedition philosophy, and teamwork. Chapters cover why one goes into the wilderness; expedition planning; selection, care, and repair of equipment; dressing for the backcountry; "leave no trace" camping techniques; hiking and travel techniques; leadership and expedition behavior; maps and compasses; emergency procedures; weather; cooking in the backcountry; and our responsibility to the land. The chapters on equipment, travel techniques, leadership and expedition behavior, and weather contain interviews with experts in the field. Appendices present an equipment list, 13 books for suggested reading, and an index. (Contains photographs, illustrations, and figures.) (TD)

The Wilderness Risk Managers Committee (WRMC), a consortium of outdoor schools and organizations, works toward better understanding and management of risks in the wilderness. Among other activities, the WRMC gathers data on incidents and accidents from member organizations and other wilderness-based programs. This book compiles incident data for 1991-97, but most incidents occurred in 1995-97. Section 1 defines terms and provides a theoretical foundation for understanding how accidents happen. "Teaching Safety Awareness" (Tod Schimelpfenig) distinguishes among accident causes and recommends looking at every actual or potential incident as a combination of human and environmental factors. Hazards are listed in the categories of the supervisor, the executive, support staff, governance bodies, client/student admissions, equipment, and educational practices. Section 2 presents database profiles of total hours spent in each program activity, numbers of injuries and illnesses, primary causes of injuries, and injury rates by activity. Section 3 contains narratives of near-miss incidents, or close calls, where safety was compromised but no injury occurred. Narratives include cause, contributing cause, activity, incident description, program analysis, and additional WRMC analysis, and are arranged by activity: camping, cooking, animals and insects, climbing, backpacking and hiking, snow, canoeing, ropes courses, initiative games, transportation and vehicles, illnesses, and participant behavior. Section 4 discusses the need for more consistent data collection and better quality of reporting. An appendix describes the incident reporting project and how to report an incident. Reporting forms are included. (SV)