NOLS Expedition Planning

The guide for planning a successful trip, short or long

Research access to public land, domestic and international

Create a budget and find additional funding

Choose essential gear, with checklists for personal and group gear

Plan food and fuel requirements

How to prepare mentally and physically

Health issues, including insurance, illnesses, and injuries

Transportation and lodging

How to deal with risks in the wilderness

Leave No Trace principles for sustainable travel

Dave Anderson is a NOLS senior field instructor. He resides in Seattle, Washington. Molly Absolon, a NOLS instructor since 1986, lives and writes in Lander, Wyoming. Her personal expeditions have taken her to 15 different countries on 4 continents, from long traverses in the Wind River to Alaska, the Yukon, Nepal, India, Ecuador, and throughout the western United States. With 35 years of instructing for NOLS between them, these trip-planning experts highlight the necessary steps of any successful expedition.