Expedition Skills

• Emergency preparedness
• Safety management and basic first aid
• Campsite selection & Route finding
• Shelter construction
• Outdoor cooking
• Conservation practices
• Ropes and knots
• Stove use and maintenance
• Recreate Responsibly wilderness ethics
• Nutrition and ration planning
• Navigation using map/chart & compass

Group Dynamics

• Leadership and decision making
• Followership and expedition behavior
• Communication & Conflict Resolution
• Individual and group goal setting

Canoeing Skills

• Care of canoes and paddles 
• Paddle strokes and maneuvering 
• Weather signs and forecasting 
• Paddling in convoy

Your canoeing course area will be within the upper reaches of the Androscoggin, Penobscot, Kennebec, Allagash, and/or Upper Dead River watersheds, which are fed by Moosehead Lake, Flagstaff Lake, and the Rangeley Lakes. Indigenous Abenaki peoples used these waterways as both a means of transportation between winter habitats inland, summer living on the coast, and as a source of food. The great rivers of Maine were used to move logs to mills downstate during the logging boom of the nineteenth century. These days the lakes and rivers are used primarily by canoeists, fishermen, and other recreationalists. Some of the portage trails here, such as along the Rapid River, have been in use for centuries.

The essential goal of any Outward Bound course is for the students to learn autonomy. Our expedition curriculum supports this happening in a progressive way.

During the first third of a course (a phase called “training expedition”), the instructors are very present in the group. They teach outdoor skills, the technical aspects of the activities and guide the students as they form a team.

In the middle third of the course (what we call the “main expedition”), the instructors take a step back so students may step forward. Students begin to teach what they’ve already learned to each other, and experiment with applying basic skills to bigger challenges. The instructors continue to coach and support as the students practice leadership roles. When the group meets a particular situation, environment or activity they haven’t learned about before, the instructors jump back in and teach. Each time this happens, the group reaches competency more quickly.

By the last third of the course (the “final expedition”), students are the stars of the show. They are applying what they know, leading each other, setting goals, and solving problems collaboratively. The instructors are close by and ready to step back in to prevent a safety issue from occurring but will let students find their own resiliency when they make mistakes, and ensure they feel the full spotlight of success when they meet their goals.

Solo

The solo experience is a standard element of Outward Bound courses. With sufficient food and equipment, you will set up camp at a site on your own. The solo will last anywhere from a few hours to a few days, depending on the length of your course. Your solo site is chosen to offer as much solitude as possible, yet be within hearing distance of other group members. You will not travel during this time alone, and your instructors will check on you occasionally. The solitude and break from the fast pace of your expedition allows for rest and personal reflection, which is necessary to make the most of your experience.

Canoeing

Part, or most, of your course will be focused on learning wilderness canoe expedition skills. You will canoe on lakes and rivers, learning paddle strokes such as the draw, pry, and J-stroke. You may also learn about lining (guiding your canoe down un-runnable rapids) as you travel through some of the amazing waterways of Maine. In learning to work and communicate well with your paddling partner each day you will discover the power of two people truly working together.

Personal Challenge Event 

Our courses end with a Personal Challenge Event, an individual final physical push. These events might take the form of a running, rowing or swimming activity, or it may be a combination of the three.  This event is a chance to finish your Outward Bound Experience with a true personal challenge where you can own all of your decisions and efforts in contrast to the time you have spent operating within an expedition team.

On your HIOBS program, you will learn four important Outward Bound Core Values:

• Compassion
• Integrity
• Excellence
• Inclusion and Diversity

Some of the most important lessons you take home are learning about yourself and your community while acquiring backcountry skills and having an adventure. As you will be traveling through wild places on your expedition, you’ll also learn to protect and appreciate the unique, unspoiled environments through which you travel.

Veterans Courses

After the physical and interpersonal intensity of war, reintegrating back into civilian life can be profoundly challenging. Outward Bound 6-day courses for veterans are opportunities for participants to share camaraderie, stories, and support, and to apply their proven organizational and teamwork skills towards common goals in a beautiful peaceful setting. After course, participants report greater self-confidence, and experience healthier and more balanced lives. The expedition may only last a week, but the strength of the experience will be with you for a lifetime.

WHAT WILL IT BE LIKE?

Our Veterans Programs are designed to be fun, fast and challenging, and suited for those in good physical condition. We make the most of the organizational and teamwork skills you learned in the military to move groups straight into the field. Once on expedition, Outward Bound training will bring you up to speed on our wilderness travel expectations. Leadership skills will be tested as participants take over responsibility for the crew and make community plans and decisions. Our staff, sometimes Veterans themselves, have extensive experience in sailing, backpacking, climbing, canoeing, and working with groups. Rely on them for information and safety, but ultimately the success of the experience rests with you and your fellow veterans. 

In the wilderness, the only things you and your fellow veterans have to work with is the gear you bring along, your skills, abilities and each other. As a community, the group works together to deal with decisions about navigation, camp locations, duties, and chain of command, while helping each other overcome obstacles and meet challenges. 

Removed from the distractions of every day life, you create a safe learning environment with your teammates in a wilderness environment. Take this opportunity to compare learnings and get advice from other people who are adjusting to life after military life. Very often this is the first time participants have had a chance to discuss their challenges in a supportive, non-confrontational forum surrounded by fellow veterans and the beauty of the country for which they have fought. 

WHAT DOES IT COST?

The only expense to you is in your time, getting the correct clothing and footwear, and any incidentals - like food associated with travel. Outward Bound and the generous donors who make our Veterans Programs possible are making a significant commitment to our military service members.

WHAT IF MY PLANS CHANGE?

It is imperative that, once you commit, you follow through and attend the course. If you cancel for reasons other than deployment, you will assume financial responsibility for the plane tickets purchased for you rather than deplete the funds generously provided by our donors and you will be charged a Cancellation Fee. Our investment in planning, staffing, and provisioning cannot be recovered in the event of short notice cancellations. If you have to cancel due to some unforeseen emergency, please let your Course Advisor know immediately, as given enough time, we can most likely make your space available to another veteran.