Services

Private Wilderness Trekking/Packrafting

From families starting out, to the hardcore adventurer, enjoy guided trips, private instruction, or expedition logistics/planning/consulting services for your dream trek through a Wild Place by foot and/or packraft.

ULTRALIGHT EXPEDITION TREKKING, SEPTEMBER 2010: I will be leading a private trek in the Teton Wilderness for Backpacking Light September 26-October 2, 2010. This course is for intermediate level and above trekkers, and will focus on ultralight expedition skills. Physical fitness, self-awareness, self-sufficiency, experience with ultralight backpacking, and security while traveling in grizzly country are prerequisites for this course. This course will be made available to Wilderness Trekking School Alumni initially during the week of August 8. If space is still available, it will be opened to the Backpacking Light Membership, then the general public. Please apply for this opportunity, or request more information, by contacting me using the form to the right.

2011 SCOUT LEADER TRAINING - I am now taking reservations to enroll in the Montana High Adventure Program's Ultralight Backpacking Leader Training (see http://www.montanahighadventure.com/ for more info about the 2010 course). The 2011 course is scheduled for May 12-15 and will occur in the Bob Marshall Wilderness near DuPuyer, Montana. Please contact me using the form on this page to reserve your spot.

Contact Ryan now to start planning your dream wilderness vacation »

Organizational and Corporate Services

Program planning, development and delivery for team building, problem solving, and transformation leadership - in the context of a wilderness activity, organizational retreat, or a speaking event. Topics range from simple living and wilderness travel to transformational leadership and expedition slideshows.

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Engineering Services

Product/system design, development, integration, and analysis with special interests in water treatment, performance textiles, load carrying systems, and ultralight outdoor equipment, and the integration of physical equipment systems with field practices.

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Editorial Development Services

Concept development, writing, photography, video, and social media strategies - with an emphasis on expedition documentaries, investigative reports, and state of the market analyses.

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Recommendations for Ryan

Dr. Jordan has lead me into a more direct and profound wilderness experience. Through his unique "simplicity" approach to lightweight backpacking, I discovered the freedom to see and appreciate what matters most in my life. My brief immersion with Dr. Jordan has paid dividends in my vision and decision making long after we left the backcountry. Mr. F., CEO of an Organic Meat Wholesaling Company	I am tempted to say that Dr. J has forgotten more about light weight backcountry travel than most “experts” on the topic will ever know, but the truth is I don’t think he’s forgotten anything. His approach is as endearingly fresh as his field research is scientifically rigorous. When Ryan speaks, I listen. Demetri Coupounas, Co-Founder & President, GoLite
It took meeting Ryan Jordan, ultralight gear maven and a fountain of knowledge of all things light in backpacking, to turn the mathematical modeling exercise of "how far can we hike self-contained" into the empirical observation of the Arctic 1000. Roman Dial, Adventurer	Ryan Jordan's outdoor and backcountry knowledge, skills and experience combined with his easy way with the kids have really boosted our Troop's morale, confidence in themselves and each other and provided not only the skills and training that the Scouts needed but also has helped our adults to learn more techniques about gear and trekking than they ever knew before! Mike Hall, Scoutmaster, Troop 676, Montana BSA
Ryan Jordan's expertise was absolutely invaluable to NOLS when we started our Lightweight Backpacking Program. He was quick to understand our programmatic needs and provide workable solutions and suggestions to insure we were able to meet our lightweight goals. Gary Cukjati, Rocky Mountain Director, National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS)	"@MarkRiffey Good call, we're big fans of @bigskyry as well - #mttalent" (via Twitter) Montana Business (mtbusiness.com)
It’s tough to find a consultant in this field that has the right combination of field experience, hands-on technical knowledge, engineering background and formal education. We found that in Dr. Ryan Jordan. Dr. Jordan's experience with technical outdoor gear, material sourcing and testing, design, prototyping and engineering have helped our organization provide accurate and relevant solutions to challenging problems. He has provided excellent written assessments, presentation materials, prototypes and analysis to several weight saving projects. Al Deibert, Program Manager, MilTech	Dr. Jordan brought the Montana BSA Ultralight Backpacking High Adventure program to the Boone and Crockett Club's Theodore Roosevelt Memorial Ranch at the Elmer E. Rasmuson's Wildlife Conservation Center in 2010, launching the nation's first BSA High Adventure Leadership Training dedicated to ultralight backpacking programming in May and the nation's first "ultralight" BSA High Adventure Scout Trek in July. Dr. Jordan is very efficient and self motivated in the planning, logistics, and delivery of these programs. He maintains a professional approach with the students while incorporating their involvement and fostering their own leadership. His approach for a "hands on" teaching environment is admirable and he uses a variety of leadership styles to engage a variety of student learning styles. Dr. Jordan has developed a strong working relationship with our staff at the Boone and Crockett Club and is capable of assembling and training a program staff that are talented, qualified and pleasant. JoAnne Cobb, Montana High Adventure Base Camp Director, Boone and Crockett Club, RWCC Facilities Coordinator