Stories from the Road: ATLien, overlander Nick Brooks on the value of becoming Wilderness First Responder-certified

By Cowgirl Candace | Photos by Zac Holben

His LL Cool J swag descends from the magnetic gray Tundra (monikered “Smokey”) like butter. Tom Ford shaded. Patagonia puffered out. The occasional cocked-to-the-side ball cap or beanie, depending on the elements. ATLien to the core. Nick Brooks manifests a camera-ready, off-road ad campaign for the South while bonding with his sons – Preston, 17, and Asher, 14 – east of Atlanta, Georgia, at Arabia Mountain. Nick’s outdoor energy radiates whenever travel, adventure, and fellowshipping are on the itinerary. “Oh, yeah,” said the 45-year-old educator and entrepreneur, “I’m what you call a real gearhead.” Nick, a true nature explorer and charismatic product junky, is genius at pooling random people together. He always has the right supplies and words to gas ’em up about the outdoor activity at hand. He reviews the latest tackle to use, campsite setups to arrange, and trail kicks to outfit with. He tests it all out and talks honestly about it online so family, friends, and new outdoor comrades are prepared to wander with him offline. Confidently and safely.

By way of Nick’s now nine-year-old for-profit company, Outdoor Gear and Beer, he offers nature exploration – cookout-style. “So after a rewarding kayaking, fishing, or hiking event, it’s conversations and craft beer tastings,” he said. “The interesting part is that these gatherings end up bringing together complete strangers who all love nature. It’s pretty crazy who you might meet up and bond with.” These family reunion-formatted outings have picked up pace throughout the years. The organization travels from his backyard of Atlanta to national parks countrywide. He has hosted Flint and Etowah river paddling trips and courses. Traveled to Zion, Bryce, and Grand Canyon National Parks. Overlanded “Smokey” in Big Bend, Hot Springs, the Great Sand Dunes, Black Canyon, and Gateway Arch. Collaborated with brands like New Belgium Brewery, REI Co-op, Georgia Conservancy, Crafted for Action, Sawyer Products, Gossamer Gear, and iKamper.

The more Nick rallied generations of groups outside, the more he realized he needed to advance his wilderness survival aptitude. For the safety of himself and the participants in his charge. However, that demanded carving out additional time and money to gain the necessary knowledge to guide with a higher level of care.  Just so happened, he met Color My Outdoors’ Founding Executive Director, Simone Adams, at an outdoor industry event. She moderated. Nick served as a panelist. A vim-and-vigor connection led to him learning about her nonprofit’s Wilderness Medicine Scholarship Program, answering his need by eliminating the financial barrier that often hinders Black and Brown people from pursuing Wilderness First Aid (WFA) or Wilderness First Responder (WFR) certifications. Nick was like, “Sign me up now.” He didn’t want to pass up the chance to become versed in patient care, survival tactics, and improvisation in the backcountry.

That 2023 exchange couldn’t have come at a better moment. Two major outdoor incidents happened prior that prompted him to go straight for the WFR certification with National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS). “The funny thing is that my father and a lifelong outdoorsman, Chris Brooks, never got to take WFR or any other NOLS courses,” said Nick. “He worked in the medical field as a radiation safety officer for Veteran Affairs and wasn’t able to take the time off because of the demand of the job.” However, his father taught himself wilderness medicine from the official NOLS textbook that a friend gave him. Nick’s first sign to continue what his father started studying: being involved in an aircraft crash in Alaska’s Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. Nick and a few colleagues flew to the site to film the documentary “Blackwater: Brotherhood in the Wild.” A NOLS-certified WFR was part of the flight crew. Nick’s recollection of the crash – how thoroughly the WFR evaluated the passengers. “Watching the full-body assessments showed me a different level of medical attention,” Nick said. “I thought: I need this skill.”

Fortunately, everyone walked away from the frightening scene unscathed. His second sign was less abrupt but just as impactful. Nick is a seven-year Scoutmaster of Boy Scout Troop 1906 (sponsored by the men of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc.), which includes his sons. The scouts wanted more adventure. Say less. Nick earned his two-day WFA certification and took his troop to Philmont Scout Ranch in New Mexico for a 12-day, 76-mile backcountry camping trip. While there, Preston experienced altitude sickness. “That was scary,” Nick said, “but we got him to safety. What if it was worse, I thought? I felt like I needed to become better prepared.” Nick applied and got accepted into Color My Outdoors’ Wilderness Medicine Scholarship Program. The nine-day, 80-hour, immersive course presented a high level of medical information that has helped Nick become a better Scout leader. Scholarship recipients traveled to either Nantahala Outdoor Center or Landmark Learning in North Carolina for the comprehensive training.

Covering the standards of backcountry medicine, the course gave Nick the essential principles of wilderness medicine by teaching him how to perform a comprehensive physical examination, gather critical patient history, and evaluate vital signs in the wilderness. Even though the full-time elementary school music teacher (and seasoned saxophone player) felt at home in a classroom, trading roles to become the student was challenging. “It. Was. Hard!” he said. The other students were much younger and grasped the information more quickly. The outdoorsman hadn’t sat at a desk for decades. “Growing up, my father talked about NOLS like it was the holy grail of outdoor education,” said Nick, “so I knew I had to focus hard for the both of us.” He did. Passed. And now he’s applying his studies across family trips with wife, Amanda, and sons; Outdoor Gear and Beer; and Scoutmaster roles. Nick feels 10 times more equipped to guide his traditional backpacking, sailing, trail running, bouldering, and grilling events nationwide. “My father always said if you have the opportunity to take a NOLS course, take it,” he said. “I did, and it’s paying off for my entire community.” 

Connect with Nick @outdoorgear&beer9762 on YouTube and @outdoorgearandbeer on Instagram. Enjoyed this wilderness certification feature? Submit your Southern story here.