Abstract
Wrestling with the impact of technology in life and outdoor education (OE) is not a new endeavor. In this chapter, the authors call for conscious consideration of all technology usage in OE and for the role of all technology in OE to be scrutinized against educational objectives. To make our case, we adopt the strategy of sharing ‘cautionary tales’ that have emanated from our practice with students over decades of both pre- and postdigital technologies. In addition, they introduce the terms technology creep and beneficial burden to demonstrate not only what can be gained by the use of technology but, more importantly, what might be lost as well. Their central concern is that the technologies we adopt influence the experiences our students have and may thus undermine the achievement of our educational objectives. Therefore, without the conscious consideration of technology use in OE, OE runs the risk of losing core affordances that have, to date, positioned the field as a valued, alternative form of educational practice.