The coping responses of 251 Australian high school students involved in outdoor education programs were examined using a modified version of the Adolescent Coping Scale (ACS). Coping includes all strategies, whether cognitive, emotional, or physical, that a person uses to negotiate a stable balance between the internal psychological state and external stressors. The students, aged 14-15, participated in a 9- or 10-day Outward Bound program as a school requirement and later indicated which of the 79 coping strategies on the ACS had been used to handle problems encountered during the program. Findings show that adolescents reported a more productive coping profile during the outdoor education experience than adolescents in normative settings. Open-ended responses showed use of some coping strategies specific to the situation, such as thinking about home, writing in a diary, sharing concerns around the campfire, and going to bed early. The strongest predictor of psychological distress and decreased well-being was the use of nonproductive coping strategies such as ignoring the problem or wishful thinking. On the other hand, participants who reported using problem-solving strategies were more likely to experience positive mental states during the program. The study concludes that practitioners should help participants find positive and functional alternatives to nonproductive coping responses. (Contains 22 references.) (SAS)