This paper recommends a reconceptualisation of "experience learning". It is premised on a belief that the simplistic learning cycle is problematic and moreover is an oversimplified interpretation of Kolb's original model of experiential learning. We argue that to understand experiential learning fully a return to the original theoretical conceptualisation by John Dewey is necessary. Importantly Dewey conceives of an experience, and therefore the learning that results from it, as a transaction between the individual and their environment and is therefore a consequence of their "trying" and "undergoing" within that experience. Dewey also emphasises the importance of "meaning" within experiential learning, something not fully accounted for within the simplified model. We argue that with an appreciation of Dewey the full potential of learning by, and through, the experience of outdoor education can be maximised and the full meaning of that experience explored.