Hey friends, I wanted to take a sec and talk about the "phone a friend" list we (may or may not) keep. My baseline contact list is an ED Doc, a Pharmacist, a Pediatrician, and a Dentist. To that, based on where I am going, I add the local ED, local trauma center, local peds ER, and local burn center. If I am working for anything longer than a weekend, I add the local emergency dispatch, emergency optho, and emergency dental centers, along with a 24 hour pharmacy. I also put written driving directions to the ED's.

I'm curious, what or who else do you guys put on your contact list?

I am about to start my in-person NOLS WFR training. I'm wondering what the 100-question written exam is like. I've practiced using the WMI Quiz (https://wmiquiz.com/index.php)

Will the test be multiple choice or should I be prepared to write 100 answers?

I feel prepared, but I've got quite the test anxiety right now. The online modules had an overwhelming amount of information in a span of three weeks. Any guidance is appreciated. I imagine a lot of the tested content will be covered during the in-person training. Any guidance or sharing of experiences is appreciated.

Hey all, first time posting here. A little background, I am a wildlife biology instructor at a university. On the side I am a fixed-wing and helicopter pilot. Earlier this year I took an EMT course, did my clinical ride-alongs, and smoked the NREMT about a month ago, so now I have an EMT-B. I am hugely interested in wilderness medicine, which kind of all jives with everything else I do (I also teach human anatomy as well to pre-health majors). Here's my conundrum, I am very interested in pursing the wilderness side of this more. I don't work per se as an EMT but I want more training. Would doing the W-EMT course (the WUMP) through NOLS be worth it? How about one of the AWLS courses? That is open to EMT-B's right? I would prefer in person rather than online, but is there anyone else that does this besides the University of Utah? I have nothing Utah School of Medicine by the way. I noticed that CU School of Medicine taught an WLS course in Austin in 2023 but I see nothing as far as upcoming courses. Anyone have any other words of wisdom on any of this? With some scrolling I have noticed that some people will say things to the effect of "unless you're going into SAR, not worth it" - It's more of a self investment in my own knowledge base than anything else.

I am currently enrolled in a hybrid HWFR class. Does anyone have any tips on what to expect for the in-person written exam? Are the questions similar to the online modules?

I’n a new WFR. I don’t do this for a living so I’m trying to find ways to practice my skills. In a couple of weeks, I’m going to hold down the med tent for a family friendly 5k.

The race organizer says that this should be super low key.

My question is, when (if ever) can I skip the full PAS? If someone comes in asking for a band aid or tampon, or needs treatment for a blister, I can imagine asking if they’ve fallen or if they have any other symptoms and then opting not to do the PAS?

Am I thinking about this correctly? In my training we learned to always do the PAS in a backcountry context.

Lately I’ve been trying to pare down my medical kit to the bare (EMT) minimum. Npa, roller gauze, gloves, kt tape (for blisters strains and making small bandaids), 4x4s, mini trauma shears, all folded into a large Sam splint and secured with a Ski strap. I’ve found this to be very light, compact (even fits in my running vest), and brings me peace of mind knowing I have some real tools not just a kit off the shelf.

One glaring piece I feel I’m missing is a tourniquet. I’m curious if anyone has used ski straps for this purpose? They’re about 1” wide and you can really crank them down, but I’m not totally confident they will work considering they’re elastic. Part of me feels they would work great but I vaguely remember being told not to use something elastic as a makeshift tourniquet in one of my courses.

Thoughts?

I’d love to hear other uses you’ve found for ski straps in backcountry medicine specifically?

Imagine a scenario where you’re working in temperatures well below freezing, snow storm and you’re doing things that definitely need body fluid isolation gloves. How do you gear up? Do you wear thick outdoor gloves and put latex/nitril gloves over them? Do you skip the thick gloves and rather take more risks regarding keeping yourself warm? Something else? What are your tricks and experiences in situations like these?

I began nursing with my ultimate dream of working in wilderness medicine until I’m ready to settle down and start a family. I have met nurses in the past who complete thru-hikes with groups seasonally, are the base camp nurse on site, or worked cattle drives for the summer. Unfortunately, I have since lost touch with said people and am super unsure of where to start!

I have been following the group Wild Med Adventures and have debated signing up for their classes but am unsure of how those certs would translate to a job (as I don’t know if those are universal) especially of since many are specific to NPs and physicians. I am currently an ED RN and will have various trauma and ACLS certifications. I also plan on getting wilderness first aid/swift water rescue shortly. I am willing to work seasonally and travel anywhere in the US, ideally Colorado or Washington.

This is my absolute dream in life and I would sincerely appreciate any direction, thank you!!

Hi everyone!

I am a second year nursing student in Ontario. I'm 23. Before going into nursing school, I planted trees for a few years. I absolutely loved being out in the bush.. I miss it a lot. I spend all of my free time fishing and hiking in the bush with my dog - one of my greatest accomplishments is paddling the Yukon River back in 2016. Point being, I'm a bush person!

Prior to getting accepted - back when I graduated high school and before I went planting - I was accepted into a program up north to study climate change. I went planting instead and, as time passed, I just sort of landed here in nursing. I have family who work in healthcare and there was a grant available for me.

I have been fortunate enough to travel a decent amount in my life, and have been told to travel nurse. Totally an option and something I would be willing to do...

Anyways! I am wondering if any Canadian nurses are in this sub and can point me in the direction of further training / certs I should look into post graduation in order to secure a job in the bush. I do not mind living in tents or getting dirt under my nails. Being inside all day kills my soul. I've been told that I am calm under pressure / in the event of an emergency - having watched my dad work in the O.R. during school, I always thought I would end up working there, but I have this desire to work outside. I'm not sure what options there are in Canada other than being a camp nurse.

If anyone can offer me any further info I would be incredibly grateful.

Enjoy the end of your summer, and stay healthy and safe :)

Hi guys! I work as a rural event medic usually (still a student) and just wanted to ask what people bring with them on their personal wilderness pursuits? Reason being is that I’m working ultra-distance events soon with the medical team in a non-medical role but want to bring some of my own stuff.

I’m uk based and know a lot of the shops sell first aid bags in various sizes. Is there essentials everyone brings (minus the usual paracetamol/ibuprofen/antihistamine and plasters), or has recommendations for cheap kits just to keep with me?

Thanks! Even though there’s a medical team it might be smart to have some first contact medical kit ❤️

Does anyone have a list of undergrad and postgrad degrees in Wilderness/Austere Medicine?

im trying to see whats needed and whats not in my hiking first aid kit. This is the first aid kit I take with me for a 1 to 2 day trip. Do you think the antiseptic ointment is really a must have? I have a syringe to shoot water and flush dirt off wound and an anticeptic spray already. I even wonder if the anticeptic spray is that usefull either.
for longer trips, I would worry about infection but for a 1 to 2 day trip? I dont know

Any thoughts?

Did a big favor for a local Physical Therapist. He asked what he could do to repay me. If you had an hour with a PT what kind of things would you ask in regards to wilderness first aid/first responder techniques? I’m thinking musculoskeletal injury stuff and how to manage, but I’d like to be a bit more specific.

Hi all! I have an unexpected week off coming up -- anyone know of good CME events going on? Rafting, backpacking, sailing, scuba? I sadly just miss the Wilderness Med conference in Utah. Thanks for any help all!

Hi, long story short I am looking into starting my own WFR/WFA courses in my hometown. It's a small city and I have no desire to become some mega wilderness medicine company (just setting the record straight for context). I have experience teaching wilderness medicine and have my FAWM. I am a nurse practitioner and the state I live in has full practice authority for NPs, so I can work without physician oversight. I am wondering if there is any accreditation, approval, review process, etc for starting a new program? Or, can anyone just give out WFR certs? It seems crazy that anyone can just up and do this, but there is very little info online. I have reviewed the WEMC standards and would follow that. Is there anything else legally to be aware of? I've also considered consulting with a lawyer to cover my butt. Lastly, any thoughts on developing a textbook to give out? We were thinking a pocket guide, but again I'm not sure if this needs some special review since it contains medical educational material.

Thanks!!!

Also just in case someone was thinking of this, we have considered partnering with a larger organization but would prefer to not. I'd like to just open my own program and follow the WMS and WEMC guidelines etc

First time posting here so I hope this is the right place for it. This past week I took students out hiking in Colorado (we’re from NYC) and as we started hiking, the student started complaining of a headache. I told them to drink a bunch of water but as we kept hiking they threw up. They shouldn’t have continued with the hike but under supervision of someone else they kept going. About three hours later, we drove down 6,000 feet and stayed indoors in a cool environment. They still felt very fatigued, threw up after drinking liquids, and didn’t have an appetite. Is it possible based on this description to distinguish altitude sickness from heat exposure? Is the treatment the same regardless?

I'm a generic hiker and first aid/trauma nerd and am currently shopping out WFA courses. So I am not a professional in this realm, I hope this is appropriate for this sub. If not, I'm happy to remove.

I'm trying to put together a few hiking/backpacking first aid kits. I love leukotape for blisters and hotspots, but I was wondering if it would be an acceptable replacement for athletic tape in supporting joint injuries and other uses? Trying to keep volume and weight down so I'd like to avoid duplicating.

Thanks all!

I searched for Wilderness First Aid courses near me, and there are multiple companies offering the course, all with positive reviews. How do I tell which ones will provide high quality training? I live in the USA and can’t find any information on national standards or oversight agencies.

Pretty much as the title says. I work a church camp as the WFR and am trying to find a decent backpack for our off campus adventures (anything from hiking to rappelling to white water). The first backpack they had was fine but way too big for what we need. The second is a good size but only has one pocket that only opens half way, so I’m looking for something that can branch the best of both worlds.

Edit: I was rushed at the end and left out details

Not sure on budget but willing to spend more on something that won’t fall apart by next summer. For water sports I have a personal dry bag but if someone knows of something that is waterproof it’d be helpful for when I’m gone.

Has anyone done this program that can share details on the experience? I’m an Emergency Medicine resident physician with a strong interest in Wilderness Medicine, but I’m more inclined towards the marine environment than the mountain/alpine one. I’m an avid boater though admittedly not much of a diver. But I understand that diving is part of the DiDMM curriculum, and I’d like to learn. I’m very interested in water rescue, including swift water rescue.

For anyone who has done the DiDMM, did you find it worthwhile? What was the time commitment like? How much did it cost?

Any feedback is appreciated, as I’m having trouble finding all of this information on the Wilderness Medical Society website.

Credentials (not that it matters entirely but to set the knowledge base): Current paramedic, full time urban setting. IBSC credentialed CCP and TPC. Previous WEMT (many moons ago)

Decent (enough) wilderness experience personally.

Upcoming trip from sea level to Colorado (buena vista area). Looking at 3 days on trail with 10+ others of varying skill levels, age, and fitness. Trail days will vary between 9000-14000’ with some significant daily elevation change.

Have hiked with this most of this group several times and only had to treat a few rolled ankles. Only one is on HTN medication to my knowledge.

Plan on packing a trauma kit and a med kit.

Looking for input on med kit loadout.

Everyone to my knowledge has been personally prescribed and will have on person diamox 2x daily.

Looking for other med recommendations, quantity, and wilderness specific kit load out ideas since I’ve been away from the actual wilderness side for so long.

NOLS talks about using 1” tape rather than 1.5” for taping a usable ankle injury. Does it make that big a difference? Just overlap the 1.5” tape more? Wonder if it’s a concern of spreading the wrap too wide over the foot? One reason for asking is it seems 1.5” athletic tape is what Walmart, CVS, Walgreens carries, but not 1”. (At least around here.) Can get 1” off Amazon but have to order $35 of stuff for free shipping.

So this is a somewhat niche problem ive ran into so im going to throw it out here to get some ideas.

I work in a EMS/SAR capacity at a highly trafficked and heavily commercialized cave system. I have a typical jump bag similar to a statpack. My issue lies in the fact that that bag is too wide for me to wear while performing carry outs or even just navigating certain areas in the cave. If anyone has had this issue or has ideas of some good bags, id love to hear it. For context itd be nice if the pack can carry all the contents of a typical BLS jump bag.

TLDR Need a med bag for medical emergencies in a commercialized cave

Putting together a new kit in an MR Medlid bag, is anyone using these for wilderness med? If so I would love any recommendations/tips as far as organization and setup goes, or if you want to just attach a picture of your setup that would be greatly appreciated.

For context I have my WFR cert and I'm in EMR school right now.

TIA

Anyone here taken the online-only WFR recert or WFA courses from Survival Med or Base Medical? Looking for opinions on curriculum/instruction and whether hands-on practice via zoom/video is a reasonable substitute for doing it in person.

anyone know what happens when you don't do good enough on the quiz?

I get 3 attempts to get 80% on it and I have so far but I'm actually so confused on one module and have 1 left left and idk if I'll get to 80%. so do i fail out of the course or...

sry if this is dumb it's kinda embarrassing I'm doing so bad on it but I'm now nervous if I don't get

https://www.longleafmedical.com/schedule.html

Most of the WFR experiences I see are through NOLS, but a hybrid WFR class is popping up on my city soon through Longleaf Medical and I'm thinking about taking it. Does anyone have any experience with then? Wondering how it compares with NOLS.