We offer several different courses in wilderness medicine. Our most popular course is the Wilderness First Aid (WFA), which fits well in a weekend at 16 hours. Any of the courses can be customized to meet specific needs or taught just about anywhere! All certifications are through SOLO. Contact us about setting up a custom course.
CPR is available in conjunction with Wilderness First Aid (WFA) and above as a 4-hour add-on. As a freestanding course, CPR is one full day.
Wilderness First Aid is by far our most-taught course. The WFA is jam-packed with hands-on learning and scenarios balanced with more traditional "lectures." The main units covered in a WFA are:
Patient Assessment
Musculoskeletal Injuries
Soft Tissue Injuries
Environmental Concerns
Medical Emergencies
Lasting 16 hours, WFA fits well into two days. Students will be prepared to manage a wide range emergencies in the backcountry for extended periods.
Advanced Wilderness First Aid serves as an intermediate between WFA and Wilderness First Responder (WFR). An additional 16 hours allows more time for in-depth discussion of the WFA topics, additional scenarios, and training on more advanced problems like major musculoskeletal trauma and long-term wound care. At 32 hours for the AWFA, or 16 hours for WFA part II, the AWFA fits well in four consecutive days or split into two separate weekends.
Wilderness First Responder is considered by most to be the gold standard in wilderness medicine, and is required for many positions involving fieldwork, guiding, or working with children outdoors. The WFR lasts 80 hours, giving plenty of time to expand on the skills taught in Wilderness First Aid courses. In addition to elaborating on the main curriculum of WFA, the WFA includes:
Advanced Trauma
Altitude Illness
Rescue/Evacuation
Long-Term Patient Care (>1 day)
Teamwork in Emergency Situations (including incident command)
WFR courses are commonly taught over 8-10 days.Â