Thank you so much!
Thank you so much for trusting us with your wilderness first aid certification. Hopefully, you won't ever need to use what you learned, but if you do, you can respond with calm confidence. We know what a big deal it is to choose a smaller organization and we appreciate you!
If you had a great experience, one of the best ways to help us is tell your friends about your experience and leave a review online.
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4 Pillars of Prevention
Remember the 4 pillars of prevention? We want to not just help you get all four- but help you continue to grow and evolve your skills and abilities in each area. So we've got some coupon codes for you to help you on your way.
Navigation: People end up in survival scenarios because they got lost, and ended up out there for day or weeks- or never got out at all. Make sure that doesn't happen to you with solid navigation skills. Get 20% Backcountry Navigation with coupon code WFANAV1
First Aid: You did the work to get wilderness first aid certified. But like strength, it starts to fade without use. Keep practicing at home, stay curious by learning the latest research in wilderness medicine, and learn from other's mistakes from case studies. Magazines like Outside, Climbing and Paddling often publish case studies you can learn from. NOLS also publishes wilderness medicine focused case studies.
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If you would like a more structured approach to practice, I'll be launching scenario days- where we dive into greater detail of specific issues you may face in the upcoming season and then spend lots of time drilling a wider range of scenarios than you experienced in WFA. Think- mass-casualty triage, prolonged patient care, methods if you have to evac them, and more. Take a scenario day for 20% off with the code WFAPRAXIS. Sign up for the Wayfinder newsletter for updates on upcoming class dates.
Survival: Ironically, wilderness survival skills -can- keep you out of a survival situation by cultivating preventative awareness and giving you a toolkit to fix problems as they arise. Get 20% off Wilderness Survival Fundamentals with coupon code WFALIVE2
Fitness: Fitness is something we don't often consider as critical- but it is critical in both prevention and response. If your ankles are strong through their entire range of motion, you're less like to sprain one. If your core is strong, you're less likely to flip your kayak. Katie of Dirtbag Pilates has created at-home progressive pilates programs specifically catered to getting you fit for different sports- she currently has a hiking program, ski program, a cardio HIIT program, and is working on a program for kayaking. Wayfinder Outdoors clients get 20% off her programs! Use the coupon code WAYFINDER when you check out.
Additional Resources
Below you'll find further reading, field guides for your kit, informative videos, links to what we used in class and Ali's favorite gear (including what's in her kit)
12, 2-sided SOAP notes printed on waterproof paper, in a staple-bound book. Tear them out as you use them.
It can be hard to remember all the symptoms and protocols for so many different injuries and illnesses. This is the small pocket guide I keep in my med kit as a reference. It is only available from NOLS
For an ultralight or day-hiking kit, this is a micro field guide to help you through the patient assessment triangle and has some limited info on common backcountry medical issues
Fantastic textbook for the WFA and WFR level responder. This would be a great tool for refreshing and expanding knowledge on a specific topic before heading out on a trip- for example, to study altitude illness before a hike in the Himalayas. The link will take you to a local small bookstore called Quail Ridge Books.
The Science of Fear is an introduction to the new brain science of risk, dissecting the fears that misguide and manipulate us every day. Understanding why our brains work the way they do help us to resist gut reactions and make decisions more clearly
The full story of my patient who had a seizure while out on a sea kayaking trip with me
Why I don't use bandaids and what I use instead
What you used in class
(to replace Tegaderm)
Wildly impractical first aid kit things you would never take into the backcountry but are fun to look at:
The IM-PAL: a splinting device for impaled objects (they really did name it the IM-PAL 💀.
Because obviously you need a specific kind of cotton plug for a nose bleed- a tampon just won't, you need a nampon
Does everyone around you stink? Cover their gross odor without them knowing by shoving a menthol plug up your nose! You can still breathe through your nose and no one is the wiser. It's the Nosa Nasal Breathing Plugs!
I didn't know a SAM splint could be cute, but this one sure is! THE splint for you if you break your fingers constantly, or have a Chihuahua
The EVAC-U-SPLINT- Vacuum Form Mattress Litter
I know you've always wanted to carry your patients like a suitcase, now you can!
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No seriously, this is an incredible piece of equipment for SAR, but seriously don't carry your patients like this. Just because you can, doesn't mean you should.