The goal of a WFR is to make sure you have the knowledge to take helpful action, no matter what situation you find yourself in.
A Wilderness First Responder course (WFR) is much more than just a course about first aid, CPR, or even emergencies. This course teaches you how to think critically, allowing you to apply your knowledge to unique situations that go far beyond typical backcountry-based trips.
I’m just snuggled up by my fireplace on a cold rainy day which is inspiring me to talk about the cold, specifically hypothermia.
Problems with the cold have been on my mind a lot lately. I did just return from working in Antarctica where it was quite cold. Since being back in California, it has been raining and snowing, a lot. We are being hit by the “atmospheric river,” and while these are relatively warm storms, it is still colder and damper than most people are used to – especially in sunny California. On top of that, I recently attended a lecture by the renowned cold physiology scientist, Dr. Giesbrecht aka Dr. Popsicle, on hypothermia and crevasse rescue[i].
All of this led me to write this article. Let’s talk about what’s going on physiologically when we get cold, discuss the decision process needed to determine when it is causing a problem, and the actions to take to prevent it from becoming something significant (AKA hypothermia).
Gaining a wilderness medicine certification is an asset to anyone’s resume. For many jobs a Wilderness First Aid (WFA) or Wilderness First Responder (WFR) certification is a requirement. In other cases, a certification isn’t required but opens up additional doors of opportunity for future work. Below is a reference of how your certification can help you in a wilderness medicine job.
This accident has been adapted from Accidents in North American Climbing 2021. The accident was real. The discussion of actions is a hypothetical exercise to review wilderness medicine practices and critical thinking in emergencies.
Throughout this case study, I’ll indicate the scene and what happen in italics. Questions for the reader to consider before moving on are underlined. Everything else will be a discussion of wilderness medicine practices.
In this incident, there are two people headed out to explore potential boulders to climb. It is March in the Pacific Northwest, so we can envision a lush, wooded area, with a fair bit of weather swings. This was during the pandemic, and thus they were trying to be socially responsible by avoiding crowded areas. In their exploration they used creek beds and erosion pathways to hike off trail. The incident took place on their descent which was returning the same way they had hiked earlier.
Leader Fall on rock
This accident has been adapted from Accidents in North American Climbing 2021.[i] The accident was real. The discussion of actions is a hypothetical exercise to review wilderness medicine practices and critical thinking in emergencies.
Throughout this case study, I’ll indicate the scene and what happen in italics. Questions for the reader to consider before moving on are underlined. Everything else is discussion of wilderness medicine practices.
Gut-Z Journey offers 2 different wilderness first responder course formats. One is a traditional 7 or 8 day course. The other is a hybrid WFR course, giving you 5 days of in person learning. It can be hard to decide which is the right course for your needs. Beyond the obvious difference in class time there are a variety of reasons to choose one course over the other.
Is a Hybrid Course right for you? Let’s explore some of the pros and cons of both course formats.
The WFA is a two day wilderness first aid course. At baseline this course teaches you everything you would expect out of a basic CPR and first aid class while also expanding in to other common medical, trauma and environmental based injuries. All of this is accomplished with a wilderness based twist* to providing care. This 2 day course format allows for a lot more hands on practice and discussion of how to apply the training than a typical one day CPR & First aid class.
I got asked by a guide service I work with to evaluate their first aid kits. This is a great topic and I wanted to share some thoughts on packing your own.