Wilderness (Outdoor) First Aid

Perform basic outdoor patient assessment using the abc framework - airway, breathing, circulation - plus disability and exposure checks to identify condition, injuries, and guide care.

identify the signs of heat exhaustion and heat stroke, including dehydration and elevated body temperature, and learn immediate treatment steps to cool the body and seek emergency help when needed.

Identify hypothermia early through shivering, confusion, and fatigue, then prevent progression with warmth and clothing. Recognize frostbite signs and rewarm the skin gradually under medical guidance.

Learn to assess arterial, venous, and capillary bleeding and apply direct pressure to stop blood loss, cover wounds, and seek emergency care for life-threatening injuries in outdoor settings.

Explore how to recognize and treat broken bones in outdoor settings, detailing fracture types, signs, and first aid steps such as stabilization, splinting, and when to seek medical help.

Learn how to treat bleeding injuries in wilderness first aid by wearing gloves, cleaning and disinfecting wounds, applying antiseptic, and bandaging to stop bleeding.

Identify outdoors burn types—chemical, heat, sun, and electrical—and distinguish first, second, and third degree burns. Learn first aid: cool water, burn cream, and when to seek medical help.

Identify six major head injuries in outdoor settings, including hematoma, hemorrhage, concussion, edema, skull fracture, and brain damage. Monitor symptoms, control bleeding, apply cold, and evacuate for medical care.

Assess suspected spinal cord injuries in outdoor settings, stabilize the head and neck, avoid movement, and evacuate to professional care as soon as possible, using a cervical collar if available.

Identify signs of shock, such as cool skin and rapid pulse from trauma or burns. Slow progression by stopping fluid loss, warming, raising the legs, and seeking emergency care.

Learn how to recognize sprains in wilderness settings and apply field first aid: cold compress, immobilization with padding and a splint, and urgent evacuation when needed.

Learn to immobilize outdoor injuries with splints and slings, using poles or clothing for padding and secure ties. Keep swelling down with cold packs and avoid restricting circulation.

Identify altitude illnesses—acute mountain sickness, high altitude pulmonary edema, and high altitude cerebral edema—recognize symptoms such as headache, nausea, and shortness of breath, and prioritize descent and gradual acclimatization.

Protect your eyes and skin by applying 30 spf sunscreen two-hour intervals and wearing sunglasses; clouds offer limited ultraviolet protection and snow reflections raise snow blindness.

Identify common outdoor bites and stings and assess allergy risk. Apply field first aid: remove stingers, treat symptoms, use epinephrine if allergic, and seek medical help for potentially poisonous bites.

Master CPR fundamentals for adults and infants, including call 911, assess breathing and pulse, and perform 30 chest compressions at 100 per minute with two rescue breaths, until responders arrive.

Recognize drowning risks, notify a lifeguard or emergency services, move the victim from water, check breathing and pulse, and perform 30 chest compressions with interlocked hands if no pulse.

Discover essential wilderness first aid kit items, including cold compresses, gloves, Neosporin, liquid bandage, alcohol swabs, bandages, gauze, tape, tweezers, scissors, burns cream, EpiPen, and a first aid guide.