Wilderness First Responder

The award-winning guide to medical training for wilderness rescue and self-care

Wilderness First Responder is a comprehensive text for the recognition, treatment, and prevention of backcountry emergencies, written by wilderness expert Buck Tilton with more than a dozen medical professionals. Thoroughly updated and revised, this teaching manual for the National Outdoor Leadership School's Wilderness First Responder course represents more than a century and a half of combined experience in wilderness medicine, rescue, and education. It is essential reading for wilderness educators, trip leaders, guides, search and rescue groups, and anyone who works or plays far from definitive medical care.

This invaluable resource includes expert step-by-step instructions, clear illustrations, and “Signs and Symptoms” sidebars designed to help you provide immediate care in the wilderness—whenever you are more than an hour away from an ambulance or a medical facility. It shows how to conduct a patient assessment, improvise when ideal materials are not handy, and decide whether or not to evacuate the injured.

Learn how to assess and treat:

Airway obstructions
Cardiac arrest
External and internal bleeding
Shock
Spine injuries
Head injuries
Chest injuries
Abdominal injuries
Fractures and dislocations
Athletic injuries
Soft-tissue injuries
Cold- or heat-induced injuries
Altitude sickness
Insect bites and stings
Diabetic emergencies
Poisoning emergencies
Allergic reactions and anaphylaxis