Maya Calderon
I took this Wilderness First Aid course in 2019. It cost me $250 and took place over two weekends. It is, without a doubt, one of the best investments I have ever made as an outdoor traveler. The biggest change for me is a much better sense of how to assess risk on every trip I take.
In this piece we look at the curriculum for a typical 16 hour Wilderness First Aid course, or WFA. I discuss what’s covered and what’s not. And I explain why I think that taking a WFA course is the best investment for the outdoor traveler can make. So book a course near you – quickly!
What the course covers
A standard wilderness first aid course (often called WFA, a 16-hour curriculum) covers:
Patient assessment in remote settings. Bleeding control and wound care. Fracture and dislocation management. Hypothermia and heat illness. Altitude illness recognition. Allergic reactions and anaphylaxis. Common injuries on outdoor trips (blisters, sprains, burns). Evacuation decision-making.
While there is a longer, 80 hour course, the Wilderness First Responder (WFR) course, offered by organizations such as REMC, WFR’s are typically used by professional guides, search and rescue teams and instructors such as myself. WFA’s are the perfect course for the normal outdoor user such as hikers, mountain bicyclists, kayakers, etc. and is cost effective compared to the WFR course.
What the course teaches that matters most
The specific medical information one will learn to treat various injuries and illnesses is certainly valuable to know; however, the greatest value of taking a first responder course such as a WFA, are the various framework changes that occur in a person’s usual assessment of a patient as well as decisions related to patient evacuation.
How to assess a patient for medical problems in a calm and organized fashion. How to determine whether to Evacuate Immediately, to Stabilize and then Head Out, or to Stabilize and Stay Put. The language for communicating injury information to rescuers. The recognition of small symptoms that can potentially signal more serious problems.
This framework is what produces calm in actual emergencies. Without it, the panic response makes everything worse.
I carry a very small notebook of key points for such rare events. In fact, over half of this article was taken from that little book.
What the course does not cover
Advanced trauma care (i.e. broken bones with displaced fragments, significant internal bleeding). Cardiac emergencies beyond basic CPR. Pharmacology beyond a few common medications. Long-term wound management.
This is a first response, stabilize a victim, and make good decisions course. It is NOT advanced trauma care, it is NOT all cardiac emergencies, it is NOT learn to be a Pharmacist, it is NOT long term wound care. It is a course to enable a person to respond to emergencies, stabilize a victim until real medical care arrives.
The kit that goes with the training
There is a small first aid kit that comes with the course training:
Triangular bandage for slings and splint padding. Compression bandages for serious bleeding. Sterile gauze pads in multiple sizes. Medical tape. Antiseptic wipes. Trauma shears. Ibuprofen, acetaminophen, antihistamines. Specific medications for known conditions (epi-pen if applicable). A small notebook and pen. Emergency contact information.
The recertification cycle
WFA courses have an expiration date of 2 years, at which time the student can participate in a recertification course. These courses are much shorter (usually held on a single weekend) than the initial course, and students who do not rehearse their skills in the interim find that they atrophy quickly.
The honest summary
A Wilderness First Aid course is probably the best and under-rated investment for the outdoor traveler. These skills cost very little but are very, very useful. Most importantly, the framework for dealing with risk in backcountry situations transferred perfectly to non-backcountry situations, making this a fantastic course for any serious traveler.
And finally, a wilderness first aid course is one of the best investments for any serious outdoor traveler. And that’s true even if you never use a single skill. While the cost of a WFA course may seem a bit high at first, the skills learned in a WFA course are incredibly valuable, last for years, and provide a powerful framework for dealing with a wide variety of backcountry health issues.
Practical Considerations
Adventure travel can be affected by many factors and is greatly enhanced by careful preparation. The amount of time between great trips and those that are less than desirable can be minimized by having a good plan for the logistics of your trip, and having a good supply of back up gear, as well as having some contingency days built into your itinerary. In addition, having a good communication plan with someone back home can also help to prevent many problems.
On check in for our flights in early 2026 the departure times were kept to within 30 minutes of schedule some 70% of the time.
The Insurance Question
Many adventure activities require special travel insurance that is far beyond the usual travel insurance policies. In addition to altitude, diving (scuba), motorbiking (rentals), and even other sports, several activities are even normally excluded from standard policies. Just reading the policy and adding an ‘adventure’ rider here and there can cost a lot more in advance but could save a bundle in a worst-case scenario.
The Local Operator Factor
Local guides and adventure travel operators are usually experienced and knowledgeable about the places and activities that they can offer their clients. There are a lot of local operators online, so doing research about the places that you plan to visit is a must. As mentioned earlier, reading reviews online is a great place to start in your search for a reliable local adventure travel operator, but do not rely solely on online reviews. Make sure to also get in touch with past travelers who have been with the local guide or tour operator. They would be able to give you first hand accounts of their adventures with the said tour operator. And if you are able to get hold of past clients who have positive experiences with a local guide or adventure travel operator, then that would mean that you found a reliable tour operator to help plan your next big adventure.
The Takeaway
For any adventure trip the following factors are crucial. The physical fitness necessary for any trip. The choice of local guides and tour operators. The adequate travel insurance. Flexibility in times of bad weather and other unpleasant circumstances on the road. The more the trip is inflexibly set out in advance the more it will fail than a comparable trip that leaves room for flexible rescheduling in advance.
The Equipment Question
On another note, pay special attention to the equipment that you bring on your trip. In perfect conditions your brand new pair of hiking boots will probably be just fine, but as soon as things turn sour your newly purchased pair of boots will fall apart. Invest in good quality equipment at your destination rather than bringing along a bunch of cheap stuff that you hope will make it through your trip.
The Physical Preparation
A couple of months of gentle exercise is far from ideal, but a few months of imperfect but strenuous training for a trip of this sort will get you fit enough to enjoy the trip rather than to suffer through it. In addition, such training will uncover any problems with your gear before it is too late to do anything about them.
The Worst-Case Plan
But many trips go wrong, and it is very difficult to deal with problems that could have been prevented with only two hours of pre-trip planning. These problems include loss of communications with family and friends, bad choice of route to evacuate, lack of adequate insurance to cover helicopter or fixed wing rescue, and misdirection to a wrong medical facility. The worst-case scenario must be carefully considered before leaving on a major trip.
