What happens when a medical emergency occurs in the backcountry? Miles from the car with no cell phone service available, there may be times you can only rely on yourself and your group members to get someone home safely.
Wilderness first aid expands upon common first aid practices in situations where emergency personnel and supplies are not quickly accessible. You’ll spend more time learning how to deal with weather-related emergencies like hypothermia or heat stroke and examining ways to safely escape the backcountry when someone is injured.
Depending on the scenario, you may need to hike someone out. This could mean carrying the person or assisting them in walking. In other cases, you may not be able to get the person out on your own and will need to find a way to contact search and rescue.
Because of the inevitable delay in time to professional medical assistance, you will be responsible for providing medical care until you are able to get the person to safety.
It is not necessary to know everything before heading out into the wilderness, but studying a quality first aid guide book and familiarizing yourself with the necessary skills can be enough to save someone’s life.
Let’s look at some of the best wilderness first aid books out there.
1. “Wilderness Medicine: Beyond First Aid” by William M Forgey
- 1.1 pounds
- 6.1 x 0.7 x 8.9 inches
- $12.79
In Wilderness Medicine: Beyond First Aid, author William M Forgey breaks down the steps you need to take to determine the problem and what you can do to manage the situation until you reach professional help. It covers a wider range of possible injuries and treatment options than some other wilderness first aid books, making it a great study guide if you plan to get a WFA certification.
Having a guide book to walk you through the steps to take during a medical emergency is an excellent resource in the backcountry. Often in stressful situations, we struggle to think through how to properly manage the scene. If you can, practice with a friend and follow along with the guide book to ensure you don’t miss any vitals or important personal history questions when assessing an injury. Wilderness Medicine: Beyond First Aid does a great job of breaking down how to survey, evaluate, and stabilize your patient or situation, manage the person’s physical symptoms, and know what questions to ask.
What I like best about this book is how easy it is to read and understand. Of course, the guide book is only as good as the user. Be sure to read through and familiarize yourself with this guide book or any guide book before heading into the wilderness. The more familiar you are with your guide book, the better prepared you will be.
2. “Mountaineering – Freedom Of The Hills” by The Mountaineers
- 2.4 pounds
- 8 x 1.5 x 9 inches
- $21.99
In its 9th addition, Mountaineering – Freedom of the Hills has become a gold standard for anyone planning to spend significant time in the backcountry. Many regard this book as the “bible” for mountaineering, and for a good reason.
Written by climbers for climbers, this book has everything you need to know to stay safer, from basic first aid to staying safe in avalanche terrain, and learning how to navigate while off the grid.
This book is an excellent resource in addition to practicing your skills first hand. It is never a bad idea to practice traditional first aid skills like tying a sling to immobilize an arm or practicing taking someone’s vitals. Whether it’s your first time reading this book, or you’ve read all 9 editions – you’ll always learn something from this book.
3. “NOLS Wilderness Medicine” by Tod Schimelpfenig
- 1 pound
- 5.6 x 0.8 x 8.2 inches
- $12.89
Another great resource that is easy to travel with is NOLS Wilderness Medicine. The National Outdoor Leadership School, or better known as NOLS, has been a leader in outdoor education since 1965.
NOLS offers classes in wilderness first aid, wilderness first responder, and more, for those looking to further their outdoor skills. Many folks will read NOLS Wilderness Medicine in preparation for taking the corresponding Wilderness First Aid course.
Taking a class in wilderness first aid or wilderness first responder is a great way to learn and practice. Instructors will run you through practice scenarios to understand what to look for when someone is injured, and know what important questions to ask.
This book is also relatively small and light at only one pound and could be easily packed in a backpack.
4. “Mountaineering: Essential Skills for Hikers and Climbers” by Alun Richardson
- 1.8 pounds
- 7.4 x 0.7 x 9.6 inches
- $13.59
Similar to “Freedom of the Hills”, Mountaineering: Essential Skills for Hikers and Climbers not only contains information about wilderness first aid but also attempts to teach you safety and survival skills from hiking basics to winter expedition planning.
This book puts more emphasis on gear and planning, and stands out because of its detailed visual diagrams that illustrate the right and wrong ways to accomplish different techniques. This is a great book for hikers, climbers, and aspiring mountaineers to get their start.
5. “Medicine for Mountaineering” by James Wilkerson
- 1.6 pounds
- 7.5 x 1 x 9.5 inches
- $32.95
If you are someone with a background in medicine, Medicine for Mountaineering is for you. The text is written assuming you have prior medical knowledge. This is a great addition to your collection if you have already read some of the other wilderness first aid books recommended here, and maybe even taken a course already but are still wanting to learn more.
Many doctors and nurses like this book because they practice basic medical diagnosis regularly. They are familiar with recognizing the symptoms of medical emergencies. This allows this book to go farther in-depth about more specific emergencies you may encounter in the wilderness.
No matter what book you choose, make sure it is one that works for you. You should be able to understand the information in the book and how to use it. Before heading out into the backcountry, familiarize yourself with some of the methods presented in the book. Taking a class is the best way to practice and perfect the skills you may need to save someone’s life in the wilderness.