REI NOLS Wilderness Medicine Course

For those of you who follow The Unplugged Family on Instagram, you may have seen my pics from the last week. Mainly showing my terror at the idea of fake blood and simulations. I’m not the best when it comes to emergencies. I tend to freak and get grossed out. Perhaps not the best combination for a mom about to embark on a mega trip with two younger children? I sucked it up and signed up for the NOLS two-day wilderness medicine course offered through our local REI. It was well worth the time and money. I took lots of notes and here are some of the most useful things I learned for being on the road.

Get a First Aid Kit that works for you.

If you search IFAK online it is overwhelming. There are so many. How do you choose? During a break I talked with one of the instructors to get advice. It was really common sense and helped me out. For us, we need something that will allow us to get to medical help. We don’t anticipate being too far away from others. Most importantly, we need something that can fit into a day pack so we can take it out of the car with us. She said the most common mistake is buying a big kit that has everything, but is too bulky to take with you. There are some good comparisons online between the different brands but I decided to go with the NOLS 3.0 kit because I now knew how to use the items inside. She also suggested I buy the items I anticipate needing more in bigger quantities, and store them in the car so that I can refill the kit. The additional items I bought for us were 2nd Skin pads, trauma shears, several cravats (the cheesecloth bandanas) and Benzoin Tincture.

Practice on real people before you go out.

This part was terrifying for me. It’s just not my personality. I become completely self conscious and started double guessing myself. We learned everything from wrapping ankles to splints and braces. As silly as it sounds, this is something I can practice at home with the kids. The more prepared I am ahead of time, the calmer I would be in an emergency. I feel bad for the poor man who had me tape his ankle. It was a debacle. I feel pretty confident that I could splint your knee, make a hypo wrap or sling your arm in the wild. I can’t promise I wouldn’t faint if you have severe burns and I had to remove dead skin though.

Be Prepared

A lot of wilderness safety is about being prepared. Know what you have and how to use it. I found the pocket guide super helpful and used it constantly throughout the two days. I bought a second one for $5 when I ordered the first aid kit. I will keep one in the first aid kit and one in our other car. The other part of being prepared is knowing about everyone you are traveling with. When its just me and the kids it is pretty easy. I know their history, medications, etc. But what if I was hurt? Will the kids know everything to tell rescuers? I am ordering a silicone bracelet for that reason. I don’t want to take any chances and in an emergency its pretty important for medical help to know I am a heart patient.