Great First Aid Course

Because I'm signed up to do a bunch of volunteer hours this summer with various National Forests in the Sierra, I took the advice of one of the volunteer coordinators and signed up for a Wilderness First Aid Course.

This was a great deal:$35 for the course, which covered a huge range of topics from basic first aid, to much broader sections on everything from wild animals and snake bites to getting lost and avoiding dehydration,. Highly, highly recommended.

Did I mention it comes with a certificate?

And the course was full of interesting little tidbits of information that will probably get you a drink at a bar some day: the most remote location in the lower 48 states is in the southeastern corner of Yellowstone National Park--a full 23 miles from the nearest road. Or how about this one: 90% of all Search and Rescue operations involve day-hikers.

Plus, instructor Natalie Bonthius manages to put a compression bandage, a tourniquet and a splint on her left arm, using only her right arm. And she looks like she's done it before.

Here's a link to the course--and all the other courses that Natalie teaches: https://survivalmedonline.org/wilderness-first-aid