What does wilderness first aid teach that standard first aid may not cover?

It focuses on assessing, stabilizing, and monitoring patients when professional help is delayed and equipment is limited.

How do you assess a possible spinal injury in the backcountry?

Prioritize scene safety, assess responsiveness and life threats, and minimize unnecessary spinal movement while arranging evacuation.

Why are vital signs tracked repeatedly during wilderness first aid?

Repeated checks reveal whether a patient's condition is improving, stable, or deteriorating over time.

Free online course Wilderness First Aid

Duration of the online course: 5 hours and 32 minutes

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Build lifesaving backcountry skills with a free wilderness first aid course—patient assessment, splinting, and trauma care for hikes, trips, and work.

In this free course, learn about

Why wilderness first aid matters and how it differs from urban EMS in remote settings
Primary patient assessment priorities: scene safety, life threats, ABCs, and evacuation decisions
Secondary assessment steps for trauma vs medical patients and how to do a head-to-toe exam
Orthopedic injury identification: sprain, strain, fracture, dislocation; limits of pain as a diagnostic tool
Spine injury considerations: immediate stabilization and preventing further neurologic damage
Using OPQRST to characterize pain and symptoms; meaning of each letter (e.g., O = Onset)
Measuring and trending vital signs to detect deterioration over time in the backcountry
Basic mental status assessment using AVPU (Alert, Verbal, Pain, Unresponsive)
Pelvis assessment technique to minimize harm while checking stability in trauma exams
Backcountry trauma management basics and common injury priorities addressed first
Lower arm splinting: materials, securing methods, and why roller gauze can beat Ace wraps
Upper arm/humerus splinting considerations and safe immobilization principles
Shoulder dislocation stabilization: using a triangular bandage to secure and support the arm
Ankle and lower-leg stabilization/splinting: key goals and checks before immobilizing

About the free online course

When you’re far from cell service and help is hours away, small decisions can have big consequences. This free Wilderness First Aid course is designed to help you stay calm, think clearly, and take practical action when someone gets hurt outdoors. Whether you hike on weekends, guide trips, camp with family, or work in remote environments, you’ll learn a reliable approach to evaluating risks, prioritizing care, and supporting a patient until evacuation or advanced help is available.

You’ll build a strong foundation in wilderness medicine principles, including how care changes when you’re dealing with limited supplies, unpredictable weather, rugged terrain, and long transport times. The course focuses on the mindset and method that keep you from missing what matters most: identifying immediate threats to life, protecting yourself and others, and making decisions based on what you can realistically do in the field.

Patient assessment is a core theme throughout the training. You’ll practice a clear, repeatable primary assessment to find and address urgent problems, then follow up with a thorough secondary assessment that supports better decision-making. You’ll learn how to take and track vital signs over time and why trending those numbers in the backcountry can be more important than any single reading. You’ll also strengthen communication and documentation skills through structured tools such as OPQRST, helping you describe symptoms accurately and hand off information effectively during evacuation.

Injury management is addressed with real-world outdoor scenarios in mind. You’ll gain confidence assessing orthopedic injuries and making stabilization decisions when professional care isn’t immediate. Step-by-step demonstrations show how to improvise and apply splints for common upper and lower limb injuries and how to stabilize painful joints while minimizing further harm. You’ll also explore critical considerations for potential spine issues and head injuries, emphasizing cautious assessment, ongoing monitoring, and safe movement choices when the situation is uncertain.

With short checks for understanding along the way, you’ll reinforce key concepts and develop readiness that translates to the trail. By the end, you should feel more capable of recognizing emergencies, choosing priorities, and providing effective first aid in remote settings—skills that can protect your group, reduce complications, and buy valuable time until help arrives.

Course content

Video class: 1. Why You Should Take Wilderness First Aid. 01m
Exercise: What is the primary reason for taking a wilderness first aid class according to the text?
Video class: 2. What is Wilderness First Aid? 03m
Exercise: What is the essence of Wilderness medicine compared to urban-based medicine?

Video class: 3. Intro to Essential Patient Assessments in Wilderness Medicine 01m
Exercise: Which of the following is the primary focus of primary patient assessment in wilderness first aid?
Video class: 4. Primary Patient Assessment in Wilderness First Aid 20m
Exercise: What is the first step in primary patient assessment?
Video class: 5. Secondary Patient Assessment in Wilderness First Aid 15m
Exercise: What is the first step in assessing a trauma patient in a wilderness first aid context?
Video class: 6. Orthopedic Injury Assessment in Wilderness First Aid 12m
Exercise: What type of orthopedic injury is likely characterized by pinpoint pain between joints?
Video class: 7. Spinal Consideration 11m
Exercise: In wilderness medicine, what is the immediate concern when considering a potential spine injury?
Video class: 8. OPQRST 21m
Exercise: What does the letter 'O' in OPQRST stand for in medical assessment?
Video class: 9. Vital Signs 16m
Exercise: What is the primary purpose of monitoring a patient's vital signs over time in a wilderness or backcountry setting?
Video class: 10. Mental Status Assessment of Patients in Wilderness First Aid 12m
Exercise: What is considered the most basic and common scale for assessing mental status in prehospital-based medicine?
Video class: 11. How-To: Primary Assessment and Head-to-Toe Physical Exam for Wilderness First Aid 08m
Exercise: When assessing a trauma patient's pelvis during a physical exam, what is the recommended method to avoid causing further damage?
Video class: 12. A Review on Patient Assessment for Wilderness First Aid Mastery 02m
Exercise: What is the primary focus of wilderness medicine?

Video class: 13. Introduction to Trauma Management in the Backcountry 01m
Exercise: Which of the following types of traumatic injuries is first discussed in the Wilderness First Aid course by the American Outdoor School?
Video class: 14. Orthopedic Injury Treatment of Sprains, Strains, Fractures, and Dislocations in the Backcountry 12m
Exercise: Which factor is not a reliable diagnostic tool for identifying injuries such as sprains, strains, fractures, and dislocations?
Video class: 15. How-To: Lower Arm Splinting in the Backcountry 09m
Exercise: When securing a splint to a patient's forearm fracture, why is roller gauze generally preferred over Ace wraps?
Video class: 16. How-To: Upper Arm Splinting in the Backcountry with Wilderness First Aid 05m
Exercise: What is an important consideration when splinting a humerus fracture?
Video class: 17. How-To: Shoulder Splint in the Backcountry 03m
Exercise: When stabilizing a shoulder dislocation in wilderness first aid, what is the primary purpose of using a triangular bandage?
Video class: 18. How-To: Ankle Stabilization in the Backcountry 03m
Exercise: What is the primary goal when stabilizing an ankle?
Video class: 19. How-To: Lower Leg Splinting in the Backcountry 04m
Exercise: What is the primary consideration before applying a splint to a lower leg fracture in the backcountry?
Video class: 20. Head Injuries Demystified: Critical Care and Myths Busted in the Wild 10m
Exercise: What is the primary concern when dealing with head injuries in a backcountry setting?
Video class: 21. Chest Trauma Uncovered: Breathing, Injuries 13m
Exercise: What is the primary reason that we breathe, according to the chemical changes in our blood?
Video class: 22. Inside Traumatic Abdominal Injuries in the Backcountry 05m
Video class: 23. Mastering Soft Tissue Injury Care with Wilderness First Aid 17m
Exercise: Which action is recommended when treating a wound that continues to bleed despite direct pressure?
Video class: 24. Burns, Blisters 17m
Video class: 25. Review of Traumatic Injuries with Wilderness First Aid 03m
Exercise: What is the first step in determining if an injury is traumatic when assessing a patient in the backcountry?

Video class: 26. Intro to Medical Issues in the Backcountry 01m
Video class: 27. Treating Heart Attacks (Myocardial Infarctions) in the Wilderness 19m
Exercise: What is the recommended initial dose of aspirin that can be given to a patient suspected of having a myocardial infarction, provided they are not allergic?
Video class: 28. Asthma 14m
Video class: 29. Acute Abdomen 11m
Exercise: When treating an individual with nausea in a backcountry setting, what is one of the management strategies?
Video class: 30. Review of Recognizing 03m

Video class: 31. Intro to Environmental Risks and Solutions in Wilderness Medicine 00m
Exercise: Which of the following is NOT one of the environmental risks discussed in the Wilderness First Aid course that can pose problems for patients in the backcountry?
Video class: 32. Bites and Envenomations Unveiled: Your Ultimate Wilderness First Aid Guide 19m
Video class: 33. Heat and Hydration 16m
Exercise: What is the earliest stage of hyperthermia described in the passage?
Video class: 34. Mastering Hypothermia: Staying Warm in the Cold! 08m
Video class: 35. Review of Environmental Risks and How to Stay Safe in the Backcountry 02m
Exercise: Which of the following statements about environmental risk factors is TRUE based on the provided text?

Video class: 36. Wilderness First Aid Course Review and Call to Action 01m
Video class: 37. Certification Instructions 00m
Exercise: What is the final requirement to gain your Wilderness First Aid certification from the American Outdoor School?

Free online courses on Wilderness First Aid

Learn aboutWilderness First Aid

Explore free online Wilderness First Aid courses that include a certificate and learn essential skills for handling injuries and medical emergencies in remote settings. Study first aid basics, wound care, CPR, survival response, evacuation planning, and outdoor safety at your own pace. Enroll today to build practical emergency skills for hiking, camping, and outdoor adventures.