First Aid Training

In discussing our requirements for survival, we need to acknowledge a few painful details about survival scenarios. Unfortunately, emergencies and injury often go hand in hand. Depending upon the scenario, first aid potentially interacts with or influences all the survival priorities.  

Injury and illness interfere with the functioning of the body and mind.  For example, while some injuries clearly limit mobility and physical function, some injuries also produce pain, a serious distraction at best, and at worst, it completely short circuits rational thinking.  A high fever or other illness potentially produces similar negative effects.

The rules for dealing with injury and illness change dramatically when definitive care lies several hours, if not days or weeks away. This delay in care usually results from either a remote location or a large-scale disaster which then disrupts response infrastructure. 

Therefore, Survival U recommends first aid training for everyone.  In particular, seek out a curriculum that applies to remote or isolated situations (i.e. without the option of immediate 911 phone response).

The Wilderness First Responder program fits this description nicely. The curriculum usually breaks into a mixture of classroom and practical exercises which take place over a formal 70-hour course. Many outdoor recreation programs at universities and colleges offer such courses, as well as the National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS) and the Wilderness Medical Associates (WMA) among others.