The next several days were a crash course in learning how to deal with sprains and strains (and what the difference is between the two), building a splint for a fractured arm or leg, resetting broken bones in a wilderness setting, and even how to pull traction to get a broken femur back into place. We spent the first day mostly in the classroom learning medical terminology and the legalities of helping people in the woods versus helping people in the "real world." Many of the training techniques I've learned are only applicable to working in the wilderness - meaning at least an hour from the trailhead/qualified help. Our class was also diverse - ranging from a woman from Alaska looking to gain skills for her long winters to young people looking to be able to help their friends on trips, even a guy from Brazil who had spent a few months working on the Rocky Top AT crew in the Smokies. He's worked as a rafting guide and survivalist at BOSS in Colorado - the same survival institute Cody Lundeen attended in the 1970s. Brooks, our main instructor, is an Advanced Wilderness EMT and teaches at SOLO when he isn't working in his wood shop making custom furniture. We had a total of 10 people, which is 1/2 to 1/3 of the usual size according to our instructor. Our class was relatively small due to the time of year I took it. Here my quick and dirty summary of taking a WFR class at SOLO Southeast - taught at NOC in Wesser, NC. Learning the skills that are necessary for not only keeping my patient and group calm, but also how to help them and get more qualified help for them are mandatory. Being that we are in one of the most remote places on the Appalachian Trail, help could be many, MANY hours from arriving. What does all this stuff mean to you guys? This means that I'd be an excellent person to have on a backpacking trip! My job as a hiking guide requires I have this training to deal with any injury or medical emergency that could possibly arise during a trip. is a Wilderness First This means I've been trained to deal with backcountry emergencies ranging from sprained ankles to a heart attack to a sucking chest wound called an open hemopnuemothorax. For nine days during the month of November I stayed at the Nantahala Outdoor Center doing an intensive program called Wilderness First Responder, WFR (pronounced Woofer) for short.
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