Wilderness First-aid Courses in the San Francisco Bay Area

Safety Training Seminars teaches Wilderness First-aid courses in San Francisco, Concord, Dublin, Redwood City, and San Jose. View upcoming courses on the link below.

Bay Area Wilderness First-aid Course

If you love the great outdoors you know that basic wilderness first aid can mean a more enjoyable and much safer vacation. In some cases it can even save your life or limbs! When you’re rock climbing or hiking or biking and are miles away from a phone and medical treatment, you need to be able to care for small injuries that can easily become big problems.

In some cases basic wilderness first aid is no different than standard treatment of minor wounds. Small cuts need to be cleaned and dressed properly and kept from exposure while a scab can form. Small burns such as from a campfire can also be treated with antiseptic and kept cool while they heal. A twisted ankle may need nothing more than rest and perhaps a support bandage. For other types of wilderness first aid, more involved treatment is needed.

Before you head out for a day on the trails or for a long bike ride through your favorite wooded path, consider a few important tips when it comes to wilderness first aid. These are especially important reminders if you’re planning on a long camping trip or will be anywhere that is not easily accessible by phone or emergency vehicles.

Be prepared.

It may seem simplistic to remind persons to be prepared for wilderness first aid, but it’s surprising how many plan everything for a camping trip or day of hiking except what they may need in case of injury. A small box with some antiseptics and bandages can make a tremendous difference in your safety and comfort, so be sure to include that as part of your standard equipment. You can often buy a kit that is meant specifically for wilderness first aid and it may have small containers of everything you need, from antiseptic to mosquito repellent.

You also need to think about how to be prepared for wilderness first aid depending upon your terrain and environment. You may not need to worry about snake bites in every area of the country or you may be staying at a well-monitored campground so being burned by your campfire may not be a big concern. However, the best wilderness first aid will mean choosing ointments and medicines that are right for your particular situation.

Learn the ropes.

If you’re serious about being outdoors all the time you may want to take a wilderness first aid class. This will mean learning how to treat a wide range of ailments and injuries, for yourself and for others. You may also learn how to recognize signs and symptoms of certain conditions such as dehydration, poison ivy rashes, and things such as these. The right wilderness first aid class can mean being able to treat these things quickly but also effectively and properly. If you don’t recognize the initial symptoms of these ailments and conditions, you may not know that they need treatment and may actually treat them improperly. A wilderness first aid class can avoid these problems.