Methods to carry and evacuate an injured person in the wilderness

1. Using a Bivi bag and dragging the person

2. Making a Bivi-roll carry
3. The pole sack carry
4. The two-person split-rope carry

Wilderness emergency evacuation

Refers to the removal of a casualty in order to deliver them to a safer place where medical care in the form of first aid can be administered, or to a safer place relatively free from risks whilst awaiting the arrival of the rescue team.

NEW! Wilderness First Aid Provider course

After many requests to develop a shorter version of the Wilderness Emergency Medicine course for entry-level health care workers in SA, I have come up with this one-day version of the WEM's course to serve just that purpose. I am hoping to get this accredited for at least 8 CPD / CEU points and to position it as a more affordable introduction to wilderness medicine.

Cellophane as a field dressing

Cellophane, plastic food wrappers, or plastic sheeting of any kind makes an excellent wound covering. Held down with tape of any type, a cellophane dressing is non-adherent, seepage leaks from the unsealed edges, the wound can be observed, and the increased and appropriate moisture level of the dressing increases the rate of wound healing.

William W. Forgey  M.D.. Wilderness Medicine, 6th: Beyond First Aid (Kindle Locations 2802-2804). Kindle Edition.

Preventing high altitude illnesses

To prevent high altitude illnesses it is helpful to "climb high, but camp low"-that is, spend nights at the lowest camp elevation feasible.

William W. Forgey  M.D.. Wilderness Medicine, 6th: Beyond First Aid (Kindle Locations 2710-2711). Kindle Edition.

Stand a chance to win "Achieving the Impossible"

Register now for the first Wilderness Emergency Medicine course on the 20-22 September 2013 and stand a chance to win an autographed copy of "Achieving the Impossible" by Lewis Gordon Pugh, famous explorer, athlete and environmental champion.

New course dates

The next course is to be held on 20-22 September 2013.