NOLS Wilderness Medicine

One of the finest first aid books I've seen. –Mel Otten, M.D., Wilderness Medical Society

Designed as a field textbook for the NOLS wilderness first aid curriculum, NOLS Wilderness Medicine helps train outdoor leaders to prevent, recognize, and treat common medical problems and to stabilize a severely ill or injured patient for evacuation.

A vital resource for outdoor enthusiasts, this book covers fundamental topics in first aid–patient assessment, shock, soft tissue injury, burns, fractures and dislocations, and chest, head, and abdominal injury. It explains how to handle environmental problems posed by heat, cold, water, altitude, and poisonous plants and animals.

Also discussed are issues related to expedition medicine as well as leadership, teamwork, and communication for rescue groups. While risk can be minimized through good judgment, skills, and experience, being prepared for emergencies in the wild is an essential component of good outdoor leadership.


New chapters on judgment and decision-making and mental health
First-aid topics–patient assessment, shock, soft tissue injury, burns, fractures and dislocations, and chest, head, and abdominal injury
How to handle environmental problems–heat, cold, water, altitude, and poisonous plants and animals