Can anyone direct me to a good place to start with a wilderness first aid class. I would like to build up my skills a bit. don't need certification or anything. I would just like to know some more ways to help out if the situation calls for it.

Try your local Red Cross.

Check out the "Calender of Events" at REI. They have a general first-aid class every 3 months or so.

2 cents worth

Edited by Creachen on 10/12/2010 17:48:21 MDT.

Any store/business/enterprise offering guided adventures - biking, rafting, climbing, etc. can tell you who they use to certify.

The standard Wilderness First Aid class is 16 hours. It does not include CPR which you should take separately (and may be able to get free through your employer). It is well worth the time and money! You can, of course, take a Red Cross standard first aid course, but those classes are based on emergency services being right around the corner. In a wilderness situation, rescue may be days away. In a WFA class, you will learn about evaluating and stabilizing a patient, how to move a patient, when rescue is necessary and when you can walk the patient out, how to improvise with materials at hand in the field.

REI has been offering Wilderness First Aid classes at many of their stores, mostly through NOLS.

Here's the NOLS schedule, which includes the classes they teach for REI: http://www.nols.edu/portal/wmi/courses/wfa/

In some areas, the American Red Cross offers WFA for about the same price. They require you to have current CPR/AED certification before taking the class.

My WFA class was through REI and taught by Remote Medical International; their classes are offered mostly in NW Washington, although they did teach in the Portland area last spring. Here is their schedule: http://www.remotemedical.com/wilderness-medicine-training/Wilderness-First-Aid-WFA

Edited by hikinggranny on 10/12/2010 17:30:33 MDT.

Boy Scouts now require "high adventure" crews have at least one participant with a current WFA certification. Ask your local BSA council if they offer anyting and if yes, who teaches it.

Do a little research before you sign up for a class. I recently took the Red Cross version of this course and while the class provided me the 'certification' I needed, it didn't provide me with any information I didn't already know. For the money and time invested I should have spent the extra $25-$50 and taken a NOLS class. Talk with other people who have take the course from the instructors you will have if possible....not all Red Cross classes are bad, I just had a weak set of instructors.
Good for you to prepare yourself with not only gear, but also knowledge!!!

Take NOLS, not Red Cross WFA courses. Agree.