First Aid

In the summer of 2023, hikes, urban walks, and family celebrations had me digging out the first aid kit nearly weekly. My wife Nancy and I keep our Wilderness First Aid badges current, and the seven kids and eleven grandkids provide abundant practice around our Redmond farm with stinging nettle, bites, stings, sprains, breaks, bruises, gashes, cuts, and the occasional bump on the head. Read more…

The Seattle First Aid Committee's role is to ensure that our members and leaders have access to classes that allow them to gain and maintain first aid skills. During the past two years, the committee has lost a few core members due to job changes or moves. The Seattle branch is grateful that we've retained Mary Panza as the chair, but she can't do it alone. We are looking for both in-person and remote volunteers to support our community's First Aid education.  Read more…

The Mountaineers Ten Essentials™ dates back to our climbing courses of the 1930s. This widely respected safety and packing system was formalized in the third edition of Mountaineering: The Freedom of the Hills, released in 1974. Each of the nine editions of Freedom, as it is affectionately known, was written entirely by volunteers and reflects the collective wisdom of hundreds of outdoor skills instructors. The list has always sought to answer two basic questions: Read more…

Develop new skills or brush up existing ones with one of our Wilderness First Responder (WFR) courses! We offer both certification and recertification courses to help you know how to handle emergencies in the backcountry with competence and confidence. If you've already taken one of our Alpine First Aid, Wilderness First Aid, or MOFA courses, we invite you to take your skills to the next level with a WFR Course, earning you a  Wilderness First Responder Badge. Offered in partnership with Remote Medical International (RMI), these in-depth and high quality courses will bring added security and peace of mind to your outdoor adventures. Read more…

We're seeking volunteers to serve as victims for our First Aid Scenario Sessions in Renton on July 9, Sept 17, and Nov 7. This is a great way to brush up on your own first aid skills, flex your acting chops, and help our students graduate! Read more…

The Mountaineers 'Vision 2022' Strategic Plan calls for us to invest in being “innovative leaders in outdoor education.” This means we need to respond to growing needs and address new century challenges in ways that are different from traditional  outdoor education. This includes investment in our volunteers – the greatest source of innovation and a priceless resource that is uniquely Mountaineers. We call this new approach "Progressive Outdoor Education."  Read more…

Imagine yourself out on a beautiful backcountry adventure. You pick the place - wherever you like! You've planned to spend the night, and as you're settling into camp, you get out your cook set and start to make dinner. All of the sudden - boom - you cut your finger. And yikes, its a bleeder! Read more…

Is your Wilderness First Responder certification about to expire? You're in luck! Back by popular demand, The Mountaineers will be offering Wilderness First Responder Recertification (WFC) courses starting March 3, 2017. Or if you need to get a Wilderness First Responder (WFR) cert,  we're offering a 10-day and a 5-day Hybrid WFR (H-WFR) course!  Read more…

One of the most valuable parts of the Wilderness First Aid course is the scenario practice sessions. In these scenarios, teams of students must respond to simulated backcountry emergency first aid situations. We're in need of volunteers to help with our May 9 WFA by play-acting as victims. You will get very fun and realistic accident make-up (moulage) and will be given a script for a role-play situation. Read more…

Starting in Spring 2016, The Mountaineers will be offering Wilderness First Responder and Wilderness First Responder Recertification courses!  Read more…

We've been hearing from many hikers and backpackers who want to learn navigation and field first aid/emergency-response skills, but aren't ready to invest the time and expense for the full Wilderness First Aid or Navigation course. Others really want to get strong and in shape for the trail season but would like some professional guidance to design a tailored conditioning program. To help, our volunteers from the Foothills branch have developed clinics tailored for hikers and backpackers from all walks of life.  Read more…

Join One by One for the premiere of Shout Gladi Gladi at The Mountaineers Seattle Program Center on October 8 to learn more about the fight for maternal healthcare in Africa. Read more…