Wilderness First Aid and Survival Training

Wilderness First Aid (WFA) is designed for people who travel, work, guide, camp, hike, paddle, hunt, ride, climb, or lead groups in places where emergency help may be delayed.

Unlike standard first aid for the workplace or office, wilderness first aid focuses on limited equipment, difficult terrain, weather exposure, communication problems, and the need to monitor a casualty for hours or even a few days rather than minutes!

In addition to WFA, a good wilderness survival course teaches prevention, decision-making, patient assessment, evacuation planning, shelter, warmth, hydration, navigation, and improvised treatment using what is available in the field.

Why Take a Wilderness First Aid Course?

Outdoor emergencies rarely happen in ideal conditions. A twisted ankle on a remote track, a suspected fracture after a fall, a snake bite in long grass, or a shoulder injury during a climb or lifting something can quickly become serious if the group is unprepared.

Wilderness first aid training helps participants recognise life threats, stop problems from worsening, protect the casualty from heat or cold, and communicate clearly with emergency services.

Snake Bite Treatment

In Australia, any suspected snake bite must be treated as a medical emergency: signal for help, keep the person still and reassured, apply pressure bandaging with immobilisation, and begin CPR if sudden collapse or cardiac arrest occurs.

At Survival Courses Tasmania, we’ll teach you how to effectively treat someone (or yourself) for a snake bite in the field, including the all-important ‘capillary refill test.’

Broken Leg or Ankle

A broken leg or ankle may be suspected after a tumble on a boulder etc, a heavy twist, direct impact, severe pain, deformity, swelling, inability to bear weight, numbness, or a wound over the injury.

Keep the casualty warm and still. Pad around the injury and immobilise the joints above and below using trekking poles, sticks, sleeping mats, foam pads, packs, clothing, or rolled towels. Tie supports firmly but not tightly, leaving toes visible for reassessment. If evacuation is delayed, check circulation and comfort regularly.

Sprained Ankle or Knee Injury

Sprains and knee injuries are common in wilderness travel. Treat pain, swelling, instability, and reduced function seriously because a severe sprain can mimic a fracture.

Stop activity, protect the joint, and assess whether the person can safely continue. Rest the injury, apply a compression bandage if available, elevate when practical, and cool the area if safe and appropriate, while avoiding prolonged cold exposure.

Supportive taping, an elastic bandage, or an improvised brace may allow a short assisted walk, but do not force weight-bearing. If there is deformity, severe pain, loss of circulation or sensation, inability to take several steps, or worsening swelling, plan evacuation rather than continuing the route.

How to Make an Improvised Moon Boot in the Field

A ‘mechanical injury’ really can slow your travel in the field…or even arrest your travel completely. This is why it’s a good idea in a survival situation – especially when you’re out hiking / 4WD driving / working etc in the wilderness – to slow down your rate of travel considerably.

An improvised moon boot is a padded, supportive lower-leg brace that limits ankle movement and spreads pressure around the foot and calf. It is useful for a suspected ankle fracture, severe sprain, or foot injury when professional help is delayed.

Start by leaving the shoe on if it is not causing pressure, because it provides structure and swelling control. Then, pad the ankle, heel, shin, and calf with any comfortable material you either have on you or can improvise from nature.

The boot should be snug enough to stop movement but loose enough to maintain circulation. Recheck toes for warmth, colour, feeling, and movement after tying and at regular intervals.

At SCT, we cover this and a number of other wilderness first aid techniques across our Essential Basic Survival Courses 1 & 2.

Forearm, Upper Arm, or Shoulder Injury

For a broken or injured forearm, upper arm, elbow, or shoulder, support the limb in the position found unless there is a clear circulation problem. Check fingers for colour, warmth, sensation, and movement.

For a forearm injury, use a padded rigid splint from elbow to hand, then place the arm in a sling. If you don’t have a splint to hand…we often improvise one out of a straight stick (making sure to pad it well with some spare clothing).

For an upper arm or shoulder injury, a triangular bandage can be used as a sling to support the wrist and forearm against the chest. We teach a specific technique at Survival Courses Tasmania with how to tie a triangular bandage.

Add a broad bandage around the arm and chest to reduce movement, but avoid restricting their breathing. If no triangular bandage is available, improvise with an item of clothing etc.

Do not force the shoulder back into place; suspected dislocations, fractures, numbness, severe pain, or loss of pulse require medical care as soon as is possible.

Wilderness First Aid: Field Assessment and Evacuation Decisions

Good wilderness first aid is not just about bandages. It is about calm leadership. Use a simple assessment routine: identify hazards, check airway and breathing, control bleeding, look for shock, protect from exposure, and make a plan.

Monitor pain, mental state, pulse, breathing, skin condition, temperature, and limb circulation. Decide whether the casualty can walk with assistance, must be carried, or needs emergency rescue.

In remote areas, call early rather than waiting for the situation to deteriorate. Give emergency services your location, access route, number of people, injury details, first aid given, weather, and communications limitations.

This is why we always recommend taking some form of emergency communication device (not a mobile phone), such as a PLB (personal locator beacon) or EPIRB etc.

Final Safety Note

Wilderness first aid skills are best learned hands-on with qualified instructors. So, why not give Survival Courses Tasmania a call for your WFA training and bushcraft survival classes?