I recently finished reading an outstanding emergency medicine book called “NOLS Wilderness Medicine,” written by Tod Schimelpfenig and illustrated by Joan Safford. Published by the National Outdoor Leadership School and Stackpole Books in 2008, this book is must-read material for anyone who may encounter an outdoor medical emergency, especially campers, hikers, boaters and divers.
Some of you may know that I also work in EMS, and I’ve read more than a few books on emergency medicine. I only mention that to say that the only emergency medicine book I’ve read that I would rank ahead of “NOLS Wilderness Medicine” would be the ninth edition of “Emergency: Care and Transportation of the Sick and Injured,” which was published in 2005 by the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons.
“NOLS Wilderness Medicine” is the primary text used in courses taught in the NOLS’s Wilderness Medicine Institute, which certifies Wilderness EMTs and Wilderness First Responders. The book includes chapters on a wide variety of emergency medicine topics, including trauma and medical emergencies, environmental injuries and expedition.
Dr. Mel Otten of the Wilderness Medical Society said that the book is “one of the finest first aid books I’ve seen.”
The book also included an impressive list of books that were referenced in the text. A complete list of those books is as follows:
- “Backcountry Bear Basics: The Definitive Guide to Avoiding Unpleasant Encounters” by David Smith (1997)
- “Backcountry First Aid and Extended Care” by Buck Tilton (2002)
- “Backcountry Medical Guide” by Peter Steele (1999)
- “Basic Essentials of Avalanche Safety” by Buck Tilton (1992)
- “Basic Essentials of Hypothermia” by William W. Forgey (1999)
- “Basic Essentials of Rescue from the Backcountry” by Buck Tilton (1990)
- “Control of Communicable Diseases in Man,” edited by Abram S. Benenson (1990)
- “Dangerous Australian Animals” by Stuan Sutherland and Guy Nolch (2000)
- “Don’t Get Bitten: The Dangers of Bites and Stings” by Buck Tilton (2003)
- “Don’t Get Sick: The Hidden Dangers of Camping and Hiking” by Buck Tilton and Rick Bennett (2002)
- “Emergency Survival: A Pocket Guide” by Van Tilburg (2001)
- “Environmental Emergencies” by Charles E. Stewart (1990)
- “Going Higher: Oxygen, Man and Mountains” by Charles Houston (1998)
- “Helicopters in Search and Rescue Operations: Basic and Intermediate Levels” by Charley Shimanski (2002)
- “High Altitude Medicine” by Herb Hultgren (1997)
- “Medicine for Mountaineering and Other Wilderness Activities” by James A. Wilkerson (2001)
- “Medicine for the Backcountry: A Practical Guide to Wilderness First Aid” by Buck Tilton and Frank Hubbell (1999)
- “Minor Emergencies: Splinters to Fractures” by Philip Buttaravoli and Thomas Stair (2000)
- “NOLS Backcountry Lightning Safety Guidelines” by John Gookin (2000)
- “Plants That Poison” by Ervin Schmutz and Lucretia Breazeale Hamilton (1979)
- “Pocket Guide to Wilderness Medicine” by Paul G. Gill Jr. (1991)
- “Roberts’ Practical Guide to Common Medical Emergencies” by James R. Roberts (1996)
- “Search and Rescue for Outdoor Leaders” by Charley Shimanski (2002)
- “The Travel & Tropical Medicine Manual” by Elaine Jong and Russell McMullen (1995)
- “Waterlover’s Guide to Marine Medicine: How to Identify and Treat Aquatic Ailments and Injuries” by Paul G. Gill Jr. (1993)
- “Wilderness 911: A Step-by-Step Guide for Medical Emergencies and Improvised Care in the Backcountry” by Eric Weiss (1998)
- “Wilderness Medical Society Practice Guidelines for Wilderness Emergency Care” by William W. Forgey (2006)
- “Wilderness Medicine” by William W. Forgey (2000)
- “Wilderness Medicine Handbook” by the Wilderness Medicine Institute of NOLS (2005)
- “Wilderness Search and Rescue” by Tim J. Setnicka (1980)
- “Wounds and Lacerations: Emergency Care and Closure” by Alexander Trott (1991)
I should also mention that “NOLS Wilderness Medicine” is one of a series of outstanding books published by the NOLS. Other titles include:
- Backcountry Cooking
- Backcountry Nutrition
- Cookery
- Soft Paths
- Wilderness Ethics
- Wilderness Mountaineering
- Wilderness Navigation
- Wilderness Wisdom
- Winter Camping
In the end, how many of the books mentioned above have you had a chance to read? Which did you like or dislike? Which would you recommend and why? Let us know in the comments section below.
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