Why Fool Around?

When it comes to first-aid, the term “wilderness” means any place more than an hour away from definitive medical care. It’s not that hard to find yourself in a situation like this, especially considering the backcountry and remote travel that we so commonly enjoy. It not only makes sense to be trained for such an event, it’s a responsibility. Would you embark on a challenging 4WD or moto trip on dirt roads in the backcountry without a spare tire/tube, tools, or food and water? Of course, not. So, think about the poor logic of being unprepared when someone gets hurt or becomes unresponsive without warning or explanation and you can’t call 911. What would you do? The decisions you make can mean the difference between life and death, or perhaps the difference between a full recovery and lifelong disability.

Wilderness First-Aid course materials

The classroom at Overland Training is never boring

Kate demonstrates CPR

Thanks to Overland Training and Remote Medical International, I just renewed my certificate for Wilderness First Aid, or WFA (commonly called “woo-fa”) and CPR along with fifteen fellow overlanders. Over a three-day weekend, Janet Peterson and Kate Earle taught our group how to assess a scene and get to work quickly on helping those in need. There is a definitive protocol to follow that literally uses the “ABCs” to help you keep thinking straight, even after the adrenaline kicks in. The course offered through Overland Training includes CPR (with AED instruction) and some vehicle-focused scenarios. The class is super fun, easy to understand, and will educate you on how to be a better-prepared adventurer. So, why fool around? (WFA?) Get trained!

Treating hypothermia

The Overland Training medical kit

Chris Marzonie with the infectiously fun (pun intended) and tremendously talented instructors, Janet Peterson (left) and Kate Earle (right)

Links:

Overland Training

Ibuprofen: Hydrate before you medicate – some very practical info from Janet Peterson

Camels at Altitude – An adventure rescue blog entry from Kate Earle

I remember first hearing about the National Geographic Society’s new magazine, Adventure, and rolling my eyes at what seemed to be an obvious attempt to steal market share from Outside, where I was a correspondent. But the two coexisted peacefully for a decade, and I even wrote a few gear reviews for the upstart. So I was sorry to hear of its demise, or at least its transformation into an unrecognizable web presence.

But who knows: Perhaps disgruntled NGA subscribers will find themselves looking for a replacement magazine, a high-quality publication dedicated to worldwide, environmentally responsible travel and adventure. . .

Jonathan

Over the last several days I’ve spent some time camping in the desert and driving the backroads with K.C. O’Connor, marketing director for Four Wheel Campers. We ended this portion of his trip with a visit to Overland Journal headquarters where K.C. had a chance to show off the latest iteration of the new Overland version of their camper product line to some of our staff.

K.C. O’Connor discusses the new Overland camper with Overland Journal’s Design Director, Stephanie Brady.

The Overland edition has a full compliment of features and upgrades that are tailored to the traveler who will be away from towns and developed campgrounds for extended periods, traveling self-contained with a desire to live comfortably in remote locales. Some of the features include a low-mounted water storage tank, dual Odyssey deep-cycle batteries, solar power, power management, hot water heater and shower system, and a 12VDC refrigerator (as opposed to the traditional 3-way design).

Publisher Scott Brady talks to K.C. about the new features.

L to R: Chris Marzonie, K.C. O’Connor, Scott Brady

Four Wheel Campers offers a full range of pop-up and hard-sided campers for many different trucks. For more information: fourwheelcampers.com (800) 242-1442