ACCIDENTS HAPPEN. It’s the nature of nature, since chaos is built into the system. The trick is knowing the right thing to do when the wrong thing occurs. Which, for too many years, I didn’t.

 VICTORIA, British Columbia — Canada plans to select a new fleet of search-and-rescue aircraft by the end of the year, wrapping up what has become one of the longest defense procurements in the country’s history.

I’ll be honest, running out of my house, hands full of gear, the last thing on my mind is grabbing a first aid kit. There are a lot of things on the check list and first aid falls low on it. Whether it is mountain biking, backcountry skiing, or climbing that day, it would probably be smart to have one if something did happen but a bulky, practically useless, box of bandaids and a thermometer wouldn’t help anyway. That is the problem, I am not Bear Grylls trying to live off the land and if bringing that extra Clif Bar takes up too much space, a bunch of band-aids are not going to make the cut. 

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We imagine a public medical emergency looking like a scenario from a CPR class video...

Last weekend, I joined REI and the National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS) to obtain Wilderness First Aid (WFA) certification. WFA certification requires 16 hours of instruction over the course of two days and includes both classroom and practical training. It was exhausting, daunting, and fun. It also reiterates that your best friend on the trail is common sense.