Advanced Wilderness Life Support (AWLS)

A common name for this disease implies it causes illness in the winter time.  It actually is called Norovirus and happens all year round.  It poses a special risk to backcountry travelers because, it can be spread in the air by vomit and is resistant to hand sanitizers.  Listen and learn about the most common cause of vomiting and diarrhea  in the world. 

While not recognized as a true medical diagnosis, its effects are very real.  Many people are not going outside and experiencing nature, and this is causing problems, particularly in children. Listen and learn about the growing school of thought  that describes nature deficit disorder. 

So they've earned the nickname “the murder hornet,” but really they're known as the Asian giant hornet.  Raiding parties of several dozen of these can kill whole hives containing thousands of bees in a few hours!  In the last of this series, here is the untold and dramatic story of this new insects that stings us by Dr. Matt Gunderson . 

In July of 2021 a family suffered  the ultimate tragedy when their dad, Wil Lundberg died while riding  his electric skate board. For the first time ever, he did not wear a helmet. Turning sadness into hope, his wife created a foundation to encourage people to wear helmets.  Listen to this amazing story and help her in her mission to save lives. The foundation she started is named after him,  WILS FOUNDATION.   Their website is: www.wilsfoundation.org  

We all know the feeling of being colder when the wind blows across our skin, and we have heard of the charts that measure that effect.  Listen and learn about the wind chill factor. 

In what is an incredible survival and recovery story, listen as climber Ben Eder recounts his  horrific fall in Grand Teton National Park in the United States. Through telling his story, we learn lessons in traumatic brain injury recovery and a new perspective on life.

Their demeanor has earned them the terrifying nickname of 'killer bees.'  Africanized honey bees are dangerous stinging insects that have been known to chase people for more than a quarter of a mile once they get excited and aggressive.  Listen to Dr. Matt Gunderson teach us about another thing that stings us. 

The University of Utah School of Medicine provides free resources for students of wilderness medicine.  We are developing a program to help keep children safe in the backcountry.  Will you help us make all this possible?  Everyone who works for this program does so free of charge.   Give by clicking on the link below.  Bless you.

https://ugive.app.utah.edu/designation/2787specialInstructions=Appeal:%06234%20Wilderness%20Medicine%20Expenditure%20Fund%20

Have you ever wanted to see Mt. Blanc, the highest mountain in Europe?  Well, the Univeristy of Utah  teaches wilderness medicine right there in Chamonix-Mt. Blanc.   Take a minute and listen as  Dylan Beattie talks about this incredible  course in the spectacular  mountains of southern France.  See:  www.chamonixwilded.org

Just when you thought you knew how to treat a cut or an abrasion!   With this, there is definently more than meets the eye.  Listen as Dr. Thomas Cartwright enlightens us about how to wrap it  up.