I just returned from The Appalachian Center for Wilderness Medicine annual AWLS course  on the new River Gorge area in West Virginia. This 5 day trip was spent with several friends, notable Roger Wood, Seth Hawkins, Susan Benesh and Micheal McLaren.

  I also made several new friends including Laura, Deb, Bryan, Kelly, Mike and JR. My time as a guest lecture at the annual AWLS was made more enjoyable by very interested to learn students, lack of bugs, green woods, low humidity and good food. It was a good experience co teaching with Micheal Caudell and Roger Wood. I was happy to share information about and how to use 7 different EPI autoinjectors. None of the participants including physicians I spoke with had seen more than 2 epi autojectors before. None of them had seen Anapen, Jext or Auvi-Q.

 I appreciated the active interest with questions and  strong positive feed back after Roger's and my full group session on water care and  current devices.

  I also shared WMOs method of extra emergency doses from autoinjectors that none knew [except Seth and Roger whom I had previously trained].   During the scenario some students wanted to make believe get the extra dose of EPI from the autoinjector but for most it would have been make believe as they were not prepared with a multi tool or gloves or other items that back country care giving needs. WMO recomends carrying a small belt pouch with gloves, aspirn, cpr shield, even clairitin and zantax added such as seen at: WMO survival belt pouch

A very few of the 50 students (mostly former military and experience woodsmen) were actually, pleasantly well prepared carrying needed items with them and my hats off to them . Those carrying at least a small daily kit have a better chance of handling in field emergency care. My hat is off to all 50 for taking time to learn more wilderness medicine!