Back40 Wilderness First Aid Training

10/19/2026

Hey! Are you loving this warm beautiful sunny weather? Remember that EVERY SINGLE YEAR the first snow storm tends to take everyone by surprise? Even if this doesn’t pan out to be a storm - this is a reminder that SNOW WILL COME. ❄️❄️❄️

- Winter Tires installed ✅
- Snow brush and extension cord in vehicle ✅
- Traction mats added to trunk of SUV ✅
- Bag of winter clothing & boots in vehicle ✅
- Emergency “stuck in my car” bag of essentials replenished with chocolate, fuel tabs for stove, bone broth and cheezies! ✅

- Fuel cans & propane tanks filled for the house ✅
- Restocked batteries & mini propane bottles from Costco for the house ✅
- Restocked candles for house ✅
- Refilled 2x 5gal jugs of water for the house ✅

Every single year the first snow fall showcases how unprepared people are and how stupid we became as drivers collectively over the summer. Time to refresh your plans, preparedness, and driving skills! 🤭

10/10/2026

Snow is coming. Which means winter activities and winter work will demand our efforts to prepare for winter and all its added risks. Fall is my most favourite time of year to host courses - a blend of cool weather, damp ground, and a whole lot of experiential learning right under our feet while we train! This isn't just about first aid bandages and slings....its about managing the environment, reducing stress and exposure, and challenging yourself to be better prepared for WHAT IS REAL!

If you have a free weekend and have been meaning to get into a course - now is the time! We had some cancellations which means our group is small. This is a perfect opportunity for a more concentrated and small group based learning environment in what is most certainly left of Fall's wonderful setting!

Your first aid matters. As we navigate accidents in the winter - your experiential insight will absolutely set your skill and awareness apart from others trained in the comforts of a carpeted classroom. HOW you train matters!

Did you know that you can also use Remote First Aid for workplace requirements in Saskatchewan! If you work outside, play outside, or travel lots through winter - this is a great opportunity to train AND use that credential for work too!

10/08/2026

I’ve been on site at Safety Days for a company I have a long term relationship with. It’s been a privilege to build this relationship over the years and I only get one small opportunity every year to spend time with the crew - immersed in the outcomes of workplace injuries and the risk of trauma and death in their line of work. It’s a very real daily risk and historically the company has navigated serious incidents in the past.

One resource that was new to me is Threads of Life - Association for Workplace Tragedy Family Support
This is an exceptional resource that I was not aware of and am here now to share that with you. May you never need their community support but know this is another resource in the community.

Threads of Life is a Canadian charity committed to supporting people affected by workplace injury, illness or death — and preventing future tragedies from occurring.

10/07/2026

💚💚 Prairie Sky Running Company

Set on a working ranch in the Cypress Hills, Reesor 50 is an example of how much personality smaller trail races can have

10/03/2026

I’ll say it again - align your expectations of your tech with their limitations and shortcomings. And never exclusively trust them with your life on the line…Redundancy matters. Decision making based on multiple input variables and on-site evaluation will always prevail.

Trusted with their lives is the promise. Use at your own risk is wh...

09/21/2026

Fall is the best time to get into a course!

It’s just before winter activities begin. A little cool weather always keeps things authentic. And just the fresh air experience of being outside the confinement of an indoor classroom that has zero relevancy to the outdoor life you pursue!

Your first aid matters. And I can absolutely confirm that the generalization we see in classroom courses is the number one eye opener when you take the concepts and challenges outside. There’s more to your problem than the problem itself and your remoteness will force you to make different decisions. Remote First Aid takes you outside the box and builds trust in your good sense.

Lots of spots left in various events. Come spend your weekend outside with me!

09/21/2026

Choose friends who will give up a September weekend to come hang out at a local race in the prairie hills and work a 16hr day without complaint for Snackle boxes and hugs. Seriously - this team is some of the greatest people I know. And their commitment to the Prairie Sky Running Company Beaver Flat 50 (and Reesor 50) is as genuine as our friendship!

Did you know that the Back40 crew is a hodgepodge of my own dear friends? Some of them are teammates with Search and Rescue. Some are Alumni I couldn’t pass up a friendship with. Some are my 2am emergency contacts. One even married me.

All of these people (and all those who weren’t here this time!) have the genuine heart of a first aider that I don’t find in everyone. Comfort, compassion and a solid belief in the basics is the true credential to be on this team. (We all know I don’t care what your credentials are out here in the dirt!) I never doubt their collective effort to endlessly and passionately work to see runners health and mindset improve. Whether they cross the finish line or not. I trust them without doubt to solve big problems and give big hugs. And I trust they’ll take a little dusty vomit splatter on their shoes without a blink while they work to make that runner feel better. I trust their hearts and their strengths. They are the true hero’s of Back40 and I couldn’t be more proud of each person wearing my uniform at these events!

If you sat in a chair or a cot or the ground in the presence of one of these awesome people - comment below or send me a message! They work for the hugs, smiles, and to see your race story unfold in the healthiest and safest way possible.

Thank you to the First Aid Crew who rocked the 10th Anniversary Beaver Flat 50 then enjoyed the Flaming Unicorn with joy and silliness just because!

09/15/2026

Where did you learn to do “that”?

Experience is built in layers of moments where you were present, where you applied ideas and invested effort , where you tried/failed/tried again, where you challenged yourself and where you allowed yourself to DO IT.

Some trail skills that I am actually very grateful to have a basic skill set in are tarp building, fire starting and coffee making ;)

The shelter of a tarp is a habit I have adopted from Outdoor School YXE canoe trips - sometimes begrudgingly. But as I sat there under our tarp between our two vestibules after the struggle to forge the geometry of driftwood to work in our favor - I was a little proud of the set up. I trust the few knots I know, can see ways to improve run off, and appreciate all the times before that have built the confidence I have today to get that tarp up.

The tarp and skills to get it up in a way that not only would work, but would be resilient enough to withstand the wind and rain, is a skill set that I have only just started to gain more confidence in. And every time I force myself to put a tarp up camping or in class is another layer of experience.

And fire starting. I HATE fires: and I will quite possibly die trying to light one in less than ideal conditions. BUT….i was pretty proud teaching a group of Seattle men how to build a fire (they had zero success with their driftwood stick teepee style starter). Babybell wax and TP for the win! I might have showed off a little - with confidence only in the fact that things were dry and I had reliable supplies (and an audience because pressure does help sometimes!)

My point is - skills and confidence are built in moments of effort and opportunity. You can’t watch someone do it and then have adopted the skill through osmosis. Observe, learn, TRY, improve, repeat…

Never be afraid to ask for help to learn something.

Invest TIME and EFFORT BEFORE you have the need to use the skill.

Force yourself to KEEP practicing.

These things pay off - sometimes when you need them most.