The Most Comprehensive Wilderness First Aid Course Online. Free.

Built by a 20-year wilderness medicine instructor. 3,000+ students enrolled.

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Reviews

5 star rating

Excellent content!

yeisi lakes

Loved it all! Very informative. Great first step to plan for a full onsite WFR course. It reviews all the information needed with very detailed explanations ...

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Loved it all! Very informative. Great first step to plan for a full onsite WFR course. It reviews all the information needed with very detailed explanations and it quizzes your knowledge... Glad I was able to do the test more than once, cause it's a lot of information to take in.

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5 star rating

Very informative

Joseph Nigro

I enjoyed learning this material and picked up some key things I didn't know! I think it served as a great intro with enough detail to get started in wildern...

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I enjoyed learning this material and picked up some key things I didn't know! I think it served as a great intro with enough detail to get started in wilderness first aid and it gave just enough info so one would know what to do given a situation while out in the wilderness. But please just check the spelling errors littered throughout the presentations - the presentations were great, but the misspellings somehow take away from its authenticity. Thank you.

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5 star rating

A TRUE GEM!

Salma Desouki

The time i took out to write this review stems from the true gratitude i feel for the makers of this masterpiece starting from Robin Duclas who has a pretty ...

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The time i took out to write this review stems from the true gratitude i feel for the makers of this masterpiece starting from Robin Duclas who has a pretty clear and concise way of delivering the info to all the backstage contributors to this course. The fact that this info is made freely available to literally anyone regardless of their financial abilities makes it all the more precious as one piece of info here might make the difference between the life or death or lifelong disability of a human, especially in developing or poor countries. Your work is not only studied but also shared and appreciated by the world so thank you truly

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5 star rating

Great Course

Daphne Moree

Straight to the point and easy to follow and understand. Highly recommend.

Straight to the point and easy to follow and understand. Highly recommend.

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5 star rating

Very helpful course

Jason Viehland

I took Nathan's in-person course 3 years ago and this was just as informative as the classroom course. I think in some ways it was more helpful as you can r...

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I took Nathan's in-person course 3 years ago and this was just as informative as the classroom course. I think in some ways it was more helpful as you can return to the material for a review. The only possible difficulty is finding a willing subject for the practicals. In the classroom, you have each other to practice and learn from but Nathan's descriptions and step-by-step instructions are very helpful. Note bene - last time I took the course, I went on a spring outing with my son's scout troop and a scout cut himself pretty badly and eventually needed stitches. He had some severe bleeding so I followed my training, irrigated the would, applied an ample set of gauze over and around the wound, and taped it up so he could get evacuated to the hostpital. His father later told me that when the ER staff saw his hand, they thought, "What kind of joker dressed this?" because his finger looked like something out of a cartoon. As they took the gauze off and it wound started bleeding profusely again, they said I'd done a good job bandaging him. 5 stitches. Thanks, Nathan!

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5 star rating

Excellent content, great instructor

John Kolman

This is my 6th recertification and my first with American Outdoor School. Also my first online recertification. I learned a lot. New scenarios, a different...

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This is my 6th recertification and my first with American Outdoor School. Also my first online recertification. I learned a lot. New scenarios, a different way of looking at problems etc. I felt the material, especially the spinal injury topic, was very up to date with current practices. I wasn’t sure I would like the online approach, but it worked well. I would recommend doing a few modules a day instead of binge-watching

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5 star rating

Excellent

Joao Marcos

I'm very satisfied

I'm very satisfied

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5 star rating

Phenomenal Course With Great Modules

Ben Caine

I am enjoying this course as it is both informative, interactive and engaging.

I am enjoying this course as it is both informative, interactive and engaging.

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5 star rating

Excellent WFA Course

Christine Snider

I learned a ton of great information from this course!

I learned a ton of great information from this course!

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Frequently Asked Questions

Is the wilderness first aid course really free?

Yes. Every lesson, every module, and every piece of content is completely free. No credit card required, no trial period, and no content locked behind a paywall. You can complete the entire 16+ hour Wilderness First Aid course without spending anything.

What does the $149 certification include?

The certification fee covers the proctored assessment exam and your official Wilderness First Aid certification card, valid for two years. The certification is accepted by employers, camps, land management agencies, and outdoor organizations nationwide.

Is the AOS certification accepted by employers?

Yes. American Outdoor School WFA and WFR certifications are accepted by outdoor employers, camps, schools, guide services, scout organizations, and land management agencies nationwide.

How long does the wilderness first aid course take to complete?

The full course is 16+ hours of content. Since it is self-paced, you control the timeline. Most students finish within one to four weeks. There is no time limit and no expiration on your course access.

What is the difference between WFA and WFR certification?

Wilderness First Aid (WFA) is a 16-hour foundational course suitable for hikers, scout leaders, outdoor educators, and most recreational backcountry users. Wilderness First Responder (WFR) is a more advanced 70 to 80 hour certification required for professional guides, instructors, and many wilderness employment positions. AOS offers a free WFA course and online WFR recertification.