Wilderness First Responder Recertification Online
Recertify your WFR on your own schedule — no travel, no weekend-long in-person course. Recognized by all major wilderness medicine programs.
Cert expired within the last 30 days? You're still eligible to recertify.
Who This Recertification Is For
If you hold a WFR certification that's current or expired within the last 30 days, you can recertify with us.
Current WFR holders
WFRs from NOLS, SOLO, WMA, AOS, or any other program whose 2-year cert is expiring soon.
Recently expired (within 30 days)
If your cert lapsed in the last month, you're still eligible. Don't lose your credential — recertify this week.
Guides & outdoor educators
Keep your credential current without burning a weekend on an in-person course.
Search & rescue volunteers
Maintain your team's readiness requirements on your own schedule.
What's Required for WFR Recertification
Every major wilderness medicine program — NOLS, SOLO, WMA, AOS — requires the same thing to recertify your Wilderness First Responder credential: 16 hours of recertification coursework covering current WFR protocols, plus a demonstration of core skills.
Our online program meets every requirement — and is recognized by all major wilderness medicine programs, regardless of where your original WFR was issued.
Video instruction, readings, and quizzes covering the full WFR recertification curriculum — patient assessment, trauma, medical, and environmental emergencies.
Curriculum taught to the most current wilderness medicine standards, aligned with what NOLS, SOLO, and WMA are teaching in their in-person recerts.
Record yourself performing the required practical skills — patient assessment, splinting, spinal immobilization — and submit them for personal review.
Nathan personally reviews every skills submission and provides feedback. If something needs work, you re-record and resubmit — no retake fees.
Upon passing, you receive documentation of your recertified WFR credential, valid for 2 years — the same validity period as in-person recerts.
Accepted by all major wilderness medicine programs — NOLS, SOLO, WMA, AOS, and others — regardless of where your original WFR was issued.
The only thing we do differently: we let you complete it online, on your own schedule, instead of losing a weekend to an in-person course.
Course curriculum
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Introduction to Assessment
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Lesson #1: Primary Assessment
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Lesson #2: Secondary Assessment
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Lesson #3: Orthopedic Injury Assessment
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Lesson #4: Spinal Consideration
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Lesson #5: O P Q R S T and S A M P L E
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Lesson #6: Vitals
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Lesson #7: Mental Status
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How-To: Primary Assessment and Head-To-Toe Physical Exam
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Supplemental - Patient Assessment Example
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Review - Assessment
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Cheat Sheet: Assessment Worksheet
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Quiz - Assessment
FREE PREVIEW
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Introduction - Trauma
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Lesson #8: Orthopedic Injury Treatment
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How-To: Lower Arm Splinting
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How-To: Upper Arm Splinting
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How-To: Shoulder Stabilization
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How-To: Ankle Stabilization
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How-To: Lower Leg Splinting
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Lesson #9: Head Injury
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Supplemental - Concussion
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Lesson #10: Chest Injury
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Lesson #11: Abdominal Injury
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Lesson #12: Soft Tissue Injury
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Supplemental - Tourniquets
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Lesson #13: Blisters, Burns, and Frostbite
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Supplemental - Burn Scale
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Review - Trauma
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Quiz - Trauma
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Introduction - Medical
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Lesson #14: Chest Pain
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Lesson #15: Shortness of Breath
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Lesson #16: Acute Abdomen
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Supplemental - Urinary Tract Disorders
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Review - Medical
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Cheat Sheet - Medications
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Quiz - Medical
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Introduction - Environmental
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Lesson #17: Bites and Stings
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Lesson #18: Heat and Hydration
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Supplemental - Hydration
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Lesson #19: Hypothermia
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Supplemental - Hypothermia
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Review - Environmental
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Quiz - Environmental
FREE PREVIEW
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High Altitude Book
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Body Systems
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AMS Assessment
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Treatment Modalities
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Altitude Health Chart
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About this course
- $225.00
- 66 lessons
- 5.5 hours of video content
How It Works
Recertify your WFR in four steps — on your schedule, from anywhere.
Enroll & Start Immediately
Sign up and get instant access to the full recertification curriculum. No cohorts, no waiting for a start date.
Complete the Coursework
Work through video lessons, readings, and quizzes covering the full 16-hour WFR recert curriculum at your own pace.
Submit Your Skills Video
Record yourself performing the required hands-on skills — patient assessment, splinting, spinal immobilization — and upload for review.
Get Recertified
Nathan personally reviews your submission and provides feedback. Once you pass, your WFR is recertified for another 2 years.
Most students finish in 12–18 hours total, spread across a week or two. No travel, no weekend lost, no scheduling around someone else's calendar.
How American Outdoor School Compares
The other major wilderness medicine schools require you to show up in person for two full days. We let you recertify online, at your pace — and your credential stays current.
| American Outdoor School | NOLS | SOLO | WMA | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Format | Online, self-paced | 2-day in-person | 2-day in-person | 2-day in-person |
| Price | Significantly less | ~$325 | ~$250 | ~$395 |
| Travel required | None | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Time off work | None — your schedule | Full weekend | Full weekend | Full weekend |
| Meets 16-hr WFR requirement | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Accepts lapsed certs | 30-day grace period | Varies | Varies | Varies |
| Recertified validity | 2 years | 2 years | 2 years | 2 years |
American Outdoor School
- Format
- Online, self-paced
- Price
- Significantly less
- Travel
- None
- Time off
- Your schedule
- Meets 16-hr
- Yes
- Lapsed certs
- 30-day grace
- Valid for
- 2 years
NOLS
- Format
- 2-day in-person
- Price
- ~$325
- Travel
- Yes
- Time off
- Full weekend
- Meets 16-hr
- Yes
- Lapsed certs
- Varies
- Valid for
- 2 years
SOLO
- Format
- 2-day in-person
- Price
- ~$250
- Travel
- Yes
- Time off
- Full weekend
- Meets 16-hr
- Yes
- Lapsed certs
- Varies
- Valid for
- 2 years
WMA
- Format
- 2-day in-person
- Price
- ~$395
- Travel
- Yes
- Time off
- Full weekend
- Meets 16-hr
- Yes
- Lapsed certs
- Varies
- Valid for
- 2 years
Competitor prices approximate and current as of 2026. Verify on each provider's site.
Cert Expired or Expiring Soon?
Don't lose your Wilderness First Responder credential. If your cert is still valid — or expired within the last 30 days — you can recertify online with us this week.
No waiting for the next in-person course. No travel. No weekend off. Start today, finish on your schedule.
Start Your RecertificationAccepted by all major wilderness medicine programs — NOLS, SOLO, WMA, AOS, and more.
Trusted by Outdoor Leaders, Scouts, and Guides
Course Reviews
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...
Read MoreThis 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
Read Lesswilderness first aid
EDWARD POPIELARSKI
COMPRESHENSIVE, thought provoking
COMPRESHENSIVE, thought provoking
Read LessWilderness First Aid Review
Stratton Tragellis
Course was well designed and easy to follow. Good addition would be padding demonstration for splits. Also how to evacuate a patient who cannot walk out.
Course was well designed and easy to follow. Good addition would be padding demonstration for splits. Also how to evacuate a patient who cannot walk out.
Read LessVery 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...
Read MoreI 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.
Read LessVery 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...
Read MoreI 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!
Read LessCrystal Krumrine
Crystal Krumrine
Great videos, very knowledgable, handouts and having the text to save (I put in a binder) is awesome. Certification was made easy and instructions easy to f...
Read MoreGreat videos, very knowledgable, handouts and having the text to save (I put in a binder) is awesome. Certification was made easy and instructions easy to follow. When I had questions I heard back almost immediately.
Read LessWilderness First Aid
Charles Johnson
What level of effort did you put into the course? 5 How do you feel about your level of skill/knowledge at the end of this course? Very Good What do ...
Read MoreWhat level of effort did you put into the course? 5 How do you feel about your level of skill/knowledge at the end of this course? Very Good What do you think about the instructor's effectiveness as a lecturer/demonstrator Excellent The organization of the course was? Excellent The ability of the course to maintain interest was? Excellent The clarity of the learning objectives was? Excellent The appropriateness of the course workload was? Excellent What aspects of this course were most useful or valuable? The breakdown of each part How would you improve this course? More videos on how to do things
Read LessFrequently Asked Questions
My WFR certification expired — can I still recertify?
Yes, if it's been less than 30 days since your cert expired, you're still eligible to recertify with us. After 30 days, most programs (including ours) require retaking the full WFR course. If you're inside the grace period, don't wait — start today.
Is this recertification accepted by NOLS, SOLO, and WMA?
Yes. Our online WFR recertification is accepted by all major wilderness medicine programs. Whoever issued your original WFR credential — NOLS, SOLO, WMA, AOS, or another program — you can recertify with us and maintain your standing.
How much does it cost compared to in-person recerts?
In-person WFR recertifications from NOLS, SOLO, and WMA typically run $250–$400, plus travel, lodging, and two full days of your time. Ours is online, on your schedule, at a fraction of the total cost once you factor in travel and time off work.
How long does it take to complete?
The curriculum meets the 16-hour WFR recert requirement. Most students finish in 12–18 hours spread across a week or two, working at their own pace. No cohorts, no deadlines, no scheduling around someone else's calendar.
How am I evaluated?
You complete the video lessons, readings, and quizzes, then record yourself performing the required skills — patient assessment, splinting, spinal immobilization — and submit the video. Nathan personally reviews every submission and provides feedback.
What if I don't pass the skills video on my first try?
You can re-record and resubmit your skills video at no extra cost. Nathan will give you specific feedback on what to improve, and you can practice and try again until you pass.
How long is my recertified WFR valid for?
Your recertified WFR is valid for 2 years from the date of completion, matching the standard across the wilderness medicine industry.
Who do I contact with questions?
Feel free to email me anytime if you have any additional questions. [email protected]