Extremely knowledgeable instructors who are passionate about teaching their extensive knowledge of Advance first aid & CPR & Epipen certification. This course goes much deeper than your average CPR cert. Not only you will walk away with a cert, you retain a wealth of knowledge with continued review with their online curriculum for a year. Most of all, numerous practical scenario practices over a course of two day weekend to feeling confident to care for someone in need of medical help, and possibly saving a life. Prior to the weekend class, we must complete an extensive online class and a few tests. Back Country makes the course exciting, fun, and informative. read more

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Absolutely incredible people and guides. Would 100% recommend to everyone!

John and his team of professional came to our yacht club in Marina Del Rey and taught the First Aid for Mariner's class. We all learned a ton and very much enjoyed it. Thanks John! We hope to see you again soon! read more

This organization is incredible! I went with my colleagues up to Big Sur for a 3 day WFA course and I came back with a plethora of knowledge and valuable practical skills. Peter, our instructor, was fantastic. He was encouraging, helpful and patient. With 11 of us Peter was able to accommodate our different learning styles, provided clear and concise examples of application and even helped to cook some of the meals we shared as a community. I highly recommend BMG. My staff and I feel more confident to be able to handle incidents as they arise, we have created a more thorough ER plan and the camaraderie is more genuine. On behalf of the Brandeis Bardin Campus of AJU I thank you! read more

Excellent WFA course! I did the 2-day wilderness first aid for mountain bikers at Wilder Ranch, Santa Cruz, CA. Great, comprehensive, easy to assimilate pre-course video materials with clips of real situations. Super instructors with huge EMT/fire/life-flight experience who made the course fun and memorable, full of real stories. Lots of MTB-relevant scenario practice in representative locations, interleaved into 2 days of riding. read more

Recent WFR student in Bellingham: truly amazing course -- content was engaging, wide, and deep; instructors were knowledgeable, patient, friendly, etc. - just a solid team all around. I took this course of my own volition (not a professional guide or in the outdoor rec industry), and I'd absolutely recommend this to anyone who likes to spend time outdoors and wants to feel safer and prepared to help folks in need. read more

Truly detailed and complete training to better prepare you in a situation where you may be far from immediate help. I took the Mariners Course, which I consider essential for all sailors and boaters. The online training was engaging, and when it came time to do the in-person at the dock, everyone in our group was prepared and worked hard to get the most out of it. The trainers are professional, friendly, and highly informative. I have had many CPR classes over the years, but this one was the best. read more

HIGHLY recommended. Just finished the 8 day wilderness first responder course in Big Creek Ca. Think 50% intensive hands on first aid and wilderness medicine and 50% camping, hiking and mountain cabin vacation in a stunning Big Sur nature reserve w great people. John and Peter, as well as their other volunteers are incredibly knowledgeable and skilled teachers, as well as open, kind, and generous people. they have decades of professional experience as in front and backcountry medicine as well as years of experience teaching these skills. I've been a teacher for nine years and was throughly impressed. (If you guys need any free 'help' at upcoming courses, let me know!) How about a student led class in a unspoiled hot spring? Check. Or maybe a hands on lesson on litters in a secluded redwood grove? Yup. That too. Nah. Let's run first aid scenarios on a spectacular ridge overlooking the pacific. People who spend a lot of time in the woods, mountains, or ocean, or really anyone who is considering increasing their skills or confidence in medicine/first aid or backcountry survival should Definitely take this course. read more

Great WFA course with awesome instructors! Highly recommended.

Terrific 2 day class at Seattle Sailing Club with Dan, Brayden, and Emilie. They did a great job making it fun, keeping things moving, and teaching a large group to handle whatever emergency might come along. read more

We recently finished a wilderness first aid course with a good sized group at work. It was great! The recorded material was done really well and provided a lot of valuable information to prepare us for the in person work. In person we went to the beach and a local park to practice in real world settings. The instructors were all knowledgeable, helpful, patient, and creative in their teaching styles. We all learned a lot of vital skills read more

I completed my Wilderness First Responder training with BMG last month and it was a GREAT experience. Our instructor, Peter, was fantastic. He was super knowledgeable and made the material we were learning interesting and fun (with his EMT and firefighting background, he had a real-life story for just about every topic we covered!). Not only was the instruction great, the price for the course was fair, and, we got to be in an amazingly beautiful location on the Big Sur coast for 7 days! If you're looking for a WFR or WFA course, I highly recommend Backcountry Medical Guides! read more

If you need to get your Wilderness First Responder, or any Wilderness First Aid course for that matter, look no further! These folks are great. I took the Wilderness First Responder (WFR) course with BMG last year in Big Sur, and it was great. The class size was really small, only 6 people, and we camped out the whole time, getting to experience Big Sur in all of its glory! We spent about 1/4 to 1/2 of each of the 9 days of this intensive course in a classroom at Pfeiffer park, and then spent the rest of the time hiking around and taking lecture on the trail. We got to see a lot of Big Sur, and because of the small class size and changing scenery of the classroom, I feel like i was really able to retain a lot of information. And boy, is it a lot of information! And the food was fantastic! There was an in house cook, who cooked up all sorts of well balanced meals for breakfast, lunch and dinner, so that our brain juices kept flowing and we didn't have to spend them on planning our meals. It was a huge help, and tasty too! And finally, the Instructor, John Taussig was awesome. He has something like 10 years of experience in emergency medicine, so each lecture was full of hard facts accompanied by personal anecdotes. This guy really seems to love emergency medicine, and his passion comes through! Also, he was very accessible for questions. read more

I just completed the 2 day Mariner First Aid Course taught by John and his colleagues at the Encinal Yacht Club in Alameda, CA. It was terrific, comprehensive, and simulated real world conditions that we will likely encounter on our sailboat in the ocean. These guys are "Paramedic MacGyver's". I strongly recommend the class to anyone planning to race or cruise offshore. read more

Best experience ever! Our instructor for the week, Peter, was extremely knowledgeable about every aspect of wilderness first aid AND he made the trip fun for all of the participants, regardless of skill level. His background as a medic for the fire department and SAR provided for a wealth of stories that made the class time interesting and engaging. The curriculum was perfectly balanced with key foundational medical information and practical, hands on learning through trauma scenarios. And who could ask for a more beautiful setting than Big Sur? We had "class" on the beach, at the base of a roaring waterfall and in a field of flowers on the top of a cliff overlooking the Big Sur Coastline. We hiked, camped, prepared meals, shared stories and had a great time together. Our group bonded so well and BMG definitely created a culture of positivity. I was a little nervous going into this because I don't have a strong background in backcountry hiking/ medicine, but I felt comfortable and supported throughout the entire 7 day session. This was a once in a lifetime experience and I would highly recommend BMG when choosing a Wilderness First Responder course provider. read more

Backcountry Medical Guides - Hiking Near Me - Bellingham, Washington

I just called out of the blue looking for a travel kit to take on an upcoming trip. John answered the phone and immediately understood the nature of my request and directed me to some local options that I was looking for. Very helpful and informative. If I ever take a class locally, it will be from them. Thanks for the great advice, John! read more

I took the WFR 8 day class in Big Sur, CA. It was undoubtedly the best trip/class/experience of my life. Not only did I learn more than any class I have ever taken, but the location was b-e-a-utiful. The Big Creek Reserve was pristine; the trails well groomed, the cabin with its amazing view of the ocean, and the clean spring fed creek, a breathtaking waterfall with many clear pools to swim. It felt really special just to be there because of the fact that it is a reserve, and not many people are even allowed on the land. The second half of the class we stayed at a campsite that was straight out of Swiss Family Robinson. The beach was a short walk down the road where we had a few classes and scenarios. The class was challenging yet interesting. There was so much to learn in a short amount of time, but applying what we learned in scenarios helped place the topics in long term memory. We had many classes at the beach, on the trails, outside and inside the cabin, at the campsites and even at the waterfall. Some of the topics we were required to present to each other (which I believe that if you can teach it simply, then you know it.) John conjured up some some unexpected scenarios that kept us on our toes. At first we were all timid, but after a few we got into it and didn't care to make mistakes. Afterwards we would break them down and learn what we did wrong. I have been a student all my life, taking hard and easy classes, but none have come close to this experience. Being very hands on, this class has made me learn just as much in a week as I normally do in semester classes. Me: -Two years at SBCC -Finishing Biology degree at UCSC -EMT certified read more

Big Sur Fire Department had the opportunity to take the Wilderness Upgrade for Medical Professional (WUMP) course with Back Country Medical Guides in October 2018. We are all so blown away, grateful & satisfied with the exceptional quality of curriculum that was provided with this course. Personally, I felt that it provided the best quality of real, practical experience covering virtually every medical and trauma scenario that can be imagined or replicated in practice. Most of the course was taught in the field, hiking or otherwise, on one of the most beautiful properties in Big Sur. The fact that we were in a field environment, practicing "Hands On" learning techniques while moving through assessments and treatment was hugely invaluable, and helped commit the course material to long term memory. We also had class room time, which was also "Hands on." Big thanks to John, Peter, Dan & Sean for the phenomenal & memorable learning experience. read more

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