Medicine for Mountaineering & Other Wilderness Activities

by James A. Wilkerson (Editor)

-- Over 180,000 copies of previous editions sold!-- Includes a new chapter on common medical disorders at altitude, by Peter Hackett, Tom Hornbein, and Brownie Shoene

-- Offers more thorough coverage than basic first-aid manuals

A classic since 1967, Medicine for Mountaineering starts where first-aid manuals stop. Written and edited by ten climber-physicians who specialize in various fields of medicine, this fully updated edition offers expert information on preventing, diagnosing, and treating major and minor medical emergencies in the backcountry.

Genres: Medical, Outdoors, Medicine, Health, Climbing, Sports, Reference

366 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1967

Reviews

[Chadd VanZanten · Rating 5 out of 5]

Exquisitely clinical and excruciatingly thorough, it's the terrifying grown-up version of my old first-aid manual from scout camp.

[Tomq]

Towards the end there's a section on personal liability that states: "Almost no country has laws that require anyone to help a stranger in distress". Except for Albania, Andorra, Argentina, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Israel, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Russia, Serbia, Slovakia, Spain, Switzerland and Tunisia. Note that this includes several of the most popular mountaineering destinations: much of the Alps, all of the Pyrénées, parts of the Patagonian Andes, etc. If you are going to write a section on personal liability, you ought to do the absolute bare minimum of research on the subject...

[Bryon Brandt]

The Cover picture shown is of the 1975 Second Edition which I have,
even though the information given says October 28, 1983.

[Ruairí · Rating 5 out of 5]

Comprehensive!!

[James Morrison · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was hard to select my rating. I have very little criticism of the data presented here. For the most part, I think it was an accurate presentation based on the information available at the time. For someone who is going on a long expedition, this could be a very valuable book. However, most of us would benefit from something more concise. It is my personal opinion that something essential gets lost when too much time is spent on diagnosis if you are not a doctor. For most wilderness travelers I would recommend a basic first aid class that simply covers the ABCs (Airway, Breathing, Circulation) and how you approach the situation in general. There is a chapter in the book "Mountaineering, The Freedom of the Hills called "Emergency Prevention and Response." It is written in a more direct way and covers leadership, risk management, and first aid well in fewer pages.

[Mike · Rating 5 out of 5]

This *very dense* book tells of everything, and I mean EVERYTHING that can go wrong on the mountain. Most of the things it details have nothing to do with mountaineering. For example, why is Hay fever in here? There is nothing growing on a barren wasteland that is most mountains... (To be fair, it does admit that this is unlikely to be seen on a mountain) Also, when are you going to catch HIV, and start experiencing symptoms in the small time you're on the mountain? I guess my only complaint is that this book is a little bit too thorough, and is really written for a doctor who stays on the mountain year-round treating people.

It's extremely thorough in everything it covers, and too much information isn't a flaw, so 5 stars.

[Eleanor · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book will not live on my bookshelf, but rather in my backpack, along with my wildflower book, for trailbuilding. Includes an in depth overview of all of the systems of the body plus how to triage all kinds of injuries, and how to assess what can be treated on the trail, and what kinds of injuries require evacuation. In other words, it tells you how to make do in a life or death situation when you're still a day or two from getting airlifted out. Also includes a recommended drug dosage list/IV list for those who can get prescriptions for them. This is hardcore shit.

[Jon · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think this is the polar opposite of my WFR training: let's talk about everything that could possibly happen in ridiculous detail that's not useful in the wilderness setting! It's certainly comprehensive but seems more aimed at MD's or surgeons who need the backcountry bits filled in. The detail is certainly overwhelming for the rough-and-ready backcountry environment. Having some idea of the details may be reassuring but it doesn't help practical treatment. The fourth edition is certainly a bit dated (they're up to sixth); amazing how fast emergency medicine changes.

[Simon · Rating 5 out of 5]

A condensed review of the dos and do-nots of injury assistance, great tips on how to recognize benign and grave injuries, how to stabilize them and knowing when evacuation is necessary. A bit bulky to put in a backpack on an expedition but a worthy introduction to the world of diagnostics and first aids.

[Joe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great tool for the trail.

[Michael Brady · Rating 4 out of 5]

A book full of details you hope you never need.

[Garry A. Garcia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gold standard for wilderness 1st medical treatment