Back40 Wilderness First Aid Training

04/07/2026

Our Trip Wise & Trail Ready spring session kicked off last night. The wind was biting - reminding us that spring weather is not to be trusted.

8 women with a variety of reasons for being here and an already established life of experience outdoors.

Tonight was about getting to know each other and trying to stay warm around a small fire. The wind and dropping temps forced an introduction into the limitations of a day pack and showcased some new tools they might consider for their day packs.

A few lessons:

🔥 An elaborate fire starting kit means nothing without skill development and experience. Keep it simple and effortless for the days you’re not at your best and under stressful weather conditions.

⛺️ Micro Shelter…an emergency silver Bivy sac is an immediate personal shelter that requires little effort to get inside of.

Next week will be a new adventure in skills, gear, and leadership development. These women are already experienced in their own way but I am so inspired by their personal drive to constantly learn, improve and connect with others! This is what it’s all about!

03/19/2026

Last call for the Youth Remote First Aid!

✅ Certified in Remote First Aid inc CPR/AED
✅ OUTSIDE for 3 days!
✅ Building independence and trust in their good sense!

WHAT IF something happens to you? Your teen is capable.

WHAT IF you’re together and you need a helper? Your teen is capable. (Possibly even in more control than you!)

WHAT IF they are off on their own, urban or remote? Your teen is capable.

This course is for MATURE youth who share an outdoors lifestyle with their family. They aspire to venture off on their own/. They have maturity to handle hard conversations. They can stay focused and on task throughout the day with minimal guidance. They WANT to build their skills and abilities to help others.

More info online. Please contact us if you have questions before registering.

If course minimum of 6 is not met - course will not run.

03/19/2026

The guys didn’t want to go out in the MUDDY MUDDY yard yesterday - I sort of agreed ;) It was still a great day in the shop with the guys, a BBQ lunch and really important skills/conversations!

Your first aid training doesn’t need to be boring. On site. Team building. Relevant to you.

03/09/2026

Pretty humbled this week. First The Lost Girl's Guide to Finding the World article in Prairies North Magazine came out - a generous account of Back40’s history and the mission I will never give up on. And then Saskatchewrun Podcast - Jason Burns connected with me to talk about the two ultra races Back40 provides aid at and trail running preparedness. Any chance I get to share my thoughts in a space with other amazing outdoor adventurers is pure joy! Having talented people with their own platforms invite me to be a guest is a privilege and a reflection of just how interconnected our small outdoor community really is.

Thank you Jason for inviting me on the Saskatchewrun Podcast!

Podcast Episode · The SaskatchewRun Podcast · March 9 · 56m

02/26/2026

I wish my kids were younger again. When they didn't grumble about going outside with me. When every trip, short or long, was an adventure to them. I even miss their teenage grumblings when they put up a fight but really were better people once we were out there. They were always better outdoors. I was gifting them fresh air, freedom, imagination, and exploration. Now.....they hardly manage a loop around the dog park with me without complaining.

Those adventures were mine to plan. Mine to prepare. And mine to pack for. (But my kids ALWAYS had their own backpacks unlike this photo!). I felt confident in my preparedness. I was excited to share with them. And I felt alive!

I LOVED the simplicity of filtering water with them. Teaching them to start a fire. Confidently going on hikes knowing we had enough stuff between all of us to manage. Teaching them a little first aid. Putting up hammocks. Trying to impose trail safety lessons on them. And just playing and practicing myself.

But I wasn't always confident. I was new to all this at one time in my life too. I had to start somewhere and taught myself most of what I feel confident in now.

This is why my Trip Wise & Trail Ready really came to be. Because SO MANY people (mostly women) told me they didn't feel confident.

My time is so limited but the April-May Trip Wise & Trail Ready is a program designed by me, reminiscent of the old me, who just wants to invite you to learn, connect, and build that confidence I so easily could have given up on.

Start where you are. And join a group of like minded women, mom's, friends, and fellow dreamers who just want to be self-sufficient, a little more confident, and slightly more prepared than you were when you joined.

Summer is just around the corner!

02/19/2026

Last weekend 4 Trip Wise Alumni got together for an impromptu Galentines winter campout. They met in a Trip Wise session. They started out as strangers, became friends through a shared experience, and now are friends for life. I am so proud watching these ladies take on adventures well after our session is over, knowing they are thriving on their confidence, skill, and shared good sense, and so damn happy for their joyful time together outdoors!

Trip Wise & Trail Ready - a pre-summer opportunity to build confidence in your preparedness for solo and group backcountry adventures. But more importantly, it is a group of people who are your future new friends and adventure partners!

Are you joining us?!?

Day Trippers are generally the LEAST prepared for a backcountry mishap. Most are not prepared to spend more time than originally planned, deal with a drastic change in weather, manage an injury or emergency, and potentially spend an unplanned night out. Especially under stress. This event is an earl...

02/13/2026

I hear it all the time….:
- “my friends don’t like doing outdoorsy things”.
- “I don’t have anyone to go with.”
- “Now that my kids are older I don’t know what to do with my time.”
- “I don’t feel confident enough to go on my own.”

Trip Wise & Trail Ready Spring 2026 is for all those who want to find their people and prepare for summer adventures with confidence in themselves!

But it’s also for all of you who might be out there already but probably need to brush up on essential skills and habits - because no one PLANS to get lost/hurt/delayed!

Get Trail Ready with us this spring!