Staying Safe: Backyard to Backcountry

Learn basic first aid, as well as how to prevent and treat outdoor medical emergencies, from common illness and injury to catastrophe.

A worst-case scenario can happen anytime, anywhere—but you don’t want to fret about safety. Put your mind at ease with expert guidance from Patrick Brighton, MD, FACS. Dr. Brighton has served as an emergency room surgeon, has managed mass-casualty situations, and has participated in several mountain rescues. Now, he’s sharing his expertise with you in Staying Safe: Backyard to Backcountry.

Find out what preventative steps you can take to minimize your risk, whether you’re mowing the yard, hiking with friends, or camping with children. Discover the recommended and the essential items to keep on hand—in case the worst should happen—regardless of where you are, what you’re doing, and how far you are from help. Dr. Brighton guides you through recommended first-aid responses and treatments to a variety of wilderness illnesses, injuries, and emergency situations—from sunburn and toothache to appendicitis and heart attack.

Inside you’ll find:

• Basic techniques in first aid, as well as potentially life-saving treatments
• Information organized by type of injury, so you can quickly find what you need
• Easy-to-understand instructions that help you assess each situation and decide how to proceed
• Considerations for nature’s variable challenges, like limited resources, weather, victim/rescuer capabilities, and evacuation options
• Medical techniques based on the latest research from the American College of Surgeons, the American Heart Association, and Dr. Brighton’s decades of experience

You’re getting sound advice from an expert in wilderness medicine. Plus, the book includes field notes—real stories from the field. So whether you encounter mild sickness or life-or-death conditions, use Staying Safe: Backyard to Backcountry to prevent and prepare.

Patrick Brighton is a board-certified general and trauma surgeon who lives high in the mountains of Colorado. Along with his wife, he has been fortunate to travel extensively and experience the wonders of the remote areas of our planet. From adventure racing in the unexplored jungles of Borneo to traversing the high peaks of the Andes to scaling Himalayan peaks, he has practiced a wide range of outdoor sports.

He is currently the captain of the Ouray Mountain Rescue Team in southwest Colorado and counts himself fortunate to be surrounded by some of the world’s leading experts in the realm of mountain rescue.

He has extensive experience in caring for trauma victims, including the management of multiple mass-casualty events, as well as providing care to patients in the line of duty as a rescue team member. This unique knowledge base allows him to impart wilderness medicine information from the perspective of someone who has been responsible for the complete care of injured individuals, from the time of injury to the diagnostic and therapeutic phases to rehabilitation. This rich experience forms the foundation of the practical and easy-to-understand information presented in this book.