Advanced Wilderness Life Support® (AWLS)®

When we think about wilderness medicine, we often think about traumatic injuries, altitude illness, hypothermia, and dehydration. But what happens when the medical challenge comes from something we eat?For people with celiac disease, gluten exposure can trigger an immune response that affects the small intestine and can have consequences well beyond the digestive system. And celiac disease is only part of a larger picture involving food sensitivities, autoimmune conditions, and other associated illnesses.These conditions can become particularly challenging in the wilderness, where food choices are limited, medical resources are distant, and even a small dietary mistake can have significant consequences.Today, Dr. Kathy Vidlock joins us to explore celiac disease and its associated conditions, what wilderness travelers need to understand, and how people with these diagnoses can safely enjoy the outdoors.Because in wilderness medicine, what you eat can be just as important as where you go.

What if spending more time in the wilderness could help you stay healthier, stronger, and more independent with time.In this episode, we explore VO₂ max, one of the most important measures of cardiovascular fitness and a powerful predictor of long-term health. We’ll examine how hiking, backpacking, mountain running, and other outdoor activities can improve aerobic capacity, build physiological reserve, and help us maintain the strength and endurance we need throughout life.Because fitness isn’t just about how far or how fast we can go. It’s about giving our bodies the capacity to meet the unexpected challenges of tomorrow.

Lightning kills hikers and climbers every year, often because they underestimate the danger or wait too long to act. This podcast focuses on the critical decisions that can save lives in the mountains: recognizing the warning signs, understanding when to turn back, and knowing what to do when a thunderstorm approaches. Because when it comes to lightning, the right decision made early can mean the difference between life and death.

When we’re hiking or exercising for hours, especially in hot conditions, staying hydrated seems simple: drink water. But the physiology of hydration is much more interesting than that.In this episode, we’ll look at what actually happens after you take a drink—how your intestines absorb water, why sodium is important, and why a small amount of carbohydrate can dramatically influence the absorption of both sodium and water. We’ll also discuss practical hydration strategies for hikers, runners, and anyone exercising in the backcountry, including an important warning about drinking too much water.The goal isn’t to turn hydration into a complicated formula. It’s to understand a little of the physiology so you can make better decisions when you’re out on the trail.

This is a deep dive with Sarah Hall into the world of wildland fire medical support—where emergency medicine meets the world wildland firefighting. This podcast explores what it takes to keep firefighters safe on the line, from treating tree strike injuries, heat illnesses, to navigating remote evacuation challenges and limited resources. Listeners will hear how Medics and EMTs prepare and train for this line of work, the specialized gear they carry,  and the real-world decision-making that happens when help is hours away. Whether you’re a firefighter, a medical provider, or simply curious about the hidden world behind wildland firefighting, Burning Edge Medicine offers a compelling look at the skills, cases, and grit required to deliver medicine in austere fire environments.

In this episode, Cal Olmer shares the story of his ill-fated attempt to walk for 24 hours straight without stopping to rest. What began as a personal challenge turned into a hard lesson in endurance when fatigue set in, painful blisters developed, and then rain moved into the area. Cal and his companion eventually made it back to the car—but barely. The story is both encouraging and cautionary, offering practical advice about pacing, rest, footwear, hydration, weather, and knowing when a challenge has gone too far.

What happens to the human body when you spend thousands of miles walking through mountains, deserts, and remote wilderness? In this podcast, Titus Humphreys shares what he has learned from his remarkable long-distance hiking experiences. We explore the physical and medical challenges of extreme endurance hiking—including fatigue, dehydration, injuries, nutrition, sleep, altitude, and the remarkable ability of the human body to adapt and keep going.

What happens when you spend days, weeks, or even months walking through some of the most demanding landscapes on earth?In this first conversation with Titus Humphreys, we explore the remarkable treks that have taken him far beyond the ordinary trail experience. Titus shares what draws him to long-distance journeys, what he has learned about endurance and the human body, and what it is really like to spend extended periods of time far from the comforts—and medical resources—of civilization.We also explore some of the medical experiences he has encountered along the way. What happens when your body begins to break down? How do you recognize when a problem is simply part of the challenge of a long trek and when it becomes a genuine medical emergency?Join us as Titus Humphreys takes us onto the trail—and shares the medical lessons he has learned along the way.

Why does your heart rate keep climbing during a long hike even though you’re walking at the same pace—or even slowing down?This phenomenon is called cardiovascular drift, and it is an important physiologic response to prolonged exercise. In this podcast, we explore what happens to the heart during a long hike as dehydration, heat, altitude, and fatigue begin to affect the cardiovascular system.The heart is a pump—but the pump has to fill before it can pump. Understanding venous return will help you become a safer and more knowledgeable wilderness traveler.

Most of us think of tick bites as a risk for Lyme disease. But ticks can transmit a surprising number of other infections—including a rare and potentially deadly virus known as Bourbon virus.First identified in Bourbon County, Kansas, in the United States in 2014, Bourbon virus is believed to be transmitted by ticks, particularly the lone star tick. It can cause fever, severe fatigue, headache, muscle and joint pain, rash, and abnormalities in the blood—including low white blood cells and low platelets.In this episode, we’ll explore where Bourbon virus is found, how the lone star tick may spread it, what the illness looks like, why diagnosis can be difficult, and what wilderness travelers can do to prevent infection.