A wilderness training course in central Virginia is preparing people who love the great outdoors to deal with the medical dangers that come with exploring nature. The Outdoor Adventure Social Club offered the course in Earlysville this weekend.

Whether you are an outdoor adventurer or just enjoy the occasional hike, there are some basic skills that everyone should have. Jenny Gibbs has spent the last three years as a leader in the Outdoor Adventure Social Club.

"I do a lot of outdoor activities, so I like keeping my wilderness first aid up to par," she said.

Gibbs has been through the first aid certification program once before, but says it is always nice to have a refresher.

"I'm not quite as giggly this time around, because I sort of know what I'm doing now," she said. "But you do learn more new things with each new go-around."

The course is instructed by OASC Director Matt Rosefsky. He puts participants in mock scenarios; teaching them how to deal with different injuries they may encounter in the wilderness, like sprains, fractures, and cuts.

"It's a solid course, and it's not only textbook learning," Rosefsky explained. "At least 50 percent of the time, we are out there doing scenarios with actual things that have happened to people."

In one exercise, participants were instructed to construct makeshift splints using tent poles, sleeping bags, and other hiking gear.

"You actually get the skills of what to do first, what to do second, and how to care for a patient," Rosefsky said. "So that you can be the person to treat yourself or treat someone else in case of an emergency."

Gibbs and the training's other participants leave the 16-hour course fully certified in the Wilderness First Aid Program, with skills she already put to use last summer to help out a fellow hiker who had a bad fall.

"It was so helpful to have the skills to deal with that at the time," she recalled.

For more information on upcoming courses offered by the Outdoor Adventure Social Club, visit their website by clicking here.

Reported by Kasey Hott