The National Conference on Wilderness Medicine

Big Sky Ski Resort, Montana

February 21 - 25, 2026

OPTIONAL WORKSHOPS

PRE-REGISTRATION REQUIRED & CLASS SIZES LIMITED
The optional workshops listed below are offered in conjunction with the conference to enhance your experience.  Reserve your spot for optional workshops on the main conference registration page.

The workshops listed below are from the 2025 conference. We will post the 2026 workshops once they are available.

WTM - Big Sky Winter - Wilderness and Urban Survival Skills

WILDERNESS & URBAN SURVIVAL SKILLS

Saturday, February 22, 2025
8:00 AM - 3:30 PM, $135

A unique opportunity to learn and practice both basic and advanced survival skills from a Navy Seal Instructor and other renowned survival experts who train our elite Special Forces. This all-day hands-on workshop is a practical and fun, skill-building experience, designed to prepare you to survive on land, in the sea, in wilderness and urban environments. Limited enrollment.

Participants will learn how to:

• Signal and “be found” • Protect yourself during a disaster
• Obtain food and water • Deal with a plane crash
• Build fires w/ primitive tools • Escape a hotel fire
• Travel safely in developing countries and avoid being “ripped off” • Construct & improvise survival kits
• Find and construct emergency shelters

Faculty: Gary Kibbee, Danny Kibbee & Catherine Robnett, RN, MSN, CFRN, CEN, CCRN

wilderness survival in the snow

WINTER WILDERNESS SURVIVAL

Sunday, February 23, 2025
12:30 - 3:30 PM, $80

This outdoor class is a skill building experience. Participants will learn the most vital aspects of winter survival and have an opportunity to build a variety of shelters including snow caves, and igloos. Improvised fire starting techniques will be taught and practiced and participants will learn how to obtain food and water. All supplies provided.

Faculty: Gary Kibbee & Danny Kibbee.

Basic wound workshop

BASIC WOUND MANAGEMENT/SUTURE LAB

Sunday, February 23, 2025
1:00 - 3:00 PM, $75
Tuesday, February 25, 2025
1:00 - 3:00 PM, $75

A practical workshop on suturing and improvised laceration repair in a backcountry environment. Participants will have the opportunity to practice basic suturing, stapling, taping, and tissue gluing techniques on pig limbs. All supplies are provided.

Faculty: Lanny Johnson, FNP/PA.

Includes 2 additional AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™

demonstrating a splint in the wilderness

PRACTICAL SPLINTING SKILLS

Sunday, February 23, 2025
2:15 - 3:30 PM, $70

Orthopedic and soft tissue injuries are among the most common problems encountered in the wilderness. A properly applied splint can have a variety of positive impacts and may make the difference between being ambulatory and needing an air evacuation. Learn techniques for immobilizing fractures and severe sprains using SAM® Splints and other improvised devices (you will receive a SAM® Splint to practice with and keep).

Faculty: Kyle Allred, PA-C.

Includes 1.25 additional AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™

Setting-the-stage-wilderness-medicine

Wilderness Wisdom for Women

Sunday, February 23, 2025
7:15 PM - 9:15 PM, $60

In the backcountry, women may have different needs and concerns than men. This workshop will address topics such as packing light, personal safety and other needs of women traveling in the wilderness or a foreign country.

Faculty: Sheryl Olson, RN, BSN.

Includes 2 additional AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™

wilderness Medicine CME course optional urban survival workshop

URBAN & TRAVEL SURVIVAL

Monday, February 24, 2025
12:30 - 3:30 PM, $80

You have just lost all of your belongings and your passport in an earthquake or act of terrorism. Your hotel was destroyed, and your companion is missing. Few Americans are prepared to cope with this type of crisis. Urban and travel survival can be more challenging than survival in the backcountry. Learn how to travel safely and protect yourself.

Faculty: Gary Kibbee and Catherine Robnett, RN, MSN, CFRN, CEN, CCRN

Big Sky winter evening programs CME Course Avalanche

Avalanche Recognition, Route Finding

Monday, February 24, 2025
12:30 - 3:30 PM, $70

This exciting workshop is a must for the winter backcountry enthusiast. Mountain snow pack, forecasting, terrain analysis, stability evaluation, slab recognition, and backcountry rescue will be covered. Participants will be on skis and must be at least an intermediate skier.

Faculty: Lanny Johnson, FNP/PA.

Screen Shot 2021-12-15 at 4.47.12 PM

LEARN HOW TO ASSESS AND REDUCE FRACTURES & DISLOCATIONS

Monday, February 24, 2025
2:30 - 3:45 PM, $70

This hands-on interactive workshop will teach you how to diagnose and to reduce dislocations in the backcountry including dislocations of the finger, elbow, shoulder, hip and Patella. Tips for recognizing fractures and dislocations and improvised splinting will also be presented.

Faculty: Bernard Dannenberg

Ropes & Knots workshop

ROPES & KNOTS FOR WILDERNESS MEDICINE & RESCUE

Tuesday, February 25, 2025
10:00 AM - 12:00 PM, $60

This workshop will teach you how to use ropes and tie knots for high angle rescue, swift water rescue, and improvised medical care.

Faculty: Sheryl Olson, RN/BSN.

CME Course Big Sky Summer optional basic

TRAVEL INTEL & IMPROVISED CARE FOR WILDERNESS AND INTERNATIONAL TRAVEL

Tuesday, February 25, 2025
12:30 - 3:30 PM, $80

As a medical professional, people often look to you for direction in almost any emergent incident. Even with decades of medical and rescue experience, the most complicated incidents we've encountered have been on our “off time” with no equipment available. In this class, we will gather medical information in preparation for foreign travel and practice improvising the medical equipment needed for care and extrication. Stop the Bleed skills and Tactical Emergency Casualty Care (TECC) will be practiced along with use of multi-victim triage.

Faculty: Gary Kibbee and Catherine Robnett, RN, MSN, CFRN, CEN, CCRN

For more information or to register please call

844-945-3263

or

For more information or to register please call

844-945-3263

or

UPCOMING CME DESTINATIONS BY DATE