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OUTDOOR & EXPEDITION FIRST AID

Outdoor & Expedition First Aid Training Backed by Real-World Global Experience

When you learn first aid for the outdoors, you want more than textbook knowledge — you want guidance from someone who has lived it, led it, and delivered exceptional care in some of the most challenging environments on Earth. That’s exactly what you get on my Outdoor and Expedition First Aid Courses.

I’ve been leading expeditions since 1997, trusted by schools, colleges, youth organisations, expedition companies and travel providers to take teams safely across deserts, jungles and high mountain ranges worldwide. My career has taken me through the Himalayas, the Atlas Mountains, the Andes, the Amazon, Costa Rica, Borneo, Vietnam, and the deserts of North and South Africa. These aren’t just destinations on a map — they’re places where I’ve applied first aid skills under pressure, in remote conditions, and often miles from conventional medical support.

This depth of experience shapes every course I teach.

Ask about expedition training →
Expedition camp in Eswatini, with tents among trees during an overseas school expedition led by Allan Shaw

Expeditions since 1997

Remote and extreme environments

Practical scenario-led training

Practical scenario-led first-aid training

Why People Trust My Training

For nearly three decades, I’ve been a dependable outdoor leader across a huge range of environments and activities. From ski trips throughout Europe to white-water rafting and kayaking expeditions, I’ve been responsible for the safety, wellbeing, and confidence of thousands of participants. My approach has always been the same: exceptional care, meticulous planning, and calm, skilled decision-making when it matters most.

That’s the standard I bring to my first aid courses.

Calm, skilled decision-making when it matters most.

Exceptional care, meticulous planning.

Training That Goes Beyond the Basics

My courses aren’t just about learning techniques — they’re about understanding how to use them in real expedition scenarios. You’ll learn:

How to manage injuries and illness when help is hours or days away

How to adapt first aid skills for extreme environments

How to stay calm, think clearly, and make safe decisions under pressure

How to prepare yourself and your team for remote travel

Every lesson is grounded in genuine field experience.

When I teach you how to treat altitude sickness, I’m drawing on years spent guiding at high altitude. When we cover tropical infections, I’m teaching from time spent deep in the Amazon and Southeast Asian jungles. When we talk about heat illness or dehydration, I’m sharing knowledge gained in the deserts of Africa.

This isn’t theory — it’s lived expertise.

Allan Shaw trekking in the Atlas Mountains in Morocco during a 14-day expedition

Learn From Someone Who Has Been There

If you want first aid training that feels relevant, practical, and genuinely useful for outdoor adventures, expeditions, or remote travel, you’ll feel right at home on my courses. You’ll be learning from someone who has led teams safely across continents, who understands the realities of remote environments, and who knows exactly what skills matter when things don’t go to plan.

Whether you’re a teacher preparing for a school expedition, an outdoor instructor, a traveller heading off-grid, or simply someone who wants to feel confident in the outdoors, my courses will give you the knowledge and assurance you need.

Waterfalls encountered on a nine-day expedition in Croatia

Who the training is for

A teacher preparing for a school expedition

An outdoor instructor

A traveller heading off-grid

Someone who wants to feel confident in the outdoors

Expedition stories from the field

Expedition first aid with students on an overseas adventure in Eswatini

Expedition First Aid: Keeping Students Safe on Overseas Adventures

First-aid leadership on a two-week overseas expedition with students in Eswatini, far from immediate medical help.

Read case study →
Kayaks used on a nine-day World Challenge expedition to Croatia

Exploring Croatia: Allan Leads a Thrilling 9-Day Expedition

Kayaking, waterfalls and first aid in the wild beauty of Croatia on a nine-day World Challenge expedition.

Read case study →
Local village during a jungle expedition in Laos

14 Day Jungle Expedition in Laos

A jungle expedition in Laos, supporting a school group through remote travel, village life and demanding terrain.

Read case study →

Your Adventure Starts With Confidence

Join me on an Outdoor or Expedition First Aid Course and train with someone who has spent a lifetime keeping people safe in the world’s wildest places. You’ll leave not only with recognised first aid skills, but with the confidence that comes from learning with an instructor who has used those skills for real — in deserts, jungles, mountains, rivers, and snow.

Your safety matters. Your preparation matters. And your training should inspire you to explore the world with confidence.

Ask about expedition training →
Allan Shaw, first-aid trainer

Learn more about Allan

Find out more about Allan’s teaching background, qualifications and the timeline of his work.

Learn more about Allan →

Ask about expedition training

Tell us a bit about your organisation or group and we will get back to you to discuss outdoor and expedition first-aid training.

No fixed dates or public booking required — we arrange delivery around your group.