Dr Luanne Freer is the medical director for Yellowstone National Park and the founder and director of the "Everest ER" base camp medical clinic in Nepal. Learn more about Everest ER on everester.org
So there I was, deep in the backcountry of Yellowstone National Park: the perfect setting to teach wilderness medicine. With a bunch of doctors and medics, we set out to master the principles of practicing medicine in the middle of nowhere – how to prepare and pack for what might happen and most importantly, how to improvise, knowing that you really can’t possibly know exactly what will happen when you’re out there. I’m thinking that 17 years as a doctor in Yellowstone, along with my experience as an expedition doc in Alaska, Everest, river trips, I’ve kind of got the subject down. (And I’m looking good, wearing my Marmot women’s Venus vest (new this season!) and Wooly Marmot hat. )
Then the temporary crown on my real molar drops out in the middle of lunch. Youch! (It only hurts when I open my mouth, try to eat or drink …) I’ve got 8 lectures to go, and 3 days more in the backcountry. So the teacher becomes patient, and the class went to work on creating a temporary covering for my screaming nerve. Class dismissed! They did a super job, patient went back to teaching and all was well.
The very fetching Venus vest is stuffed with 800 fill power down – light but toasty warm, packs into it’s own pocket so doesn’t take up space in your bag, and shaped so nicely that you still look like a girl instead of the Michelin Man. The Wooly Marmot hat, 70% nylon 30% wool and 100% cute, in turtle dove color, is a nice complement with the wine colored vest I’m wearing, wouldn’t you agree? Despite my dental mishap, with Marmot keeping me warm and stylin’, I had one less thing to whine about …
