About Wilderness Medical Systems

Dr. Gilbert Preston, M.S. is the founder of Wilderness Medical Systems. He wrote the book on Wilderness First Aid published by Falcon Press, is a member of the Wilderness Medical Society and the Montana Medical Society. Dr. Preston is a former Research Associate at the National Institutes of Health Bethesda, where he studied the role of genes in memory functions of the brain, and he has published medical articles in Pacific Northwest newspapers and magazines. In addition to his extensive wilderness medical training, Dr. Preston has backpacked, fished and trekked from the Canyonlands of the American Southwest to the mountains of Montana, Idaho, Wyoming and Utah. He continues to serve in an emeritus capacity with Wilderness Medical Systems.

Dr. Preston originated the lists for the kit contents by carefully considering what was available in the marketplace and what his expertise and experience told him should be in a good medical kit. Dr. Preston’s detail-oriented approach to kit contents is something unusual and extremely valuable. His thinking informs all of the choices of WMS kit contents and makes all the difference between a kit that merely looks good and one that really works. There is an art as well as a science to creating a kit that really works. If a kit is designed successfully, it strikes the ideal balance between capability, weight/volume and the person’s needs/endeavors. This is what Wilderness Medical Systems kits do.

Dr. Preston also wrote our book of simple instructions for the panicked layperson, called the WMS First Aid Field Guide. This Guide is now in its fourth edition and continues to be printed on waterproof, tear-resistant paper, which is not done anywhere else.

In our trio, Kurt is our active adventurer….the one has been to the bush in Tanzania, to Namibia, South Africa, deep into the wilds of Alaska, as well as the Bolivian jungle and even to some of the remotest parts of the lower 48. He understands first hand the value of field-tested items that work. It’s the deep thinking and consideration behind the execution of a good kit that really shows itself in the field. Little things really do matter.

Donna brings to our team her background in art and design. She was the one originally charged with organizing Dr. Preston’s “pile of stuff” in order to make everything in his kits easily findable. A little-known secret is that organization is THE key to finding what you need in an emergency. Professionals know the importance of this, but most average people do not. Now we have two ways to find things in our smaller kits and three ways to find items in our larger kits. Surprisingly, this also makes it easier to put a kit back together after it’s been used.

Again…Why do we do this?

We believed in 1997 that Wilderness Medical kits were the best on the planet. We still believe that today. Every business, every person, everyone needs access to customizable, professional, highly organized, and good-looking (not scary) emergency medical kits to care for themselves and those they are responsible for. Each of our kits is personally built for an individual client to the highest standards in every way. We believe in concierge-level customer service where our clients feel their needs are completely met. We are in business to make a difference and we are passionate about providing the very best emergency medical kits to the world.

Donna,  Company Director

Donna oversees all aspects of the company, including manufacturing, operations, marketing and customer service. Since 1999, her art and design background continues to inform the design process which has made these medical kits the kind of unique products they are in the industry. She finds it deeply rewarding to see that Wilderness Medical Systems kits are making it possible for everyone, regardless of training, to be medically prepared. Donna and Kurt are the parents of three grown children and enjoy living and working in rural Montana.

Kurt,  International Field Director

Kurt’s introduction to Wilderness Medical Systems came in 1997 and is chronicled in a story on our blog. Upon returning to the U.S. from that trip, Kurt and Dr. Preston became friends which led to Kurt and Donna taking over Wilderness Medical Systems in 1999. It is Kurt’s belief that the serious outdoor business, organization and/or individual adventurer would do well to have one of our premium first aid kits with them at all times. Kurt oversees field testing and advises on international destinations for the company.