Group first aid courses: get your team certified with PAST Outdoors

Whether you're leading hikes, running an outdoor program, or just want your family or workmates to know what to do in an emergency, a proper first aid certificate is one of the most useful things you can have. At PAST Outdoors, we host accredited group first aid courses right here in NSW.

In this guide, we'll run through what our first aid and CPR courses cover, what certification you'll walk away with, and why having a group of you trained up is one of the best investments you can make before your next trip.

Why get a group first aid certificate?

Out on the trail, help can be a long way off. If something goes wrong — a snake bite, a bad fall, a cardiac event — the people around you are often the only help available until emergency services arrive. Having even one or two people in your group who are properly trained in first aid and CPR can make a real difference in those first critical minutes.

Group bookings are also a great option for hiking clubs, outdoor education groups, workplaces, and families who want everyone on the same page before a big trip.

Book our first aid course

What's included in our accredited first aid course

Our HLTAID011 Provide First Aid course is delivered by Next Peak (RTO #46312), a veteran-owned Australian training organisation, hosted at PAST HQ and the surrounding bushland.

The course runs across three units of competency:

• HLTAID011 – Provide First Aid
• HLTAID009 – Provide Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR)
• HLTAID010 – Provide Basic Emergency Life Support

Training aligns with Australian Resuscitation Council guidelines and other relevant Australian national clinical bodies. The format combines online learning modules, completed in the lead-up to the course, with one day of hands-on, practical training and assessment. On completion, you'll receive a nationally recognised first aid certificate accepted across every Australian state and territory.

Pair your certificate with the right gear

A first aid certificate is most useful when you've actually got a first aid kit on hand to put it into practice. Our Hiking Individual First Aid Kit (HIFAK) was developed in collaboration with aeromedical teams and first responders, built around the balance between functionality and weight. It's approved by the Therapeutic Goods Administration and includes 21 items, from a foam conforming splint to a military-grade trauma and haemorrhage control dressing — everything you need for an individual hiker or a small outdoor education group.

Shop the Hiking Individual First Aid Kit

If you're heading somewhere snakes are a real possibility, it's also worth adding a dedicated Snake Bite First Aid Kit to your pack. It includes two Aerofrom snake bite bandages with built-in tension indicators, a calico triangular bandage for splinting and immobilisation, a non-adherent dressing, and an instruction and training card — compact enough to fit in your pack, pocket or glove box, and considered essential kit for anyone heading into the Australian outdoors.

Shop the Snake Bite First Aid Kit

Keep learning

Once your group is certified, it's worth brushing up on what should actually be in your kit and how to use it in the field. We've put together a few guides to help:

• Camping first aid kits: why the HIFAK belongs in your pack
• Wilderness first aid: the ultimate hiking first aid kit
• Hiking first aid kits vs camping first aid kits: what's the difference?

Why shop with us at PAST Outdoors

We're a family-owned Australian outdoor retailer based in Helensburgh, NSW, and we only partner with training providers and brands we genuinely trust. Our first aid and CPR courses are delivered by experienced, accredited instructors, so you're learning from people with real-world experience, not just a textbook. Combine that with our own range of first aid kits, and you've got everything you need to head into the outdoors properly prepared.