Veteran outdoor author William Forgey, M.D. is engaged in the full-time practice of family medicine and is a member of the board of trustees of the International Association for Medical Assistance to Travelers, a fellow of the Explorers Club, a lecturer on medical care in high-risk recreation at several universities, and a leader of summer and winter expeditions into northern Canada. A former Boy Scout scoutmaster and Medical Explorer Post and High Adventure Post advisior, he currently serves on the National Health and Safety Committee and as an advisory board member for the Northern Tier High Adventure Base for the Boy Scouts of America. He is the author of fourteen wilderness medicine and camping books, including Basic Essentials: Hypothermia and Wilderness Medicine, now in its fifth edition.