This document consists of the six issues of the "Wilderness Medicine Newsletter" published during 1996. The newsletter addresses the treatment and prevention of medical emergencies in the wilderness and training resources. Issues typically include feature articles, interviews with doctors in the wilderness, conferences and training courses, additional resources, and general information relevant to medical services and outdoor activities. Feature articles in this volume cover cellular phone use by lost or injured parties; pros and cons of thermometer use in the wild; cold injuries; sock selection; eating disorders and responses of the wilderness leader; carbohydrate consumption for endurance; similarities between wilderness medicine and the practice of medicine in developing countries; "immersion foot"; tips on applying for wilderness leader positions; sprains and strains; backcountry water disinfection; choosing over-the-counter pain medication; an update on wilderness medicine training and certification; lightning injuries; the 1996 Mount Everest tragedy; motion sickness; preventing frostbite; and avalanche warning systems. (TD)