I am currently taking a Wilderness First Aid course online (boo!) because the in-person one I was supposed to do got cancelled and I'm on a deadline to get the certification. I am curious- if you have a WFA cert, did you do an in-person or online experience? How do you feel that impacted your abilities? I did complete CPR in-person last summer so feel confident with that. I'm just wondering if I should try and find an in-person experience this summer and eat the money or wait till my cert lapses and do an in-person renewal....
I firmly believe in-person is better. After all, if/when you deploy your skills, it's going to be very in-person. So, save and spend that cash.
I've personally transitioned to doing hybrid wilderness first responder courses/recertifications. They include online e-learning prior to the course. Then, once you are in-person, you get straight to the business. Typically, these courses are shorter and more affordable.
If you're in the northeast, I recommend WMA or SOLO Schools.
There are some NOLS courses out here but they are harder to find. NOLS seems to operate more in the West.
Good luck!