First aid is about treating minor injuries, providing temporary aid for major injuries until care can be reached, and determining which is which and how urgently medical care needs to be obtained. Questions regarding temperature-induced conditions such as frostbite, hypothermia, and heat stroke are ...
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1answer
171 views
Can body-to-body rewarming be used as a last resort treatment of hypothermia?
All of the arguments I've heard against using this method assume that you have adequate supplies for alternate rewarming methods. If you literally didn't, and it appeared they might to freeze to death ...
10
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1answer
252 views
Is it safe to use denatured alcohol as an antiseptic?
A lot of hikers carry denatured alcohol for cooking. Is there any risk to using it as an antiseptic for cuts and lacerations?
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3answers
127 views
Is there a large difference in WFA (Wilderness First Aid) programs?
I am looking at taking a WFA (Wilderness First Aid) class and there are a couple of outfits in my area offering it. Namely, SOLO, NOLS, and The American Red Cross. I have heard nothing but great ...
6
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5answers
78 views
What can I use to label my medicine tubes?
For my first aid kit, all of the medications are repackaged. I use nalgene snaptop vials like these.
I have found that even permanent sharpie marker rubs off fairly quickly when hiking. I can ...
11
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1answer
82 views
How do you best treat a turned ankle in the back country?
Possibly the most common injury I see when hiking with groups is when someone turns or rolls their ankle. Assuming that access to a vehicle is not feasible, what is the best way to deal with the ...
7
votes
2answers
170 views
Preferred way to wrap someone with Hypothermia?
So I know How to treat hypothermia. That question and answer, however, do not address the old recommendation I have heard a 100 times of strip them down and get in a sleeping bag with them. Is that ...
9
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1answer
905 views
What can an injured person in the outdoors do to prevent infection by flesh-eating bacteria?
Perhaps you've heard about Aimee Copeland, the 24-year-old adventurer who contracted a flesh-eating disease after getting injured in a zip line accident over the Tallapoosa River. She's already lost ...
8
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1answer
189 views
How to treat shin splints while backpacking
It's been a couple of years since I last had bad shin splits but I can still recall how painful they can be. I was able to heal them before mostly with a couple weeks rest.
If the pain came back ...
5
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1answer
432 views
How to reduce pain of wasp stings
Assuming I am not allergic, or showing signs of allergic reaction, what's the best way to treat multiple yellow jacket (a type of wasp) stings in the outdoors while hiking/backpacking?
My key concern ...
16
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4answers
5k views
Should you pop a blister?
When I'm home running or on a day hike, I prefer to pierce the skin as soon as a blister forms and drain all fluid from a blister to reduce the pain and further irritation/inflammation. In this case, ...
8
votes
4answers
259 views
How could I treat scrapes outdoors without a first aid kit?
Say I'm hiking outdoors and I get a scrape. I've forgotten my first aid pack, or already used up the appropriate supplies. Is there anything in the wilderness I can use to sterilize and perhaps cover ...
6
votes
4answers
126 views
What are some effective ways of reducing itching from a mosquito bite?
There are a lot of options for trying to prevent mosquito bites (DEET on skin, permethrin on clothing, mosquito nets while sleeping, etc.), but what about after you get bitten? What is the most ...
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5answers
2k views
What essential items should go in a small first aid kit?
Another question asked what survival equipment should be carried in an emergency kit. But very little was about medical or first aid supplies (band-aids, gauze, tylenol, moleskin, etc).
What items ...
12
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1answer
127 views
How long is too long to suffer from constipation in the back country?
Quite commonly, due to the barrage of newness the body experiences on an outdoor outing (new sensations, new exercise habits, new diet, etc) the body can stop the system up while it tries to figure ...
5
votes
1answer
330 views
What should I do if I'm stung by a scorpion?
What should I do if I'm stung by a scorpion? Is the venom harmful to humans?
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votes
2answers
630 views
What should you do if you are bitten by a rattlesnake?
You should obviously avoid rattlesnakes if at all possible. But if you do get bitten by one, what should you do? What supplies can be brought ahead of time to allow for the best treatment, and what ...
7
votes
1answer
297 views
What to do if you're bitten by an adder?
I've heard that while adder bites are poisonous the number of people who have died from them are extremely low. If you're on a trek and you're bitten is it safe to continue for a couple more days ...
12
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2answers
905 views
How do I avoid leeches?
The last time I was attacked by leeches I thought I'd taken enough precautions such as pulling my socks over my trousers and avoiding walking through particularly wet areas or long grass but I still ...
4
votes
1answer
897 views
How do you stop blood-flow from a leech bite?
Although leeches are relatively harmless, and you are not likely to bleed out from a bite, the blood stain on your clothes can be off-putting to your hiking buddies.
Is there any effective way to ...
12
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4answers
1k views
Can any waterborne pathogens survive boiling?
I know that boiling does little to break down chemical contaminants or heavy metals. But I'm unsure if it kills all microbial life. Are there any waterborne illness-causing ...
33
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5answers
677 views
What are essential items in an emergency kit?
What are must-have items in an emergency kit for a multi-day hiking trip?
14
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6answers
235 views
How should I treat poison ivy?
If I'm struck by poison ivy, what should I do? Is there a way to suppress the itch?
16
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3answers
689 views
How do I treat hot spots and blisters when I have no moleskin?
A few times I've been out walking or backpacking and have no moleskin with me. Sure enough, my boots start giving me blisters. How can I prevent or treat hotspots and blisters without using ...
