Hot answers tagged first-aid
27
Obviously, what you decide to pack depends on your trip and the environment, but these are the staples I always bring along:
Navigation: You always need to be able to figure out where you are and which way you need to head to get out. In my opinion, a map without topography isn't a map (unless you're on very flat land).
GPS with extra batteries
Local ...
22
There are different types of being stranded; there's "lost the trail an hour in" stranded, "lost the trail twenty miles in" stranded, and "broke a leg" stranded, just to name a few.
Considering your question
Multi-day Hiking -- Therefore I assume you have standard hiking gear and are not asking for that. Also assuming that you're not going to be nearby ...
19
The key is reducing friction. Duct tape can be a good preventative as long as you get it on before a blister forms. After the blister is there, it's harder to recommend as once you're ready to remove the duct tape, you might pull the blister along with it.
Other options are to make sure you're wearing dry non-cotton socks. If you find your feet sweat a lot ...
16
The National Necrotizing Fasciitis Foundation says:
Preventive Measures
First, let it be said that there is no sure prevention. Necrotizing fasciitis has been known to be spontaneous. A bruise or abrasion are
all the "opening" in the skin necessary for bacteria to enter.
However, there are some things you can do decrease risk.
The single ...
14
If you are running long distances over multiple days with boots, packs etc., and you must complete the distance you should plan to pop a blister at the end of day, but then you need to be sure you add some sort of padding to replace the protection the blister is giving you. You also need it cleaned and sealed, so antibacterial cleaner, then compeed, fakeskin ...
13
No, it is not safe to use denatured alcohol for two good reasons:
Denatured alcohol refers to a class of ethanol produced for industrial uses that has been "denatured" which essentially means "made undrinkable" by mixing other compounds that are toxic or unpleasant to humans. The thing is, you, as the consumer, have no idea what exactly was mixed in. ...
12
It depends on precisely how big the kit is. A couple other answers have covered bigger packs, so I'll mention what could be in a much thinner pack.
If it needs to be flat and relatively small:
Bandages.
Alcohol wipes.
Gauze pads.
A flat pad of athletic tape*.
One or a couple small packs of Benadryl
Antibiotic ointment (the small, flat packs of stuff ...
11
My mother, who is a doctor, has always told me to let blisters be. Keeping them unpopped keeps them clean and sterile, and (if I recall correctly) the fluid in them actually helps them heal faster. If you're in the wilderness, you really don't want to pop them and risk infection. Even if you have antibacterials, a popped blister is likely to contact dirt and ...
11
Boiling kills everything -- giardia, cryptosporidium, other bacteria, and viruses. 185F (140.6C) for a few minutes will do it, and boiling for one minute will do it. (Boiling is lots of big bubbles, not just a few small bubbles on the side of the pot.)
Some people recommend longer boiling times at higher altitudes because water boils at cooler temperatures ...
10
You could do a lot worse than strip them and get in a sleeping bag with them, and indeed this used to be instructed as standard first aid for hypothermia. However, as far as I'm aware this has now changed and the recommended approach is to construct a 1 person thermal burrito / hyper-wrap.
It's done as follows (content taken from the alpine institute blog!)
...
9
The #1 remedy I use is good old fashioned Duct Tape.
I will usually put a large strip around the back of my ankle every morning before putting my socks on, just as a precaution. It sticks well and allows your boot and sock to rub around without rubbing directly on the skin, causing hotspots.
9
This article (*) gives a good summary of the efficiency of boiling as a method for making water safe for consumption. In particular, Table 2 provides a summary of the temperature and time required to kill various micro-organisms.
Sterilisation of water (killing all living containments) is not necessary to make water safe to drink. For example, boiling may ...
8
Wilderness medicine protocols taught by the major Wilderness First Aid / First Responder training companies (and subsequently adopted by most outdoor organizations) are fairly standard and quite clear about wound management in the back-country.
The standard accepted practice for treating a wound is:
stop the bleeding - usually possible via direct ...
8
First, this answer is not a substitute for proper training. I recommend taking a class in Wilderness First Aid or higher to be better prepared for things like treating hypothermic people.
Second, hypothermia is a term that tends to have different connotations with different people. Sometimes what people call "hypothermia" is just a very cold individual, or ...
7
Botulinum toxin is particularly tough, as is Bacillus cereus. B. cereus is more likely found while camping. For a good reference see:
http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/extension/poison.html
But your goal is not so much to kill everything as reduce the level to the point where it does no harm. The dust you breathe, the things you touch, and (yick!) the ...
7
I have lots of leeches in my (otherwise) lovely swimming hole which is in a creek just as it leaves a lake. I read up on possible leech deterrents and now I rub my exposed skin with just about any kind of skin cream and they all seem to work. Waterproof sunblock is my current favorite but I've also used Off (Eucalytus) and even ordinary moisturizer. I ...
7
When bitten by a rattlesnake:
keep the patient still.
keep the body part/limb bitten below the area of the heart.
do not constrict blood flow, remove jeweler, other articles of clothing, accessories that might restrict blood flow.
get to a hospital as fast as possible, if at all possible.
do NOT cut the bite and attempt to suck the venom
do NOT apply a ...
7
Hartley (and Phil) pretty much have it covered, but I'd add a couple of things.
A bothy bag - basically a quick emergency shelter for 4-6 people that packs down nice and small
High energy/sugar foods - mars bars, peanuts, jelly, energy bars etc
Also, it's a little over the top, but we take emergency cards that you fill out with vital information like the ...
7
My favorite for this is Clear Duct Tape. Put down one piece of tape, write on it with your permanent marker, and put another layer on top of it. You don't have to worry about the ink rubbing off and if you change what's in it you can swap tape easily.
6
I would imagine you might not have compeed, if you don't have moleskin with you, but I just thought I'd mention it as a nice measure to prevent/treat blisters.
I would also recommend carrying less weight and using a lighter pair of shoes, instead of a heavy pair of boots. Those blisters are your feet's way of telling you something isn't working well in ...
6
Just additional two cents, but don't underestimate the visibility of a green laser pointer at night. In survival situations and with light fog, a green laser pointer shooting up in the sky will make your position extremely clear.
For the exact same reason, don't use it with airplanes around. They hate that, and you will be found and prosecuted.
6
Part of the reason that people don't die from snake bites is because they take the proper precautions. And while the bite of an adder isn't likely to kill you, it could make your return trip much more difficult.
One thing you do not want to do is to try and suck the venom out, or try and wrap a tourniquet around it. These will stop your bodies native ...
6
There are relatively well known steps to dealing with this out in the wilds. One online resource with pictures is at Backpacker Magazine.
The basic steps (that are detailed there) are:
Rest, Ice, Compression and Elevation (which you should do with any sprain, wherever you are)
Bandage reasonably tightly - not so tight that you cut off circulation, but ...
5
You can spray your socks/shoes with some type of deet spray or some tobacco water (soak some tobacco leaves in water).
I've heard that salt affects leeches similarly is it does slugs, so you could carry some of that with you and rub some on your legs/feet every once and a while
Leech socks are pretty effective as the seal off the at the knee and physically ...
5
The answer is right there in your link. Some select tidbits to answer your question:
All known scorpion species possess venom
Of the 1000+ known species of scorpion, only 25 have venom that is dangerous to humans; most of those belong to the family Buthidae.
First aid for scorpion stings is generally symptomatic. It includes strong analgesia, ...
5
Okay just broke out my kit. Here's what we carry. This may seem like a long list, but it's small. It fits in a ziploc bag (almost).
Tylenol -- pain where ibuprofen is not ok (ie - patient is bleeding)
Ibuprofen -- pain that involves swelling but not bleeding
Small bandages -- comfort item and to help prevent infection on longer hikes
Triple Antibiotic ...
5
Bring a wilderness first aid guide! Even if you have training, it could save your life if you're the one injured and someone else is trying to take care of you with your own kit.
Here is a list of things I would have in pretty much any hiking first aid kit. There are other items worth considering for kits, but I consider these to be the minimum.
Wound Care
...
5
I have suffered pretty badly from these on a couple long hikes. Here's my best suggestions from my experience:
If at all possible stop hiking for a week (I know the scenario you set up precludes this ).
Assuming for the rest of these you have to keep going:
Whenever you stop, lie down with your feet up. If a cold stream is nearby, sticking your legs ...
5
I've personally found paint pens to work quite well. You can find them at Wal-Mart in the craft section and most likely any craft store. They are the brand "Painters" made by Elmer's. I use the ones with fine tips for labeling, which is slightly more defined than a Sharpie. They also come in a variety of colors so you could even color code different ...
4
After leading a number of trips in the backcountry I've had some experience with greenhorns experiencing this unfortunate reality.
Everyone's Body is different
Some people will need pass a BM every morning, for others every other day is normal. As a trip leader with young kids I make sure to monitor and ask about results from each of the participants. It's ...
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