Northern Ireland Outdoors Forum - Hiking, camping and more
General => General Chat => Topic started by: RedLeader on March 13, 2014
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I came across this:
Massive first aid kits. You’re going out for the weekend, or the week. If you start puking, you’re probably going to call the trip off early and go home. Ditto if you have a fever. If you break your leg, you’re calling for a rescue. The stories of people heroically carrying their busted-up partners out to the trailhead are just that—heroic. So really, a first aid kit has to be able to do three things: stop someone from bleeding to death from a big cut, stop someone from screaming in pain from a broken whatever, stop someone from immediately having an allergic reaction. The big issue is bleeding out, stabilizing fractures and allergic reactions, calling for a rescue, and not being over-exposed to nature while waiting for rescue. I can do all of that with 10 feet of duct tape, some sort of pain killer, Benadryl, a cell phone, and a lighter. So could you, if you took a Wilderness First Responder Course. P.S., if you KNOW you get a severe allergic reaction from bees/hornets/wasps/dirt, bring your own epi pen and know how to use it.
I've always carried a first aid kit and whilst in fairness not being a trained paramedic I know the basics. The guy makes a solid point though, what does everyone think?
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Common sense most of it. Hikers carry basic first aid kits for this reason. But say you picked up a blister , or burnt yourselve on the Trangia, or took a dose of the scoots ,or felt a headache coming on,or picked up a thorn,cut yourselve on the swiss army knife etc simple things not life threating but easly resolved with a small basic first aid kit which will not spoil your next days efforts
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That's basically the point I was making a few days ago in a thread about first aid kits and hence, that's why I only carry a plaster or so.
Original thread below.
http://www.ni-wild.co.uk/forum/meets-places-trips-and-reviews/first-aid-kits-4594/