Worst witnessed Bushcraft injury.

[Toddy]

The worst bushcrafting injury I know of was caused when an axe didn't hit clearly and sort of bounced from the wood ( if he sees this thread, I'm sure he'll come and be precise ) and sliced through the man's muckboot and into his foot. It did slice tendons, so that was a major surgical repair and weeks on crutches. Very good recovery though; the axe was razor sharp.

That's a common strand in most of the injuries we hear of from using tools; they are very sharp. Thankfully those kind of owners keep their sharps clean too though, and I don't think I've ever heard of any of the wounds becoming infected.

 

[Broch]

My personal worst 'bushcraft' accident was at the age of 5!

My Mum had made me a small campfire at the bottom of the garden and I was using a toasting fork. I had a friend with me who decided to put the fork down across the fire. Knowing this was a bad thing I grabbed the fork but it was already very hot and I burnt my hand quite badly.

Lesson learnt - leave others sort out their own mess - lessons learnt young are lessons for life.

One might ask where was my Mother? I have often thought that over the years.

 

[Pattree]

It’s true that the various rescue programmes on tv give the impression that most of us have suffered some trauma or other.

While it may not be not true - there is still time

 

[CrispyDuck]

Brock’s campfire toasting fork reminds me of a mistake I never seem to learn from… burning tongue/lips on hot toasted marshmallows

 

[TeeDee]

It’s true that the various rescue programmes on tv give the impression that most of us have suffered some trauma or other.

While it may not be not true - there is still time

Indeed -judging from the anecdotes of what has so far been mentioned.
Not sure if my chicken little /overthinking mindset is quite ready to put things to bed quite yet.

Seems the biggest commonality in the more serious of the injuries mentioned is the presence of people to aid and assist - albeit in indirectly.

I wonder how bad things could be in the same incidents if it was just oneself and ones own self acknowledged ' Oops !' moment. Trying to ring for aid or apply first aid to oneself with a deeply bloody paw could be a little different.

I guess it may come down to if one is a social butterfly bushcrafter or more a lone lamb with sharp playthings.

 

[John Fenna]

The worst accident I suffered when alone was a dislocated right knee/torn muscles and ligaments - when half way through a Land's End to John O'Groats attempt ...
I strapped myself up and had to complete a 15 mile hike with full pack to reach civilization ...
Saw a GP the next day who diagnosed a pulled muscle - and I continued my walk (strapped and with a stick ) for 3 more days before I call the end of the attempt!
A sports injury specialist gave me an accurate diagnosis a few months later but not getting proper treatment soon enough has left me with permanent weakness and Osteoarthritis plus a worn out left knee and hip issues from over compensation - and I have made it worse by repeating the original injury a couple of times doing other activities!
I never learn!

 

[Stew]

Indeed -judging from the anecdotes of what has so far been mentioned.
Not sure if my chicken little /overthinking mindset is quite ready to put things to bed quite yet.

Seems the biggest commonality in the more serious of the injuries mentioned is the presence of people to aid and assist - albeit in indirectly.

I wonder how bad things could be in the same incidents if it was just oneself and ones own self acknowledged ' Oops !' moment. Trying to ring for aid or apply first aid to oneself with a deeply bloody paw could be a little different.

I guess it may come down to if one is a social butterfly bushcrafter or more a lone lamb with sharp playthings.

Is this like the story of reinforcing plane wings in the war? They started by reinforcing the areas where the holes were on planes that came back but then later realised it was the planes that weren’t coming back that they should worry about.

Think on the what if no one is there to help is a good way to go.

I’m struggling to think of a personally experienced injury more than just a cut or a burn.

The closest I can think of a told story that didn’t end in death but could have was one Alan Hinkes told. He sneezed on some flour while up makalu on a solo trip and was incapacitated for days.

 

[Stew]

In fact, telling that of Alan also brings to mind the quote that he finished the talk with - it was probably some 26 years ago but some things stick.

“Climb if you will but remember that courage and strength are nought without prudence and a momentary negligence may destroy the happiness of a lifetime.
Do nothing in haste. Look well to each step and from the beginning think what may be the end.”

 

[TeeDee]

Is this like the story of reinforcing plane wings in the war? They started by reinforcing the areas where the holes were on planes that came back but then later realised it was the planes that weren’t coming back that they should worry about.

Think on the what if no one is there to help is a good way to go.

I’m struggling to think of a personally experienced injury more than just a cut or a burn.

The closest I can think of a told story that didn’t end in death but could have was one Alan Hinkes told. He sneezed on some flour while up makalu on a solo trip and was incapacitated for days.

Survivorship bias.

Survivorship bias - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Quite possibly - Good call and analogy.

 

[TeeDee]

I remember cutting myself as a lad with a lovely hardwood handled folding buck knife , too young to think beyond where the knife currently IS in space and time , to think where the knife may continue going after I cut the vine I was after.

The blade bit ( I remember it as super deep but I think maybe in retrospect it wasn't ) across my left index knuckle - I recall looking at it , in the instance my face ashen, able to see the bone of my knuckle between the sides of raw fleshing skin.
Then like the Red sea reclosing from both sides lots of crimson claret ebbed forth and made me instantly rethink my current life choices.

Lots of pressure ( more from a standpoint of ' I don't want to look at it ' rather than a knowledge or application of First Aid and I limped home to be admonished by the mother.. ) to this day I have a nice 1" long reverse crescent scar to remind me to not be a dik-dik with sharp blades.

Potentially worst outdoorsy type accident (Going to pass on the time I stuck my head through the windshield screen of a forklift as that feels more industrial ) -I was messing around exploring in a disused railway station - managed to fall off the platform whilst trying to monkey climb swing to the other side and landed side on ,Hips first onto the railway track.

Luckily they got me up and out and eventually I went to a Hospital for X-rays - cracked pelvis and much passing of blood in urine from internal bruising

 

[HorseGuy]

I once lent my forehead a little too hard against a large glass window without realizing how extremely easy it is to smash those old single-glazed picture glass windows that you get in Victorian era houses. My face went straight through the window taking the whole thing out as several two foot long razor sharp glass daggers fell around me.

God knows what guardian angel must have been looking down on me that day because somehow, against all odds, there was not a single mark on me. Despite having taken out a large window with just my face there wasn't even so much as a scratch!

 

[Falstaff]

No 5 (?) Don't try and rush a risky job

 

[Falstaff]

1) Really bad rashes and inflammation from Giant Hogweed. We didn't know what Giant Hogweed was, or about it until much later. Took a long while to recover.
2) Late night drunken long walk back to tent along riverside unaccompanied. Lost way, walked off bank into river, as falling, face hit end of scaffold pipes supporting boat access way. Major dental injury, broken teeth and uppers impacted back into upper jawbone. Managed to get out of river unaided and continue to tent.
Alchohol & shock reduced pain considerably, minimal bleeding. Relatively remote location on a Saturday night, no idea of location of any hospital/A&E. (Or phone coverage) Put into sleeping bag and sought emergency services next morning, but redirected to only open emergency dental unit miles away in Slough - who were useless and did nothing. " Use painkillers, wait until swelling goes down, then come back"
Went to own private dentist (ex-teaching hospital and Harley St.) who confirmed advice! Required extensive teeth removal, jawbone repair and root canal work, private anaesthetist, then dentures. Multiple visits, took months, major cost impact.
Moral of event: Do not get drunk when alone, or try to walk unaccompanied at night without a torch, or near any form of hazard (water, height, etc etc.). Pre-plan your return options before you go, with an eye to what can go wrong. If present, do not leave someone behind.

I think I should clarify, t'was not me it happened to, but someone very dear to me. Which made it much, much worse, it lives with me still.

 

[Falstaff]

"He still made fire by friction the next day, one handed !"

Very impressive, - I have read that this is a good skill to learn for exactly this potential scenario, but how on earth do you do it?

 

[Toddy]

Ask him

@warthog1981

Hopefully he'll see this link

 

[Danceswithhelicopters]

One question II only started doing recently relating to knives and axes on wilderness trips was, "Do I do cut this?"

Being far far away from shiny hospitals made me far more cautious than I'd ever been in the carrying, using and storing of blades.

By cutting less my chances of injury per cut go down. Just makes me think differently

 

[HorseGuy]

One question II only started doing recently relating to knives and axes on wilderness trips was, "Do I do cut this?"

Being far far away from shiny hospitals made me far more cautious than I'd ever been in the carrying, using and storing of blades.

By cutting less my chances of injury per cut go down. Just makes me think differently

This is a very commendable sensible approach. Unfortunately the child in me actively looks for any excuse to chop and cut things because it's fun.

(I bet most of you lot are the same too )

 

[TeeDee]

Ever since I've gotten into studying a blade based martial art and reviewing the associated x/rays/phots and examples of real life wounds I'm WAY more cautious and thoughtful on planning my cuts and acknowledging bloodlines if it all goes sideways.

Real eye opener < pun not intended but it fits >

 

[Pattree]

This is a very commendable sensible approach. Unfortunately the child in me actively looks for any excuse to chop and cut things because it's fun.

(I bet most of you lot are the same too

Nope. I am definitely into my second childhood if I ever left my first one but a knife is not my first choice of cutting tool. Also, there is very little “Out there” that I have the right to cut.

Yes I cut up kindling. Yes I cut cord, guyline and rope. Yes I cut food. That about covers it most of the time.

By gravitating towards other cutting tools I have considerably reduced the chance of a bad cut.
Saws and secateurs can injure but the risk is considerably reduced.

 

[HorseGuy]

By gravitating towards other cutting tools I have considerably reduced the chance of a bad cut.
Saws and secateurs can injure but the risk is considerably reduced.

For safety reasons saws, secateurs and hedge trimmers are my preferred tool of choice over something like an axe, machete or other chopping style of tool when trimming hedges or doing the other 'adult' jobs that need to be done around the fields. Still, when it comes to 'playing' with knifes to start a fire or prepare food or whatever it never takes much of an excuse to unsheathe my Mora just for the fun of using it.

(I can do a passable impression of an sensible adult when required but it isn't the natural state of affairs for me)