First Aid in the field

[Zammo]

Have you ever had to use First Aid skills when camping? If so what medical equipment did you use and did you regret not having anything?

Luckily I've never had anything to patch up more serious than a cut finger, while camping. But I did have to treat someone outside my old house who had been punched in the face by a biker wearing reinforced gloves. The victim had a large split to the side of his mouth and all I could really do was give him clean bandages to staunch the bleeding until a paramedic arrived.

 

[w00dsmoke]

Dislocated hip...the lady concerned was on a coast to coast and an army medic popped it back in as we held her down, she walked out...
Billhook through the knee cap...pressure bandage and splints made from hazel...
Broken ribs and punctured lung...(I fell out the top floor of a bothy-the floor gave way ouch!)
I regretted not having enough prescription pain killers to be able to walk out when I broke my ribs and punctured my lung. It was only 6 miles down a Glen with a pack but hell it hurt with every footstep!

 

[BOD]

I have had to treat a variety of injuries from falls, slips, cuts, blows to infections.

Everyone was treated with nothing more than the contents of a Outward Bound expedition kit which is not that different from a personal FAK except it has more bandages etc.The only difference is I carry a sam splint or neckbrace if there is a risk of a fall from height and when clients are being escorted.

I have never wished for anything else

 

[davef]

Gaffa tape

alway remember the gaffa tape

 

[big_swede]

Have you ever had to use First Aid skills when camping? If so what medical equipment did you use and did you regret not having anything?

Luckily I've never had anything to patch up more serious than a cut finger, while camping. But I did have to treat someone outside my old house who had been punched in the face by a biker wearing reinforced gloves. The victim had a large split to the side of his mouth and all I could really do was give him clean bandages to staunch the bleeding until a paramedic arrived.

Yes I have used first aid skills a couple of times. I have the standard army first aid training plus some courses from the red cross. If I'm by myself I'm quite satisfied with a bandage (i.e. sterile gauze and compress) but if we are more on an outing I take a life systems mountain first aid pack, kinda water resistant and very compact. I feel confident in the medic role if something should happen.

Injuries that I've had to adress in the outdoors includes axe cuts, knife cuts, a broken foot, burn injuries, severe sunburns, 2000+ blisters and some other stuff. Luckily, I have never cut myself or experienced any graver injuries.

One thing I have learnt not to underestimate is painkillers, helps against almost all kind of pain, and relieves fever (I have of course never experienced pain, since I'm a man... ).

 

[Matt Weir]

I had to patch up a gash in the side of my youngest lad a couple of months ago but always carry a decently stocked FAK so no drama there.

 

[galew]

Have you ever had to use First Aid skills when camping? If so what medical equipment did you use and did you regret not having anything?

.

Never had to myself, but one of my cousins fell while hunting, broke both legs, had to crawl over three miles to get back home. Had nothing with him, if one had been compound he probably would have not made it. Had a friend cut his leg using an axe cutting fire wood, sewed up the wound himself before driving to the hospital. I carry sutures in my kit for that reason.

 

[Peter_t]

iv never had anything serious, only small cuts and bruses. but at work (tree surgery) you here of alot of very serious accidents. one of the tutors at college told us to cary a large wound dressing in our pockets at all times because if you injur yourself with a chainsaw its going to be bad! also you won't have time to reech a first aid kit and rumage through it. i always carry an army issue first field dressing in my work trousers (the bigest dressing i could find).
i think you could say the same for axes, bill hooks, parangs etc.

 

[Peter_t]

also forgot to say
theres not much use in a first aid kit if you don't know how to use it!!

 

[crazyclimber]

Gaffa tape

alway remember the gaffa tap

Never a truer word spoken! Last course I did, classic quote from the trainer; "a paramedic with nothing or a numpty with an ambulance... no contest!"

 

[EdS]

knowledge and super glue.

Used gaffa tape and super glue reguarly on cuts.

Potassium Permanganate as well - antiseptic and als oa very good anti fungal.

 

[SimonM]

My son gashed above his eye whilst family camping on a farm site, aged 4. He fell and landed on a piece of half buried machinery! I cleaned him up and sterri stripped the wound.

Took him to hospital for stitches but they left the sterri strips on so as not to alarm him any further!

Another vote for gaffa tape from me - it is in all my FAK's, from my Mountain Leader (school use) to my individual bushy kit.

Simon

 

[headrox_inc]

I've never had to use my first aid kit, or had had to aid sumbody who had injered themselves but none the less i alway carry a hiking first aid kit in my bag at all time beacuse you never know when you may need it. Preperation is everything when it comes to bushcraft, i say if your not prepared then dont bother.

 

[twr198]

I teach on a first aid course and most people pass but at the end of it i always sum it up into 3 main points

1. There hearts not beating in which case you beat for them
2. There not breathing in which case you breathe for them
3. There bleeding in which case you stop it

Anything else and they either wont die or you cant do anything about it without hospital machienes anyway

the most important things to take are

Triangular bandage
Crepe bandages
Gaffa tape
Toilet roll
Paracetamol

 

[pothunter]

Last summer as I drove around a bend on a quite country road I came across two bikes stopped in not the safest of places. Stopping to see if all was well, expecting one of them to have been inspecting the gravel it was obvious that a lady pillion was quite disorientated, dehydration.
They had been out all day in full leathers and not stopped for refreshments, sat her in the shade of my truck but I only had 1/2 a ltr of water so only enough to maker her feel a little better but do no real good. After a short while they declined the offer of a lift to town or the primary care unit and went on their way. I now carry an ample supply of water in the truck all year round and re-hydration salts in my FAK. Simple lesson learnt.

 

[pothunter]

Last summer as I drove around a bend on a quite country road I came across two bikes stopped in not the safest of places. Stopping to see if all was well, expecting one of them to have been inspecting the gravel it was obvious that a lady pillion was quite disorientated, dehydration.
They had been out all day in full leathers and not stopped for refreshments, sat her in the shade of my truck but I only had 1/2 a ltr of water so only enough to maker her feel a little better but do no real good. After a short while they declined the offer of a lift to town or the primary care unit and went on their way. I now carry an ample supply of water in the truck all year round and re-hydration salts in my FAK. Simple lesson learnt.

 

[pothunter]

Last summer as I drove around a bend on a quite country road I came across two bikes stopped in not the safest of places. Stopping to see if all was well, expecting one of them to have been inspecting the gravel it was obvious that a lady pillion was quite disorientated, dehydration.
They had been out all day in full leathers and not stopped for refreshments, sat her in the shade of my truck but I only had 1/2 a ltr of water so only enough to maker her feel a little better but do no real good. After a short while they declined the offer of a lift to town or the primary care unit and went on their way. I now carry an ample supply of water in the truck all year round and re-hydration salts in my FAK. Simple lesson learnt.

 

[pothunter]

Oops

 

[MikeE]

Had to stop one of my guys from bleeding out once. Had a small knife on his belt ........well till it stuck in his groin!
Missed the Femoral but did clip a big vein!
Army field dressings...............bl**dy brilliant!
Well the large ones are, he used up two before evac'd to local hospital!

 

[stevesteve]

My kids (7&9) each have FAKs in their rucksacs. I encourage then to patch each others scrapes (they have patched me too from time to time!).

I just hope that we never need the large wound dressings in my own bag but at least they are used to the idea that if someone is hurt it is everyone's job to help.

Cheers,
Steve