And now it is taught to most of the conscripts and actually practiced by many. # 1 son went far beyond that but was told not to use what practiced in peacetime. A pressure bandage works in most cases as well (i have been told) and is safer.
What are the worst-case-scenario hiking situations?
- Thread starter haptalaon
- Start date
Just a simple walkers first aid kit. You can get them almost anywhere. They hold enough stuff for standard first aid, but I'd add a loud whistle, a silver blanket and a headlamp that also has flashing mode. It's realy that simple.
I broke two bones in my foot, and managed to hobble painfully for half a mile. So a walking pole, would be a good companion. Maybe also an orange rescue pannel.
Other than that, it's probably excess, as you will be aware if he's very late home, and raise the alarm anyway.
Just make sure you know his proposed route. And trust he will be fine.
I think your idea of you both taking a first aid course is also excellent. Everyone should know what to do in an emergency, whether it be in the home, or elsewhere.
You might even find your area does special courses for outdoors activities. I live in a fairly wild area, and there is one or two near me, which I must research further, and get round to at some point to update my qualifications.
I broke two bones in my foot, and managed to hobble painfully for half a mile. So a walking pole, would be a good companion. Maybe also an orange rescue pannel.
Other than that, it's probably excess, as you will be aware if he's very late home, and raise the alarm anyway.
Just make sure you know his proposed route. And trust he will be fine.
I think your idea of you both taking a first aid course is also excellent. Everyone should know what to do in an emergency, whether it be in the home, or elsewhere.
You might even find your area does special courses for outdoors activities. I live in a fairly wild area, and there is one or two near me, which I must research further, and get round to at some point to update my qualifications.
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When I first started heading into the mountains of Cumbria, lol! I learnt that you had to use a 50l rucksack to carry all the extra gear you needed for winter. That was from experienced outdoors professionals writing advice in magazines. Over the years practises changed. The theory the more safety equipment you carried the more likely you're young to need it because you're completely knackered by a 15-20kg rucksack with enough kit ti sleep out a night. Not needed, fast and light became the new safety advice.
I think this applies in a way to first aid kit. Carry too much that you're not going to actually use in a decade of regular walking is more of a risk than the risk of an injury which will need it. Especially if you think that more serious injuries will need someone else to administer the first aid anyway.
Let's be realistic. UK hill that's not going to be so big because he walks the dog up it twice a day. He's going to be used to it which personally indicates to me that he knows it well by now. Low risk of getting lost and falling off a path because of it. Lower risk rating a bit there. Decent but basic hikers first aid kit with an extra large ambulance dressing will likely cope.
I've had a smashed up hand but still climbed down off the pitch with it. I did fill two very large ambulance dressings from the ex MRT guy in our group and the MRT medic who checked the wound. Took one sneaky look and put it right back and put a second over the top. By the time I walked down and got an ambulance landy trip to MRT base there was a lot of claret showing through. On that occasion I would not have managed to dress it so there would have been no good from having it without another person to dress the wound.
Part of me thinks the best solution is for the OP to go on the walks with him. Two reasons. If his solo walks worry you then being with him will probably help with the worry. Secondly two ppl makes having a decent outdoors suitable first aid useful in that one gets injured there's a second to treat and get help or if possible self rescue as a group of two.
One last thing. I don't think you will always need expensive satellite communications just a smart watch and phone if there's a phone signal. I'm thinking of the garmin watches with fall detection. I believe even apple watches have it now. Garmin cycle computers have had it for years. Detects a fall and sends a text with a pre-written rescue message to the number you put in as emergency contact. If you're OK you can cancel the emergency with your contact of course.
However, if you have the money then inreach satellite communication and location device from garmin is a decent bit of kit. No issues with poor phone signal. Although texts do get through when calls and data stand no chance.
I think this applies in a way to first aid kit. Carry too much that you're not going to actually use in a decade of regular walking is more of a risk than the risk of an injury which will need it. Especially if you think that more serious injuries will need someone else to administer the first aid anyway.
Let's be realistic. UK hill that's not going to be so big because he walks the dog up it twice a day. He's going to be used to it which personally indicates to me that he knows it well by now. Low risk of getting lost and falling off a path because of it. Lower risk rating a bit there. Decent but basic hikers first aid kit with an extra large ambulance dressing will likely cope.
I've had a smashed up hand but still climbed down off the pitch with it. I did fill two very large ambulance dressings from the ex MRT guy in our group and the MRT medic who checked the wound. Took one sneaky look and put it right back and put a second over the top. By the time I walked down and got an ambulance landy trip to MRT base there was a lot of claret showing through. On that occasion I would not have managed to dress it so there would have been no good from having it without another person to dress the wound.
Part of me thinks the best solution is for the OP to go on the walks with him. Two reasons. If his solo walks worry you then being with him will probably help with the worry. Secondly two ppl makes having a decent outdoors suitable first aid useful in that one gets injured there's a second to treat and get help or if possible self rescue as a group of two.
One last thing. I don't think you will always need expensive satellite communications just a smart watch and phone if there's a phone signal. I'm thinking of the garmin watches with fall detection. I believe even apple watches have it now. Garmin cycle computers have had it for years. Detects a fall and sends a text with a pre-written rescue message to the number you put in as emergency contact. If you're OK you can cancel the emergency with your contact of course.
However, if you have the money then inreach satellite communication and location device from garmin is a decent bit of kit. No issues with poor phone signal. Although texts do get through when calls and data stand no chance.
Locally it's 3 soluble aspirin for a suspected heart attack and "YES" they did cause quite severe heartburn and luckily for me it wasn't a heart attack, it was however something else that needed quite extreme analgesics
Thank you all - I'm just backreading now & thinking, but I especially like this one because I am sort of...dozy about the passage of time. Proactively taking note of when he leaves and how long he usually takes would be simple and I see the effectiveness.
Very important; I would add a whistle. 3 short blasts is a recognized emergency call. The sound of a good one carries for miles and whilst phones are lifesavers they can break and dont always have a signal
The Autumn/Winter edition of Scottish Mountaineer (Issue 100) has an interesting feature called “Essential kit for trail and mountain runners”. Written by Ian Stewart, founder of Trail Running Scotland.
Paraphrase: If you are 20 min from a road, you might be waiting one or two hours. Anything more and 3 to 4 hours is more common. (credit to Ian Stewart).
There is a video starring Ian here:
10 min video, showing a 30 min test. IMHO the video is much much more useful and detailed than the one page article. So worth checking out.
I’ll add a link.
https://www.blizzardsurvival.com/product-category/bags-blankets/bags/
https://www.blizzardsurvival.com/product-category/jackets/
Blizzard-3 (the three layer products) are available in both Green and in Safety Orange.
Paraphrase: If you are 20 min from a road, you might be waiting one or two hours. Anything more and 3 to 4 hours is more common. (credit to Ian Stewart).
There is a video starring Ian here:
10 min video, showing a 30 min test. IMHO the video is much much more useful and detailed than the one page article. So worth checking out.
I’ll add a link.
https://www.blizzardsurvival.com/product-category/bags-blankets/bags/
https://www.blizzardsurvival.com/product-category/jackets/
Blizzard-3 (the three layer products) are available in both Green and in Safety Orange.
Oh that's great, really good as a demonstration - far more so than just an article. The sight of chilly kneecaps is visceral!
Nice video. I used to fell-run in my teens and usually packed a breathable, hideous bright pink/purple bivi bag for emergencies. I still have and use that same bivibag twenty five or so years later. It remains the only bivi bag I've ever had.
My take on emergency gear for the hills: falls and slips are the main risk. If I fall and am immobilised, it's exposure or shock that will be the threat. If I can still walk after a fall, then I can walk out. So I focus on sufficient clothing/protection/fluids and means of getting help. I don't take much more than a couple of dressings and a few plasters for first aid. Only other thing is a tic remover, and mirror and irrigation for getting things out of your eyes. That is something you want to deal with should it happen.
Of course, in a more bushcrafty environment with knives and axes, there will be different requirements.
My take on emergency gear for the hills: falls and slips are the main risk. If I fall and am immobilised, it's exposure or shock that will be the threat. If I can still walk after a fall, then I can walk out. So I focus on sufficient clothing/protection/fluids and means of getting help. I don't take much more than a couple of dressings and a few plasters for first aid. Only other thing is a tic remover, and mirror and irrigation for getting things out of your eyes. That is something you want to deal with should it happen.
Of course, in a more bushcrafty environment with knives and axes, there will be different requirements.
I think the initial question has been well answered. You take what you need in proportion to the assume level of risk.
“Worst case scenario” might be a canoe trip organised by Burt Reynolds….
But realistically it’s falls resulting in not being able to move or entrapment (river crossing or tides for example).
I some situations only external help will be of use. But this relies on communications and having some to respond in a timely manner.
Even a whole group can get into trouble which is why solo activities may be less risky by one measure.
I recall an avalanche on Ben Nevis a decade ago where the whole group got caught. I was at the site a week later, it was a very small avalanche and they were unlucky although I think it was in a bit of a natural funnel. However it was in a predicted location, so planning was possibly lacking.
“Worst case scenario” might be a canoe trip organised by Burt Reynolds….
But realistically it’s falls resulting in not being able to move or entrapment (river crossing or tides for example).
I some situations only external help will be of use. But this relies on communications and having some to respond in a timely manner.
Even a whole group can get into trouble which is why solo activities may be less risky by one measure.
I recall an avalanche on Ben Nevis a decade ago where the whole group got caught. I was at the site a week later, it was a very small avalanche and they were unlucky although I think it was in a bit of a natural funnel. However it was in a predicted location, so planning was possibly lacking.
I think as others have said you can plan to the extreme and never achieve your goal to cover most eventualities and not add too much weight..
If he's out walking the dog in the hills I assume he's walking on paths/established trails (and relatively safe) .... so really whats likely to happen is slips/trips/falls ... so as others have said:
something to stop bleeding... in case there's a Nasty cut, I disagree with tourniquets for normal/civilian use and personally think on a walk up the hills probably a bit over kill.... its more likely he does a nasty cut to his hand/forearm falling over
Something to wrap/treat strains and Sprains... a bandage or two of some sort
A survival blanket ... to sit on or wrap up in while awaiting rescue/treating injuries (sitting on a wet floor or getting cold and blasted by the wind while immobile won't be fun)
Some paracord.. never leave home without the stuff so why not add this, can be used to make a pair of shoelaces (nowt worse than being up a hill with a sprained ankle and a broken shoe lace, so ya can't tie ya boots tight) or lash the dog to a tree incase the lead isn't long enough to go round while he's treating his injuries
Pack of paracetamol.... no need to sit suffering in pain and you can take paracetamol while waiting
Having said that.... a decent walkers/outdoor first aid kit will come well stocked (some even include paracetamol, the lifesystems one I have does and has saved my bottom a few times) a survival blanket and a length of paracord (assuming he has waterproofs and carries fluids/something to drink for him and the dog and also has a charged phone, torch if its dark) so total weight won't be too much more (<1kg) and could be used to cover most "possible issues" up a hill
If he's out walking the dog in the hills I assume he's walking on paths/established trails (and relatively safe) .... so really whats likely to happen is slips/trips/falls ... so as others have said:
something to stop bleeding... in case there's a Nasty cut, I disagree with tourniquets for normal/civilian use and personally think on a walk up the hills probably a bit over kill.... its more likely he does a nasty cut to his hand/forearm falling over
Something to wrap/treat strains and Sprains... a bandage or two of some sort
A survival blanket ... to sit on or wrap up in while awaiting rescue/treating injuries (sitting on a wet floor or getting cold and blasted by the wind while immobile won't be fun)
Some paracord.. never leave home without the stuff so why not add this, can be used to make a pair of shoelaces (nowt worse than being up a hill with a sprained ankle and a broken shoe lace, so ya can't tie ya boots tight) or lash the dog to a tree incase the lead isn't long enough to go round while he's treating his injuries
Pack of paracetamol.... no need to sit suffering in pain and you can take paracetamol while waiting
Having said that.... a decent walkers/outdoor first aid kit will come well stocked (some even include paracetamol, the lifesystems one I have does and has saved my bottom a few times) a survival blanket and a length of paracord (assuming he has waterproofs and carries fluids/something to drink for him and the dog and also has a charged phone, torch if its dark) so total weight won't be too much more (<1kg) and could be used to cover most "possible issues" up a hill
Do you have a link to that? Or where can I find instructions? I am thinking if it would be useful for lone working,and lots of scenarios.
