Wild first aid kit

[andyn]

It always amuses me to see we discuss kit more than bushcraft so heres a question to get you all thinking and maybe lose a bit of that unnessecary kit....

(Note i appologise if this has already been asked or started but i couldnt find anything)

What bits of our first aid kits could we throw out and replace with natural remidies that really work? Be it plant leaves, tinctures, bark lotions or powder, fungi etc etc to go back to how our ancestors would have cared for themselves before modern medicine

Ok so they may not be as good as modern medicine but there must be so many solutions out there that could mean we leave our tablets and bandages at home.

The ones that jump to mind to me are:

Strips of Birch polypore can be cut from the underside of the fruit and used as a plaster for small cuts.

The leaves from Plantain (broadleaf variety in particular) can be chewed to dry up the affects of hayfever.


Anything else guys and gals?

 

[Ed]

What bits of our first aid kits can we throw out and replace with natural remidies that really work?

We must also remember that the only difference between medicine and poison is DOSAGE ..... its very hard / near impossible to judge the dosage of natural ingredients.

Also there are other factors to involved... is the area sprayed with any chemicals in the past year or so.... are there animals wandering around which could pass something on .....

....... I know that one instructor from one of the big schools used a large plant leaf for toilet paper..... unfortunatly the field had sheep in it that were infected with the scabies mite...... you can guess what happened..... if he had used the leaf as a cold compress in a first aid situation the same thing would have happened.

Saying that, I do use alot of natural stuff when in the field.... its just a case of being informed and knowing the risks and how to avoid them.


Ed

 

[Goose]

Can't put first aid kit as unnecessary, I count tablets as more further aid than first aid and I would love to be confident enough to know what and when to take, but a lot can be seasonal too.
I think that speed counts in a first aid situation and beleive the best first aid kit is knowledge and your hands but a first aid kit should always be at hand, natural bandages etc although may be effective would have to be searched for unless you carry them instead of a "proper" first aid kit, and in this case I think the modern equipment is far better in effectiveness and weight for weight.

 

[andyn]

Ed, Goose you are of course both dead right.. I wasn't suggesting for a second that you should leave yoiur FAK at home and just assume you can fix any wound or headache with natural remedies without knowing exactly what you are doing and i certainly wouldnt recommend anyone who was ill to throw away their antibiotics and chew on the root of a bull reed or whatever might help as that would be silly

In the same way i wouldn't suggest that you tried to live naked for a week in Alaska with nothing but a nail file. But im sure that there are peple who could!

And in the same way...i'm sure there are people out there with experiance in natural medicine that might like to share some ideas with us. Maybe not on things that could be harmful to us if done wrong. But simple tips and tricks that might prove useful if you've run out of blister plasters or got no more antiseptic cream left etc etc.

So that we can go away and expand upon these suggestions and learn.

So Ed, Come on...what are some of the natural things you use in the field?

 

[wingstoo]

Hi Folks,

I would much prefer to use a military field dressing/Ambulance bandage than hunt around looking for natural stuff when I have cut myself on a sharp in the countryside, having had a nasty smack in the head with a springy Hazel branch it was much easier for my daughter to grab the First Aid Kit than to go hunting for leaves, it was much better when stuck together with a few drops of surgical super glue.

Dave @ Ludlowsurvivors

 

[Adi]

It is ironic that some of the advanced medical courses in the Army include time working in A&E departments also teach you in the art of field medicine for every theater from artic to jungle.

So there is a place for natural medicine and although i a agree that in most cases grab for the FFD for immediate action but then there is plenty of time to but natural medicine into practice, especially if you have no pain killers or what ever.

 

[scanker]

I've never had to use it but I know (at least I think I know) spagnum moss makes a passable absorbent dressing. The leaves of wild garlic have mild antiseptic properties which combine well with the spagnum moss. I don't think spagnum moss is anti-septic on its own, even though that seems to be what many people think. That's what I was taught. Willow contains the same chemicals that are found in aspirin. Charcoal can be eaten in small quantities for a stomach upset. I'm not entirely sure of these, they're just the first things that come into my head. I might use them in an emergency and if there was nothing else available.

After all that. If I'd just cut my hand (like this ), I'd much rather it was dressed immediately with a nice sterile dressing and bandage from my FAK, than go off looking for spagnum moss.

 

[bambodoggy]

I think we're all agreed here that a modern fak is a must for bushcraft activities, however Andy wants to know what we can use instead of and in conjunction with...or god forbid, for that time when the fak has been forgotten, lost or used up.

Great suggestions from Scanker and here's a few ideas from me too

Silver Weed can be used to sooth sore/tired feet and indeed was used in the past by foot soldiers to keep their feet cool on long marches.

Use of hot (from a billy of hot water) and cold (from a stream) compresses can be used externally for bruising, sprained and strained bits and bobs. Because the skin isn't broken you can use unsteralised stuff like your vest or t-shirt.

Although not native to the UK there are plenty of Ucaliptus trees about and the leaves can be steeped in hot water and then the vapour inhailed to clear blocked and stuffy noses.

If you carry little packets of salt with you then you can add this to water to wash out a wound and disinfect it.

The common earth ball was used by Blacksmiths for minor burns and cuts

Burdock and Common Comfry are good for skin rashes

The water from soaking Oak bark can help revieve piles as can Elm bark and Silverweed.

Rowan, Elder and Rose can be used for Constipation.

So, there's a few to get you going but as we've said you can't beat a modern FAK and you atempt herbal remedies at your own risk.

Cheers,

Bam.

 

[wingstoo]

Hi Adi

So do you not think it would be a good idea to get yourself all trained up in first aid before you go out and put yourself in a position that at some stage you could need to use "first aid", If someone doesn't know how to use a field dressing then perhaps they shouldn't be allowed to use something that is sharp or likely to cause a cut, after all a field dressing is only a absorbent pad attached to a woven bandage! And if the cut is severe enough to require re-dressing then it is a case of getting to medical assistance ASAP or carrying kit to do it yourself. Also I wonder where you get the impression from my site that I am

"a very opinionated person that like s to give the impression you know what your talking about."

which part are you getting that impression from?


DD

 

[Ed]

Also I wonder where you get the impression from my site that I am

"a very opinionated person that like s to give the impression you know what your talking about."

Please 'both' of you try not to start an arguement in this thread..... it will drag it way off topic and will only get moderated out.... please feel free to PM each other if you have issues.

Ed

 

[andyn]

Bam,

Your comment regarding Ucaliptus reminded me of a british plant that has similar effects:

Ground Ivy

If you boil several leaves and inhale the oils that are given off it help releave the inflamation of the membranes so is good for colds etc.

 

[Adi]

some nice ones there Bam.

Sphagnum Moss (sp) once cleaned was natures natural bandage until very recently

 

[wingstoo]

Please 'both' of you try not to start an arguement in this thread..... it will drag it way off topic and will only get moderated out.... please feel free to PM each other if you have issues.

Ed

Agreed

DD :twak:

 

[wizard]

The USAF Survival Manual, the large one, AF Reg. 64-4. It has a section on medicimal plants and remedies. Quite useful. I believe Amazon still sells a reprint pretty cheaply. One used to be able to buy this manual from the US Government printing office for under $10, those days are long gone!
One question I have always had related sort of, is what is the nutritional value of edible plants, berries and game? I have never found any source for information on how you can really survive on wild foods. If they have little nutritional value you will not live on them for very long. Something to ponder.

 

[bambodoggy]

The other thing to remember, and I've hinted at it with the hot/cold compress ideas is that as with most things in bushcraft it is often possible to transfer skills and improvise.
The use of compresses is still in the HSE First aid at Work course so if you're a trained first aider you'd already know about it...what the bushcrafter must do is be able to carry out modern techniques with improvised and maybe primative materials.
The same applies to wounds and illness, if you have a basic understanding of modern approaches and a good imagination then you can at the least hopefully cover the basics until you can get help.

I read in a book once about an army patrol in Oman in the 60's where the patrol medic patched up a local's head after a morter round went off using part of an old bean tin to bridge where the guys skull was now missing...the funny thing was that on the medics next tour he met the man again and could still read the word Heinz under his hair! lol (Don't try this at home children! lol :yelrotflm ). The point being that the medic was a very good one and may well have been an army surgeon but didn't have the right stuff to do the job properly, had he left the man his brains wouild have spilt out and he'd have died..because the medic improvised the man lived.

Bam.

 

[bambodoggy]

One question I have always had related sort of, is what is the nutritional value of edible plants, berries and game? I have never found any source for information on how you can really survive on wild foods. If they have little nutritional value you will not live on them for very long. Something to ponder.

Have a butchers at this thread mate, I'm sure you'll find it helps a bit if not totally answers your questions:

http://www.bushcraftuk.com/community/showthread.php?t=7678&highlight=nutritional

And maybe this link would also be useful:

http://www.edibleplants.com/wepnut_frames.htm

Hope that helps,

Bam.

 

[stuart f]

Heres a few more:Meadow sweet,filipendula ulmaria For a headache chew a piece of the root,you now you have Meadow sweet when you break open the root because it smells just like Germoline.

Garlic Mustard/Jack by the hedge,alliaria petiolata Used as a poultice for cuts.

Coltsfoot,tussilago farfara leaves infused in boiling water can treat coughs.

As has been said before play safe and dont forget you FAK.

 

[Wayne]

Herbalism is difficult to practice scientifically. the active ingredients of plants differs depending on the growing conditions. Caution must always be taken when ingesting any wild food as it may have beten sprayed etc.

Its good to know the medicinal usage of plants but they should never be an alternative to a comphrensive first aid kit.

as already said the bushcraft ideal of adapting and improvisation should see you through the most common ailments.

 

[wizard]

Thanks BAM! Great information. I do appreciate the help. Cheers!

 

[pierre girard]

I guess my response - whenever this question comes up - is: How far are you from an ambulance unit?

Having been involved in emergency reponse for many years - I seldom bring anything in the way of a first aid kit, when out in the woods. If you have massive bleeding - you have shirts, t-shirts, etc to use - along with direct pressure - to control bleeding. If there is a heart attack - use CPR. If there are broken bones - splinting materials are close at hand. I've been involved in all three of these emergencies - while in the forest, and have not been inconvenienced by lack of a first aid kit. Most of the items in a vast majority of first aid kits are simply conveniences for minor injuries.

If you are going to be a week in - with no way to contact emergency services - a more comprehensive first aid kit might be in order.

The kinds of things you need for a real life and death emergency are not likely to be included in most first aid kits. Knowledge is the key.

The only exception would be something for anaphylactic shock (bee or wasp stings) for which I would reccomend an epi-pen - or something similar.

PG