Camp First Aid

Choosing a kit

A well equipped first aid kit should be kept in both your home and your car, and should accompany you on trips whether they be tours or backcountry camping.

Keep and eye on expiration date - using an old kit isn't the best as ointments and antiseptics can change with age and heat.

Consider weight and available space when deciding on a kit. An increasing number of kits come in a variety of sizes and shapes designed with a sport-specific intent. For example, a soft triangular shaped kit for cyclists that fits securely between the bike's top and down tube with Velcro fasteners. (Shop First Aid Kits)

Most cases are soft, making them more convenient to pack and lighter weight than ever before, however, kits for car and home use frequently have a hard case.

Size is determined by the number of people it supports and the types of products included. There are individual, family, and group kits designed for basic home, boat, and car needs, as well as kits for hiking, camping, and travel. (Shop All First Aid)

Common treatments

The most common problems are insect bites, wounds, blisters, sunburn, asthma, allergic reactions and lacerations.

Proper management of abrasions and open wounds involves three steps;

• Stop serious blood loss
• Clean adequately to prevent infection
• Maintain an environment around the wound that will prevent further damage and promote healing.

Strains and sprains are best treated with the easy to remember formula RICE; which stands for rest, ice, compression, and elevation.

What's in a kit?

There is nothing in a prepackaged first aid kit that you cannot buy separately. Starting with a good kit will save you time and money, but you still should purchase additional items. And remember, all kits are not created equal! Best not to scrimp on your first aid kit, especially when camping or hiking in remote areas. Anything can happen, so it is best to be prepared:

• First aid manual - a guide to the treatment of the most common and serious emergencies. Almost everything in your first-aid kit is designed to ease the pain and speed the healing, of relatively simple problems, but unless you know how to use the products, they are useless.
• Disposable gloves - when treating anyone, bleeding or not, they keep your germs out of the wound and the other person's germs out of you. Vinyl gloves are less expensive, but prone to leaking, so Latex gloves are still the best choice.
• CPR shields - protect a person while administering artificial breathing (mouth to mouth). They are compact and lightweight with a one-way valve that protects from infection.
• Thermometers - to monitor an illness and determine its severity. A special thermometer is necessary to register low temperatures as experienced during hypothermia.
• Resealable plastic bags- hold ice, snow, or cold water for cooling strains and sprains.
• Mineral ice - topically applied, cold-inducing gel for reducing pain and swelling caused by a strain, sprain, fracture, or other injury.
• Pain relievers - treatment for pain, inflammation, and fever. Ibuprofen is the preferred choice for inflammation reduction. Tylenol will reduce fever and relieves pain, but it does nothing for decreasing inflammation.
• Oral re-hydration salts - a combination of electrolytes and sugar that is ideal for replenishment of lost body fluids. It must be mixed with water and is far superior to salt tablets that are impossible to digest and frequently induce vomiting.
• Scissors, tweezers or needles - tools to alter bandage size, remove splinters and cut delicately to get at a deeply embedded splinter.
• Irrigation syringes - cleanse a wound via high-pressure using a normal saline solution, diluted Betadine (1%), or purified water.
• Soap scrub sponges - clean dirty abrasions, where the grime is ground into the wound and the irrigation syringe is not fully effective. Use the sponge and aggressively scrub the wound clean. Follow the scrubbing with a clean water flush.
• Iodine ointment - topical disinfectant to wipe wounds clean after flushing with water from a water bottle or irrigation syringe. Iodine can also be dissolved in unsafe water to create a disinfectant flush. Wait 20 minutes after putting it into the water to ensure full disinfecting action.
• Antiseptic towelettes - for cleaning very minor wounds. Also for wiping your hands clean before, and after, treating open wounds.
• Eye cups - flush the eye of foreign particles or liquids. They are fine for home kits, but are too heavy and bulky for backpacking.
• TRIPLE ANTIBIOTICS - topical antibiotics have minimal effect on the lives of germs, but do help and keeping a dab on open wounds helps maintain a moist environment around the would speeds healing significantly.
• Tincture of benzoin - very sticky and can be swabbed anywhere tape is used to ensure that the tape stays in place. Benzoin is an irritant and should be kept out of open wounds.
• Fabric bandages (Band-aides) - cover small wounds after they have been cleaned.
• Knuckle bandages - cover small and difficult-to-bandage scraped knuckles. This bandage allows an almost full range of motion after application.
• Butterfly closures or proxistrips - pull the edges of a gaping wound somewhat together before bandaging and until a physician can suture the wound. Proxistrips are thinner and breath better than the old-fashioned butterfly bandages.
• Gauze pads, cohesive & adhesive tape - used to create a very effective cover for larger open wounds. Remember to touch only the edges when you're handling sterile material. A dab of triple antibiotic ointment on the wound first helps prevent the gauze from sticking to the wound. Adhesive tape can also be used on hot spots to prevent blisters.
• Non-adherent dressings - designed for wounds that tend to weep excess fluid, they help prevent sticking.
• Micro-thin bandages - similar to a piece of sterile Gore-Tex, it "breathes" while it protects and lets moisture from the wound escape. Once the wound is clean and prepared with the antibiotic ointment, this see-through "window" bandage allows you to monitor the wound for signs of infection. It is important to watch very carefully for these signs or for an excess of fluid buildup. The bandage functions at a slow rate and if fluid builds up underneath, the chances of further skin damage and infection will increase.
• Elastic bandage (usually ACE) - for wrapping sprained wrists and ankles, although the support is not ideal unless you use athletic tape as well. Also for holding splints, large bandages and ice packs in place.
• Triangular bandage (with safety pins) - to sling and swathe upper extremity injuries, such as severe sprains or even fractures. Also used to tie splints and to hold large wound dressing in place. Serves as an excellent pressure bandage, and will work as a tourniquet (as long as you fully understand when and how to do it).
• 2nd skin dressing - 97% water held together in a gel. It can be used to cover small burns after cleaning, and for the treatment and prevention of blisters. It is best to leave an intact blister alone since it is nature's way of cushioning the raw area and, if still intact, provides a sterile environment. Build up the surface around the blister with a piece of moleskin by cutting a hole (the size of the blister) in the middle. Apply the second skin to the blister inside this cutout, and then apply tape or a bandage to hold it all in place. Most blisters on hard surfaces, withstanding abrasion (such as on your heel when hiking) will pop anyway. Once this happens, or before if you wish, a blister is best managed by taking the entire top off the blister, washing the area with a mild antiseptic, and applying the 2nd Skin. The 2nd Skin is then held in place with tape.
• Sam splints - for nearly every type of orthopedic injury, they can be cut and molded to fit any extremity, can be fashioned into a usable cervical collar, are reusable, aren't affected by temperature extremes, and are X-ray permeable.
• Poison oak & poison ivy soap - helps to breakdown the oily resin, making it easier to rinse away. Plain soap, used within 30 minutes after contact, is sometimes effective. Regardless, the sticky resin clings to almost anything and, though you may not have reacted to it last time, a sensitivity can be developed at any time. Handle contaminated clothing, shoes and gear carefully and wash them immediately. The resin can stay active for years!
• Allergy medications (like Benadryl) - help alleviate the pain and itch of bug bites and mild allergic reactions. For backcountry trekking, add epinephrine (by prescription only) to treat more serious, possibly fatal reactions.
• Sawyer extractors - a hand held suction pump that creates powerful suction to remove venom and toxins from insects, snakes, marine, and plant life. No cutting is necessary and it is reusable! The best first aid for a snake bite is to get the victim to a hospital where antivenin can be safely administered.

Bug repellant's

Usually bug repellant's use a chemical nicknamed "DEET" in concentrations from 10-100% that is primarily effective for repelling mosquitoes and ticks. There has been some concern over safety, since it is a powerful chemical that is quickly absorbed into the bloodstream. Those products with 20-25% concentrations have been found effective, but for children, the Americana Academy of Pediatrics recommends no more than 10%. (Shop Bug Repellant's)

Use DEET products sparingly, keeping it away from eyes, lips, or broken skin and off of children's hands which may end up in their mouth. Once it is not needed, wash it off with soap and water. Consider treating your clothes rather than your skin, but note that DEET can damage Spandex, rayon, acetate, waterproof coatings and the plastic in sunglasses. Controlled release formulas work longer and minimize your exposure since you are applying it less frequently. Lotion formulas can repel bugs up to twice as long as liquids and sprays (of the same strength in active ingredients) which have a higher initial evaporation rate. Natural repellents are only effective for a short period of time, and have limited repelling effects. They use essential oils such as citronella, citrus products, or other plant oils, and though natural, can be irritating to the skin in high concentrations.

Tick repellant's

Those used on the skin containing DEET are considered to be the most effective in repelling ticks. Permethrin repellents/insecticides are designed to be applied directly to clothing, tents, sleeping bags, and any surface other than skin. It actually kills ticks and mosquitoes on contact, lasts up to 14 days and won't wash off in water.

Ticks crawl, they do not fly or jump. They crawl to the top of grass or another upright object and wait for you to brush up against it and then lock on for a ride. Walking in the middle of the trail will help you avoid these hitchhikers. Most tick related diseases are treatable with antibiotics, but prevention is your best defense. Wear long pants tucked into socks and long sleeve shirts tucked into pants and held with a belt. Light colors make them easier to spot, and tightly woven cloth is harder to hang onto.

Of the 840 known tick species, 100 of them transmit infections through their saliva. To prevent further saliva being released, once they bite, do not twist or squeeze. Grip as close as possible to the head and slowly pull it away from the skin. Tick Pliers or tweezers make it easier to grip and extract the tick without squeezing or cutting the tick's body. As a last resort, if you are having trouble, and to make the tick uncomfortable use a heated paper clip, alcohol, acetone, oil, or swab a pesticide such as permethrin directly to the upper and lower surfaces of the tick. This will cause it to relax, making it easier to remove. Wash with soap and water and apply an antiseptic.

Preserve the tick in a vial or polybag for analysis (alive) in case disease symptoms appear. Deer ticks are the pinhead-sized transmitters of Lyme disease, in all states except Alaska and Hawaii. This disease causes fever, flu-like symptoms, a target-shaped rash where it bit, and soreness and swelling, particularly in the joints. Lone Star ticks transmit Rocky Mountain spotted fever and is found in all parts of the US. This disease causes headache, fever, severe muscle ache and a rash on the palms of the hands and soles of the feet that spreads to other parts of the body.

Sun screens

These are a preventative. Once you are burned, drink plenty of liquids and cool the skin with water, gels or creams. Those that contain Aloe are excellent and promote healing. Aspirin may ease the pain and allow you to sleep. SPF (sunscreen protection factor) tells you how much longer you can stay in the sun, before burning, than you can without using a sunscreen. For example, SPF 15 (the minimum recommended) means that you can stay in the sun 15 times longer than you could without protection, before burning. SPF 15 will filter out UVB light (the most dangerous) and at least some UVA light (primarily causes premature aging and wrinkles, but with enough exposure can contribute to cancer).

The most important factor is to apply sunscreen liberally and reapply often, especially after you swim or sweat. It also helps to stay out of the sun between 10 and 2 when the rays are the strongest and wear opaque, tightly woven clothing and a wide-brimmed hat.

Children are particularly susceptible and one or more severe, blistering sunburns in childhood or adolescence can double the risk of melanoma (a type of skin cancer) later in life.

Titanium dioxide and zinc oxide deflect light rays, but should be combined with screening ingredients. Many zinc oxide ointments now come in fun colors.

Paba is an ingredient that some find a skin irritant.

To improve water and sweat repellency of the formulas, some products use oils that repel moisture and others are absorbed into the skin and then "time released". Certain drugs, such as antihistamines, oral contraceptives, anti-inflammatory drugs, tranquilizers, oral anti-diabetics, diuretics, some antidepressants, and some dandruff shampoos can increase your sensitivity to light, raising the chance of an adverse reaction to the sun.

Rules of the trail

• Carry out all garbage.
• Hike on marked trails, not across fragile alpine growth.
• Use existing campsites or sites away from water and trails.
• Respect and protect the wilderness.
• Tread lightly and only carry home photographs and memories.