I always end my Old Ranger’s Backcountry podcasts with, “Be
Prepared, Be Safe, and We’ll See You on the Trail.” There is a reason for that,
and a reason that I am constantly harping on carrying the “10
Essentials” with
you anytime you go into the backcountry, even if it doesn’t seem that remote. I
gained my first Red Cross first aid instructor certification in 1972 and have
been instructing first-aid ever since. The following semester I got my first
EMT certification, and in 1979, My First Wilderness Medical certificate. I’ve
been a search and rescue volunteer, worked ambulance for many years,
coordinated emergency medical services at numerous special events, and of
course was a park ranger for many years. Needless to say, I’ve seen many, too
many incidents that could be if not prevented, dealt with more effectively by
being prepared.
Over this past weekend a follower/friend of mine on X (Twitter)
had a relatively minor incident that could have indeed been much worse. She
ended up with a nasty laceration just above her left eye. Less than an inch to
the right and it would’ve been much more serious. Fortunately, there were a
number of people on hand who could assist her, and she’ll be in good shape and
just a few weeks. (It isn’t stopping her from fishing, though.)
Admittedly, I am always a bit of an overkill type when it
comes to first-aid kits. Usually in the summertime I have three in the car; one
that stays under the driver’s seat unless needed, one in my mountain bike rack
pack, and one in whichever daypack I’m using, fishing, trail patrol,
snowshoeing, whatever. Each is one is equally designed for the activity I’m
involved in, whether it’s mountain biking, cross-country skiing/snowshoeing,
fishing, or being responsible for others on trail patrol. They are heavy on
trauma supplies, pain relief, allergic reactions, and other discomforts that I
have encountered in my years of doing this. It used to be that I had to buy an
empty pack and build my own response kit. The one in my snowshoeing/ski pack,
dubbed the “football,” is the last of those. In the past decade or so a number
of commercial first-aid kit manufacturers have addressed real-world needs, and
various party sizes. For instance, the “football” is designed to take care of
one or more persons for an extended time frame in a cold environment and also
includes splinting material since those activities frequently result in sprains
and fractures. The small Adventure Medical Sportsmen’s kit in my fishing pack
is more for small injuries, such as in impaled fishhook, cut finger, etc. The
old National Mountain Bike Patrol provided kit in my rack pack is designed for
cycling related injuries, and the one under the seat of my car for more
generalized first-aid needs. Oh, and after an incident several weeks ago, we
now have a first-aid kit in the house that also includes Blood Stopper
bandages.
Of course, none of this means anything if you don’t know how
to use it. There are resources online, both in terms of courses and YouTube
videos, but nothing beats the personalized touch of having a certified
first-aid instructor, preferably one with experience in the same activities as
you will be participating in, showing you how it’s done. If you’re going to
spend any time in the backcountry or biking, boating, camping, away from rapid
medical care (EMS) take the time to learn first-aid and keep the information
current.
My friend will be back in her fishing kayak, none the worse
for wear. But what happened to her should serve as a reminder that we need to
be prepared and we need to be safe. We’ll see you out there.
