Professional mountain leader Kate Worthington will be answering
your outdoor questions weekly on OM. Along with her husband Ross, Kate
runs RAW Adventures offering professional mountain leadership services.
She's generally found outdoors, toting a big pack... Ask a question
This week's question:
'What do I need to pack in a First Aid Kit?'
Last week I mentioned that we should always carry a modest First Aid
Kit in our packs - and if we're walking in a group we can just carry
one between us - unless you plan on splitting up - but why take one at
all and what should be in it?
It's a tricky one - and we should start by asking the question 'How
would I cope with...?' Also, we should self-assess our own First Aid
knowledge and ability to practice what we 'think' we know. There's no
point in carrying items in the kit that we have no idea how to use - is
this a syringe or a vile of saline. Or maybe just a very small bicycle
pump...
Think common bad news scenarios - blisters, aches and pains, dirty
cuts/grazes, sprained and twisted and joints, getting too cold or too
hot, sunburn, dehydration, insect bites and stings, loss of blood - and
even broken shoe laces and torn clothing etc.
Some ready made kits are filled with fussy items, which you can do
without. For example, a big roll of crepe bandage can do wonders for
many situations - rather than fiddling with tidy triangular bandages
and finding that really small safety pin).
If an injured arm needs immobilising, just stick it in the chest zip of
a jacket - do we even need a triangular bandage? Unless it's a more
serious problem, the idea is that we should be able to manage it and
carry on enjoying our day's walk.
The best help we can aim to be in a more remote first aid situation
depends on the problem - if it's bleeding, stop it and cover it. If
it's painful - support or immobilise it. If it's dirty - clean it. If
it's more serious.then a first aid may not help anyway.
If you have no idea what to do in a given situation - assess personal
knowledge before leaving for that very remote Scottish backpacking
adventure. It might even be an idea to take a suitable first aid course
- mountain centres like
Plas-y-Brenin
run dedicated outdoors-orientated courses, but there are plenty of
other options including
St
John Ambulance.
What's in a kit will also change with who we are, who we're with and
where we're going and for how long. Consider the following as
basics:
Protective gloves - best to use if you're dealing with anyone else's
blood.
Alcohol gel for cleaning hands.
Fabric plaster strip - not pre-sized waterproof plasters as they're
never the right size and they don't stick as well.
Antiseptic wipes - check they've not dried out!
Painkillers/anti-inflammatories - good for knee pain etc.
Blister pads - prevention is better than cure though.
Large roll of crepe bandage - good for wrapping round anything.
Anti-histamine cream - for any insect bites/stings/allergic reactions.
Vaseline - for chaffing, skin protection, soothing sunburn, sore spots
on the feet.
Gaffa Tape - for mending, sticking, protecting anything! Wrap some
around a 35mm film canister for easy transport.
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RAW Adventures
is an exciting new company dedicated to providing well organised,
friendly and safe UK mountain events. We run Walking Weekends
for all abilities - keeping group sizes small for safety and
fun. We also organise larger scale Challenge Events for
charities and individuals wanting to raise money while doing something
that pushes you harder than usual!
Owned and operated by experienced and professional Mountain Leaders,
Kate and Ross Worthington, you are in safe hands for learning new
skills and broadening your own experience of the UK mountains. www.raw-adventures.co.uk |
