Central West Virginia's Guide To Life

ROUGHING IT:
The BASICS of TENT CAMPING
By Lisa Minney

11/07  The First Aid Kit

After preparing your tent and camp bedding, you might think of food and water arrangements next. But, there is one more provision that has high priority. Humans can survive hours without water, and days without food. But, once injured, survival can require first aid within a few minutes.

Camping is an outdoor activity. It is an adventure in nature -- dirty, rugged, rough and wild. Cuts, rashes and bruises are common injuries, and emergencies often include broken bones or over-exposure to the elements. A properly-stocked first aid kit is essential for all camping excursions.

Pre-assembled first aid kits are available at outdoor stores and in medical supply aisles. These kits usually include a manual that details the proper use of the supplies within the kit.

However, there is no need to purchase a whole kit. A proper first aid kit can likely be assembled from items already found within your home. You can save money by assembling your own kit from what you have, and then only buying the items you still need. (Always remember to include any medication your family takes regularly.)

A first-aid kit should include the following basic supplies:
Latex gloves, band-aids, medical tape, cotton swabs & gauze, bandages (elastic and gauze), scissors, tweezers, soap, needle, matches, antibacterial wipes or creme and rubbing alcohol.

Your kit should also include the following medicines:
Iodine, Vaseline, Calamine lotion, antibiotic cream, eye drops, Aceta-menophen (Tylenol), aspirin, Ibupro-phen (Advil), burn creme and Benadryl. (Vaseline is rubbed inside the nostril to stop a bloody nose, and burn creme is typically for the camp cook.)

Smart campers would also include:
Sun screen, antacid tablets, insect repellant, a triangle cravat (a cloth or bandana to be used as a sling), and dental floss (which can be used for stitches).

Of course, the most important first aid provision isn’t kept in your kit, it is stored in your head -- knowledge. Preventative measures and quick, educated responses are the key to proper first aid. Here’s the best way to deal with some typical campground ailments:

Poison Plants: “Leaves of three, let it be.” The best way to prevent this miserable rash is to know how to identify and avoid poison ivy, oak and sumac. In West Virginia, the worst culprits are poison ivy and oak, each with three shiny toothed or lobed leaves.

If you do make contact, wash as soon as possible with soap and cool water, then swab the area with alcohol. (Special products are available for plant chemical removal. Burt’s Bees Poison Ivy Soap is in our kit.)

Sunburn or Heat Exposure: By now, we all know to wear sunscreen, and sunglasses protect the eyes from UV rays. But it’s not that simple. Too much sun, physical exertion and low water intake can really take a toll. Heat cramps, exhaustion and heatstroke are common in hot, humid weather.

If you have leg cramps or abdominal cramps during hot weather, sit down in the shade and drink water. Red skin, headache, dizziness and nausea are also signs. Those who faint or pass out could have heatstroke, and need to be cooled with water-soaked cloths.

Hypothermia and Frostbite: Skin freezes. If you feel numbness or pricking in your fingers, toes, ears, or nose, you could have frostbite. The skin will look whitened or grey. Frostbitten skin should be thawed slowly. Use your hands to warm face areas, and put fingers and hands in your armpits. Do not rub, and do not apply direct heat.

Hypothermia is an extreme loss of overall body heat. Hypothermia may cause drowsiness, unconsciousness, and lower heart and breathing rates. Severe hypothermia, left untreated, could cause death. To prevent hypothermia, dress in layers, wear a hat, drink water and eat carbohydrates. Avoid alcohol and caffeine. To treat hypothermia, use multiple sleeping bags, wool blankets or wool clothing to create at least four inches of insulation around the person, especially between the person and the ground.

Lightning: If you are caught out during a bad storm, take cover immediately in the lowest, driest place available. Look for a stand of timber that’s even in height, in a low area away from water. Stay clear of tall or isolated trees. Since lightning can travel through the ground, insulate yourself by sitting on a mat or pack, or on stacked stones.

Blood and Broken Bones: Always apply pressure to stop bleeding. Use bandages or clothing to apply pressure and soak blood. If a limb is injured, limit the blood flow to the area by tying a belt, scarf or bandana around the limb above the wound. When the bandages are soaked, don’t remove them, apply more over them. If nothing seems broken, elevate injured body parts so they are above the heart.

If the limb is broken or fractured, splint it with a branch, stick or tent pole. Lay a broken arm on the chest and tie it to the body to stabilize it. Victims who complain of numbness or tingling in their legs or arms should not be moved. They could have a spinal injury.

Shock: Victims go into a state of shock when the body fails to deliver enough blood to the body’s organs and deprives them of oxygen. Severe injuries can cause this to happen. Signs of shock include profuse sweating, rapid breathing, bluish lips, gasping, thirst, rapid pulse and nausea or vomiting.

Lay victims of shock on a flat surface and prop the feet up until they are eight to 12 inches above the head. Cover them with a blanket, but do offer them water or alcohol.

Signaling for Help: When you’re hiking, you often can’t just pull out your cell phone and make a call. You can add signaling tools to your first aid kit as well. A magnesium fire starter can help in wet weather, and a whistle can be used to signal in fog or in the dark. Florescent surveyor’s tape can mark a perimeter.

There is an internationally recognized “signal of threes” when signaling help. Three flashes from a flashlight, three blasts from a whistle, three fires built in a triangle all mean “help.”

To signal aircraft from the ground, a capital letter “F” means “send food and water.” A single vertical line means “seriously injured,” and two vertical lines mean “send medical supplies.”
Let’s hope you never need the supplies in your first aid kit. But for outdoor adventures, you must always have it along.

(If you truly want to be prepared, consider taking a CPR class, typically offered by the Red Cross, local fire department or emergency medical service (EMS). Knowing how to revive someone using cardiopulmonary resuscitation is a valuable survival skill.)

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