When I was a boy, I watched Mount St. Helens explode from the front yard of the family home. It was both thrilling and terrifying. The Toutle River overflowed Interstate 5, and school was canceled due to ash fallout. Hurricane Katrina, the Spring floods that devastated Northeastern states, and now Hurricane Earl — which at the time of this post was threatening to hammer much of the Eastern Seaboard — prove that natural disasters can hit close to home. So, everyone should prepare a 72-hour emergency kit for Mother Nature’s worst.
ESSENTIALS
Ideally you need two kits: a large plastic bin for home and a small portable kit for your car. A good disaster kit has 5 components: water, food, first aid kit, extra clothing and bedding, and survival gear.
WATER, HYDRATION & FOOD
You’ll need a gallon of water per person per day, and a method of purification, in case you refill from a tainted municipal source. The simplest, easiest water storage is gallon jugs of commercially bottled water. I keep a supply of chlorine dioxide purification tablets, which I find lighter and more compact than a filter or ultraviolet light pen. Non-perishable food should be no-cook, ready-to-eat canned or dry goods with a good source of protein and carbohydrates. Simple, heat-and-eat meals are great, but you’ll need to add a small camp stove and fuel to your kit.
FIRST AID
For first aid supplies, I like the Fundamentals for home because it has enough components for multiple people for many days, with room for extra medications and tools. A combo kit, like the S.O.L. 3, which comes with essential first aid, survival and repair tools, is ideal for the car, when time and space are in short supply.
Select a kit with enough supplies to cover all the members in your household for a minimum of three days
CLOTHING, BEDDING & SHELTER
Have a spare sleeping bag, or a lightweight bivvy, which is always a mainstay in my SAR pack, car kit, and household bin. Toss in an old raincoat, fleece sweater, a hat, and gloves for everyone in your household.
SURVIVAL
Survival supplies are of paramount importance. Start with a personal survival kit that includes a whistle, fire starter, signal mirror, cord, wire, compass and other essentials. Include a headlamp with extra batteries, a pocket tool like a Leatherman Juice, hand sanitizer and body wipes for personal hygiene, insect repellent, sunscreen of SPF 25, and a battery operated AM/FM radio.
OTHER CONSIDERATIONS — PERSONAL NECESSITIES
Don’t forget personal items like spare prescription glasses; extra prescription medicine; baby formula and diapers, if required; hygiene sundries; family documents, like photo ID and passports stowed in a waterproof travel case; and access to cash and credit cards. Make a list of emergency contacts and emergency utility shutoff valves in your house.
LAST BUT NOT LEAST…
Toss in instructions! Even the most skilled benefit from reminders, such as Dr. Weiss’ excellent Comprehensive Guide to Wilderness & Travel Medicine 3rd Edition, which includes life-saving tips on how to improvise treatments when you don’t have ready access to professional medical care — a common occurrence following a major disaster.
Storing the whole shebang is pretty simple. For your home kit, get a large waterproof plastic bin like a Rubbermaid Action Packer. Make sure everyone in your household knows the location. Rotate the food and water out every 6 to 12 months as expiration dates recommend. Add an empty backpack to the bin so you can grab gear in a jiffy. For your car, stash the gear in a soft kit in the trunk or under a seat. In your car, you should always carry repair tools too, including: a jack, spare tire, jumper cables, extra oil, a flat repair kit, basic tools, a tow strap, duct tape, and a small folding saw.
Check expiration dates on your kit's food and water supplies every six to 12 months
Let’s hope the natural world will calm down for a while. But when the seas heave, the winds blow, and the earth rattles, access to a complete disaster kit will make life easier and safer.
Chris Van Tilburg, M.D., is the editor of WMS’s Wilderness Medicine and the author of eight books on the outdoors. His most recent book is Mountain Rescue Doctor. Van Tilburg is also a member of Hood River Crag Rats Search & Rescue Team. He lives in Bend, Oregon.
Labor Day Weekend, just before the kids go back to school, is typically the last gasp of camping in many parts of the country. But the unofficial end of summer doesn’t mean the potential hazards that exist in the outdoors at the start of the season are any less of a threat. In the second of his two-part piece on camping safety, AMK’s wilderness safety blogger, Buck Tilton, tackles bears and the basics – starting with how to choose the right campsite.
Timing is Everything
If the sun is fading fast, you have already broken the first rule of safe campsite selection: do your selecting and setting up while you have plenty of light. Whether you are in the backcountry or a national park campground, if you can’t see well, you can’t do well. Yes, you’re looking for comfort, but even more you want a site free of hazards.
Look Up, Look Down, Look All Around!
Look up for “widowmakers,” large dead limbs that could fall. No tents or kitchen sites go under widowmakers, or underneath dead trees that could topple in a high wind. Look down for signs rain has puddled or run through your choice of campsites. Even if you don’t anticipate precip, choose another site with more elevation, just to be sure. If it’s thunderstorm season, do not set camp in the open, on ridges, or near tall trees where your site could be a target for lightning. Avoid being too close to the tops of cliffs that someone might stumble off or the bottom of cliffs that rocks could tumble off.
Location, Location, Location
You want to be near a source of water but not too near. The Leave No Trace program asks you to be at least 200 feet (about 70 adult paces) from water to reduce the chance of impact. With children along, you also want to avoid banks with sudden drop-offs into deep water and/or fast currents. Keep your campfire area clean of all objects – wood, kindling, rocks and anything else that may trip you up for a fall into the fire. Stack wood and kindling far back from the fire ring or pit.
The Bear Facts
If you see bear signs—bear scat, bear tracks, claw marks on trees, juicy berries, salmon leaping upstream, gnawed deer carcasses, or big furry bruins—you are not at a safe campsite. If you are in the backcountry and you find your designated campsite littered with tent stakes, cooking utensils and rope be aware the previous occupants could have left in a hurry do to a nearby bear or other wild animal raiding the camp. Find a different spot. If you can see a long way from your site, good. Bears will see you a long way off and you can see them a long way off. Bears do not like surprises. Generally speaking, bears do not like noise either. This is the one time when a heavy snorer is a welcome addition to your tent! In bear country, don’t shush the kids too often.
Your trash is bear treasure. Practice clean camping. Consider all garbage attractive and keep it separately bagged within your food bag. Cache all food and anything else fragrant, such as toothpaste, soap, and chewing gum. You have three cache choices in the backcountry:
You can hang your food and other fragrant items in a tree.
You can store it in a bear-proof container.
When trees are scarce, you can double bag your items in plastic and store it on the ground at least 300 feet from your tent.
When car camping, store everything in the car – camp stove, water bottles, cooking utensils, food and coolers. And lastly, check yourself and your kids to make sure no one is wearing food from dinner on their clothes or is carrying a spare candy bar in their pocket.
Bear-Proofing Your Food
Trees for hanging food should be located at least 300 feet from camp
I recommend packing about 60 feet of strong cord or light rope for hanging a bear bag. The trees you choose for hanging the bag should be at least 300 feet (91.44 meters) from your camp. Although you can toss the line over a high limb and haul it up, food is safer depending from a line stretched between two trees with the bag ending up at least 10 feet off the ground and at least four feet from the nearest tree trunk.
With Small Kids
With the site selected, the kids need a safety briefing. Establish the boundaries across which they are not allowed. Point out any obvious dangers: poison ivy, attractive berries that should be avoided, plants that can puncture. Then see if you can get them to help set up camp!
Recommended Safety Gear List for Your Camping Trip:
First Aid Kit – Adventure® Medical Kits’ Day Tripper. Bug Repellent – Ben’s® Deet-based repellent or Natrapel® 8 hour Deet-Free. Bite Treatment – AfterBite® – America’s #1 brand for effective bite relief. Survival Blanket – The Heatsheets® Survival Blanket . Can be used as an emergency shelter or as a ground cloth for your tent. Hand Sanitizer – Alcohol-free Adventure® Hand Sanitizer. Using it will reduce the chance of contracting a stomach ailment in the backcountry. Body Wipes – Rinse-free Fresh Bath™ Body Wipes. Specially formulated to kill odor causing bacteria while also helping to moisturize the skin. Next best thing to a shower!
Buck Tilton is a wilderness medicine and survival expert and author, who has written 36 books on outdoor safety. Over the past 20 years, he has contributed hundreds of articles and a regular column to Backpacker. Tilton also co-founded the Wilderness Medicine Institute, now WMI of NOLS, which is the largest school of wilderness medicine in the world. This month he joins AMK as a regular blogger.
Here’s an interesting question that came in over our blog today:
Q: I’d like to make a vest out of the SOL Thermal Bivvy- should the seams be sewn or will an iron work to weld seams?
A: My advice is to sew the seams, rather than trying to weld them. If using an iron to weld seams, I would be worried about excessive heat weakening the fabric or causing the two layers of the fabric to separate.
***
Does anyone else have any good stories about using our products (or anyone else’s products, for that matter) to make their own clothing or gear? If you ask me, some of the best ideas in the outdoor gear have their roots in DIY-specialists or the cottage industry, so we’re always interested to hear how people like to use our products. I’ve received emails from people that have used Heatsheets blankets as solar heat reflectors inside their cars or as insulation inside coolers, so I know there are enthusiastic innovators out there taking our products beyond what we imagined when we made them. If you have a story, please share it with us in our comments section.
It’s summertime! That means it is time to get outside and explore your state and national parks, recreation areas, and favorite campgrounds. Before you pack up the kids into the SUV, be sure to review this list of outdoor first aid tips from wilderness safety expert Buck Tilton, who this month joins AMK as a regular blogger. Welcome aboard Buck!
AMK's Newest Expert Blogger Buck Tilton
When you pack for a camping trip, a first-aid kit is a mandatory item. Heck, it has been on the list of Ten Essentials ever since the invention of lists. If your gear includes the Adventure Medical Kits’ Day Tripper with the Easy Care First Aid System, you can handle the most common problems—even without advanced first aid training.
Day Tripper features the Easy Care First Aid System
Cuts and scrapes send you looking for the kit most often. Three goals are worthy of consideration:
1. Stop Serious Bleeding
Almost all bleeding can be stopped with direct pressure: pressure from your hand directly on the wound (preferably with gloves on). Adding a product such as QuikClot to your medical kit will put you in control of more nasty bleeds. You can allow small wounds to bleed to a stop, a process that may help clean them a bit.
2. Prevent Infection
Cleaning Wounds
Proper wound cleaning and dressing will prevent infection in most wounds. Cleaning also speeds healing and reduces scarring. The best method for cleaning is mechanical irrigation delivered from a high-pressure, irrigation syringe with 18 gauge plastic tip. The best cleaning solution is disinfected water—water that’s safe to drink. Draw the solution into the syringe, hold it about two inches above the wound and perpendicular to the wound, and push down forcefully on the plunger. Use at least half a liter, more if the wound still looks unclean. Without an irrigation syringe, you can improvise by using a biking water bottle, forcing water from a hydration bladder, or punching a pinhole in a clean plastic bag full of water. Embedded pieces of gravel and dirt will need to be scrubbed clean from the skin to further reduce the chance of infection.
3. Promote Healing
Dressing Wounds
Wounds heal faster with less scarring if they are kept slightly moist with an antibiotic ointment. Then use a dressing to completely cover the wound and ideally extend a half-inch or so beyond the wound’s edge. The bandage will fix, protect, and further assist the dressing. It can be conforming gauze, tape, elastic wraps, clean cotton strips, or improvised out of anything available. For very small wounds, the dressing and the bandage are available as a unit, often called a Band-Aid, found in all first-aid kits.
Treating Sprains
First aid for a sprain, another common injury, is RICE: Rest, Ice, Compression, and Elevation. Do not use the injury (Rest) for about 30 minutes while you reduce its temperature (Ice) as much as possible without freezing. Without ice, soak the joint in cold water, or carry chemical cold packs, or wrap the joint in wet cotton and let evaporation cool the damaged area. Compression requires an elastic wrap. Wrap it toward the heart and snug but not tight enough to cut off healthy circulation. Elevation refers to keeping the injury a few inches higher than the heart of the injured person. Taking an anti-inflammatory medication such as ibuprofen (200mg - follow directions on package) will help to reduce both pain and inflammation. After 20 to 30 minutes of RICE, remove the treatment and let the joint warm naturally for 10 to 15 minutes before use. If it hurts a lot, don’t use it—and find a doctor.
Treating & Preventing Stomach Ailments
Diarrhea is the most common illness disturbing a family camping trip. You can greatly reduce your chances of contracting diarrhea, if you always wash your hands before eating and make sure the cook crew prepares food with freshly cleaned hands. If soap and water aren’t available, keep alcohol-free Adventure® Hand Sanitizer nearby; it kills 99.9% of bacteria, but won’t dry out the skin like alcohol-based sanitizers do. There are many causes, but with all causes, dehydration is the immediate problem. Mild diarrhea can be treated with water or diluted fruit juices or sports drinks. Persistent diarrhea requires more aggressive replacement of electrolytes lost in the stool, and Oral Rehydration Saltsprovide the best treatment. Rice, grains, bananas, potatoes are okay to eat. Fats, dairy products, caffeine, and alcohol should be avoided. Anti-diarrheal drugs should be considered. If the diarrhea is not under control in about 24 hours, head for your physician.
Wash your hands before cooking and eating
Preventing & Treating Insect Bites & Stings
The little biters–mosquitoes, black flies, gnats, even ticks—tend to be the most bother but are the least serious camping problem. Pack to prevent the bites with a DEET-based product such as Ben’s® or go DEET free with Natrapel® 8 hour, containing a 20% Picaridin formula. After a bite, there’s, well, AfterBite, America’s favorite.
Buck Tilton is a wilderness medicine and survival expert and author, who has written 36 books on outdoor safety. Over the past 20 years, he has contributed hundreds of articles and a regular column to Backpacker. Tilton also co-founded the Wilderness Medicine Institute, now WMI of NOLS, which is the largest school of wilderness medicine in the world. This month he joins AMK as a regular blogger.
In this “Medical Minute” segment AMK’s wilderness medical consultant and AMK Co-founder, Eric A. Weiss, MD, debunks some commonly held myths about the most effective methods for stopping problem bleeding. While there are some great new hemostatic products ( Quikclot ) on the market to stop a severe bleed – like an arterial bleed, - the tried and true method of applying direct pressure will work 99% of the time. Watch this video to see how.
One of the co-founders of Adventure Medical Kits, Dr. Weiss is also the author of A Comprehensive Guide to Wilderness & Travel Medicine. Currently, he is the Associate Director of Trauma at the Stanford University Medical Center.
Plan on sailing this summer? Before you do, check out this post from Adventure® Medical Kits’ marine medicine consultant Dr. Michael Jacobs for tips on dealing with that common ailment that afflicts many boating enthusiasts — seasickness.
Seasickness (mal de mer) is the sailor’s most common and dreaded ailment; susceptibility is virtually universal. Untreated, seasickness leads to rapid physical and mental deterioration, posing a major hazard to crew health, safety, and morale. Every year, seaworthy yachts are abandoned because their exhausted, seasick, and despondent crews have lost their collective will to persevere. Unfortunately, mariners frequently consider seasickness a medical emergency, and summon unnecessary and potentially hazardous medical evacuations; at the very least, seasickness can ruin a good day on the water for any boater. It is clearly an illness to be reckoned with.
CAUSE
Seasickness results from a mismatch of sensory input processed in the brain’s balance center, which orients the body’s position in space. Place someone in the cabin of a heeling and rolling boat, and you immediately invite “mal de mer.” Below decks, the eyes oriented to the floor and ceiling detect no tilt from vertical, but fluid in the inner ear (the vestibular apparatus) constantly shifts with the boat’s motion, sending a different position signal to the brain. Positions sensors in the neck, muscles, and joints relay additional information to the brain depending on how the person moves to maintain balance. The conflict of sensory data from all these sources ultimately activates a series of responses, which we recognize as seasickness. Sensory conflict and the loss of spatial orientation can impair ones ability to think and reason clearly. Seasick sailors often lose short-term memory and the ability to solve problems and make sound judgments. Confusion is also a side effect of many medications used to treat seasickness. Astronauts who suffer from motion sickness in space call this condition the “space stupids.” The equivalent condition for seasick boaters might be called “sea stupids.” The trick to preventing seasickness is to avoid sensory conflict by coordinating input, especially from your eyes and ears. Simply put, if your eyes are seeing what your ears are feeling, you will have a great day at sea!
PREVENTION
Start your trip well hydrated, and avoid alcohol.
Eat a light meal low in fat and high in starch.
Pre-trip preparation should be designed to minimize time spent below decks while underway. Prepare a few simple meals ahead of time, and have personal belongings easily accessible.
Avoid close-focused visual tasks such as reading.
Stay in the fresh air, away from engine fumes, and near the center of the boat where motion is less pronounced.
Munch on saltines, granola, or energy bars, and sip fluids.
Look at the horizon to provide a stable reference point; sit or stand upright with your head and upper body balanced over your hips, and anticipate the boat’s motion as though “riding” the waves. Standing and taking the helm will help you accomplish this.
Steer the boat by reference to the horizon, clouds, oncoming waves and distant marks; this is extremely effective in reducing seasickness. It may take as long as three days to adapt to the boat’s motion and get your “sea legs.”
MEDICATIONS
Medication is generally more effective in preventing symptoms than reversing them during this period of adaptation; therefore, if you anticipate you may become seasick, begin medication the night before departure.
Bonine® (Meclizine), and Phenergan® are effective as well as other medications (see page 114 in A Comprehensive Guide to Marine Medicine for more info on medications). Sudafed®, or Nodoz®, can counteract the drowsiness caused by the antihistamines. The popular drug Stugeron® (Cinnarizine), although not sold in the United States, is available over-the-counter in Europe, Bermuda, Mexico, and Canada. It can also be obtained from www.canadadrugsonline.com. The prescription Transderm-Scop® adhesive patch, applied behind the ear two hours before departure, may cause less fatigue, and the benefits will last for three days. Review the many potential (and serious) side effects before using scopolamine with your physician. Scopace® tablets allow sailors to regulate the amount of scopolamine, which helps reduce side effects.
ALTERNATIVE THERAPIES
Alternative therapies, which appear beneficial for some mariners, include ginger capsules, one gram every six hours, supplemented with other ginger products. BioBand® and Sea-Band® are elastic bands with a plastic stud that applies pressure to the Neiguan P6 acupuncture site in the forearm. The variety of medications, devices, and other remedies may work for some people and not for others. Therapies are subject to the placebo effect, and there are no well-controlled trials confirming the effectiveness of many products or comparing different treatments. The protection conferred by drugs is a matter of degree; there is no magic bullet to prevent seasickness in everyone. If one drug fails to work for you, try another; try different medications or modalities on land to see if there are any unacceptable side effects. If you discover a safe regimen that works for you, stick with it and believe in what you use.
SIGNS, SYMPTOMS & TREATMENTS
The earliest signs and symptoms of seasickness are yawning and drowsiness, progressing to dry mouth, headache, dizziness, and extreme listlessness. Some people initially experience an unsettled stomach, slight sweating, mild blushing, and a feeling of warmth. Untreated, the person becomes pale, cold, and clammy. Nausea later comes in waves with belching, salivation, and then uncontrollable vomiting. Recognize and begin treatment with prescription anti-nausea medication (e.g. Phenergan®) when early signs appear. Phenergan® taken as a pill, but preferably a suppository, will prevent vomiting and subsequent dehydration. During treatment, lie down and try to sleep. Take small amounts of fluid, crackers, and hard candy.
Sailors now have many options to manage seasickness. It is no longer necessary to follow Samuel Johnson’s 18th century advice: “To cure seasickness, find a good big oak tree and wrap your arms around it.”
Dr. Jacobs is the co-author of A Comprehensive Guide to Marine Medicine, and the author of numerous articles and chapters on medicine for mariners and safety at sea. He is the founder of MedSail, and consultant to Adventure® Medical Kits. He practices medicine on Martha’s Vineyard.
Here are some questions that people reading our blog have submitted recently…
Q: How do I verify the expiration date on your oral rehydration salts?
A: The manufacturer of the oral rehydration salts we use does not include and expiration date on the package, as rehydration salts aren’t classified as a drug by the FDA. Because this product is fairly inert (unlike a pharmaceutical), I wouldn’t have a problem stocking a packet that was a few years old in one of my own kits. However, if you are concerned that your product is too old to be used safely, you can contact our customer service department and arrange a replacement.
Q: What are the differences between the SOL Thermal Bivvy and the Heatsheets Emergency Bivvy?
A: The Heatsheets bivvy is made of a single layer of metalized polyethylene, making it very lightweight. It is a true emergency product in that, while being easy to repair and resistant to tearing, it won’t stand up to repeated heavy use. Also, because the material doesn’t breathe, you will have condensation when you’re inside it, making your clothing wet.
The SOL Thermal Bivvy is made from a much more durable 2-ply non-woven fabric material with a metalized coating. It will work as a primary sleep system in temperatures down to 50 degrees or provide about 15 degrees of extra insulation when used over a standard sleeping bag. In emergency situations, this bivvy is much more comfortable to occupy, since you can use the Velcro side opening to regulate heat and moisture inside the bivvy. Of course, the trade off with the Heatsheets bivvy is that the SOL Thermal Bivvy is bigger and weighs about 4.5 more ounces.
Q: Does your space blanket hold cold in and protect from the heat outside. I want to cover dry ice and boxes of bottles. If it can cool a little that would be better than nothing at all.
A: The Heatsheets blanket will help keep cold from escaping, although it is hard to quantify by how much. The studies done on this material focus on heat reflectivity, although the same principle is used to make metalized heat shades like reflective cooler interiors or automobile sun shades. If you do try it, I’d be interested to know how well it works.
Q: I have just ordered and received the Trauma Pak with QuickClot from LA Police Gear (excellent company).
I consider myself a fairly well prepared individual (various Red Cross First Aid, WMS Wilderness First Aid Course, CPR, AED, etc.) and intend to keep this small trauma pak kit in my shooting/range bag, along with other general first aid supplies (my heavily modified AMK Day Tripper – actually, it’s mostly just the bag any more with so many various add-on kits and items). Fortunately, I live in Dallas and have excellent access to high quality emergency medical aid – but certainly would not want to just stand there for 5 to 7 minutes until EMTs arrive for a problem. I intend to keep the kit sealed in the original package and watch the expiration date. What I am writing about is the instruction sheet – was hoping that more information was on the exterior of the package or available on your web-site (if there I couldn’t find it). Just don’t want the first time reading any specific, particularly new information to be during an actual emergency.
Is it possible to get a copy of the instruction sheet by e-mail or on-line?
A: You make a good point about not waiting until an emergency to read key medical information. I will post a copy of the instructions on our company blog, located at www.adventuremedicalkits.com/blog.
Q: Going to Botswana in June 2010. Should I use DEET repellant or not? I don’t know the pros and cons.
A: There has been quite a lot of research done concerning the safety of DEET – much more than can fit in this email. To break down the basic issues: DEET is an extremely effective insect repellent, and it has been on the market for half a century with very little (if any) known toxic effects. That being said, some have argued that DEET may have adverse health or neurotoxic effects. The EPA, which regulates insect repellents and insecticides, has evaluated the merits of these controversial studies and concluded that DEET is still safe for human use, with 30% concentrations such as Ben’s 30 Wilderness formula being safe for use on children above two months of age. One other potential downside of DEET is that it can melt synthetic fibers and plastic, such as Gore-tex jackets, fishing line, or nylon clothing.
If you are concerned about DEET, I highly recommend using Natrapel 8-hour, which is made using a 20% concentration of the ingredient Picaridin. Picaridin has been widely used in Europe for around 20 years and has made its way into the US market over the last few years. It is just as effective as DEET and will not affect plastics, so many people prefer it to DEET for that reason alone.
Personally, if I am on a backpacking trip in high infestation areas, I use Ben’s Max 100% DEET because it has always worked for me, and that’s what I trust, although some of my coworkers swear by Natrapel 8-hour. As long as you’re using a CDC-recommended ingredient (such as DEET or Picaridin) and following the label instructions so that you’re applying it often enough, you should be able to keep insects at bay.
Q: We purchased the Suture/Syringe Kit from Adventure Medical Kits but were disappointed not to have instructions for use. Can you recommend a book(s) for those who might need to deal with the contents in an emergency?
A: Because this kit is designed to be purchased and used by professionals only, we don’t include instructions in it. Suturing wounds, administering injections and IV’s, and performing field surgery are not practices that are advisable for a novice to perform – these types of procedures require professional instruction with hands-on demonstrations and significant field experience. In a case where surgery or suturing is indicated, it is best to stabilize the patient as much as possible and either evacuate the patient so medical care can be obtained or await wilderness rescue. If you are traveling in an area where sterile supplies may not be available at a local hospital, this kit (or the smaller Suture/Syringe Medic) can be given directly to the medical practitioner to ensure the use of safe equipment.
Q: I have a Thermo-Lite 2.0 Bivvy and it is a bit stinky. Can I put it through the laundry? How do you recommend it be cleaned?
A: I wouldn’t recommend machine-washing a Thermo-lite 2.0 Bivvy (now renamed the SOL Thermal Bivvy). To clean it, wash it by hand using warm water and mild soap, and hang it to dry. Open the velco side-vents as far as they go to aid in drying.
Q: Could you tell me yourself or direct me to a site that would explain the usual procedure to treat a deep open wound, especially using the products of AMK. Recently I had an episode where I cut my finger with a chain saw and luckily I had some quickclot at home which stopped the bleeding quickly until I could get to the hospital. I was by myself and had to drive myself to an emerg. clinic nearby. They simply deadened the finger with a shot(wow!), soaked it in a Betadine solution and stitched it with 6 stiches. Then wrapped it in a splint and gauze.
But what would I do if something like this happened out on a hike or wilderness trip? Could this be handled with substitute or similar medical products and medicine?
A: As you found out, stopping the bleeding is the most important step to take when confronted with a laceration, so it’s good to have a pack of QuikClot on hand at home and in your pack if you’re in the wilderness. Once bleeding is under control, the best way to clean and close a wound is to irrigate it (preferably using an irrigation syringe) to clear out debris and then to hold the edges closed with wound closure strips (or butterfly bandages). This technique is explained in detail in Dr. Weiss’s Comprehensive Guide to Wilderness Medicine, and you can see an improvisational technique, should you find yourself without the requisite supplies here: http://www.adventuremedicalkits.com/blog/2008/07/dr-weiss-advice-wound-irrigation-technique/
Everyone has had a toothache at some point in their lives, but what do you do when you are in a remote area, traveling in a developing country, or on a back-country expedition? Below are some tips from AMK’s Founder, Dr. Eric A. Weiss about what to do when you find yourself with a dental emergency far from the nearest dentist…..
The common toothache is caused by inflammation of the dental pulp and is often associated with a cavity. The pain may be severe and intermittent and is made worse by hot or cold foods or liquids.
Treatment
1) If the offending cavity can be localized, a piece of cotton soaked with a topical anti-inflammatory agent such as eugenol (oil of cloves) can first be applied.
2) Place a temporary filling material, such as Cavit® or zinc-oxide and eugenol cement, into the cavity or lost filling site to protect the nerve.
ʻWEISS ADVICEʼ [IMPROVISED TECHNIQUE]
Quick relief of dental pain and bleeding. Bleeding and pain from the mouth can often be relieved by placing a moistened tea bag onto the bleeding site or into the socket that is bleeding.
The Ten Essentials are the key items to have with you on any trip into the back-country -these items could make the difference between life and death in a survival situation.
Check out the article below, courtesy of REI, to learn more about the ten essentials and how to be prepared when you enter the back-country. Our S.O.L. 3 kit is a great start- it includes Medical, Survival, and Gear Repair items in one lightweight, water-resistant kit.
Learn about the tools you need to pack to survive in the wilderness from world renowned high altitude mountaineer Ed Viesturs in our video section.
The Ten Essentials
Knowing the Ten Essentials is good. Carrying the Ten Essentials is better. (more…)
Q: used the heatsheets emergency bivvy (3.8 oz). next morning discovered a lot of moisture in the bivvy. this gave rise to an extra cold and damp start to the day. is this a common with the bivvy? many thanks for a small but important bit of kit. it may not seem like the back country but when i am here in northern ireland events can turn bad.
A: Condensation inside the bivvy is par for the course with this product – since the material itself is not breathable, moisture accumulates fairly rapidly. This is why we classify the Heatsheets Bivvy as an emergency product – since, in an emergency, it is necessary to preserve heat and get warm at all costs, even if condensation results.
Q: I have to prepare a medical kit for 40 people in a wilderness setting and being “waterproof” is a must so we don’t lose supplies. What Adventure Medical Kit do I need? My wife is a retired R.N., so we would also like something that has a stapler as well as sutures in it.
A: A kit for 40 people is going to need to be pretty large – I would recommend either our Guide I or Expedition kits from our Professional Series. These kits have enough supplies to treat a wide range of ailments and injuries over a large group of people, and they are designed for professionals or individuals with advanced wilderness first aid training. (For a more user friendly option, I highly recommend our Comprehensive kit, which features Easy Care organization so even someone without any first aid training can administer medical care.) All of our kits in the Professional series use water-resistant fabrics, although they aren’t 100% waterproof – for a kit as large as what you’re looking for, I would recommend keeping it in a waterproof container such as a Pelican case, Otter box, or even a very large size Aloksak; alternatively, you can pack the inner components into zip-lock bags to keep them dry in the event that the kit is submerged.
As for sutures/surgical supplies, I recommend picking up a Deluxe Wound Cleaning and Closure module from our refills page – this module is for professionals only, and it contains sutures as well as a skin stapler and staple remover.
Q: Would it be safe to put the Quikclot sport silver after I’ve use neosporin on a gauze?
A: QuikClot (and QuikClot Silver) are designed to be used in an emergency situation when bleeding is heavy or life-threatening. If the amount of bleeding has slowed enough for you to dress the wound properly (with gauze and antibiotic ointment), it probably isn’t necessary to use QuikClot. In answer to your question, it is safe to use QuikClot or QuikClot Silver in this situation, but my advice would be to use QuikClot directly on the wound immediately, hold it in place using direct pressure for as long as is necessary to stop the bleeding, and then to use antibiotic ointment, non-adherent dressings, and gauze to dress the wound once bleeding has stopped.
Q: What is the best kit for horseback riding? We ride in the mountains often, and sometimes get far from camp.
A: I suggest either our Comprehensive or Outfitter, since these kits both have detachable inner bags that you can take with you on excursions from your base camp. Both of the kits have enough supplies for large groups or extended trips, so if you’re venturing out with smaller groups on shorter trips, you may want to consider the Weekender or Sportsman kits instead. The Comprehensive and Weekender kits are from our Mountain series, which will suit your needs if you just ride horses to get out into the wilderness, while the Outfitter and Sportsman kits are specifically designed for hunting/fishing trips.
Q: I will be directing an archaeological project in the lower Andean mountains of Peru (ca. 1000m). We will have a crew of four people and will be working for about a month. It is five hours by horse to the nearest road and then four hours by truck to the nearest town. We will have supplies brought in once a week and each crew member is expected to bring in their own basic supplies. We can get most basic supplies in Peru (boxes of gauze, bandages, eye flush, antiseptic wipes, etc,) but I am concerned with a major machete cut. Snake bites and burns are second and third on my list. Any suggestions for kits.
A: I would recommend the Comprehensive kit from our Mountain Series for your needs (four people in a remote location for 30 days). Although you can obtain basic supplies, it really is preferable to have everything contained in one kit, especially one like the Comprehensive in which the contents are organized by injury. If you are particularly worried about major cuts/bleeding, pick up a Wound Closure Medic, which as everything you need to clean and close a wound, as well as some QuikClot Sport, which will stop bleeding within minutes.
Bonine® (Meclizine), and Phenergan® are effective as well as other medications (see page 114 in 