Survive Outdoors Longer

April 1, 2012

SOL^™(Survive Outdoors Longer) is

Rebranded SZL^™(Survive Zombies Longer)

LITTLETON, NH (April 1, 2012) – Mayan Calendar Doomsday. Dangerous, crazy weather. Economic uncertainty. These are unpredictable times.  Now at least you don’t have to worry about a “Zombie Apocalypse.” SZL™ has you covered!

“Our SOL™ brand was designed to enable anyone and everyone to expect the unexpected when enjoying the outdoors,” says Chief Marketing Officer and Adventure^® Medical Kits’ Co-Founder Frank Meyer. “Unfortunately, we now have more pressing events to worry about. The Mayan Calendar, zombie apocalypse, etc. I hate to say it but this is the stuff we really need to think about. Hence from April 1, 2012 forward our SOL™ brand is being rebranded into SZL™. Laugh if you want, but when it happens you are going to want our gear. I expect sales to skyrocket.” Meyer went further to say that all new packaging, SZL™ web site, and catalog will launch this week.

Zombie attacks and wilderness survival have a lot in common - both require the right skills and the right equipment. Survival means innovating with what you have on hand and keeping a positive attitude to find your way out of a tough spot. SZL™ is committed to helping you “Survive Zombies Longer” by providing you with category-defining tools, kits, and essentials plus instructions, tips, and techniques from experts in the field.

Survive Zombies Longer, or SZL™ may be a new name in survival, but the people behind the brand, Adventure® Medical Kits, has been helping keep you safe and healthy in the outdoors for over 20 years. World-renowned for hospital quality, expedition-grade medical kits, Adventure® Medical Kits knows a thing or two about survival, having redefined the market with iconic products such as the Pocket Survival Pak and a full line of heat-reflective shelters. SZL™ is the next step in AMK’s company-wide mission to help you “Be Safe” wherever your adventure may take you. Don’t run out of luck – get SZL™.

Chris Gubera, Adventure Medical Kits President, is solidly behind the rebranding and put it best when he said: “I love this. I think you are on the right track. I don’t have much to add as I myself am a zombie so this rebranding cuts a little close to the heart I really don’t have.”

About Adventure® Medical Kits
Adventure® Medical Kits, a division of Tender Corporation, likes to have a little fun once in awhile. We hope you enjoy our spoof and visit the SZL website while it lasts! Adventure Medical Kits is the world leader in developing innovative first aid and outdoor survival products that help people enjoy safe outdoor adventures. Co-designed with top emergency, outdoor, marine and travel medicine experts, AMK’s activity-specific products are specially designed to prevent and treat common injuries and ailments that occur during outdoor activities, including mountaineering, hunting, sailing, hiking or traveling. Many of the kits follow AMK’s unique Easy Care™ system, which organizes hospital quality supplies into injury specific compartments, allowing the novice or pro to quickly and confidently administer first aid.

Additionally, the company markets a wide range of survival products, including its top-selling Thermo-Lite® Bivvy Sack and Pocket Survival Pak™, and bug repellants and bite treatments, such as Ben’s® insect repellent and the world-famous AfterBite®. More recently, the company has expanded into the hygiene category, with the release of the Adventure® Hand Sanitizer and exclusive distribution into the outdoor retail channel of Fresh Bath™ Wipes , both of which help reduce the likelihood people will contract an illness while out in the field.

Said Van Tilburg, “The stories that made the cut were selected partly for their fantastic nature, but also because they highlight important lessons that show what to do – or just as often, not do — in a life-threatening situation. In many cases, the people on this list made critical errors which led to the predicament they found themselves in, or at least prolonged it. Thankfully, all of the people on the list did enough things right to ensure their survival. That and a healthy dose of dumb luck didn’t hurt either!”

1. Woman survives four days in Oregon forest. After plummeting off a 50-foot cliff and fracturing her leg in two places, 28-year-old Pamela Salant of Portland, Oregon, survived for three frigid August nights in the rugged Columbia Gorge National Scenic Area, wearing only a tank top and shorts.  She had no cell phone and no water. How she did it: Salant ate wild berries and caterpillars, drank from creeks, used moss for warmth, bandaged a cut with her underwear and used her upper body strength to drag herself down a canyon to the shelter of thick trees. She was plucked from the wilds by an Oregon National Guard UH-60 Blackhawk. The lesson learned: even for a short hike, take the 10 essentials including a cell phone, proper clothing and a small survival kit. In this case, Salant got lucky: instead of staying put, she moved deeper into the wilderness, farther from rescuers, which likely prolonged her ordeal.
   

   Salant recovering in hospital following 3-day ordeal.

2. Man survives two days in Pacific Ocean. After the devastating 8.9 magnitude earthquake and subsequent tsunami that devastated Japan in March, many miraculous survival stories began to emerge. Top of the list concerned 60-year-old Hiromitsu Shinkawa from Minamisouma, who returned to his home to fetch items, only to be whisked away by the flooding. He grabbed the nearest potential flotation device at hand – the recently separated tin roof of his house –on which he floated in the Pacific Ocean for two days, drifting 10 miles off shore. A Maritime Self-Defense Force destroyer eventually rescued him. How he did it: He improvised. He looked for the closest object that offered the strongest flotation potential, grabbed it and clung for dear life. The lesson learned: Never go back to the scene of the disaster; instead, seek high ground. Also, for an urban crisis, pack a 72-hour emergency kit. that includes a communication device, clothing, food, water and depending on where you live, a life jacket.
3. Hiker survives 17 days in Brazil jungle. Denise Ciunek, a 38-year-old Brazilian woman set out to solo hike the 25-kilometer Caminho do Itupava, a steep 17th century track up the Serra do Mar Mountains in southern Brazil. When accosted by a gunman, she fended off attack—and imminent rape— by jumping into a river. She lost the trail, and was rescued 17 days later. How she did it: she holed up in a valley between waterfalls and waited for help. The lesson learned: unless you have the tools and skills to navigate, it’s best to stay put. Oh yeah, and don’t hike solo. There’s strength in numbers.
4. Mother, daughter and friend survive three days in Death Valley. After following a dashboard-mounted GPS named “Neil,” Donna Cooper of Pahrump, Nevada, took several wrong turns in her car, got lost, and ran out of fuel. She kept asking the GPS to take her home, but the electronic device led Cooper, 62, her 17-year-old daughter, Gina, and her friend, Jenny, down abandoned dirt roads. This was Death Valley in August. In 100+ degree heat. The problem was that her GPS (thanks for nothing, Neil!) relied on outdated maps and led the woman in circles 128 miles off route. How she did it: Cooper and the two teens stayed alive for three days by finding shade, and then located a private travel trailer with running water and a few cans of food. Gina Cooper’s boss alerted authorities that she was missing and the three were eventually spotted and rescued by a search and rescue helicopter.  The lesson learned: GPS is useful and convenient but not 100% reliable. Keep one foot in the analog world — take a map, a compass, a signaling device and follow road signs. Oh, and stop me if you heard this song before: tell someone where you are going and when you are expected to return.
5. Woman and son survive tornado in North Carolina. “I flew a football field length in a bath tub,” recalled Cindy Busick, who survived a tornado by climbing in a bathtub. Part of a record-setting tornado season with 25 touching down in North Carolina alone, this twister ripped through at 140 mph and leveled Busick’s 4,500 sq. ft Sanford, North Carolina home. How she did it: after the tornado had propelled her and the bathtub a distance of 75 yards from her home, Busick crawled under the tub, using it as a shield and rode out the remainder of the storm. The lesson learned: In tornados and earthquakes, dive in bath tubs, stand under door jambs, crawl under big desks, or back up against a brick wall.  Taking coverbehind such barriers will increase the odds you’ll make it through harsh weather in one piece.
   

   NC resident Cindy Busick (pictured right) post-tornado following her unbelievable bathtub ride.

6. Canadian woman survives seven weeks in forest. In March, Rita Chretien, a 56-year-old British Columbia resident, was lost with her husband Raymond in Nevada’s Humboldt National forest when their car got mired in mud. Her husband left the car to seek help after being stranded for three days and as of this post is still missing. The couple wasn’t reported missing for 10 days, when they didn’t return home to Canada. How she did it: Ms. Chretien stayed with the car, rationed her scant trail mix, and ate snow. Although losing nearly 30 pounds, she was found alive by a group of off-road-vehicle riders after 49 days.  The lesson learned: stay with the car and (here it comes) tell someone where you are going; for trips longer than a weekend, schedule check-in points by phone. Also, eating snow in subzero temps is not advisable: it lowers your core body temperature and can spur hypothermia. Rita Chretien had luck on her side. Don’t test yours. Pack a survival kit with an all-weather firestarter and stainless steel container for melting snow into water.
7. Couple trapped for five days in roadside ditch. John and Pat Norvell, both age 63, traveled from their home in Vancouver, Washington, to the snow-laden mountains in Cougar, the foothills of Mount St. Helens. On snowy roads, their car slid into a ditch and they got stuck, despite having four-wheel drive. What’s more: both the Norvells are diabetic. They were found five days later, after Mr. Norvell was able to flag down another motorist. How they did it: they rationed water and intermittently turned on the car to run the heat. And they stayed put. The lesson learned: use caution when traveling in foul weather on mountain roads. Four-wheel drive doesn’t make your car invincible. When stuck, stay with your car and break out your vehicle emergency kit. Always carry one.

Chris Van Tilburg, M.D., is the editor of WMS’s Wilderness Medicine Magazine 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.

Though our new SOL Escape Bivvy won’t hit store shelves until January 2012, the product continues to receive major awards from leading outdoor interest media. The most recent plaudits come courtesy of prominent outdoor gear blog, the Gear Junkie, which included the Escape Bivvy in its 2011 “Top 10 Gear List”.

The Bivvy also received a 2011 “Best in Show” award — recognizing the most innovative gear that debuted at the Summer Outdoor Retailer Show — from the Gear Junkie in August and a Fall/Winter 2011 “Gear of the Year” nod from National Geographic Adventure Magazine. Here’s what the Gear Junkie had to say about the SOL Escape Bivvy, following a thorough field test of the product earlier this fall:

“I can say hands-down that the SOL Escape Bivvy is the finest minimal/emergency bivy solution I have ever seen. We woke up dry even after going to bed wet in this truly breathable bag!  It’s about 8 ounces rolled up, and it is well worth the weight in your pack.”

Click here to read the Gear Junkie’s full review the SOL Escape Bivvy.

Vern at the 'finish line' in Pismo Beach, CA.

Wow, it seems like only yesterday that our Product Regulatory Manager, Vern Schrum, strapped on his cycling shoes and started peddling in pursuit of a life-long goal – to ride his bike coast to coast. Well, earlier this week he did it.

Ostensibly tracing the ACA’s Southern Tier Route, Vern set off in St. Augustine, FL, in late September and eventually completed his journey 3,382 miles and 61 days later in Pismo Beach, California, near where he grew up and where family and friends were eagerly waiting to congratulate him.

Vern embarked on the trip in part to raise awareness on and funds for cancer research (he had lost his own father to the disease at early age) and in part to complete a meaningful goal before hitting the big 5-0. It’s evident from reading his final post reflecting on his journey that the trip has had a major impact on him that will last far beyond this week:

My emotions when I started were of excitement, anticipation and I would be lying if I didn’t say some fear of the unknown. But if we didn’t attempt things we were afraid of we wouldn’t get to experience the excitement of life. I wouldn’t have seen the cotton fields of Alabama, the cliff dwellings of Texas, the pecan trees of New Mexico and many other amazing places our country has to offer. The thing, however, that I will never forget is the kindness and generosity of the people I met along the way. Strangers who would shake my hand and wish me luck or ask to say a prayer with me or invite me to stay at their home and have dinner with their family. The kindness I received was amazing. There are truly kind people in this world. If you have ever thought about traveling by bicycle and life provides you with the opportunity, take it. It will be the adventure of a lifetime.

Vern, your pursuit of your goal has been a huge inspiration to everyone at the company. Congratulations on achieving it!

Where it began - St. Augustine Beach, FL.

For a recap of and great images from Vern’s bike trip, check out his blog on crazyguyonabike. To donate to cancer research, visit Vern’s dedicated page on the American Cancer Society’s Family & Friends’ site.

Type 1 high altitude mountaineer and AMK-sponsored adventure athlete Will Cross provides trip planning advice for athletes with diabetes who are prepping for a major expedition or climb.

1.  Insulin storage – Wrap the bottles or delivery devices in aluminum foil and mark using sports tape. This will insulate and protect the insulin from a hard knock. Use a small coffee thermos to protect from the heat or the cold.
2. Foot care – Inspect your feet daily and use a foot powder or foot cream, like HealthiFeet, recommended by a podiatrist. Clean socks are imperative. Clean your nails and between the toes with the alcohol swab used for injections.
3.  Eye care – Wear good shades with polarized lenses; spend the money to protect those retinas!
4.  Skin care – Take some good body lotion if prone to dry skin to avoid cracked skin and infections. Use an SPF 30 sunscreen with UV A and B protection when on water, snow or in the mountains.
5.  Hypoglycemia – This condition occurs when your blood sugar is too low. It can cause fatigue, seizures and unconsciousness. Use energy gels such as PowerGel, Gu, or Cliff Shots, which offer a predictable amount of carbs in a fast absorbing form and easy-to-carry packet. Pack enough for the duration of your trip — and then some.
6. Hyperglycemia – This happens when your blood sugar is too high. Left untreated over several hours and it can lead to severe dehydration, a swelling of the brain and possibly a coma. Drink fluids to flush out the sugar and ketones. Ketones are the poison produced by the kidneys, which prevents glucose from being broken down and used as energy. This will require extra cooking fuel for melting liquids which may have become frozen during the day, so plan ahead. You may have to delay your start time in order to avoid stressing the body while blood sugar is high.
7. Partner – Choose wisely. Select a partner who is well informed about your diabetes and knows how to recognize and treat the highs and lows. Do not go solo. Make sure they carry the energy gels too.
8. Travel – When traveling abroad, have an MD note in the local language that explains why you have needles, strips, a blood meter and so on. Most language teachers and some computer programs can translate for you. Do not place your meds in the cargo hold of a plane as they will freeze. Instead, split your load in half and have your partner take some and you the rest. If a bag is then lost or stolen you still have your meds. Take extra scripts in the event that everything is lost, delayed or stolen. Consider wearing a Med Alert bracelet or necklace with internationally recognized Med Alert sign and contact info. If you pass out, this will be the only clue for an unsuspecting helper.
9.  Blood testing – Test early and often when in a new environment, time zone or activity. Write down the results, record the new diet and monitor trends so that you can function at your best. In the cold, protect the strips and device deep in your sleeping bag and warm it up under your arms when ready to test. During the day, use urine strips; at night, use a testing machine in the security and warmth of a tent. Bring a back-up device.
10. Mental preparation – Living with diabetes while trying to accomplish a major physical feat requires constant balance and understanding of one’s energy use. That takes a lot of mental discipline. Identify what you love and need to accomplish in life and go after it to the best of your ability; recognize that you may not achieve the goal but that you will at least be in the hunt. Trying is what matters.

Will Cross is a world-class adventurer, who has ascended to the highest peaks on all seven continents. Cross is the first American with diabetes to summit Mt. Everest. He was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes at age nine.

Team Tecnu at finish line of Adventure Racing World Champs Race

AMK is proud to announce that our favorite group of adventure athletes, Team Tecnu Extreme/Kailash (featuring AMK’s own Kyle Peter), battled the globe’s top-ranked athletes on the rugged terrain of Tasmania to clinch 12th place at the 2011 Adventure Racing World Championships.

This was no small feat considering the epic nature of Australia’s biggest expedition race and the team is still beaming with pride at their achievement – one that now ranks them as the top team in North America.

Team Tecnu competed against 80 other four-person teams from around the world. The ‘Tassie’ course, which consisted of 700 km of extremely challenging geography, took the team six days and 19 hours to complete.

“It was one of the most beautiful and diverse races of my life,” said team captain and lead navigator Kyle Peter.

For the Tassie World Champs race Peter assembled an international dream team made up of Brazilian and Tecnu veteran Marco Amselem, seasoned American adventure racer Ryan VanGorder and Canadian Liza Pye. The team battled sand dunes, freezing temperatures, aggressive white water rapids and knee-deep mud all while navigating their way to the finish line on Tasmania’s beautiful Northwest coast.

“We had a great race,” says Peter, “and it has only made us more excited for the upcoming 2012 season where we hope to keep on moving up the ranking board.”

Be sure to follow Tecnu Extreme Adventure Racing for the latest team news, including the upcoming announcement of their 2012 racing schedule.

Congratulations Team Tecnu!

If a person who has diabetes becomes confused, weak, or unconscious for no apparent reason, he may be suffering from insulin shock (low blood sugar) or diabetic ketoacidosis (high blood sugar).

INSULIN SHOCK (LOW BLOOD SUGAR)

If a person with diabetes takes too much insulin or fails to eat enough food to match his insulin level or his level of exercise, a rapid drop in blood sugar can occur. Symptoms may come on very rapidly and include an altered level of consciousness, ranging from slurred speech, bizarre behaviour, and loss of coordination, to seizures and unconsciousness.

Treatment
If still conscious, the victim should be given something containing sugar to drink or eat as rapidly as possible. This can be fruit juice, candy, or a non-diet soft drink. If the victim is unconscious, place sugar granules, cake icing, or Glutose® paste from your first aid kit under his tongue, where it will be rapidly absorbed.

  DIABETIC KETOACIDOSIS (HIGH BLOOD SUGAR)

Diabetic ketoacidosis (formerly called diabetic coma) comes on gradually and is the result of insufficient insulin. This eventually leads to a very high sugar level in the victim’s blood. Early symptoms include frequent urination and thirst. Later, the victim will become dehydrated, confused, or comatose, and will develop nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, and a rapid breathing rate with a fruity odor to his breath.

Treatment
The victim needs immediate evacuation to a medical facility. If vomiting is not present and the victim is awake and alert, have him drink small, frequent sips of water. If you are unsure whether the victim is suffering from insulin shock (low blood sugar) or ketoacidosis (high blood sugar), it is always safer to assume it is low blood sugar and administer sugar.

Hey all you hunters and anglers, AMK needs your help re-designing our Sportsman Series of medical kits. And we are certainly willing to make it worth your while! Fill out our hunting and fishing survey and you’ll get a promo code good for 50% off the regular price of a SOL Origin or SOL Core Lite. Pretty sweet deal, no?

The deadline for completing the survey is Saturday October 29th. All purchases using the discount code must be made through the AMK website by October 31st. Here’s your chance to have a say in how the new version of the Sportsman Series should look and function.  So c’mon, start checking those boxes!

Vern in Tender's NH offices

Vern Schrum, Product Regulatory Manager for Adventure Medical Kits and our parent company Tender Corp., has begun the process of crossing off a major item on his Bucket List. The 49-year-old, who we all turn to whenever questions pertaining to the FDA, EPA and other important sounding acronyms come up, recently set out to ride his bike solo across the country.

Ostensibly following the Adventure Cycling Association’s (ACA) Southern Tier Route, but with some minor tweaks, Vern’s journey will take him from St. Augustine, FL, to San Diego, CA. He’ll then head north, connecting with the ACA’s Pacific Coast route, before finishing up in Arroyo Grande, CA. The once-in-a-lifetime trip will see him cross through seven states and cover more than 3200 miles. He expects to finish the ride in 75 days, which will include 10 off days. We spoke to him prior to leaving for Florida.

Q. So Vern, why the big trip now and can I have your cubicle till you get back?

A. Well, hitting 49 this year has prompted me to ‘you know what or get off the pot’! In April I decided if I don’t do it now I will always find an excuse not to do it.I am also dedicating this trip to my father, who passed away from cancer at a young age, and to all those whose lives were cut short by cancer and were unable to do that one thing they always wanted to do.

Vern has packed plenty of AMK and Tender gear into his panniers, including the new as-yet-released breathable SOL Escape Bivvy, which he’ll be rigorously field testing throughout the journey.

Check back here for regular updates on Vern’s progress and on crazyguyonabike, where he’s also blogging. And if you feel the urge, donate to a Cancer Research charity.

Be Safe Vern. See you in December!

By Buck Tilton

When bullets and arrows start filling the autumn air, we know a few of them will strike a hunter and fewer still non-hunters. Everyone knows the danger of a loaded gun, but gunshot wounds during hunting season—at least gunshot wounds to and from hunters—are on the decline, says the US Forest Service, probably due to mandatory hunter safety courses. While this is not a time to be less than perfectly careful with a firearm — with new hunters hitting the field each year — statistically, depending on where and how you hunt, there may be dangers greater than a rifle or a bow.

1. FALLS FROM TREESTANDS

If you hunt from a treestand, the chance of serious injury from a fall ranks at the top of the risk list. Hunters zeroed in on an animal often slip from treestands. They also fall climbing up and down from the stand, when they snooze in a stand, and when an old or improperly mounted stand collapses. These hunters frequently break something when they land, and injuries to the head and spine sometimes result in death. Remember: always raise and lower your unloaded gun with a rope so you can focus on the climb. Always check the stand carefully before putting your weight fully on it. Old, permanent, wooden stands deteriorate rapidly with age, making them the most dangerous. Once in the stand, strap yourself into a safety harness before hauling up your firearm–and if you have no harness, you may have made a fatal error.

2. HYPOTHERMIA

Most hunters who suffer a dangerous loss of body core temperature spend much longer away from a vehicle or cabin than they intended, and they’re out there longer because they get disoriented. An unexpected night out, even an unexpected afternoon out on a wintry day, and loss of inner heat can quickly reduce your ability to think, leading to even more profound disorientation. Fatigue rapidly overcomes the hunter. Inadequately clothed, without food and water, with no way to start a fire, the hunter succumbs to the cold. Remember: always dress in layers of clothing, removing outer layers when you heat up from exertion to prevent a drenching with sweat and adding layers back on when a chill sets in. Always carry an extra layer or two in your pack, along with snacks and non-alcoholic fluids, and the means to ignite a blaze. Scout the area in which you’ll hunt well before the season. Carry a map and compass, and know where you are on the map at all times. And, if you have cell phone reception, carry your phone, too.

3. DROWNING

The third leading cause of death to hunters threatens those who shoot from boats, who cross rivers, and who step onto ice-covered lakes. In every season, most victims of drowning never intended to get in the water, and that is certainly true of someone carrying a firearm. In icy water, your coordination can drop to nothing in 60 seconds. Remember: always wear a personal flotation device when you’re paddling out to shoot. Do not wade through running water unless the level is well below your knee and you are absolutely sure of the bottom. (You’re never sure unless you’ve crossed that river before!) And never walk out onto ice-covered lakes and ponds. If you disobey the rules and end up in over your head, immediately discard your rifle or shotgun and put all your effort into reaching a safe spot.

In every instance—treestand, cold weather, or deep water—your well being is your business. Luck favors the wise, not the bold.

Recommended Gear List:

SOL Emergency Bivvy – Reflects back 90% of radiated body heat. This pocket-size, ultralight 3.8 oz bivvy is an indispensable piece of equipment – especially for surviving the unexpected night outdoors.
SOL Origin – A self-contained multifunctional survival tool that includes instruments for signaling, navigating, fire starting and food gathering.
Hunter Kit – Containing hospital quality medications and wound care materials for treating the most common hunting and fishing injuries, the Hunter Kit also comes with a smaller detachable Field Trauma Kit, for trips away from base camp or times when space and weight are a factor.

Buck Tilton has authored 36 books on outdoor safety, including Wilderness First Responder, which won an award for excellence in medical writing from the American Medical Writers Association. For the last 20 years, Buck has contributed hundreds of articles on wilderness safety to Backpacker. In addition to his writing and journalism, Tilton also co-founded the Wilderness Medicine Institute (now WMI of NOLS), which remains the largest school of wilderness medicine in the world.

AMK's Kyle Peter (pictured second from left) & Team Tecnu at Finish Line of Gold Rush Mother Lode

The team, which AMK also sponsors and supplies various survival and first aid items to, finished the race more than four hours ahead of second place Dart-Nuun and Team Gearjunkie.com/YogaSlackers, which took third place. The four-day long event saw four-person co-ed teams attempt to cross a 275 mile (442.5km) course of rocky, challenging terrain in the Sierra Mountains of California.

Said Team Tecnu’s Kyle Peter, “Thank goodness for AMK’s Blister Medic, Ultralight/Watertight .7 and SOL Survival Blankets. Believe it or not you get hurt, develop lots of blisters and are really cold while traversing the Sierra Mountains in 3 days on 1.5 hours of sleep!”

Taking top spot in the race means Team Tecnu automatically qualifies as the only U.S. team that will participate in the upcoming World AR Championships, which kick off on Oct. 31st in Tasmania. Way to go Kyle!… Now back to work.

Lightning kills more people every year in the United States than all other natural disasters combined. Carrying or wearing metal objects, such as an ice axe, umbrella, backpack frame, or even a hairpin, increases the chances of being hit.

To calculate the approximate distance in miles from a flash of lightning, count in seconds from the time you see the flash to when you hear the thunder, then divide by five.

Prevention

• When a thunderstorm threatens, seek shelter in a building or inside a vehicle (not a convertible).
• Occupants of tents should stay as far away from the poles and wet cloths as possible.
• Do not stand underneath a tall tree in an open area or on a hill top.
• Get out and away from open water.
• Get away from tractors and other metal farm equipment.
• Get off bicycles and golf carts.
• Stay away from wire fences, clotheslines, metal pipes, and other metallic paths which could carry lightning to you from some distance.
• Avoid standing in small, isolated sheds or other small structures in open areas.
• In a forest, seek shelter in a low area under a thick growth of saplings or small trees. In an open area, go to a low place such as a ravine or valley.
• If you are totally in the open, stay far away from single trees to avoid lightning splashes. Drop to your knees and bend forward, putting your hands on your knees. If available, place insulating material (e.g. sleeping pad, life jacket, rope) between you and the ground. Do not lie flat on the ground.

LIGHTNING CAN CAUSE INJURY BY FOUR
MECHANISMS:

1.DIRECT HIT
Lightning directly strikes a person in the open. It usually does not enter the body, but instead is conducted over the skin surface (“flashover”), producing a variety of injuries. The greatest damage may occur to skin beneath metal objects worn by the victim, such as jewelry, belt buckles, or zippers, which tend to disrupt the flashover and allow current to penetrate. Current may also penetrate the body through the eyes, ears, and mouth, causing deeper injuries to those parts. The victim is exposed to a tremendous elec-tromagnetic field, which can disrupt the workings of the brain, lungs and heart and lead to a cardiac and respiratory arrest. Finally, the instant vaporization of any moisture on the victim’s skin can blast apart his clothing and shoes.

2. SPLASH
A more common scenario is for the victim to be struck by lightning “splash,” which occurs when a bolt first hits an object, such as a tree or another person, and then “jumps” to the victim who may have found shelter nearby. Splashes may also occur from person to person who are standing close together.

3. STEP VOLTAGE
Lightning hits the ground or a nearby object and the current spreads like a wave in a pond to the victims. Step voltage is often to blame when several people are hurt by a single lightning bolt.

4. BLUNT TRAUMA
The explosive force of the pressure waves created by lightning can cause blunt trauma, such as spleen or liver injuries and ruptured ear drums.

TYPES OF INJURIES

1. HEART AND LUNG
Lightning can cause a cardiac arrest and paralyze the lungs. The heart will often restart on its own, but because the lungs are still not working, the heart will stop again from lack of oxygen.

2. NEUROLOGIC INJURIES
The victim may be knocked unconscious and suffer temporary paralysis, especially in the legs. Seizures, confusion, blindness, deafness, and inability to remember what happened may result.

3. TRAUMATIC INJURIES
Bruises, fractures, dislocations, spinal injury, chest and abdominal injuries from the shock wave may occur. Ruptured eardrums can result in hearing loss.

4. BURNS
Superficial first or second-degree burns are more common than severe burns after a lightning strike and form distinctive fern patterns on the skin.

Treatment
Lightning strike victims are not “charged” and thus pose no hazard to rescuers.

1. The immediate treatment of lightning strike victims differs from other situations in which you have multiple trauma victims. Rather than adhere to the standard rescue dogma of ignoring the victims who appear dead and giving priority to those who are still alive, after a lightning strike, treat those victims first who appear dead, because they may ultimately recover if quickly given mouth-to-mouth rescue breathing and CPR. If you’re successful in obtaining a pulse with CPR, continue rescue breathing until the victim begins to breathe on his own or you are no longer able to continue the resuscitation.
2. Stabilize and splint any fractures.
3. Initiate and maintain spinal precautions if indicated.

Head trauma and brain injury can result from direct impact or from the shearing forces produced by rapid deceleration. When your head hits a hard object such as a boulder, the impact can fracture the skull, bruise the brain, or cause severe bleeding inside the brain from damaged blood vessels. Shearing forces from sudden deceleration of the brain against the inside of the skull can also tear blood vessels on the surface of the brain, leading to an expanding blood clot and pressure on the brain (intracranial pressure).

Rising intracranial pressure is bad for several reasons. The increased pressure makes it difficult for the heart to pump enough blood to the head. This is a major catastrophe for the brain, which depends on a constant supply of blood to bring it oxygen and other nutrients. If the pressure within the skull rises high enough, it can force parts of the brain downward through the base of the skull (herniation), causing damage to the brain structures and, ultimately, death. Compression of one of the nerves as the brain swells produces dilatation of one or both pupils, an important sign of a severe head injury.

HEAD INJURIES CAN BE DIVIDED INTO THREE GROUPS:

1) Prolonged unconsciousness (more than five to 10 minutes).
2) Brief loss of consciousness.
3) No loss of consciousness.

PROLONGED UNCONSCIOUSNESS
Loss of consciousness for more than five to 10 minutes is a sign of significant brain injury. Assess the victim’s airway and perform rescue breathing if necessary. Because there is a potential for accompanying neck and spine injuries with severe head trauma, the victim’s spine should be immobilized. Immediately evacuate the victim to a medical facility. During transportation, maintain spine immobilization and keep the victim’s head pointed uphill on sloping terrain. Be prepared to log-roll the victim onto his side if he vomits. Continually monitor his airway for signs of obstruction (listen for noisy or labored breathing) and a decreasing respiratory rate.

BRIEF LOSS OF CONSCIOUSNESS
Short-term unconsciousness, in which the victim wakes after a minute or two and gradually regains normal mental status and physical abilities, is evidence of a concussion. A concussion does not usually produce permanent damage, although confusion or amnesia about the event and repetitive questioning by the victim are common.

To be safe, evacuate the victim to a medical facility for evaluation. At a minimum in the backcountry, you should keep the victim under close observation for at least 24 hours, and not allow him to perform potentially hazardous activities. Normal sleep should be interrupted every three to four hours to check briefly that the victim’s condition has not deteriorated and that he can be easily aroused. If the victim becomes increasingly lethargic, confused or combative, is just not acting his normal self, or if he develops any of the other signs on the head injury checklist (see below), he should be evacuated to a medical center immediately.

NO LOSS OF CONSCIOUSNESS
If an individual hits his head but never loses consciousness, it’s rarely serious. He may have a mild headache, may bleed from a scalp wound, or a have a large bump on his head, but evacuation isn’t necessary unless he develops any of the problems listed on the head injury checklist.

‘WHEN TO WORRY’ — HEAD INJURY CHECKLIST

Seek immediate medical attention if any of the following symptoms occur after a blow to the head:

• Headache that progressively worsens.
• Consciousness gradually deteriorates from alertness to drowsiness or disorientation; ask the victim if he knows his name, location, the date, and what happened. If he gets all four correct, he is oriented X 4.
• Persistent or projectile (shoots out under pressure) vomiting.
• One pupil becomes significantly larger than the other.
• Bleeding from an ear or nose without direct injury to those areas, or a clear watery fluid draining from the nose.
• Bruising behind the ears or around the eyes, when there is no direct injury to those areas.
• Seizures.

SKULL FRACTURES

Fracture of the skull is not life threatening unless associated with underlying brain injury or severe bleeding. Signs of a skull fracture include a sensation that the skull is uneven when touching the scalp, blood or clear fluid draining from the ears or nose without direct trauma to those areas, and black and blue discoloration around the eyes (raccoon eyes) or behind the ears (Battle’s sign).

Treatment:
Evacuate the victim to a medical facility as soon as possible.

SCALP WOUNDS

Scalp lacerations are common after head injuries, and tend to bleed a lot because of their rich blood supply. Fortunately, bleeding can usually be stopped by applying direct pressure to the wound with your gloved hand. It might be necessary to hold pressure for up to 30 minutes.

‘WEISS ADVICE’
Hair-tying a scalp wound closed

If you’re faced with a bleeding scalp wound and the injured person has a healthy head of hair, you can tie the wound closed using the victim’s own hair. Take a piece of heavy silk suture material (dental floss works well) and lay it on top of, and parallel to the wound. Twirl a few strands of hair on opposite sides of the wound and pull them together tightly, forcing the wound edges closed. Use the suture material to tie the opposing strands of hair together with a square knot.

We’re excited to announce the success of our Summer Outdoor Retailer fundraiser in raising $1,950 for the Rocky Mountain Rescue Dogs, Inc. The popular SOL Origin multi-function survival tool went fast at the special fundraiser price of $15, a deal to bark for compared to the retail price of $60.  130 of the Origin tools were sold, with 100% of proceeds from sales going to the nonprofit Rocky Mountain Rescue Dogs, an organization dedicated to the training of professional search and rescue dog teams in Utah. ”The fundraiser went better than expected,” said Katie Singleton, AMK’s Marketing Channel Specialist, “The importance of supporting rescue dogs really hit home with the active outdoor crowd at the show, who I am sure realized that they could end up benefiting from the dogs one day.”

The nonprofit assists law enforcement agencies in providing 24/7 availability to assist in wilderness, water, avalanche, and recovery searches. As the oldest canine search and rescue organization in Utah, the Rocky Mountain Rescue Dogs serve an important role in backcountry rescues.

We are excited to support such an important organization for the safety of all outdoor users. Visit our furry friends at  http://rockymountainrescuedogs.com/

Search dogs Scout, Envo, and Uintah were in the booth with their handlers.

Fractures of the neck and spine can damage the spinal cord and lead to permanent paralysis. Any accident that places excessive force or pressure on the head, neck, or back, such as a fall, head injury, or diving accident, can also result in a fracture of the spine.

The decision to initiate and to maintain spine immobilization in the wilderness has significant ramifications. An otherwise walking victim would require a potentially expensive and arduous rescue. The added delay could worsen other injuries and predispose the victim and the rest of the party to hypothermia or other environmental hazards. Although in general it is always better to err on the side of being overprotective, everyone with a bump or cut on their head does not need to have their spine immobilized.

TREATMENT

If a spine injury is suspected, the rescuer should immobilize the head, neck, and trunk to prevent any movement. If the victim is lying in a dangerous location and must be moved quickly, the victim’s head and neck should be held firmly by one rescuer’s hands, while as many people as available place their arms under the victim from either side. The rescuer at the head says, “Ready, go,” and with everyone lifting simultaneously, the victim is lifted as a unit and moved to a safer location. After the victim is moved, one rescuer should continue to hold the head firmly with two hands until the spine is completely immobilized.

If the neck lies at an angle to the body, it should be straightened with gentle in-line traction. A second rescuer should then place a cervical collar around the neck to provide some stability. Cervical collars alone do not provide adequate immobilization. After a collar is placed around the neck, plastic bags, stuff sacks or socks filled with sand or dirt, or rolled up towels and clothing should be placed on either side of the head and neck and secured to the head with tape or straps to prevent any side-to-side movement. The rest of the body should then be secured to a flat board to prevent any movement.

WHEN TO WORRY

Suspect a spinal injury, and initiate and maintain spine immobilization, after trauma when:

• The victim is unconscious.
• The victim feels pain in the back of the neck, in the middle of the back, or experiences discomfort when those areas are touched.
• There is numbness, tingling or diminished sensation in any part of an arm or leg.
• There is weakness or inability to move the arms, legs, hands, or feet.
• A victim has an altered level of consciousness or is under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
• A victim has another very painful injury that may distract him from noticing the pain in his neck, such as a femur or pelvic fracture, dislocated shoulder, or broken rib.

‘WEISS ADVICE’
Improvised cervical collars

A cervical collar can be improvised by using a Sam® splint, sleeping pad, newspaper, backpack hip belt, fanny pack, sleeping pad, life jacket, or clothing.

SAM® Splint Cervical Collar
Create a bend in the SAM® Splint approximately six inches from the end of the splint. This bend will form the front support which holds the chin. Place the front support underneath the chin and wrap the remainder of the splint around the neck. Create side supports by squeezing the slack in the splint together to form flares under each ear. Finally, squeeze the back of the splint in a similar manner to create a back support and secure the whole thing with tape.

Sleeping Pad Collar
Fold the pad long-ways into thirds and center it over the back of the victim’s neck. Wrap the pad around the neck, under the chin, and secure it in place with tape. If the pad is not long enough, extensions can be taped or tied on. Blankets, beach towels, or even a rolled plastic tarp can be used in a similar fashion.

Padded Hip Belt
A padded hip belt taken from a large internal or external frame backpack can sometimes be modified, after removal, to function as a cervical collar. If the belt is too long, overlap the ends and secure them with duct tape.

Clothing
Any bulky item of clothing can be used. Wrap a wide ace-type bandage around the entire item first, to compress the material and to make it more rigid and supportive before placing on the neck. If the victim must be rolled or turned to place insulation or a spine board under him, or if he is vomiting, log-roll him with the head and body held as a unit. In the event of a suspected spine injury, it is generally better to send for professional rescue assistance rather than attempt to transport the victim yourself.

Shock is a life-threatening condition in which blood flow to the tissues of the body is inadequate and cells are deprived of oxygen. Any serious injury or illness can produce shock. Examples are severe bleeding (either external or internal), thigh (femur) or pelvis fractures, major burns, dehydration, heart failure, severe allergic reactions, or spinal cord injuries with paralysis.

Signs and Symptoms
The skin may be pale, cool, or clammy. The pulse is weak and rapid or even undetectable (in shock produced by a spinal cord injury, the pulse will remain normal or slow). Breathing may be shallow, rapid, or irregular. Mental status may be altered (the victim may be confused, restless, or combative).

Treatment
It is important to recognize shock and to transport the victim to a medical facility immediately.

1) Keep the victim lying down, covered and warm. Remember to insulate him from the ground as well.

2) Stop any obvious signs of bleeding.

3) Loosen any restrictive clothing.

4) Splint all broken bones. If the femur bone is fractured, apply and maintain traction. If a pelvic fracture is suspected, apply a pelvic wrap.

5) Elevate the legs so that gravity can help improve the blood supply to the heart and brain only if the victim has shock from external bleeding which has been controlled, or has fainted. If the victim has internal bleeding, avoid unnecessary movement and keep him lying flat. For heart failure shock, the victim may be more comfortable with his head and shoulders raised slightly.

By Buck Tilton

When the earthquake of 12 January 2010 ended, much of Port-au-Prince lay in ruins and the lives of a quarter million human inhabitants had suddenly and violently ended. Then the hurricane hit, and then the deadly cholera epidemic. Haiti, poorest nation of the Western Hemisphere, has yet to recover. In an area just a little smaller than Maryland, an estimated 9.7 million people struggle for basic health and without hope for much more than that.

Supported generously by Adventure® Medical Kits and by Medical Student Missions, fellow AMK blog contributor Chris Van Tilburg, MD, and I will be traveling in May to near Verrettes, about 50 miles north of Port-au-Prince, to help at the Albert Schweitzer Hospital, the sole source of medical care for the 300,000-plus people of this central, mountainous region. I will also be teaching a Wilderness Advanced First Aid course, donated by the Wilderness Medicine Institute of NOLS. While the challenges for basic daily survival Haiti faces are many, below are the most serious health issues its people are dealing with and for which our team will need to be prepared for during our stay:

Food and Water
A “high risk” label has been attached to Haiti by the U. S. Department of State, partly due to the crime rate, partly to the disease rate. With poor sanitation and rampant germs, food and water often contain pathogens capable of leaving Haitians and visitors with hepatitis, typhoid, and bacterial or protozoal diseases characterized by profuse diarrhea. My vaccinations against the viruses hep A and B are up-to-date, but I did take the oral drug that prevents the bacteria that cause typhoid fever from taking control. This anti-typhoid med should keep working for several years. And more on prevention: Food will be well-cooked and served hot, and fruit will be peeled shortly before consumption. Salads and dairy products will be avoided. Water—for drinking and toothbrushing—will be disinfected prior to use, most often via filtration.

Cholera
Once the bacterium Vibrio cholerae infects the intestines of a person, it is passed in fecal matter. The germ ends up in water, most commonly, but it can also contaminate food if the food server has less than ideal hygienic practices. The Artibonite River Valley, where we’ll be working, is indeed the “epicenter” of the current cholera epidemic. In case of cholera, we’re packing the antibiotics doxycycline and azithromycin—which almost always work. Steps toward prevention will be the same as for any food and/or waterborne illness.

Vectors of Disease
Mosquitoes promise to be not only bothersome in Haiti but carriers of illnesses including, most problematically, dengue fever and malaria. The virus causing dengue makes you miserable, then you get well. The parasite causing malaria, however, can have devastating results. I just started a course of chloroquine, an anti-malaria drug I’ll ingest once a week for two weeks prior to Haiti, during our visit, and for four weeks after we return. For repelling insects, I’m packing Natrapel® 8 hour for application to skin, and I’ll be treating my clothing, before leaving home, with permethrin. My bunk bed reportedly offers the protection of mosquito netting, but it was suggested I also treat a thin sheet from home with permethrin—and I’m going to do that, too.

We will probably stay healthy. Without efficient means to disinfect water, without antibiotics, without vaccinations, without even mosquito netting, the people of Haiti have a far smaller chance of doing so. Anyone can support the efforts of Medical Student Missions, by joining and/or donating. Visit www.medicalstudentmissions.org.

And thank you.

Buck Tilton has authored 36 books on outdoor safety, including Wilderness First Responder, which won an award for excellence in medical writing from the American Medical Writers Association. For the last 20 years, Buck has contributed hundreds of articles on wilderness safety to Backpacker. In addition to his writing and journalism, Tilton also co-founded the Wilderness Medicine Institute (now WMI of NOLS), which remains the largest school of wilderness medicine in the world.

New guidelines by the American Heart Association recommend that the three steps of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) be rearranged. The new first step is doing chest compressions instead of doing mouth-to-mouth breathing. The new guidelines apply to adults, children, and infants, but exclude newborns.

When to Stop CPR

Do not be afraid to start CPR, fearing that you might be criticized for not continuing it indefinitely. There is an old saying in medicine that, “once started, CPR should never be stopped in the field.” To adhere to this dictum is not only impractical, it is potentially hazardous to the rescuers. It is well established that when defibrillation with an AED is not readily available, that after 10 to 15 minutes of CPR, if victims do not respond, they never will. The only rare exceptions have been victims who were severely hypothermic. It may be better to give the victim the benefit of the doubt and start CPR, even if he has been without a heartbeat or breath for a prolonged time. It is difficult to know exactly how long a person found unconscious has actually been in cardiac arrest.

CPR: Adult & Children older than 1-year of age 

1) If you find an unresponsive victim (i.e., no movement or response to stimulation) or witness an individual who suddenly collapses, attempt to wake him by tapping on his shoulder and shouting at him. If the victim also has absent or only occasional gasping breathing, assume the victim is in cardiac arrest. If you are trained in how to detect a pulse, take no more than 10 seconds to check for a pulse (30 seconds if the victim is severely hypothermic) and, if you do not definitely feel a pulse within that time period, start chest compressions.

2) Place the victim on his back on a firm surface. Place the heel of your hand in the middle of his chest and put your other hand on top of the first with your fingers interlaced.

3) Compress the chest at least 2 inches (4-5 cm). Allow the chest to completely recoil before the next compression. Your shoulders should line up directly over the victim’s breastbone, with elbows straight

4) Keeping your arms stiff and using a smooth motion, compress the breastbone at a rate of at least 100 pushes per minute. That’s about the same rhythm as the beat of the Bee Gee’s song “Staying’ Alive.” Do not remove your hands from the victim’s chest between compressions. You may feel pops and snaps when you first begin chest compressions ¾ Don’t Stop! You’re not going to make the victim worse. .

5) After 30 compressions, open the victim’s airway using the head-tilt, chin-lift method, pinch the victim’s nose and make a seal over the victim’s mouth with yours. Use a CPR mask if available or improvise one from materials at hand. Give the victim a breath big enough to make the chest rise. Let the chest fall, then repeat the rescue breath once more. If the chest doesn’t rise on the first breath, reposition the had and try again. If you don’t feel comfortable with this step just continue to do chest compressions at a rate of at least 100/minute without rescue breathing (hands-only CPR).

6) Use a compression to breathing ratio of 30 chest compressions for every 2 breaths.

7) If two rescuers are working together, switch off doing compressions and breathing every 2 minutes to prevent fatigue. Check every 5 minutes for the return of a pulse or spontaneous breathing.

8) If you have access to an automated external defibrillator (AED), continue to do CPR until you can attach it to the victim and turn it on. Turn the AED on, follow the prompts and if a shock is administered, reassess the victim for return of a pulse and breathing. Resume chest compressions immediately after the shock if there is no change.