Backpacking Tips First Aid Know How
Backpacking Tips First Aid Know How
Most major injuries can be avoided but sometimes no matter how careful you are an injury will occur. Even if its a minor one it still needs attention. Every backpacker should have an understanding of basic first aid. If there is a major accident then help could be a long way away so having basic first aid knowledge can be vital. Even if you do not suffer a major accident there are still some simple things you can do to prevent problems while backpacking.
The first thing you need is a good first aid kit. This is an important piece of equipment. You will need to have some basic items in your kit to ensure you are ready for almost anything that can come your way. The following list will give you some idea of what to include.
Band aids of different shapes and sizes
Antibiotic ointment
Hydrocortisone cream
Moleskin
Alcohol pads
Ace bandages
Hand sanitizer
Gauze pads
First aid tape
Cold pack
You may also want to include a powered energy drink which is a good item if you were to get stranded to help keep your energy up.
One of the biggest parts of first aid is prevention. You should understand what you can do to prevent accidents. This will go a long way to helping keep you safe on the trail. You should always make sure your equipment is in good shape. You also need to wear protective gear. Have a good plan for your backpacking trip and tell someone about it so they can be aware if you should become missing. You should learn about poisonous plants so you know what to avoid. You should also learn about basic survival skills.
You can not prevent everything though so you should also learn basic first aid. One of the biggest things is to try to keep all supplies sanitary. This includes trying to clean hands as best as possible before treating a wound or injury. Bacteria grows quickly and once it is introduced to an injury things can get worse quickly. You should take a first aid course to brush up on the basics so if you should veer need them you know them.
About the writer: Mike Legg is a seasoned hiker with many years experience of backpacking in europe. For more information on this or other aspects of backpacking go to http://www.buytryreview.com/category/backpacking
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