Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Elk Hunting first aid?

What kind of a kit should I look for? A lot of the ones I find listed have lots of aspirin, ouchie size bandaids, but not things like blood clotter, tourniquet, or even a sling.

I am not trained, so that comes into consideration, too.

My thoughts are severe high altitude problems, falling off a cliff, cutting open a leg with an axe, orgunshot.


Any suggestions on what to buy to put together myself? Thanks

Moleskin,Benadryl, ibuprofen,some ointment like neosporin and some bandages to take care of cuts is what I carry in my pack.

I keep a bigger kit in my truck/base camp.

Rosco1 and I are on the same page. To his list I add a couple Quick Clot trauma pads and an ace bandage,complete with a partial roll of first aid tape. Never had much luck with the little butterfly thingys ace bandages come with. My hope is that I could bind a bad puncture with the ace bandage and Quick Clot pad(s). I hunt alone even with a half dozen others in camp. Too many hororstories afoot regarding knife accidents in the mountains.

Wound Seal takes up almost no space and is supposed to be great for stopping bleeding. I carry it but have never needed to find out if it works.

Super Glue.....dermabond....2 tubes
Quick clot
Rubber tourniquet
Lidocaine pre filled syringe....Rx
Suture kit (pre threaded)
Small hemostat
Roll of black tape
Excedrin
Rolaids
Several 4x4 gauze

And if things aren't bad....maybe a couple bandaids

This is my pack first aid kit

I have all of the same stuff listed above in my truck kit with several Rx drugs to cover several possibles

All home made kits

NOTE***** replace the glue each year

I was looking at this kit, Adventure Medical Kits Grizzly First Aid Kit sold at Midway Usa for under a hundred bucks. I will carrying one of these for sure. Horror stories of careless knife injuries. Simple cuts can lead to nasty infections that we don't need.

This kit list blood clotters, sling, syringe for cleaning wounds and a lot of other things.

They used to recommend snake bit kits but they've changed that. They've had more serious injuries from cutting into the bite than what the snakes caused. When people get scared, they take those razors and just start whacking away.

I always make sure I save any pain killers I have left over after dental procedures, eye surgery (have had Lasik a few times), etc. and put those in my first aid kit. Falls, twisted ankles, etc. are also a real possibility in the back country so need to be ready for those. Also be ready with medicines in case of cold/flu, stomach ailments, toothaches, etc.

Chris

Aside from the kit, think about a class. I really enjoyed a Wilderness First Aid class I took a few years ago. Instead of the Red Cross class where the first action is to call 911, they work from the premise that you are a few hours from the trailhead. It is knid of a McGuiver Medicine approach, you would be surprised what you can improvise with.

As for my kits, I have two. The small EDC kit has a clotting gauze packet, aspirin tablets, benadryl, some bandaids, super glue, gauze tape, neosporin ointment, small tweezers (i live in cactus country) and a few alcohol wipes. It is in a small plastic container about 3"x4"x1". It also has matches, a magnesium fire starter, candle nub, nylon string and a whistle. I have black electricians tape, probably 3 ft, wrapped around the outside of it. My larger kit, for backcountry trips or to keep in camp, is from Wilderness Medicine Institute. I added a Epi pen to that kit.

I'll 2nd the electrical tape and super glue. Tape can aid in a lot of fixes like finger splints or make a tourniquet and it could be used to hold a large cloth over a gaping wound. Of coarse it can also cover the muzzle. I have a least 2 roils with me at all times.

The basic kits are just that, pretty basic. For the life threatening issues you listed I would look at the first aid kits that are marketed for military or LE. They have tourniquets and dressings to (hopefully)stop the bleeding from a more serious wound like a cut from an axe/knife, or a gunshot wound. These require some training to use, however, as a tourniquet can make a bad situation worse if not used properly. These kits are usually spendy, but you can use them for an item list and get the items by yourself for a lot less.

How to treat a fall depends on several factors, the most important being whether or not the spinal column is compromised. Knowing how to properly move a person in that case is critical.

Also, having a form of communication to get help is vital. Should a life threatening accident happen, the goal should be to deliver a breathing, non hemorrhaging person to a professional health care setting ASAP. Being able to get Life Flight, Paramedics or a Search and Rescue team to your position quickly can be the difference in life or death.

Don't buy cheap tape. Some of that stuff won't stick to itself let alone to anything else.

In addition: Take some eye drops to rinse out eyes. One year I was cutting a branch over my head and the saw dust got in my eye. Turns out the mossy stuff growing on bark does not go well with eyes. By day two my eyes were very goopy and it was hard to see. It went away, but almost cost me a hunt, at least a trip back to truck. Very easy to fix.

And is nearly useless at temps below freezing.

Sound advice. Makes sense to me. I also carry some lip balm. Damn that mountain air is dry.

I agree with Rock Chuck. Add some wound seal or liquid bandaid. It worked great on a cut I got trying to chop up some kindling on the first day of an elk hunt a couple of years ago.

Read "Wilderness Medicine" by Dr. William A. Forgey ISBN 978-0-7627-8070-9. Get the latest edition because Dr. Forgey continuously updates based on medical advances.

A way to communicate is important. Just got a call hrs ago, the hunting party I was supposed to be part of "blew out my knee" had a serious accident. One friend had to be heli evacuated to a hospital in Great Falls.

21 rib fractures, broken arm , crushed liver and lacerated spleen. Were it not for the Satellite Phone he would have died on the mountain. Doc was suprised he survived period. Also lucky was a place for the chopper to land about 100 yards from the injured. 2 hrs is what it took to get to him. Were hunting alone none of this would have mattered , he would be dead now. And lucky for him 1 friend had EMT training.
Prayers to my friend.

Also important is not to take chances , don't care about that 400 bull if things are dicey. JMHO

I carry a SPOT. That, or a similar device, can be a lifesaver. Just push 1 button and help will come calling.

The spot makes sense and will be added to my pack in the future. However my buddy cound not do squat to help himself. Someone would have gone out to search at some point. However had it happened midday alone he would have been dead by then.
He has family at his bedside ,tried to call but not till after he's out of ICU.

After a little more thought. The 3 guy's were in the same area and 1 had to go back to camp for the sat phone and other things to comfort the injured. A SPOT would have started the evacuation sooner. Especially so since his brother could have triggered the device. Makes you think!

Did a horse fall on him!?

Sounds like an ATV. Don't know all the details , sounds like it came over and bounced off his chest from far enough away to crush him. I missed this hunt after bailing off my horse. Landed on my feet but shattered my tibial plateau.

Dang, you guys sound dangerous in the hills.

Wife introduced me to horses 20 years ago first injury. Buddies been riding those contraptions many years. Caca pasa A play on shat happens. My one bud says my knee means i was not meant to be there this year. Can't argue.
Hopefully my injured bud will get transfered to a hospital near home when he's stabilized . Idaho Falls is a bit far from EL Paso for other friends to visit.

We keep these first aid materials in our base camp.

GROUP FIRST AID KIT CONTENTS

24 each Ciprofloxacin, RX prescription - antibiotic internal
24 each Prednisone, RX prescription - internal inflamation
2 packs Azythromycin (Z-pack) RX prescription - respiratory infection
24 each Metronidazole, RX prescription - giardia
1 pack Claritin - antihistamine, allergies
1 box Zyrtec-D - antihistamine & decongestant
1 botl Vicodin or Hydrocodone, RX prescription - severe pain
1 botl Ibuprofin - pain relief - reduce inflamation
1 botl Aspirin - general analgesic
1 botl Acetomenophin PM - sleep aid
1 2 oz tube Cortizone-10 ointment - burns & rashs
3 packs WaterGel 4" x 12" - major burn treatment
1 small botl Petroleum Jelly - minor burn treatment
2 tubes AquaPhor - minor burn treatment
1 box Ex-Lax tablets - constipation
4 packs Quick Clot - stop bleeding
2 tube Neosporin ointment - antibacterial ointment
16 packs Alcohol Swabs, Providone Iodine - cleanup
2 botl Soap, biodegradable - general cleanup
1 botl Foot Powder - treat athletes foot
1 botl Eye Drops - multisymptom (not just tears)

1 set Ankle Bandage & Knee Brace - sprains
3 rolls Ace Bandage 2" - sprains & wound treatment
1 pack NAR Hyfin Twin Pack - Chest Seal - seal sucking chest wound
4 each Battle Dressing or XL Kotex pad - wound treatment
1 roll Gauze, sterile - wound treatment
24 each Sterile Gauze Pads. 3" x 3" -wound treatment
2 roll medical tape 1" - wound treatment
20 each Bandaids 1" - minor cuts
12 each Bandaids 3" - minor cuts & abrasions
1 pack Mole Skin - blisters
1 pack Moleskin donuts - blisters
1 roll VetWrap, medical cling wrap - wound treatment
1 box Nexcare Tegaderm bandages - burn treatment
3 packs WaterGel 4" x 12" - burn treatment
4 each Tongue Depressors, wooden - finger splint
1 botl Liquid Bandage - care for minor cuts

1 each Triangular Bandage - imobilize broken arm
1 each SAM Splint - splint broken bones
1 each C - Splint - splint broken bone
1 pair Scissors - offset safety type
2 each Medical Clamp
4 each Safety Pins
1 each Needle with button top - sliver removal
1 each Tweezers - sliver removal
1 each Suction Pump (Sawyer Extractor) - tick removal
4 pair Gloves, latex sterile - general cleanliness

1/person Medical/Health Record for each participant
1 set First Aid Quick Reference Cards - what to do
1 each Container large enough to hold contents

Although I have access to both medical staple kits and suture kits, I don't keep them in my first aid kit because of the possibility of sealing bacteria inside the wound. It's best to let the medical experts clean the wound before they install stitches.

MOUNTAIN WISDOM – LESSONS LEARNED

If you are considering a big game hunt in Colorado or any other Rocky Mountain state then here are some tips that might increase your enjoyment of the trip.

MOUNTAIN AIR: Mountain air is very different than what you may be used to. It is thin and dry. There is simply less air to breathe than you may be accustomed to and the relative humidity is low. The low humidity has several negative effects that your body may not be accustomed to. The dry air creates some extreme temperature variations. It’s common for night time lows to be in the teens and daytime highs to be in the 60s. This means that you can be hypothermic in the morning and experience heat exhaustion in the afternoon of the same day. Short afternoon storms are common and these often drop the temperature by 30 degrees. When combined with some wind and some sweaty clothes, that can be deadly if you don’t react properly.

HYPOTHERMIA: Hypothermia use to be called exposure or freezing to death. Essentially any time that your core temperature drops too low, your body automatically reacts to try to keep the core warm by redirecting blood and the warmth that comes with it, from your limbs and brain, to the core. So your body starts robbing your brain of oxygen. Seventy-five percent of your blood goes to your brain through your neck. If your toes get cold, put on a hat and something to keep your neck warm. This retains warmth that can be shared with all body parts. The first signs of hypothermia are uncontrollable shivering. Then it progresses to slurred speech, cold fingers and toes, weakness, dizziness and eventually coma a death. It can occur at relatively warm temperatures when you are sweating, and weather conditions conspire to drop the air temperature rapidly. It happens every year on the slopes of Pikes Peak when unprepared tourists get caught in an afternoon storm above timberline and don’t have the right clothing. Being prepared with the proper layering system of clothing and using the extra layers when necessary, is the best way to avoid hypothermia.

LAYERING: Experienced mountain hikers dress in many thin layers and don’t use one big coat, so they can adapt their clothing to a changing environment. When you sit down to rest, put on a jacket or sweater right away. Don’t wait to get cold. It’s too hard to warm up again. Try to avoid cotton clothing. It's deadly in cold wet weather because it soaks up water like a sponge and encourages hypothermia. Wool and wool/synthetic blends, polypropylene and polyester fleece are best because they keep you warm even when wet. I wear a set of polypropylene long johns, wool trousers, a long-sleeved synthetic shirt, a ball cap, gloves, wool socks, gaiters and good boots. I also have in my pack a bandanna (the only cotton that I carry), a fleece hoodie, a knitted watch cap, vest with synthetic insulation and a Gortex/Nylon parka with a hood, extra gloves and extra socks.

DEHYDRATION: With every breath, you humidify the air that you breathe. So you are constantly losing body moisture and you don’t realize it and dehydration is a very real concern. Also your perspiration evaporates so rapidly that you often don’t realize that you are sweating. One more thing to consider is that when it's cold you often don't think of drinking when you should. All of these factors can lead to dehydration, which can cause a host of medical problems and it's often a contributor to altitude sickness. I use to have problems with leg cramps because I didn't drink enough of the right kind of fluids. Now I drink at least a quart of Gatorade or EcoDrink every day when hiking and the problem has vanished.

HEAT EXHAUSTION: Heat exhaustion (hyperthermia) results in headache, dizziness, weakness and fainting. It can also progress to coma and death (heat stroke). It’s more common in high humidity environments but it happens in the mountains too. Mostly in people who have big body mass and high thermal inertia. In other words if you are over-weight, then you are more susceptible to heat exhaustion. I’ve also seen it in people who were not over-weight but they were big people. They have big bone and muscle structures so they don’t dissipate heat readily. If you start feeling like you are going to faint, then sit down in the shade, drink some water, rub a wet bandanna on your neck and head. Dunk your head in a stream if one’s convenient. Rest for a while and you most likely will recover quickly. Then don’t over exert yourself until it’s cooler.

FROST BITE: Frost bite occurs when body parts freeze. The lymph and blood freeze first but eventually body tissues also freeze. This causes damage that may never heal properly and cannot be regenerated. Frost bite will occur first in extremities; toes, fingers, ears, nose, and cheeks. The best way to prevent frost bite is to keep those areas warm and dry and protected from the wind. I carry extra socks, an extra pair of gloves, a fleece hoodie, and a bandanna. I use to carry a balaclava and that works great but a bandanna has so many other uses that even if I carry a balaclava, I still carry a bandanna. I use the bandanna to keep the wind off of my face and I cover my ears with a knitted watch cap and hood.

ALTITUDE SICKNESS: The two most serious types of altitude sickness are HAPE (High Altitude Pulmonary Edema) and HACE (High Altitude Cerebral Edema). HAPE is fluid in the lungs and you can self-diagnose it when you feel gurgling in your lungs or pain in the chest. If your breath is condensing and your friends aren't condensing, then you may have fluid in your lungs. HACE is fluid on the brain. You can self-diagnose it when you get dizzy and stay dizzy for more than a couple of minutes. If one of your hunting partners goes unconscious or doesn't wake up in the morning, you need to transport him to lower elevation immediately to save his life. The only effective field remedy for HAPE and HACE requires an item called a Gamow Bag and you won't have one. So DECEND! DECEND! DECEND! Get to lower elevation immediately if you want to live. Fortunately HAPE and HACE are both rare (but not unheard of) below 10,000' elevation.

The most common type and the least severe is AMS (Acute Mountain Sickness). It's often associated with dehydration. Its' symptoms are similar to those of influenza and they may include mild headache, nausea, vomiting, lassitude, loss of appetite, and periodic breathing (waking up gasping for air). Common Aspirin and Tums can help because they coincidentally contains the just the kind of ingredients that your body needs and it is a mild astringent that reduces the effects of dehydration. Diamox is the brand name of a prescription drug that works for some people. Start taking it a couple of days before you begin to ascend. But it doesn't work for everyone and there are some potentially miserable side effects. I’ve heard that chicken soup helps and it can’t hurt. In most cases, if you rest for a couple of days, drink lots of liquids, and take Aspirin and Tums, AMS will subside and you can start enjoying yourself.

The best way to avoid altitude sickness is to ascend slowly, at the rate of 1,000' per day. But you don't have that much time. So get in good shape now. Good shape means strong heart and lungs. Good exercises include running stairs, swimming, bicycling, or any other kind of exercise that works the heart and lungs. However sometimes even the best athletes can get altitude sickness, so don't count on that being the cure all. Get to high elevation a few days early and just lounge around for a few days before you start exerting yourself. Stay hydrated, avoid alcohol and coffee or any other kind of diuretic. Take one Aspirin and one Tums each day. Be alert to the symptoms mentioned and react appropriately if they occur.

Also try to develop a technique called Alpinisti Breathing (pressure breathing). Essentially you consciously make your lungs inhale and exhale before you feel the need to breather heavy, you generate a rhythm between your body effort and your lungs so that you have air before you need it. If you wait until you need the air then it’s too late and you are always out of breath. It’s sometimes called the Rest Step (step-breathe-pause-breathe, step-breathe-pause-breathe, repeat, etc.)

One thing I have not seen on any list is Wound Seal.It is a small packet which is sold in a box of four are Walgreens. It is similar to Quikclot ,except used on small wounds. Pour one of the packets of powder on the wound it it will create a scab and stop bleeding.

Augmentin bv prescription is a better respritory antibiotic.

Provodone iodine solution for wound disinfectant.

I do have suture kits and injectable pain numbing agent. At times a wound needs to be sutured. Waiting and it will be too late.Hence the iodine solution disinfectant

One strange phenomenon is that it often will be pouring rain at 60 or 70% humidity. With the cold air, it can dump water without being saturated. Since the air isn't saturated, evaporation occurs much faster, pulling heat out of the air...any your body.
In the humid areas, rain water can be like taking a warm shower. In the arid west, rain water tends to be MUCH colder. As it evaporates, it pulls the heat out of your body and causes hypothermia very quickly.