First Aid, Who's Needed It?

[go_deep]

Back on July 24th while scouting some new elk country with my son he fell on a deadfall and punctured his thigh. The wound was 2.5" wide, 1.6" height, and about 5/8" deep. We were able to clean up the wound, wrap it, and keep it from bleeding to much, problem was we were just over 2 miles from the truck. Went to the doctor a day later and he said it looked great and there wasn't any flesh to put a stich in, otherwise he would. Wound is about 3/4 healed up and everything ended up good. First aid kit, alcohol wipes and about 4' of duct tape saved the day.

Has anyone else had a real health issue on the mountain? What helped you make it out?

 

[Marble]

I was solo cleaning a bull after my most tiring day elk hunting on a very steep, snowy hill. While trying to maneuver from the downhill side to the uphill side, I stepped on a small branch under the snow. I slipped and put the brow tine from the bull about 3" into my inner tricep area, near my arm pit. The hill was steep enough that I came completely off my feet and hung by my arm while I tried to get my footing. I got my footing. Pulled off my belt and wrapped it around my arm in preparation of needing a tourniquet. I stepped off and immediately felt for blood. But there was barely any.

I wrapped it with an Israeli bandage and got on the radio. Help arrived an hour later.

To make matters worse, when I went down the mountain, about a mile, my horse had picked his rope and was MIA. That sucked...

The trip to the ER wasn't really eventful. Doctor said I was lucky. The antler hit the muscle membrane and followed it around, missing the artery.

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[Phaseolus]

Two days ago I sprained both ankles and broke the left one while on an exercise hike. There goes archery elk season down the drain. I could have used a roll of athletic tape for the 1.5 mile crosscountry back to the trail head.

 

[beder11886]

First aid kits is very important whenever you’re going for hunt for days like this. Glad that you were able to give your son the first aid to stop the bleeding

 

[Poser]

Knock on wood, in 25+ years of hardcore adventuring, everything from backcountry skiing to big wall climbing, to bigger mountains, bikepacking trips, to deep backcountry hunts, I’ve never needed anything more than bandaids. However, I do pack a considerably more extensive kit than most people, it’s well labeled, accessible as is my tourniquet and I read books and watch YouTube channels on wildness first aid. Backcountry Injuries are on my mind quite a bit.

 

[DeePow]

I was surprised in Trail's (GoHunt) most recent pack overview that he admits that he needs to relook at what he packs. His medkit is fairly minimal, but maybe that is just my dad talking through me. I think it is vital to carry more than I would ever need just incase something went awry.

I recently got rid of my battered Adventure Medical Kit bag for a Peak Design tech pouch. This thing is bomber, will hold up infinitely better, and the organization is spectacular in addition to it being water proof.

 

[Fireflyfishing]

Fortunately, I DON’T have a story to share that ended up in an injury. However, I had a real close call that taught me a big lesson.

Some years back, I was turned onto the Havalon knives as they are a lighter weight option to save ounces…and they’re really sharp. I ended up getting a nice buck that year and started the skinning/break down process. At some point, I sliced my thigh and cut through my nice Sitka pants and the Smartwool layer underneath. By some miracle I didn’t cut my skin. I’m glad I didn’t get hurt as I’m always out a ways in the woods. I didn’t have a first aid kit and would have had to make something up had I sliced my thigh.

I now carry stuff with me and have a large kit in camp for the just in case. I also don’t use Havalon knives for my main processing any longer. They just don’t feel right in my hand, and I feel like I can never control the knife. They poke holes in the hide easily and I don’t care for a blade that breaks easily. I’ve gone back to a 2 blade set from Knives of AK and see no reason to change as long as you can get the knives really sharp…which I do with a Work Sharp grinder.

 

[dtrkyman]

I jumped onto an unseen limb in some dead fall, it came up and smacked me upside the head like a cartoon character jumping on a shovel!

I was 4 miles deep and had just packed in a couple days worth of water, Ugg.

Had minimal first aid gear so I packed up and headed out not sure how bad my ear was and likely concussed.

Fortunately just superficial damage to my ear lobe but it looked quite bad in the field using my phone to see it.

I have upgraded my first aid kit!


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[WTFJohn]

I was solo cleaning a bull after my most tiring day elk hunting on a very steep, snowy hill. While trying to maneuver from the downhill side to the uphill side, I stepped on a small branch under the snow. I slipped and put the brow tine from the bull about 3" into my inner tricep area, near my arm pit. The hill was steep enough that I came completely off my feet and hung by my arm while I tried to get my footing. I got my footing. Pulled off my belt and wrapped it around my arm in preparation of needing a tourniquet. I stepped off and immediately felt for blood. But there was barely any.

I wrapped it with an Israeli bandage and got on the radio. Help arrived an hour later.

To make matters worse, when I went down the mountain, about a mile, my horse had picked his rope and was MIA. That sucked...

The trip to the ER wasn't really eventful. Doctor said I was lucky. The antler hit the muscle membrane and followed it around, missing the artery.

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I've run into/seen/been in some interesting situations in the woods, this one is a new take though (usually see deadfall/tree limb puncture wounds). Stuff of nightmares, glad it ended well. I'm guessing you had a TQ and opted Israeli after seeing the wound?

For anyone curious, a TQ and pretty complete first aid kid can be pretty small, please don't die trying to save weight. This Adventure Med Kit has been repacked & supplanted with additional supplies including things ranging from moleskin to SWAT-T to chest seals, plus all the regular stuff. Take a stop the bleed class, a Wilderness First Aid, or Wilderness First Responder course; it may not be your own life you save. Also, buy your med gear from reputable places, not Amazon. Lots of fakes get sold on Amazon, buy direct from places like North American Rescue.

 

[mt terry d]

A couple years ago I was riding dirt bike in the mountains. Thankfully this happened on the gravel road headed back to camp.

Took three or four hours to get to the hospital. Had some Tylenol.

It made me realize I should have something more just in case; if not for me
for someone I may be with or come upon.

Now I carry a tourniquet, tape, gauze, pain killers, etc. It's not much
but might help.

 

[Packin_packout]

3 time winner
1. Slipped while portaging a Canoe, carrying a whale sack at northern tier, torn meniscus... Last day and on the last big paddle so it wasn't that bad of a deal to get out. Cost me a year of hunting.
2. Jumped across a creek and landed on some smooth rock, slipped, avuncular fracture tibia. Within minutes had a big old balloon on my shin from blood pooling. Stuck my leg in the creek until it was sheet white and I was shivering. Emptied my pack of everything i could lose and limped back to camp. About two and a half miles from camp, twenty eight miles from pavement Add another fifteen or so to cell service. No way was i gonna wait for someone to come get me.
3. Stepped on a damn rattlesnake and I jumped backwards. Arrow came off non captive rest down into to my left calf. I had already shot the snake before I realized that my leg was wet. Pull the damn thing making a bigger mess, cut up pants to make a pressure bandage and then limp mile back to truck. Got more heat from my wife about it because I called her best friend ( doc) to patch me up first before I called my wife. All for a texas whitetail doe in october. I was lucky it did not hit an artery, The blade had back cutting edges.So it was not a fight to get it out but I was about to vomit after pulling it out. I have some prior experience and training with wound packing and field expedient bandaging so I was probably better prepared than most.

I always try to have some type of comms, Quick clot and some type of good painkiller handy especially after the last two.

 

[Marble]

I've run into/seen/been in some interesting situations in the woods, this one is a new take though (usually see deadfall/tree limb puncture wounds). Stuff of nightmares, glad it ended well. I'm guessing you had a TQ and opted Israeli after seeing the wound?

For anyone curious, a TQ and pretty complete first aid kid can be pretty small, please don't die trying to save weight. This Adventure Med Kit has been repacked & supplanted with additional supplies including things ranging from moleskin to SWAT-T to chest seals, plus all the regular stuff. Take a stop the bleed class, a Wilderness First Aid, or Wilderness First Responder course; it may not be your own life you save. Also, buy your med gear from reputable places, not Amazon. Lots of fakes get sold on Amazon, buy direct from places like North American Rescue.

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I'm a retired cop and have a TQ, but at the time, I didn't carry one with me. I do now.

I think the Israeli was overkill as it barely bled. But I knew what was under there, so I was very aware of how much trouble I may have been in.

We've had some other trauma related injuries as a result of a horse wreck. It's been a while.

That particular injury was caused by a guy who may have been drinking, fell asleep after a long day hunting, and fell out of his saddle when his horse jumped a small creek. That was touch and go for a while. He had a TBI, broken eye socket bone, and I think some ribs.

Worse of all, none of us knew how bad his drinking was. He was sneaking alcohol in the middle of the night and during the day while hunting. When we got to the ER, his pancreas was swollen and failing, along with his liver. So he was in the hospital for the rest of the trip. He dried after that. But has battled alcoholism this entire life. It's sad. It's ruined a few elk seasons.

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[mtnbound]

I had a tree branch get hooked on my bow, pull me off the bike, and fall onto a small tree that had been cut like a punji stick, which went into my thigh. I packed it full of gauze, wrapped it up with an ace bandage, and headed to the hospital.
Havalon knife caused a bad enough cut to a figure that it was quite difficult to get the bleeding to stop. Finally, I used some Quik clot that burned like hell, but it worked. I now carry a fish fillet glove in my kill kit to keep from doing this again.
Multiple bad sprained left ankle thanks to an old repelling accident, each time wrap it up with an ace bandage and hobble around.
I tore my knee when I crossed over a snow berm that collapsed under me, which required a Sam splint and multiple ace bandages to provide enough stability to my knee as I could not stand on it.
Multiple other accidents and injuries involving other folks as well.

 

[Taudisio]

Not quite backcountry, but an hour from pavement. Just finished getting two bulls back to camp, dinner just finished cooking. The chef was carrying a full plate to his chair next to me, and I was planning my walk to fill up my own plate. He just had open heart surgery 8 months prior. His left foot caught his chair leg and he tried to catch himself with his right foot and it hit the campfire rock barrier. I watched (what felt like slow motion) as he plummeted face first into a 6’ wide, celebration/burn our last firewood, type of fire. I jumped up and picked him up by the top of his pants and my other hand on his brand new rain jacket in the middle of his back and tossed him out of the fire. Don’t ask me how I picked up a ~230 pound guy from an awkward angle while not stepping in the fire myself. I rolled him over and started sternum rubs asking how his heart was while he was blankly staring at the stars. He finally responded it was alright and I told him not to move while I ran to my med kit in my pack. He had some of the worst burns I have seen on his hands, his new jacket was melted to his T-shirt, but fine otherwise. Lots of cream and gauze, then the most haphazard/fastest camp pickup you have ever seen, to flying off the mountain and making it to the hospital in about an hour after incident. They patched him up, said he needed to follow up at home for potential skin grafts. His hands healing after a few months reminded me of Deadpool’s hands but all healed now with minimal scars. I was the only one in camp with any medical supplies.