BuckeyeRifleman
WKR
Paramedic here... agreed with what the other poster said, what will kill me?
Falling on an arrow/GSW is my number one concern.
First things first an easy to reach CAT tourniquet. Serious arterial bleeds will kill you FAST, and a good TQ is your only chance.
Along with that I carry a handful of tagaderms, they work great to seal off chest wounds. I also carry a 14ga catheter needle for chest decompression. Those without medical training could probably skip the 14ga.
Aside from that, basic bandage stuff for the less serious bleeds. ACE wrap to help stabilize a rolled ankle. Triangle bandage for a sling (broken arm.)
Medication wise aspirin (chest pain, some of my hunting partners are older), Benadryl (allergic reactions), and Imodium.
That will probably cover 75% of all the really bad stuff that can happen in the backcountry. I see a lot of guys cutting down to bare minimum on first aid stuff to save a few ounces. The biggest one that makes me want to pull my hair out is dropping the tourniquet. Saying they “never use it.” Not worth it IMO.
Serious backcountry injuries are low frequency high risk events. Just because it hasn’t happened doesn’t mean it won’t. Be prepared, have enough resources to contain the situation until help arrives.
Falling on an arrow/GSW is my number one concern.
First things first an easy to reach CAT tourniquet. Serious arterial bleeds will kill you FAST, and a good TQ is your only chance.
Along with that I carry a handful of tagaderms, they work great to seal off chest wounds. I also carry a 14ga catheter needle for chest decompression. Those without medical training could probably skip the 14ga.
Aside from that, basic bandage stuff for the less serious bleeds. ACE wrap to help stabilize a rolled ankle. Triangle bandage for a sling (broken arm.)
Medication wise aspirin (chest pain, some of my hunting partners are older), Benadryl (allergic reactions), and Imodium.
That will probably cover 75% of all the really bad stuff that can happen in the backcountry. I see a lot of guys cutting down to bare minimum on first aid stuff to save a few ounces. The biggest one that makes me want to pull my hair out is dropping the tourniquet. Saying they “never use it.” Not worth it IMO.
Serious backcountry injuries are low frequency high risk events. Just because it hasn’t happened doesn’t mean it won’t. Be prepared, have enough resources to contain the situation until help arrives.
Last edited:
