January 12, 2007
Don't Leave Home Without It

You forget your raingear and there’s a torrential downpour.  You pack your sunglasses and the sun stays hidden.

Murphy can be a real downer sometimes.  But clever you can beat Murphy’s law at its own game by packing a first aid kit for your next wilderness adventure.

Be a rockin’ Girl Scout and be prepared by making sure your kit includes the following materials, at a minimum.

• Dressings (various sizes) – clean maxi pads work too
• Waterproof bandages
• Triangular bandage
• Spenco 2nd Skin
• Moleskin
• Tincture of benzoin
• Irrigation syringe
• SAM splint
• Latex gloves
• Waterproof matches/firestarter
• Space blanket – like the one you earned from your last marathon
• Duct tape - wrap some around your water bottle to save space
• CPR mask
• Utility knife w/scissors
• Tweezers
• Whistle
• Pencil and paper
• Emergency telephone numbers
• Safety pins
• Cold pack
• Resealable bags
• Ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin or Nuprin), acetaminophen (Tylenol) and Asprin
• Antihistamine (Benadryl) - add an Epi Pen for those with serious allergies
• Energy Bars

Other helpful hints:

1.   Modify accordingly.  Car-camping vs. Complete self-sufficiency. Tropics vs. Winter camping.  Solitude vs. Cell phone coverage.

2.  Scale accordingly.  If it’s you and 100 of your best friends, bring more stuff.

3.  Learn if and who in your group has any pre-existing conditions. Allergies? Diabetes? Snoring? (helps you pick your tent mate)

4.  You’re a pre-assembled kind of girl.  You make stir fries using precut veggies in a bag.  You buy prepackaged school supplies for your kids.  Then choose from a wide selection of wilderness first aid kits from Adventure Medical Kits.

5.  Starting from scratch? Consider #4.

6.  The kit is only as good as the person using it. Take a first aid course if the above reads like a recipe in a foreign language.

7.  Playing doctor as a child (or now) does not qualify you in first aid. Definitely see #6.

8.  Last but not least….file a trip plan. Tell someone where you’re going and your expected date of return.