Camping Safety - What's in Your First Aid Kit?

Written By - Myrtha Chang - 05/12/2007

Link to Original Article here


I like Simon Eller's approach to figuring out what first-aid items to bring for camping safety. He simply asks himself, what are the most common camping mishaps that can happen, let me prepare for that.

By the way, when Simon Eller says 'plaster', that's band-aid. And if you've never heard of steri-strips, they are made by 3M (yes, the folks that make our sticky post-it notes) and they are similar to butterfly-strips.

Simon also stressed that camping safety is not just about getting the biggest, most complete first-aid kit out there. More importantly, do you know how to use what's in your kit?

Before you even go out there to purchase your first-aid kit, educate yourself on basic first-aid procedures for common injuries at campgrounds. Click on the link to learn how to treat them.
Common Camping Mishaps

    * Cuts and scrapes. You don't have to be chopping wood. Stripping a branch for a kids' marshmallow stick, walking too close to a shrub - it's easy to get cuts and scrapes outdoors.
    * Burns. Happens in the camp kitchen, usually, as you try to cook with gear you are not used to. Also watch out for sunburn from improper sunscreen use.
    * Sprains. A mistep on uneven terrain, or falling in the dark on the way to the bathroom - this one can bed-rest you your entire camping trip.
    * Tick bites and animal bites. Little ticks can cause big problems, like Lyme disease. To protect yourself in tick regions, wear long-sleeved shirts, long pants tied at the ankle or tucked into socks or boots, and closed-toe shoes. Using mosquito repellant and walking on cleared trails, away from brushy vegetation, also decrease the opportunity for tick attachment.

Now you are ready to go shopping for your first aid kit. No two first-aid kits are alike. Use the Mayo Clinic's first-aid kit list to decide on a kit that suits your needs.

Have fun, but be safe. I still remember the big safety sign in my high-school lab: Accidents don't just happen, they are caused.
    
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Filed under Other Camping Gear, Safety Tips by Myrtha Chang.