Camping First Aid

If you’re camping list doesn’t include a
well-stocked camping first aid kit you’re doing
yourself a disservice. Minor injuries can ruin a
camping trip if you’re not prepared to cope with them.
But if you are, the trip remains a quality outdoor experience.

Dinner was bubbling away on the campstove while I watched a hen wood duck push her offspring out of their nesting cavity. Still chuckling over the fledglings’ awkward antics, I turned back to the stove, absently lifting the pot cover.

Ouch! I burned my thumb and index fingers. No big thing. I immediately reached for my camping first aid kit. In no time at all, I rinsed my fingers in cold water, applied some burn jelly, and loosely bandaged my digits. Before you could say “Florence Nightingale” I was back to fixing dinner and watching the woodies.

The benefit of having a fully equipped camping first aid kit handy was a lesson I had learned on my first camping trip. I’d fallen while scrambling over some rocks. Scraped knees and elbows made me miserable for three days. I had neither bandages nor antiseptic. Didn’t even have an aspirin to relieve my discomfort. I vowed then I’d never again camp without an emergency care kit.

I can hear you saying, “Hey, the average outdoor enthusiast already totes enough gear to choke an elephant, and first aid products are bulky.” That’s no longer so. Today, many camping first aid kits are lightweight, compact, and designed with the outdoorsman in mind.

Of course, you can’t guard against all hazards or treat all emergencies with a basic camping first aid kit. You can, and should, however, prepare for likely mishaps such as scrapes and cuts, strains and bruises, insect bites or stings, sunburn, poisonous plants, possibly snake bites, and, even during the summer, hypothermia.

The health care products you should carry are determined by your personal needs, the type of outdoor activities you enjoy, your mode of travel, the number of people traveling with you, and weather conditions.

If you never camp far from your car, you can carry everything you’ll ever need. If you’re hiking, canoeing, mountain biking, or horseback riding to camp, limitations apply. Weight and bulk become important considerations for those kinds of camping first aid kits.

Furthermore, if your outings include a number of people, you don’t necessarily need to increase the number of bandages in proportion to participants. The likelihood everyone on the trip will need an adhesive bandage or two is slim. However, extra people can carry additional specialized items, such as inflatable splints, which you might not be able to take if fewer people were journeying into the wilds.

Many of today’s prepackaged camping first aid kits contain the fundamentals for treating common, minor medical emergencies. But no prepackaged kit has everything. Often, the extras are what can make the difference between a good time and a ruined trip. Don’t just buy a first aid kit and assume it includes everything you’ll need. By the same token, some of the items in a factory kit might not be needed, and can be replaced by something more important. So take an inventory of the kit before adding it to your gear.

Some of the extras I suggest all outdoor enthusiasts keep on hand as part of their camping first aid supplies include:

• analgesic cream for sore muscles;
• personal prescription medications;
• allergy remedies;
• insect repellents and sting/bite ointment;
• tick removal kit;
• sunscreen; and
• a space blanket.

Here are some of the reasons you might need some of these items:

• A long hike, chopping firewood, or just a little too much fun often can leave muscles sore and tired. Aching legs or joints also can cause sleepless nights. A rub down with an analgesic cream is a big relief.



• Out in the wild world is no place to be caught without prescription medications or medication for ailments you suffer from often, such as allergic reactions to pollens. Keep a pill box with important prescription and over-the-counter medications that you take frequently in your camping first aid kit as a back-up, in case you forget to pack them in your toiletry bag. Also make sure you have an ample supply of your prescription medications along in case of a surprise extension of the trip.



• There are a myriad of insect repellents on the market. Some are meant to be applied to skin, others to clothing only. Some have synthetic chemicals, others are all natural. When purchasing repellents, read and follow the label ingredients carefully. And, if you’re not quick enough with the repellent, there are several after-bite products available. Be sure and have one of them along too.



• Little need be said about the dangers presented by ticks. Neither Lyme disease nor Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever are fun. A tick removal kit, which usually includes a magnifying glass, tweezers, alcohol swabs, and a how-to-remove-a-tick pamphlet, is a simple preventive step against what can be complicated illnesses.



• A golden tan, attractive today, may not look so good 10 years from now. It also could become far worse than unattractive. Too much exposure to the sun can lead to skin cancer and other dermatological diseases. Protect your skin with a sunscreen with a high SPF rating.



• Finally, a note about hypothermia. This silent killer lurks behind every rain cloud and breeze, even during warm-weather months. Sure, if you’re around camp and get caught in a sudden downpour, you simply dash into your tent and warm up by changing into dry clothes. But what if you’re hiking in the woods, or fishing a backcountry stream miles from camp? The rain soaks your clothes. You become chilled. Your body temperature begins to fall. You may not even realize you’re in danger. Consider carrying one of those lightweight, metalized-polymer blankets. When wrapped around you they conserve body heat more effectively than any other material. They also fold up small enough to fit in a day bag or fanny pack.

No one likes to think about getting hurt or becoming ill when outdoors. But accidents do happen. Minor mishaps don’t have to spoil your outing or send you home early, though. Just remember the Arab saying: Luck favors the well prepared.