Backpacking First Aid (What To Carry + Foot Care, Snakes, Poison Plants, Hypothermia, etc)

hey y'all Dixie here today I want to talk to you about first aid and foot care while back in a perfect world we could just sashay down the trail without worry or concern about being injured oh but that's not funny realistic and in any physical activity including backpacking minor injuries are common including blisters and other foot issues so I'm going to go over some of those common injuries today and cover how you might Catrice them on trail just a disclaimer I am NOT a medical professional so this is not medical advice because foot issues are pretty common on trail if you just make a point to properly take care of your feet it can help prevent a lot of those problems the first thing that you can do is make sure that you have properly sized Footwear a lot of people wear a half a size or even a whole size bigger while backpacking than they do in normal life while you're backpacking because you're putting your feet through a lot of physical activities that they might not be used to otherwise your feet can swell I'm not saying that if you go out and you get a hiking shoe that's a half a size or a whole size bigger than your normal size shoe that it'll definitely work perfectly for you but there are a couple of rules of thumb for when you're trying on a pair of shoes that you want to wear on trail first you want to make sure that you have a thumb width length between the tip of your toe and the tip of your shoe next you want to make sure that when you've got the shoe laced up like you would hike in it that if you tap your toe on the ground that your toe does not hit the front of your shoe the reason that you want to check for having enough room between your toe and the tip of the shoe is when you're walking downhill if your toes are sliding to the front of your shoe and hit in the front of it then your toenails will likely turn black and can't fall off and that's not a comfortable thing your feet can get bruised you'll get blisters potentially under your toenails and these are all things that I've had happen to me personally and I've seen happen to other people so again you want to make sure that your Footwear is gonna fit properly before you go backpacking you want to make sure your toenails aren't too long so that even if your feet do approach the front of your shoe that your toenails are hitting the front of the shoe but also you don't want to trim them back so short that it causes you issues like ingrown toenails also you need to make sure that your feet are protected but not overburdened so you'll have to figure out whether trail runners are going to work for you or a more solid more sturdy hiking boot and if you want to learn more about this and kind of help determine what would be best for you you can check out the video that I did on backpacking Footwear and I'll put a link to that video in the video description of this video other than properly fitting Footwear there are other ways to take care of your feet for example when you take a break during the day go ahead and take your shoes off you can even pull your insoles out and take your socks off to allow your feet to dry out real well and your Footwear it may not seem like it's completely soaked but there is going to be sweat in your socks and your shoes and allowing your feet to air out will help prevent things like trench foot or other bacterial or fungal issues you can soak your feet in cool creeks or at least when you get to camp in the evening make sure to rinse your feet off that'll help clean some of the salt and just funk off of your feet and help your feet feel better but also to be cleaner and to prevent issues like blisters that can happen with sweaty damp funky feet I normally only take two pairs of socks to hike in and then I have one designated pair for sleeping when it's cooler out but the two pair that I take even if I'm on a 5 plus day backpacking trip I just rotate those out so I'll wear a pair of socks for a day or two then rinse them out with some water hang them on my pack to dry and then I wear the second pair and I'll just keep rotating them out like that because even though it's not as clean as if I was doing laundry it's a little bit better than it was and again helps me protect from getting blisters if you know you're prone to blisters you can try sock liners they kind of help with the friction between your sock and your foot if you tend to get blisters between your toes then in Jinju sock liners might work well for you or in Jinju socks in general and they're just kind of like gloves but for your feet if you feel like sand and or debris tends to get in your shoes a lot then you can wear gaiters and that'll kind of help prevent some of the friction of either sand or little twigs in your shoes if all of the methods of preventing blisters from forming do not work and you start to feel a hotspot you should take your shoes off and do something about it immediately I know a lot of folks who will feel a hotspot kind of coming on and they'll think well I'll just handle it when I get to camp later but the best thing that you can do for your feet is to stop immediately and check the area and see if you are in fact having some kind of friction issue and then you can do something like apply leuco tape or moleskin to help keep the friction off of your skin then you'll want to make sure to keep the area as clean as possible if you do develop a blister I had a nurse recommend to me to at least wait 24 hours before popping it some people pop them some people don't I've seen blisters where they probably should have been popped because when they weren't they continued to grow and ended up developing into a huge blister so it really just depends on your feet the blister how you feel about it and you just have to make that call in the field if you're gonna pop it make sure you clean the area very well again probably best to wait 24 hours to allow some skin to develop under the blister and then you want to make sure your needle is as clean as possible I generally burn mine with a lighter and then put some hand sanitizer on it then insert the needle into the blister and allow it to drain some people will take a needle and thread and rub triple antibiotic ointment on the thread or neosporin and then take the needle and put it through the blister and allow the thread to hang out of the blister on either side thread allows the moisture to wick out while they're sleeping it also is putting triple antibiotic ointment inside the blister which I feel like can't be a horrible idea and the thread also keeps the holes open on the blister that way it can continue to drain another issue that backpackers are sometimes plagued with is plantar fasciitis I dealt with this on my three - trail and it's extremely painful plantar fasciitis is the inflammation or irritation of the band that runs through the bottom of your foot so if you pull your toes back and feel what feels like a tendon there that is your planner fashion this might not be quite as problematic for somebody that's going out on a shorter backpacking trip like a weekend trip or even a week long because you can work on dealing with this issue before you get out there and also after but if you're going on a more extended trip then it can cause you some problems one of the best things that you can do to help prevent the issue and or treat it on trail is to stretch your calves your calves are connected to the Achilles tendon which is also connected to the plantar fascia you can also take a tennis ball along and roll your foot on it I felt that either that or a bouncy ball it was really nice just to have that pressure and massage the plantar fashion I personally have had luck with the doctor Scholl's inserts for plantar fasciitis I find if I use those insoles and I make a point to replace my trail runners at least every 500 miles if not a little sooner then it pretty much keeps the plantar fasciitis at bay I've heard that transitioning to the zero drop shoe like the ultra has helped people with plantar fasciitis those types of shoes can take a break-in period but I have heard of people who had issues with their plantar fasciitis and other issues with their feet and those types of shoes helped a lot one common issue while backpacking that is horribly painful to have is chafing when you take skin that is warm and damp and dirty and you're just constantly having friction on it all day chances are you're gonna at some point end up with chafing the best thing that you can do for chafing is of course just take a break you know take time off but if you're out on a set backpacking trip then you're not gonna want to stop just because you have some chafing going on so some things that you can do to help out with that is to make sure to keep the area as clean as possible if it's warm enough out and you can sleep with no bottoms on and allow everything to air out down there that's great if not at least try to sleep without underwear on maybe powder up the area to help dry it out ladies you want to make sure that you use a corn starch based powder not a tell pattern while you're hiking you can use a product to help reduce the friction on the area things again like baby powder Gold Bond or even body Glide you can also experiment with different clothing so the seams may be causing you issues some people find if they don't wear underwear it helps or if they do and they weren't before that helps and everybody's body is different so you're really just gonna have to experiment and figure out what works best for you next is the twisting swelling or spraining of the first thing that you can do to prevent issues like this is to be mindful of your surroundings when you're walking it's a good idea to pay attention to where you're going and to look down and make sure you're not stumbling over a slippery route or a rock but at the same time I find myself wanting to look up and enjoy the scenery that I came to see so I understand that the struggle is free if you do find yourself injured in some way where you've twisted a joint it's now swollen or you've even gone as far as to sprain it then you want to soak the joint or painful area in either a cold spring or whatever cool water source you can find take ibuprofen or other anti-inflammatory and if you can elevate the area that is painful if you feel like the injury is bad enough or you want to go ahead and get out of the wilderness and seek professional help for your injury then you can wrap it with a couple of bandanas and some sticks as a makeshift splint use your trekking poles as crutches the best you can and go ahead and head back to your vehicle or whatever access point you came in if the injury is bad enough to where you feel like you cannot get yourself out of the woods and there's nobody there to help you then that's a good instance of when a personal locator beacon or a spot device so a one-way communication device or the inReach which is two-way communication would be a great idea because then that way you can call for help next up are cuts and scrapes I'm not sure that I could get through a backpacking trip without some sort of cuts and scrapes and the best thing to do when this happens it's just a clean area as well as you can I use hand sanitizer filtered water if I have some antiseptic wipes those are a great idea to have or even baby wipes because I'm basically always carrying those it's a good idea to carry those little individual travel packets of antibiotic ointment that way you can apply it to help prevent infection I have found that band-aids don't really work especially if I'm applying them to my feet because they just come off within minutes after I start hiking again gauze pads and medical tape of some sort works a lot better and if the cut is bad enough and seems to keep bleeding then make sure to apply pressure you can take a bandana and fold it up and mash it down hard on it or even tie it off with another piece of clothing finally it's never a bad idea to have super glue if you need to close a cut I know that that's not maybe the best or safest option if you're willing to pay a little bit more and you want a better product for this use then you can get what is called marathon skin protectant this was recommended to me by a nurse who said that you can use it for blisters burn areas areas that have been rubbed or scraped even puncture wounds next is poison oak poison ivy or other poisonous plants the best thing that you can do to prevent coming into contact with one of these plants is to learn to identify them before you go out backpacking and if you can have somebody with you who does know these plants and can help you learn to identify them if you do end up developing a rash and you think you've come into contact with poison oak or poison ivy the best thing to do is to not scratch the area I'm sure that it would pitch and be uncomfortable but by scratching it you can end up spreading it and also you can end up scratching open your skin and having the potential for getting an infection if you're extremely allergic to these plants and you definitely want to take some extra precautions one of the fellas I met on my thru-hike of the 80 or knee-high socks because of that issue most people who have a reaction to poisonous plants aren't extremely allergic to them so chances are you can wait for further treatment once you get to town let's talk about hypothermia most people probably think that if they're backpacking in the three warmer season so spring summer and fall that they won't have any issues with hypothermia but you can actually experience hypothermia even in warmer conditions hypothermia happens when your body can't maintain a normal temperature it's important to learn the signs and symptoms of somebody that has hypothermia so you can hopefully maybe recognize it in yourself but also you might recognize it in people that you're hiking around and then you can help them some of the common symptoms are shivering disorientation or confusion at that point a shelter should be set up whoever is suffering from conditions of hypothermia should be warmed up as quickly as possible with a sleeping bag an emergency blanket by hugging somebody Elson having body contact with a person who is able to maintain a warm temperature or whatever you have to do to warm that person up if you can get the person something warm to drink or some calories because it takes calories to keep your body warm and I know a lot of times I've found myself in cooler temperatures not wanting to stop and take a break because I'm cold so I don't eat as much as I should and it ends up having the reverse effect because my body is working so hard to warm up but I just haven't provided it with sufficient calories to do so and finally if possible the person who is experiencing hypothermia should be evacuated state facts chances are you're not gonna be bitten by a venomous snake while you're backpacking but when I started my three hike of the Pacific Crest Trail I was pretty worried about being bitten by a rattlesnake so I tried to find comfort in the fact that seven to eight thousand people per year in the US are bitten by venomous snakes but usually only about five died from that snake bite and as long as you seek medical attention as soon as possible you're usually going to be okay the best way to prevent being bitten by a snake is to be aware of your surroundings when you sit down and take a break you want to make sure that you're not sitting on a snake who's curled up next to a rock or leaned against a tree where a snake is hiding I've seen little baby rattlesnakes curled up in a V of a tree so just be aware when you're sitting down or setting up your tent or going to the bathroom that you're on the lookout for snakes you can take a trek and pull with you when you're going off trail and kind of tap around I also do that when I'm crossing a downed tree on trail if I can't see on the other side of the log and then of course do a general scan of the trail while you're walking I've been in la-la land before and walked up on some snakes pretty quickly but most of the time I see them before I get within striking range if you are bitten by a venomous snake they say to stay calm and I know that sounds almost impossible but to the best of your ability stay as calm as you can because if you don't stay calm and you start running around and freaking out you're just going to increase your heart rate and that's gonna spread the venom around your body quicker keep the bite area at heart level or below to decrease the spreading of the venom and before you clean the bite you want to allow it to bleed freely for 15 to 30 seconds and then seek medical help as soon as possible again this is an instance where a personal locator beacon or some sort of device that you can call for help would be very useful if Sony that you're with has been bitten it's recommended that you tell them to leave their pack or at least drop as much weight as possible and then help them slowly and calmly to exit the wilderness you just want to have them exerting themselves as little as possible or the same for you if you're alone and can't call for help then you just kind of of course want to get there as soon as you can but try not to overexert yourself and to stay calm as possible until you get out of the woods it is recommended that you do not apply a tourniquet to the area because then you're concentrating the venom in one area which is bad for the tissue and while tourniquets have their uses it's bad for keeping a limb in general because of the same reasons it's not suggested that you apply it a cold pack because it can reduce the blood flow and again concentrate that venom to one area and finally you don't want to cut open the bite or suck the bat because that's further movies those are the most common ailments that I have either experienced or seen other people experienced while backpacking but now I want to go ahead and run down a list of things that you can include in your first-aid kit they're a good idea of course this is just a baseline because everybody's individual needs are going to change this a little bit but this is just a good place to start some good medications to have on hand while backpacking include neosporin or other triple antibiotic ointment benadryl or other antihistamines ibuprofen for swelling fever reducer and pain and finally something that I will never be without on trail is imodium or some other anti diarrheal and tums because I think that having diarrhea on trail is one of the worst experiences I've ever had in my life it can also be dangerous because with diarrhea you can quickly become dehydrated so if I can only have one of the medications on that list it would be an anti diarrheal other items you might want to bring are things to treat blisters like mole skin or Lou go tape or whatever you prefer to treat blisters gauze bandages butterfly strips superglue or that marathon skin protectant I mentioned earlier antiseptic towelettes or baby wipes hand sanitizer tweezers a knife or a multi-tool you never know when you might want to cut bandages or cloth a needle or safety pin a bandana and in the colder months I recommend having one of those emergency safety blankets they're really cheap pretty lightweight and it can save your life also they can double as a ground cloth for cowboy camping again all of that is just a good starting point and you can tweak it to add or remove things as you see fit but keep in mind that you're never gonna have every single thing to cover anything that could possibly go wrong while on trail but it's a good idea to have things to cover the most common basic injuries for anything more extreme I know I've mentioned several times in this video but it's always a great idea to have a personal locator beacon that way you can call for help in a true emergency I would love to see what all of you carry and your first-aid kits in the comments today if you don't mind sharing that I think it would be a good idea for folks who are just getting into backpacking to see some ideas of what to bring that maybe they haven't thought about or maybe somebody will realize hey I might be being a little too excessive with my first-aid kit by carrying a stethoscope or a blood-pressure cuff if that's not something that I need in everyday life they get so much for watching and if you found this video useful don't forget to subscribe before you go and we will see y'all next time

Channel: Homemade Wanderlust

Views: 129,174

Keywords: backpacking, backcountry, travel, first aid, gear, knife, multitool, hiking, thru-hiking, pacific Crest trail, appalachian Trail, sprain, bandana, blisters

Id: nxExCQiWa_U

Length: 19min 30sec (1170 seconds)

Published: Tue Mar 12 2019