Building a Hiker's First Aid Kits
When you are planning to go hiking, one of the first things you have to always check that carrying a first aid kit. It is a very essential thing that you can not skip. You have a few choices when you are going to make your own backpacking first aid kit. you need to stabilize your injury because you can not easily find hospitals or doctors while you are on a trail. So building your backpacking first aid kit you have to know some common injuries and their medicine.
Common injuries
- Scraps or cuts
- Blisters or chafing
- Pain,fever,inflammation
- Diarrhea or stomach pain
- Allergies
- Splinters or stings
Consider your condition and kits
There are some things to consider when you are deciding how many days you want to go hiking and what items to include it.
-
Hiking condition
Before you start to pack your first aid box you should stop and carefully think about your hiking environment. Think about where you are hiking and the places weather, environments, trail condition, plants, and animals. Then choose supplies that are suitable for the area.
-
Comfortable pack
Always keep in mind that you do not overpack supplies. You should maintain that do not over-prepared or do not careless. Do not take a professional medical kit on your box or do not travel without any first aid. So always keep the balance of your supplies.
-
Hiking duration and group size
Take your medical supplies based on the number of people in your group and the number of days on your trip. Add some extra items always for longer trips and more people.
Make your first aid kit
Essential items
- Antibacterial ointment
- Antiseptic wipes
- Gauze pads in various size
- Medical tape
- Pain relief medication
- Blister treatment
- Insect sting treatment
- Nonstick pans
- Allergic reaction medicine
- Tweezers
- Safety pins
- First aid cards
Wraps, splints, and wound coverage kits
- Elastic wraps
- Finger splint
- Cleansing pads
- SAM splints
- Rolled gauze
- Liquid bandage
- Blood stopping gauze
Tools
- Thermometer
- Pocket knife
- Cotton swabs
- Surgical gloves
- Syringe
- Small mirror
- Sewing needle
- Duct tape
- Scissors
- Small mirror
- CPR mask
- Whistle
- Flashlight
- Pliers
- Emergency blanket
Medication treatment
- Aspirin
- Eye drops
- Hand sanitizer
- Antidiarrheal pills
- Prescribed antibiotics medicine
- Poison oak treatment
- Insect sting treatment
Optional
- Needle and dental floss for stitches and extreme emergencies
- Safety pins for fasten a bandage and hold up your shorts or dress if any button breaks.
- Ziplock bags for the place all emergency supplies.
Do and do not
Do
- Buy the best supply depends on your budget. Keep in mind that it should include all multi-tools.
- Create a first aid kit checklist or printout your checklist.
- Make sure you have enough of each item to cover yourself and your friend for the duration of your trip.
- Make sure your kit is stored properly.
- Check carefully if any tools or supplies are out of date.
Don’t
- Do not take over extra things and made your bag heavy. Reduce your excess weight and leave it behind.
- Self-sufficiency is not required.
- Make sure that your kit is self-explanatory. Learn how to use it properly.
- Tell others to bring the first aid kit.
Buying or preparing your hiking or backpacking medical kit is not the final step. Do not think that you have got everything that means you know how to use it. So give a bit of effort. Learn how to use it. Get medical training. You can do it online or ask any known doctor. Also, you can ask for the kit store. This is not so hard to learn.
5 simple backpacking meals recipes
If you make your own backpacking meals it will be great fun and save you for extra money buying expensively freeze-dried or dehydrated meals. Although Store-bought meals are convenient and lightweight, you can make it in your house easily. Firstly you should follow some steps to pack your hiking meals. They are
- Meal Nutrition
While hiking your body needs plenty of carbs, proteins, and fats to sustain its energy and help you recover.so keep in mind that your food should be healthier.
-
Food Weight
Keeping your pack weight is really important on long trips, but also try to have a good balance of foods that make you feel good.
-
Shelf Stable
If you are hiking in summer you won’t be able to keep your food refrigerated. So it’s important to use ingredients that can be used at room temperature.
-
Quick Cooking
In your backpacking trip, your food should cook quickly. Most of the food can take over 30 minutes to cook. So you have to consider how long you want to be waiting for your meal.
Here we will give you 5 simple backpacking meal recipes that are easy to cook.
Instant Oatmeal
Oatmeal is very easy, tasty and filling. It is easy to prepare and full of nutrition. Simply you just have to do is boil a little water and mix the oatmeal with it. You can choose any kind of flavored oatmeal.
Biscuits
Take 2 cups biscuits mix,1/4 cups powdered milk,2 tablespoons dried parsley. Combine this biscuits mix and milk into a quart size zip lock bag. On a trail, all you have to do is stir ½ cups water into the bag. Make the dough into flat circles. Cook on the pan. Turning down when it seems light brown. It's very easy to make so backpackers should always select this item on their trip.
Noodle bowl
You need some shredded beef, noodles, instant onion soup, mixed vegetables, garlic powder, soy sauce. Firstly discard the packet from the noodles and combine all the ingredients in a zip lock bag.in a trail, Boil about 2 cups of water. Add water to a ziplock bag. Then stir it until noodles are soft and vegetable, beef is rehydrated. Mix the soy sauce to increase the taste.
Pancakes
You need biscuits mix, dry milk, sugar, water, vegetable oil. Firstly add mix, milk, and sugar into a quart size zip lock bag and shake it well. Then seal it. In hiking, add water oil to bag, seal and squish bag in hands to mix and remove air. Cut a small hole in the corner of the bag and squeeze onto a hot pan. Cook until they are golden brown.
Scramble
You need some instant mashed potatoes, fried eggs, and bacon, water, dry milk, cheese if you like. Firstly combine all the ingredients with a zip lock bag. Then heat water in a pot. add to a freezer bag and stir. Let it sits for 5 minutes.
Safety Tips When Hiking With Child
If we hike and explore the outdoors with kids it will give them good memories. Maybe for a lifetime. It can give them the chance to explore, learning new things, experience and so on, Also hiking will increase their inner skills.
It is normal that many parents are afraid of safety on hiking when bringing their children. But do not worry. If you follow some rules you can enjoy hiking on a trail with your kids.
Share Your Plan With Kids And Others
When you are planning to go on hiking always share the root map with others and your children too. Let them know when you are going and when you will return. Give your every child the extra maps and memories them how to find ways if they lost.
Carry a Whistle
A whistle may look so small but it’s a very important thing while you are on a trail with a child. Teach your children that they are only for an emergency. Do not play with it. Have them wear it around their neck so they can use it easily when needed. The whistle is much louder than the human voice. Teach your children if they get lost and don’t know how to way back to you. How to use a whistle and find the right way.
Children Safety Bag
Give your every child their own safety bag to carry. Do not make it heavy for them. It should have an emergency whistle, a jacket, a few snacks and water, compass, small first aid kit, torchlight. If a child gets separated from you, at least they will have some survival equipment with them. It is better if you stick a note in your child's backpack. You could write there what they need to do if they become separated from you. If they can read fluently, it would help them to memories things.
Wear Bright Colors
Most of the hikers wear light colors when they are on a trail. And it's a big mistake. Wear clothes as bright as possible. Get dressed your children too. Red cloths are the best option for you. So if they get lost you can easily spot them and they do. Yellow, orange, pink, sky blue are also good colors for wearing clothes. Always keep an eye on your child. It is normal to become lost in your own thoughts while hiking and these few seconds of distraction can mean losing track of your kids. So bright colors clothes are top priorities while hiking with kids.
Teach Your Kids What To Do and What Not to Do
Before going on a trail with your kids, firstly teach them in your house that what they should do and what should not while in hiking. Teach them when to stop, how to use their emergency whistle. Three whistle means you are lost. It is a universal distress signal. Tell them not to play hide and seek, and no running, no jumping on a rock while on a trail. It will be dangerous. The rocks can be slippery or sharp. Teach them to leave everything and do not touch it. It's illegal to disturb plants or wildlife. There will be many poisonous plants.
Buddy system
It will be a great help you u make a buddy system. Always make sure that each child has a buddy with them when they have to go to the bathroom or in a walk. So that your kids will not get lost.
Carry First Aid Box
For a safe hike, you should always carry a first aid box. The box should contain easy bandage, antibacterial ointment, gauze, tweezers. Teach your kids how to use them too. Because kids may get hurt while hiking. So if they got separated from you, they will know what to do in their wound.
If there are any questions you may contact us using the information below.
