Club members are recommended to have their own First Aid kit (suggested Packing List below) in their vehicle and be familiar with its contents and how to use them. The club also provides to the Leader / Trail Boss of a scheduled adventure a more extensive First Aid kit as well as an AED kit. In the event of an incident, club members will jump in to help on a broad spectrum of support, be it care for an injured or suffering individual or assistance in vehicle stabilization and emergency services outreach. Nobody gets left alone or behind!
For guidance, good first aid kits are available through retail outlets such as REI, Big 5, Target Stores, Walmart, and Amazon.
Printed materials found useful include:
Hyperthermia
(Heat Exhaustion and Heat Stroke)
1. The diagnostic “dividing line” between moderate and severe medical conditions (e.g. heat exhaustion verses heat stroke, in this case) is usually brain involvement: mumbling/slurred speech, stumbling/dizzy, grumbling, agitation, confusion.
2. If a victim becomes unconscious due to heat stroke/severe hyperthermia, their risk of death can be over 60% due to multi-organ failure, even after being admitted to a hospital.
For those who survive the initial event, the risk of death remains elevated (60% to 70%) for up to two years due to the trauma experienced by multiple organ systems. Severe symptoms include: vomiting, seizures, delirium, loss of consciousness. An unconscious heat stroke victim is an automatic 911 call.
3. Treatment: Get out of the heat. Create shade. Get in an air-conditioned vehicle.
4. Drink fluids in small sips: Do not let victim chug fluids which will cause vomiting, further increasing dehydration. Diluted sports drinks with electrolytes are best. Dilute if too sweet (Half Gatorade and half water is standard rehydration mix). Salty crackers when ready.
5. Cooling measures: misting water and fanning is best. Wet the victim down and fan.
6. Dehydration: is a separate issue. A victim can be seriously dehydrated without being hyperthermic. Signs and symptoms can be the same as for hyperthermia. Victim history (“How much have you been drinking?”), environmental conditions and victim signs and symptoms determine dehydration. Severe dehydration can be fatal: fluid is drawn from the blood, circulation slows, coagulation and heart problems occur. Dark red/brown urine is a sign of severe dehydration. Peeing clear, is the “field test” for proper hydration.
Snakebites
There are approximately 8000 venomous snakebites in the US every year with only about 5 fatalities due to rapid treatment with anti-venin. Copperheads and rattlesnakes account for most bites.
Pre-Hospital care treatment:
• Calm the victim. Call 911.
• Remove constrictions: Take off rings, watches, and tight clothing near the bite site before swelling starts.
• Victim lies down and reduces movement: Keep the bitten limb slightly above heart level to reduce swelling.
• Clean and cover: Gently wash the area with soap and water and cover it with a clean, dry, loose bandage.
❌ DO NOT use a tourniquet or tight band;
DO NOT use suction devices;
DO NOT cut the wound;
DO NOT apply ice, heat, electricity or immerse the wound in water;
DO NOT take aspirin or ibuprofen;
DO NOT drink alcohol or caffeine.
Signs of Envenomation (not all bites envenomate): Severe pain or swelling at the bite site; Nausea, vomiting, or dizziness; Difficulty breathing or a rapid heart rate; Blurred vision, drooping eyelids.
Packing List
Individual Fanny/Shoulder Medical Kit
(Build your own kit via Items available on Amazon)
Sowhup Tactical Fanny 18.00
Four pairs medical gloves N/A
EMT Scissor 8.00
Silk 2” medical tape 10.00 (3 rolls)
Two 3” Coban wraps 9.00 (6 rolls)
Two 3” roller gauze 12.00 (5 rolls)
One 4 foot Quick Clot pad 37.00
Four 4X4 gauze pads 5.00 (50 pads)
Two trauma pads 8.00 (4pads)
Two non-adhering dressing 12.00 (100)
C.A.T. tourniquet 32.00
Israeli pressure bandage 16.00
Estimated Cost to be prepared $167.00
Build it over time!
Recommended additions: Protein Bars and Headlamp.