Emergency Kit Basics

• Pack an emergency medical/first aid kit whenever you venture into the wilderness. Wilderness and emergency kit basics are designed for a variety of needs often determined by how many people are a part of each trip, how long they expect to be in the field, and the determination of whether medical help may arrive within 24 to 48 hours following an accident or incident. Some of the most basic components of an emergency/medical kit include, but are not limited to, gauze bandages of varying sizes and thickness, including compression bandages, sterile gloves, survival wraps, emergency flares, aspirin or acetaminophen, and of course, any prescription medications required by individuals in the party. Individuals traveling into the wilderness should also have an Iridium satellite phone so that emergency services may be contacted from anywhere, anytime. A GPS navigation system will come in handy if individuals become lost in the wilderness, and first-aid training that meets a variety of needs is essential.
  
  

First Aid Training

• Seek training and certification in Outdoor First Aid Training, Basic First Aid and CPR and water safety before any vacations or wilderness camping trips. Such knowledge lasts a lifetime and will stand you and your companions in good stead when in the wilderness. Wilderness first-aid training may also include splinting broken bones with items found in nature, such as branches, building a lean-to in the event of unforeseen weather, or how to deal with emergencies in mountains, water, snow or deserts.
  
  Wilderness first aid training courses can be offered in two-day courses to those that take a month, which prepare individuals
  
  

Wilderness First Aid Topics

• Take wilderness first-aid courses sponsored through city, county or state approved resources, including hospitals, city parks and recreation districts, or those offered by local vocational or technical schools in your area. Topics should cover basic human anatomy, real-time simulations, background into toxins found in the wilderness and back-country medicine as well as search and rescue protocols and methodologies utilizing materials found in the wilderness as first-aid tools. Learning how to make splints, stretchers and safely transport individuals from many dire situations are at the basis of many wilderness first aid courses offered to hunters, hikers and fishermen.