High Sierra Topix

You can put together a pretty comprehensive first aid kit for less than $10 if you visit your local 99 cent or Dollar Store.

Bandages, tape, Neosporin, aspirin, Ibuprofen, antacid, antidiarrheal, wet wipes, gauze rolls, scissors. Ten bucks.

John

rlown wrote:

AlmostThere wrote: My trekking poles, to use as a splint or with a jacket to make a travois

This only caught my eye because I do not see how you could ever use trekking poles as a travois. Having seen people break them when being mostly vertical, It's not possible to use trekking poles for that purpose. Splint, ok.

I'ts been done. It was one of the things taught in a basic wilderness first aid I had a few years back.

If you don't use poles some large crooked branches might do the trick.

RoguePhotonic wrote:

Thought we are all required to have medical coverage by now?)

Doesn't mean all of us will comply with the law.

Sure - you can either owe the IRS for life, or join the Christian Science church. An atheist friend goes to Wednesday services haphazardly, to get the letter from the pastor for the religious exemption. Very nice people to hang out with (they referred him to a company that hired him a few weeks later, after 6 months unemployment) and they do not even care if you actually claim their religion, or anyone else's.

Or I guess you could go with the plan and go down in a firefight against the Establishment as planned... I prefer to be just left alone to hike, myself.

Someone without sufficient income probably qualifies for Medi-Cal - it's free, and the restrictions have become less restrictive. Still doesn't pay for a medi-vac, but it beats fines and you don't have to bother going to the doctor.

The fines are actually tiered - it increases to $1200 over three years. I looked it up being on the verge of starting my own business and not caring to pay through the nose for insurance until I could afford to. $369 for an annual fine, or $350 / month for insurance. Math and pragmatism win - I would have just taken the fine or gotten medi-cal (not uncommon to go in the hole in the first year of business for some things).

And, I would have been able to hike more, increasing the risk of wilderness incidents.... I must be charmed indeed to not ever have to be evacuated considering how many people I've hiked with over the years and how many risks have been taken.... The older I get, the more aches and pains, the fewer risks. Mortality sucks.

A small roll of Gauze, a square of moleskin, some 2x2 band aids, Neosporin, vitamin I, 8 ounces of Hydrogen Peroxide as a disinfectant that doubles for oral hygiene, a toothbrush, dental floss that can double for thread, a needle to sew or remove thorns, a small set of nail nippers, and a pair of emergency room scissors.

I would also now consider my SPOT device, Light My Fire Swedish Fire Knife, some cotton soaked in mineral oil (fire starter), and denatured alcohol for the stove as a peripheral part of the kit now.

I don't know how to suture or do minor surgery so I leave all that stuff out of the kit.

Would recommend that as one get's into their 50's to start including aspirin too, could
save your life if used correctly.

Let's keep the thread on topic please.

I've found medical tape to be much more effective than moleskin for hot spots and early blisters. In my experience, moleskin never stays on. I attribute this to the “fuzzy” top surface which tends to grip to my socks, so any sock movement within my boot will move the moleskin. Do they make moleskin with a slick top surface? If you need the moleskin padding, then I would recommend putting a layer of medical tape over the moleskin. The medical tape I use is from Target and it has a slick surface. It stays on even after a dip in the lake, though I would recommend replacing if wet. And with a roll of this, you don’t have to worry about running out.

maverick wrote:Would recommend that as one get's into their 50's to start including aspirin too, could
save your life if used correctly.

That's why I put it on the list!

John

still, over 50, check with your doctor on aspirin. My doc put me on a low dose, daily, so that's in my kit as well.

i gave up moleskin and replaced it with leukotape. It sticks for a
week and prevents the blister in the first place. Dual use too - it also fixed a leaking Camelbak.


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I gave up on moleskin as well. The 386 of the bandaging world. I can't recall the last time I had a blister on my heel, but my old boots used to give me blisters between my toes, so I taped them up with the slick surfaced medical bandaging tape right at the start. My new boots won't last 30 years like the old Danners, but I've been blisterless.

My first aid kit is like many of the others who have posted:

Moleskin (I still bring it out of sheer habit)
small roll of medical tape
gauze
various band-aids
Ibuprofen and acetaminophen
Neosporin

Alll carried in a quart ziploc baggie. I have a dedicated pouch on my external frame pack just for it and other things like a sharp folding knife, extra lighter, iodine tabs (for back-up), small length of cordage for tourniquet.