26 January 2011 by Matt Woodruff.

People often ask me what they should include in their first aid kit.  The unfortunate answer is “It depends.”  In this post, I will discuss a number of factors that can influence what you want to put in your kit and in subsequent postings, I will talk about kits for various purposes and scenarios and what I think they should contain.  To briefly summarize, the contents of a first aid kit depend on:

• What is your level of training and comfort level using certain equipment?
• What is your role in the first aid/EMS/medical response tree?
• How many people you need to look after with this kit?
• What levels of injury do you want to be prepared to handle?
• How long you will be using the kit before it can be restocked?
• What other resources are available?
• How long will it take until professional or para-professional help arrives or you can get to professional help?
• What legal or policy requirements or limitations apply to your situation?

I live in a city where the average EMS response time is around 3 minutes.  If I am stocking a first aid kit for home, I will need the dressings, bandages and other materials to deal with issues like minor cuts that will be solved in the home with no outside medical care.  I also need to have the materials on hand to deal with serious emergencies for maybe 5 minutes or so, since EMS will take over by then. 

 If I am putting a first aid kit in the car, I will again want to deal with minor cuts and scrapes, but recognize that I may come upon an accident and need to deal with more serious trauma until EMS arrives.  I should have plenty of sterile dressings on hand.  However, I don’t need any really fancy dressings or bandages, since anything I put on somebody at an accident scene will be cut off and thrown on the floor just as soon as they get to the hospital.

 For a weekend car-based camping trip with a scout troop, I am going to be prepared to deal with cuts and scrapes, bites and stings and non-trauma items like tummy aches, dehydration and homesickness.  I will also need to be prepared for trauma and sustaining a victim for the longer response times associated with more remote areas.

 For a backpacking trip, the kit becomes more complicated, especially on a longer trip to a remote area.  I have to deal with minor injuries and prevent them from becoming major ones.  I will want to sustain care as needed to keep somebody with a minor problem on the trail as opposed to ending their trip.  That may mean multiple dressings over a period of days for a single laceration.  I have to be prepared to deal with severe injuries when help may be delayed for a significant time.  On top of all of this, I have to minimize the bulk and weight of my kit.  This calls for the inclusion of some of the high tech tools now available, like waterproof but permeable dressings that can be left on a wound until it is healed, fancy dressings for blisters and hot spots and the like.  One should also think “outside the kit” about other items in the backpack or crew gear that could be of use in an emergency.  The kit also needs to be ready for medical issues - stomach aches, fevers and the like.  For older guys like me, pain relievers for muscle and joint pain are a must.  While I believe in a  crew kit that has the materials needed for an emergency readily at hand, I think the size of the kit can be reduced by having each member of the crew provide their own personal kit for minor issues and spread out the stuff that you do not need to access instantly, like the acetaminophen and NSAIDs. 

More to come on this subject…

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25 January 2011 by Matt Woodruff.

This section is a breakout from the Scouts and Outdoor category and is presently under construction.

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18 August 2010 by Matt Woodruff.

Here is a link to an interesting article on Dry Wicking fabrics:  “Designers sweat the details to let athletic clothes breathe” from the Washington Post:  http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/08/09/AR2010080904129.html

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2 January 2010 by Matt Woodruff.

Some use all purpose paper (AKA toilet paper) in the outdoors.  Others advocate baby wipes.  I have tried some of the wipes marketed for outdoor use to clean my face and hands, but not to replace AP.  I know a few guys who swear by them for all of their “business.”  One complaint about the wipes is that they tend to dry out during storage, so you need a new pack for every trip.  I was hunting doves today and sometimes when you have multiple birds down and you are helping the dog out, you get your hands covered in blood and feathers handling the birds.  I wished I had some baby wipes to clean my hands off so that I could keep the mess off my gun.

Weigh in.  What is your prefererence: AP or wipes? 

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4 December 2009 by Matt Woodruff.

At a recent presentation on gear choices, a parent asked a very good question:  “If I am buying backpacking gear for my son, where should  I invest in better gear and where can I cut some corners to save money.  I have tried to address these issues in a lot of the posts here, but I will attempt to briefly summarize my thoughts in one place.  For more details, start with the article on that particular type of equipment.  These comments are appropriate to weekend type camping and backpacking trips.  For extended backcountry trips or  ”bet your life on your gear” adventures, the answers might change.

Don’t Skimp items: 

Backpack.  I like the Kelty Coyote, which is a mid-priced option.   A durable, well fitting backpack is a must. Rain gear/shells.  Lightweight waterproof breathable raingear, like the Marmot Precip makes a difference.  GoreTex is the best, but is costly.  My thought is that they will outgrow some of the lesser options, like the Precip, before it stops working.  Get full zip pants that can go on over boots and be donned while standing.  If they can’t get them on quickly while standing up wearing boots, there is little reason to have them. Be frugal by buying them large so a growing boy can wear them longer.  Water container.  I am a huge fan of the Camelbak products.  Nalgene bottles were indestructible before they took the BPA out.  We will have to see how the new ones hold up, but get a good water container.  I carry both the Camelbak 3 liter bladder and a Camelbak flip top bottle for use in camp.  It is easier to flip it up and drink from the “straw” than it is to unscrew the top of the Nalgene bottle every time I want to take a sip of water.  If I need another container for more water,  I would add in a nalgene or a platypus.   Save some money on these items: “Warmth gear.”  For backpacking, I like the polar fleece jackets.  There is not a huge difference between a $10 jacket and a $110 one.  Save some money here. Sleeping bag.  You need the right bag, but you don’t need to pay a fortune for it.  A highly compactable, lightweight synthetic bag can be had for $75 or less.  I like the Thermolite fill, but there could be other materials that are just as good or better. Mess Gear.  You don’t need a titanium spork.  A plastic one will do just fine.  The lightweight plastic bowls at Walmart are lighter than anything you will buy at REI, if not as durable.  Buy two and have a spare if you break one.  Get a polycarbonate bowl at Academy if you want to be sure it will not break.  Cheap cups are fine. Boots.  Again, you need good boots, but don’t have to buy the best available, especially when they will outgrow them soon.  An exception is Philmont.  If  you are headed there, better boots are probably warranted.  Get them well enough in advance that they will be broken in, but not so soon that they will be outgrown before you get there. Hiking sticks.  You can save weight and maybe add some durability by spending a lot of money, but my $15 or so a pair from Walmart have served me quite well in a variety of venues.  I would not buy an expensive pair for a young man.  For a Philmont trip, I might consider an upgrade to a midrange set if I could find some on sale.  There may be a few more items that could go on either list.  If you have a concern that is not addressed here,  or if you disagree with me, leave a comment.

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29 November 2009 by Matt Woodruff.

How To Stay Warm and Dry in the Outdoors  (Word Document - Opens in new Window)  This is an update of a guide I prepared several years ago that talks about clothing choices that will help you stay warm (or cool) and dry in the outdoors. 

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24 November 2009 by Matt Woodruff.

If anybody is interested in the Moab wheels and Goodyear Wrangler MT/R tires that came with the Jeep, leave a comment.

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24 November 2009 by Matt Woodruff.

Backpacking Gear Packing List and Analysis Spreadsheet.  This is a link to an Excel Spreadsheet that I got from a fellow Assistant Scoutmaster and modified to suit my needs.  It is filled with actual data for a scout going to Philmont.  In the first set of columns, enter in the gear you have and what it weighs (use a postage scale).  In the columns to the right, enter any lower weight alternative gear you are considering for each item.  The sheet will give you a running tally of what your pack and clothing weighs, how much weight you would save through using the alternatives and how much it will cost you to buy the alternatives.  For example, substituting Platypus bottles for Nalgene bottles saves a lot of weight for a relatively modest cost, as does trading a Z-fold Thermarest for a traditional inflatable Thermarest. 

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16 November 2009 by Matt Woodruff.

I took the Jeep back and had them replace the power steering pump.   Problem solved.  The new pump is silent.  Don’t believe a service writer if he tells you they are all noisy.

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16 November 2009 by Matt Woodruff.

Sleeping bags keep you warm by retaining your own body heat, while passing moisture through the bag to the atmosphere.  Most experts say that the body does not release as much heat during sleep, so the warmth your body gives off between the time you enter the bag and go to sleep has to help keep you warm through the night.  One activity that causes your body to release heat is digesting food.  On a cold night, drinking a cup of hot broth or cocoa can help you warm up your bag and lead to a comfortable night.  While retaining heat is good, sweating is not and is to be avoided at all costs.  Once you become sweaty, you are likely to become cold and miserable.  It is important to recognize when you are building up too much heat and ventilate the bag before sweating starts.  Underwear, and especially cotton underwear, retains moisture and if you get in your sleeping bag wearing the same t-shirt and underwear you wore all day, you are asking for a miserable night.   Smart campers will put on their fresh underwear for the next day as they are getting into their sleeping bag at night.  They will also put their clothes for the next morning inside their sleeping bag so that they can put on warm clothes in the morning rather than clothes that are cold.  (Yes, I know real men don’t carry “fresh” underwear for every day of their trip.  I wore the same clothes all week at Northern Tier too, but if it is really cold, you should swap underwear every day.  Air out the pair you are not wearing to make sure it is dry.  That is what I mean by fresh.  I don’t care if it is clean.)

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