Based on realities with basic open wounds, just about any of the mentioned wound care for basic wounds listed are reasonable. If it’s bad enough, temporize and get home or to proper care. And since planning on the worst is heavy, I have to agree sometimes you just have to assume the worst won’t happen.
For those who are in charge of groups, far, far, away in the land of Oz-laska, or higher risk trips, or just can’t help worry about their beloved family, friends, and random human beings, or self:
In then end, tiny amounts of clean guaze in the middle of the wilderness is irrelevant in major blood loss or fall trauma, though would be nice if a group had enough combined to place over the wound before applying other items to keep the clean ones in place.
Therefore, though possibly (sorry, extremely likely) mentioned before in other threads, by many experienced experts, my most important item in my “First Aid” Kit, and I hope this doesn’t go into some semantic argument, is going to have to be a two way satellite communication device.
Yep. Expensive.
Yep. Can’t always rely on signal.
Yep. A remote helicopter ride could come with some serious financial responsibilities.
Yep. Etc, etc.
But “if” one can get a message out to help, there’s a shot at survival in life threatening situations (one of my fellow Scouts had a ruptured appendicitis high in the Sierras when I was 14 and I still recall the long run of several of us to a distant ranger station, finding a sketchy landing site for a helicopter and him being lifted away).
Being a surgeon and an ATLS instructor doesn’t do much when I’d be over 1 hour away from a hospital that can provide surgical care.
In Reach seems nice, but I’m going to have to advocate for Sat Phone until the invention of huge power, teeny tiny sized batteries capable of powering my 1 oz Dick Tracy watch for weeks without replacement/charging, capable of video transmission with ease anywhere in the world (and I don’t mean the Apple Watch , which I have and admire). :)
Sorry, maybe obvious to some, off topic to others, too expensive, and other sound con arguments. But I’ll be listing it as part of “my” kit and I hope the weights will continue to drop.
Finally, and I love this for sailing to exotic shores as well…
Quill SRS sutures ( I have no financial interests in this ). I just think it’s useful because in a pinch as I don’t absolutely “require” needle drivers, don’t “have to” tie any knots and is simple to use in a serpentine motion or corkscrew through a wound. I know many would not imagine closing a wound that could require sutures. And I certainly can’t advise anyone to do so. Probably serious at that point and could get infected, but I’m always going to carry one of these as an M.D. Since its light, I know I can do some good with it in a rare situation and far from care. The online videos are pretty informative.
All the best,
Terry Johnson
