Sunscreen, bandaids, and first aid drugs

Unpacking several questions …

Sunscreen lotion vs stick?

I’ve tried sticks and didn’t like them. They can melt and make a mess, and they are harder to apply over large areas like arms and legs than a lotion. I use lotions.

Sunscreen as chafing relief?

Depends on the sunscreen. Products based mostly on zinc oxide (the main ingredient in diaper rash ointment) should work well for chafing.

How much sunscreen for 3 weeks in the High Sierra?

Sorry, but “it depends.” How much skin will you cover, how often will you sweat off the sunscreen, how often will you wash off the sunscreen in lakes or river crossings, how much more will you need at high elevations, how much do you believe that most Americans don’t use enough sunscreen, …

How many bandaids and gauze pads?

You will likely get strong opinions on this topic. My FA kit is around 10 ounces, and that’s considered way too heavy by many. Currently it contains 7 bandaids and 4 gauze pads (and more.) Mostly they get used to help other people, who often find “stuff that looks like first aid supplies” far more comforting than something improvised in the field.

One important note – bandaids have a shelf life in my pack of a couple of years. After that, the stickiness drops below usable.

How many Benadryl?

I carry 24, which is a 2-day supply at the maximum dose of 12 per day. If you have had serious allergic reactions in the past – talk to your doctor about what you need for your trip scenario. Benadryl might not be the best choice.

Hand warmers and other warm stuff in the Sierra summer?

“I am so used to finding myself in snow, rain, hail, etc. in midsummer” – you should be fine!

— Rex

zinc or titanium oxide sunscreens are more effective, especially for UV B that other sunscreens aren’t so effective on.  But, they can leave a residue that can come off on clothing or whatever.

some lotions are more effective on UV A and B.

Maybe with clothing on the outside, it absorbs the UV A and B?

I don’t know if the logic that you haven’t used it in 5 years so get rid of it doesn’t apply to first aid stuff.  If you’ll need something less often, it could still be very nice to have in that rare occurrence.

If you haven’t used a shirt or extra food or something like that for 5 years, that’s probably not needed.  Especially when it’s not critical if there was a time it would be nice to have, more of a convenience or luxury.

“Nobody needs insurance until they do.” There’s a fuzzy line b/n stupid light and overkill with first aid kits and when in doubt I think hikers should trend towards the cautious side, especially if you do any hiking alone.

Bandage-wise, I myself carry about 15 regular bandages, butterflies, a couple of larger pad ones (handy for scraped knees on the occasional descending spill), and a couple of gauze pads (most likely makes the pad bandages redundant, the logic behind is it’s more for burns than scrapes). I like to think: what am I most likely going to do to injure myself? (top 3 that come to mind are falls, knife-related injuries, and being too eager to touch a hot stove/pot) As for how many: if you got a scrape on the first day, how many times would you want to change your bandage?

Drug-wise, I carry ibuprofen,  antihistamine, and anti-diarrhea, although I’ve only ever used the former two (thank God). Can’t speak to your specific condition on the painkiller front (I love ibuprofen since it’s also anti-inflammatory) but I like to bring extra antihistamine since it sometimes does double-duty as a sleep aid. If six-legged friends are a recurring problem for you, sting-eze is an awesome addition. Again, if you get hurt/stung the first day of your trip, how often would you want to take medicine for the remainder of the trip?

Regarding sunscreen, up to you. I like hiking in running shorts, long sleeves, and a baseball cap, so for 3 season use in the South, I’ve found I only ever touch the small tube I bring for my legs and back of my neck. I still carry a stick but have really only used it for ears and times where there’s snow. I think sun protection is another one of the 10 essentials too, but I probs don’t take it as seriously as I should since I was lucky enough to get my mom’s tanning genes instead of my dad’s…

Band-Aids:  My experience is that I rarely need them (once every few years), but when I do need them, I’ll be wearing them the whole trip.  IOW, I need enough for at least one or two per day of the trip.  I can cut it down to one per two days or even less with the Sport Strip kind.  They’re sometimes hard to find but are–and I’m only approximating–1000 times better than any other variety for staying put through wetness and abuse.

I carry Luekotape and a little bit of gauze. I’ll improvise a band-aid with that if I need one. I think it’s more flexible. I also carry some Tegaderm on longer trips. And maybe some KT Tape if I’m concerned about my knee. My FAK + repair kit for longer trips weighs ~9 ounces last I checked.

I had an allergic reaction once on a trip. I think 12 Benadryls/day X several days is reasonable.

I think a lot of people carry too much first aid stuff (and this is coming from an EMT!). The truth is that there is very little you can actually DO about treating serious injuries in the backcountry. Your job is to stabilize the person and get them to professional medical care. To that end, I carry stuff to stop heavy bleeding and prevent infection. That’s pretty much it. Leukotape or gorilla tape plus several 4X4 gauze pads and a couple “sample” packets of neosporin are basically what’s in my first aid kit. Enough to get you patched up and back to civilization. You’re not going to be performing surgery or setting broken bones in the field (unless you’re highly trained AND in some bizarre circumstances). I also carry about two benadryl per day, two aspirins per day, and my blood pressure meds. I only use sunscreen on my nose since I use a hat with a neck cape, wear sun gloves, long sleeves, pants, and sunglasses. One ounce of lotion lasts me forever (I replace the contents of my one ounce container each year so I’m not using expired sunscreen).

Are you able to tolerateTylenol/acetaminophen?  If so, it is a very effective pain killer, although it is not an anti inflammatory.  Regarding sunscreen, if you’re going to be up in the Sierra for 3 weeks, you might want to reconsider your position on LS shirts and head covering.  Otherwise, you will have to carry A LOT of sunscreen.  It is well to remember that you will be hiking at much higher elevations than you are used to in AK, with a correspondingly higher exposure to UVA/B.  If you are sensitive, or just plain not used to that kind of skin abuse, frequent applications will be required, and the amount required will add up.  Covering up is by far the most effective way to go about protecting yourself, and the way most people I know go about addressing the problem.  As for FAK, I’m more toward the @izeloz end of the spectrum, although I do carry pain killers and an antibiotic, neither of which weigh anything significant.  An extension of my FAK is a PLB, for situations that basic first aid cannot handle and where self rescue is not an option.

 I hike with poles as a safety issue. My hands take a beating in the Sierra, getting progressively more cracked as the trip goes on. I have tried lots of different hand creams. So far cortisone seems the most effective remedy, though there probably are improvements. I am looking for better sun gloves, so far I am using “valley gloves” like the fruit pickers use. Maybe like this: https://www.loboproductsinc.com/product/nylon-fruit-picking-gloves-100-nylon/ They are quite comfortable, but I still get cracks in my thumb (maybe they are too breathable?), which uses up lots of bandaids. I can imagine this would be a real issue for me on a 3 week trip.

Anybody have good sun gloves? As I think about this, maybe I should use bandaids or something similar as a preventative.

++ on covering up with clothing in the Sierra. I couldn’t do without my Sunday Afternoons Adventure Hat. I often hike in shorts, but always keep my arms covered.

Erica…..Take a look at SEA TO SUMMIT ECLIPSE PADDLING GLOVES

https://www.rei.com/product/814144/sea-to-summit-eclipse-paddling-gloves

Karen sounds like an awesome trip!

Ever since a few minor abdominal surgeries I make my own “bandaids” using Telfa non adherent pads and Hypafix dressing retention tape and Vaseline instead of triple antibiotic. (Dermatologist recommendation) I swear by this system it works so well for me for a few reasons, if someone else finds it helpful, great!

1) I can custom cut to size almost any size wound , unlike fixed size bandaids

2) the wound gets covered on all sides so no dirt sneaks under like with regular bandaids

3) the very flexible fabric works extremely well on areas of high movement (fingers, knuckles, elbows)

4) it stands up to abuse, (I design/build houses and remodels) when I change bandage it is super clean under there while the uncovered   area is filthy.

5) the dressing peels right off with out leaving the nasty residue that bandaids leave. The adhesive is non allergenic and doesn’t irritate my skin if I have to cover the same area repeatedly for multiple days

@Erika- I also use this system for cracked hands which I get a lot in winter and when I work with caustic materials (Annoying and painful) I use 100% Vaseline on affected area, cover with the Telfa non adherent pad, then wrap with the Hypafix. It holds the moisture against skin. My Derm told me letting a wound “breathe” is outdated advice, you want it to be covered and kept moist for faster healing and less scarring.    For hands I use OR sungloves

@karen – if you hate long sleeved shirts after a while you might enjoy my method for arms and legs. I mostly hike in Maine (the green tunnel) so I’m not often in over exposed sections. So in summer I usually wear a t shirt and shorts but in my hipbelt pocket I keep a pair of Outdoor Research active ice  Sun Sleeves and Sun Legs. The sun sleeves weigh just over an ounce, they are super easy to put on and off without stopping, they are UPF 50. The sun legs I use less often but mine weigh 5 oz and have a zippered ankle so they’re easy to don and doff without taking shoes off, and I don’t have to pack pants. Not the most popular fashion statement but I don’t care :o) they’re lightweight and serve their purpose very effectively for me.

as for drugs I agree with Rex about talking to your Dr first… especially if you have allergic reactions.

My FAK for 3-5 days weighs 2 oz includes two 4” gauze pads, Telfa pads, Hypafix, KT tape, Vaseline, 4 alcohol pads, Ibuprofen,Tylenol, anti diarrhea, Benadryl and a 4 regular bandaids. I use unscented  dr bronners to clean inside wounds .7 oz weight logged in my “toiletries” xD

have a fun and safe excursion!!

Derail alert but NOLS now says no antibiotic ointment on wounds at all. Their routine is 1) stop bleeding. 2) > .5 liter drinkable water blasted through an irrigation syringe. 3) cover with Tegaderm

Use white tape, Luekotape, Hypafix in locations where Tegaderm isn’t practical (like a finger).

Use wound closure strips where needed.

Karen – If you really cannot risk a burn, I really suggest that you hike in long sleeves.  I have found the OR Echo series shirts to be the coolest, most breathable shirts and they offer both a long sleeve and a hooded long sleeve.  These shirts don’t protect from mosquito’s but you can treat them with permethrin to help with that.

Wear long pants – I have found the dorky Rail Riders Echo Mesh pants to be the coolest pants I could find with the added benefit of being able to zip them up and close the vents in mornings and evenings.

To maximize the dorkiness, I also recommend a full coverage hat.  I have had great results with the OR Sun Runner but the Sunday Afternoons hat is probably even better (and dorkier).

I’d also wear sun gloves (I use some old fingerless ones from REI) and sunglasses.  This just leaves your face to protect (it gets some protection already from the hat) which is easy to apply sunscreen to once a day.

Erika – it sounds like your problem is from the aird air and not the sun.  Have you tried lotions and cremes like Bonnies Balm and similar?  You may have to apply a couple of times a day, but hopefully you can keep from getting too many splits.

I can’t edit but I misspelled arid above (but I guess you get the point).

I will also add that I recommend light colors for all of your clothing for hiking during the day.  Dark colors may look better, but really do make you hotter.

OR make a variety of sun gloves, usually called Chroma or Spectrum.

Instead of a wide array of bandaids, I carry some athletic tape and gauze and just a few flexible fabric bandaids. If the regular bandaids won’t suffice, I can create my own bandaid out of the athletic tape and gauze. Athletic tape sticks pretty well.

The sun in the Sierras sizzles your skin. You can feel it frying. I swear you can almost hear it. Rather than sunscreen you should cover up. Then the sunscreen you use is only on your face and whatever part of your hands are exposed (sun gloves!!!)

I don’t think any kind of sunscreen will work for anti-chafing. The anti-chafing stick I have tried has a completely different feel to it. It’s slippery so your skin can slide against itself. No kind of sunblock does that.

Summer in the high sierra is really nice. It’s hot during the day and cold after the sun goes down. It can et really cold in an afternoon storm. You won’t need handwarmers unless you are the kind of hiker/camper that seeks out cold, wet meadows drenched in katabatic air to camp in and then you linger around in the frost in the morning. Even then, just use some gloves.

Their routine is 1) stop bleeding. 2) > .5 liter drinkable water blasted through an irrigation syringe. 3) cover with Tegaderm

+1

Plus smaller finger / hand flexible bandaids

Infection is the primary concern

Thank you all so much! I am ordering the OR sungloves and the Hypafix tape and the Bonnies Balm. Yes, I agree it is the dry air and the altitude combined with the sun.  You’re right, the Sierra sun sizzles your skin; the sunscreen is like butter in the frying pan. EWG rates sunscreen, helping you avoid harmful chemicals. https://www.ewg.org/sunscreen/about-the-sunscreens/?ptype=sunscreen&order=score%20INC&start=12

“Sol” brand sunscreen is great. They figured out how to use less of the irritating chemicals to still achieves the came protection, AND they add titanium dioxide and zinc oxide to top it off. I swear by this stuff and would not use any others (’cause they give me an allergic reaction).

Regarding hand warmers: no need for them, but IMHO unless you are trying to go really light, a waterproof mitten (eVent, etc.) is really good in combo w/ a light glove (fleece, wool or light synthetic). They are really good for the Sierra afternoon T-storms that can very cool at times (think hail & breezy), particularly if you are above the treeline. It can be hard to unzip you shell jacket after the storm if your fingers are numb ;-) Nice for early morning also when its cool.