Blah...blah...blah...

[Northern Dancer]

Blah, Blah, Blah...
That's the usual responsive I get when I want to talk
about "Safety Issues."
Ya, ya - we know this stuff.
​

Like the time I pulled a twenty three year old guy out of the Alora Gore basin. Have you ever performed mouth to mouth on someone you knew was already dead? And as you are doing that, watching his bright red canoe drift down the river half submerged because there is a case of beer in a steel cooler lashed in the inside?

Why is it that the vast majority of campers/canoeists can't be bothered to talk about safety and prepare for the same before they go on their exciting venture?

DO IT!

I got my instructor's certificate a number of years ago because I saw all kinds of things that bothered me intently. I wanted to be better qualified to manage issues but ore especially be aware of the risks associated with my adventures.

Have the right equipment for the right task.

I have a field [base] kit, a canoe camp kit, and a hiker's kit each designed to meet specific issues. I make sure I have what is needed. It's not a decoration or some flimsy useless piece of equipment. When I examine first aid kits the first thing I throw out is the children's scissors. I need scissors that can actually cut. I include whatever I deem necessary for the safety and survival of individuals. I also have a red help flag that I can fly if need be.

Know your stuff and keep up to date with the latest trends.

Your life could depend upon it.

IT'S A LOT MORE FUN WHEN IT'S DONE RIGHT!
​

 

[Bibsoutdoors]

Dancer, it is so seldom I go with people on a hike or backpacking trip were someone doesn't require some kind of first aide. As simple as blister repair or contact with the wrong weed. Can you even count the number of "turned ankles?" Oh, let's not forget the ever present dehydration both summer and winter. This doesn't count life threats. Broken bones, allergic reactions, near drowning, falls, head injuries...it is just endless. So why don't people get up to speed with some sort of first aide training? It's not sexy enough? Yeah, not sexy until someone slips down a wet path and impales themselves in the stomach on a dead limb sticking out. It's boring training, you have to practice on healthy joking around people. It's usually hot in the training room and also crowded. Everyone seems to be talking over someone else so it's loud. But what can be more necessary than this training and for more than one person in the group. I'm with you, it's just so important.

I carry different systems for different outings. Hiking, small first aid. Backpacking, first aid with trauma dressings and splints. Car camping, massive trauma set up.

First Aid providers are flowers on the wall...until poop hits the fan...then you're the greatest.

 

[Northern Dancer]

...I think @Bibsoutdoors people bring with them the urban attitude. If its an occasional trip they don't see how a weekend excursion can be anything more than just plain fun. I'm like you in that I have different kits for different applications with each having gloves and a face mask and I know how to use them.

I was an instructor of First Aid with St. John Ambulance and also taught some of the wilderness models for twenty one years. I was certified after watching a newly formed summer camp sending out campers on trips with no staff person trained in first aid. The next summer the entire staff were trained.

It's like everything else I suppose - you learn when it become necessary.