Northwest Hiking

Specifically, day hiking first-aid kits are going to change from region to region if you like to customize and change things to better suit your liking and environment.  In general, there are a few things that should remain constant from one kit to another, however.  These are the essentials that will let you treat injuries that may be inflicted from short hikes.  Kits like this should be able to be improvised to treat both minor and moderately serious injuries, such as fractures.  Below is the contents of a kit that I acquired a number of years ago from the product’s web page that can be improvised to suit almost any minor first-aid situation:

REI Hiker First Aid Kit:

• Zippered nylon case corrals contents, with hang loops for easy carrying or storage
• Comes with ”The Wilderness First Aid Manual” by Dr. William Forgey for quick reference while on the trail
• Wound materials: five 0.75 x 3 inch adhesive bandages, five 1 x 3 inch adhesive bandages, five knuckle elastic bandages, five fingertip elastic
• Two 2 x 2 inch gauze pads, 5 x 9 inch abdominal/pressure pad, six butterfly closure strips
• Two 4 x 4 inch gauze pads, two 2 x 3 inch non-adherent pads, 2 inch x 4.1 yards stretch gauze roll
• Sanidex wipe, four antibacterial wipes, three triple-antibiotic ointment packets, two pvp iodine wipes, three Soothe A Sting wipes
• For sprains and blisters: 2-inch elastic bandage, two 3 x 4 inch moleskin, 1 inch x 10 yards porous tape
• Medications: four Cetafen Extra®, four Nutralox®, four Proprinal®, two antihistamine, plus two pill vials and two labels
• Equipment: 4.5-inch stainless-steel bandage scissors, 3.5-inch splinter forceps, NeoPro latex-free gloves, 3 safety pins, accident report form, pencil

This kind of kit will let you treat most injuries without too much of a problem, and still be comprehensive enough to improvise for more serious ones.  On that note, be safe and have fun hiking!

It is essential to always have ample medical gear with you when hiking.  Whether you have a broken leg, or need a band-aid, a medical kit should provide you with enough supplies to at least improvise almost any emergency medical device or technique needed.

We’ll take a look over the next few posts on several different aspects of medical kits and which ones will be suitable for you.  The three categories are:

• Short Term Day Hikes
• Extended Hiking
• Camping
• Backpacking

Each have their own unique need when it comes to medical supplies, and great respect should be dealt with the handling and putting together of medical supplies for each.  In one case, a large medical supply kit might be necessary, but in another, a simple day first-aid kit should be ample.  Either way, stay tuned for the breakdown of survival and what it can do for you when hiking in the Northwest.  Happy trails!

Wilderness survival is a must for all advanced hikers and backpackers.  Some prefer to stay out for a few days, while others will go on long extended backpacking trips.  Either way, it is extremely important to know wilderness survival past more than a day hike.  And even then, such knowledge is valuable and lifesaving in the event of being stranded.  We’ll focus on a few different aspects of wilderness survival in this series, and touch on the important points that you should focus on.

If you feel like you need on-hand experience with wilderness survival, I would definitely suggest taking a course with your local sportsman’s club or outdoor recreation center/trainer.  The information gained is extremely precious when in a survival situation, and you can learn a lot from even a short introductory course.  Stay tuned for more!

Pets can be an awesome companion on the trail, with their infectious personality and need to explore the world around them.  For hikers, a dog can make a trip better and worth the while to get out for some exercise.  Some of the best memories can be made when hiking or backpacking with an ever faithful dog.  There are some things to remember out of courtesy to others, however.

When taking a pet out on the trail, remember that there are appropriate trails and areas to take an animal on.  These should be marked, but always check beforehand to avoid disappointment and to be respectful of other hikers.

Also remember that animals make messes, and these are the obligation of the owner to clean up and pack out.  Many recreational areas and regions even have stringent laws on the picking up of animal feces on the trail.  Take plastic bags or a doggy scooper to solve this problem.

Also remember that an animal must be leashed when on a trail unless otherwise stated.  This is not only wise, but it will also save a lost pet and keep one from wandering off.  Remember, be safe and have fun with your pet on the trail!

When you’re out in the forest and you need a good rope, you sometimes realize at that moment that it is one of the items you should have taken along with you.  That’s okay, though.  For years people made rope out of improvised methods, and the lack of rope serves the golden opportunity to try out your own rope making skills.  The easiest method is as follows:

1. Gather lots of thin strips of bark, grass, thin green vines, or other natural fibrous material.
2. Braid or weave it, then weave those smaller ropes again into a larger rope.
3. Always make sure the rope is bound tight and test at a low height for breaking strength.

Remember that in order to be successful, the best way to make rope is to start small and work your way up.  Depending on what you are doing with it, you can easily braid a small rope for tying things in a few minutes.  Remember to always be safe and have fun out there!

 Resources

Remember that when you are out hiking, there are plenty of ticks out there with you on the trail.  For those in colder regions, this isn’t a problem, but warmer areas can have ticks year-round.  This presents a considerable problem while out in nature.  Here are some important tips to consider and remember when you are outside:

• Where a Hat:  Always where a hat while hiking if you are going to be in trees, brush, or other dense cover.  This will help keep ticks from climbing into your hair.
• Use Repellent: Whether you use a DEET spray or not, make sure it is rated to repel ticks.
• Check Your Head and Clothing:  After a hike or outdoor activity, always check your head, body, and clothing for ticks.

Remember to be safe out there and have fun!

Although camping can be fun and enjoyable, it can also be a wonderful opportunity to try out some skills in crafting and using your own weapons.  Although a gun or knife while camping is an excellent way to protect yourself, there are also other camp crafts that allow you to have fun and enjoy your own weapons and hunting implements.

I remember the first time I made a spear to experiment with.  It was rather repudiated by those who saw it, but it brought a satisfaction few can truly know.  Handmade items tend to do that to a person, and it is this that brings many to learn the trade.  Our primary goal in creating a handmade weapon or device is for either hunting or protection, or for leisure time.

The first is the spear, and it excellent for use when you are finding time inching by.  A spear is useful for both protection and hunting, but is also fun to target practice with.  For practical purposes though, we’ll consider ours for  target practice.  The most important thing to remember when building a spear is weight distribution and arrowhead use.  These will affect the way your spear flies from stick diameter and weight, arrowhead size, and holding point.  Each should be considered when you are choosing one, but remember that it is going to be your own preference that is most important when selecting the size of your spear.

. . .Ready tomorrow’s blog as we continue with more information about a hiking and camping spear!

As a final to the series, I would like to take time to discuss in a little more depth the benefits of using different kinds of fire starter.  A variety of fire starting implements are available on the market, but in most cases, they are specific to only a few applications out in the great outdoors.  Here are some options for fire starting and their general uses.

• Matches:  The good ol’ fashioned way.  Get strike anywhere or hurricane matches.  They burn longer and will work almost anywhere.  Try to use matches only in dry weather and remember that they are always in limited supply.
• Magnesium Sticks:  Forever a personal favorite, this will start anywhere, in any weather, at any time.  Use these like a breath mint — no matter what you’re doing, it will always be good to have.
• Lighters:  Perfect for on the go.  Again, these will start any place, but they only have a limited amount of fuel, so use very wisely.   Wet or dry conditions are perfectly appropriately for this.

Some might suggest that all three is overkill, but my only suggestion is this: better to be caught with a backpack full of untouched survival gear than not found at all.  Safe hiking and stay warm, dry, and enjoying that campfire!

A hassle to deal with, wet conditions offer very few pleasures when it comes to fire starting.  Dry tinder is always a problem to come by, and when a fire is started, dry fuel that will provide constant heat is a hindrance.  Despite these almost insurmountable odds, a fire is possible to come by in wet conditions found in the Pacific Northwest, the New England area, and other areas around the world.  There are a few things to remember when starting a fire in wet environments, and if followed can provide an excellent fire for you to enjoy.

1. Fires in wet conditions, if given the right opportunities, can still start forest fires.  Sap from trees is still very flammable and can easily fuel an intense fire that will burn even wet trees and wood.
2. Start with dry tinder from under logs (i.e. leaves, small twigs, etc.) and under dense cover.  Then cover these in large amounts of sap from conifer trees.  Before lighting your fire, gather more tinder, larger logs that are as dry as possible, and finally your largest fuel for keeping the fire going.  If you can’t find large dry fuel, that’s okay.  Use a pocket knife to make sure the log is not wet deep into the wood, or find dead logs with bark attached and then peel it off to get the dry wood underneath.
3. To start your fires, use a magnesium stick with flint strip.  These will light no matter what condition they are in or how wet the conditions are.  You may also use a lighter, waterproof matches, or matches in a match case, but magnesium sticks last longer and are much more versatile than most other ignition sources.

Remember to still build a fire ring and fire line 6 feet away from the ring.  Stay warm and dry out there.  Happy hiking!

The easiest to deal with when building fires, dry conditions mean quick fires, but they also mean that fire hazards from dry underbrush could potentially start forest or brush fires.  There are two types of dry areas to be concerned with.  The first is desert areas with little to no brush and vegetation.  These include places like the Sahara, but for more practically purposes we’ll think about Death Valley in California.

Dry places like these are extremely difficult when trying to start fires, but pose little danger when it comes to ignition sources due to the low amounts of vegetation.  Caution should be exercised anywhere near brush and trees, but in general, finding firewood is going to be harder than anything.

The next kind of dry regions that exist are places such as eastern Washington.  These have high amounts of vegetation, such as sagebrush, and are usually somewhat to extremely arid.  Brush fires are easy to start and the large expanses of land covered in low vegetation produces prime brush fire conditions.

In either of these conditions and in others that exist, it is extremely important to remember several things:

1. Fires will start much easier, even with larger pieces of material.  Thus, they are easier to start and maintain, but can spread easily and quickly.
2. A fire ring should be built 36″ in diameter in which you will build a fire.
3. 6 feet around this, a fire proof fire line should be built that consists of only dirt or stones.  No brush or combustible material should be present at all.
4. Keep an eye on your fire, keep it going for a longer amount of time by adding green material, and be ready to extinguish it if necessary.

Remember to be safe out there.  Stay tuned for wet condition fire building and more tips on fire starting.  Happy trails!