Basic First Aid For Hikers

Heat exhaustion can lead to heat stroke if untreated, and heat stroke is a life-threatening condition.

Your hiking first aid kid should contain a soothing lotion that contains aloe vera, and/or atopical steroid (such as 1% hydrocortisone cream) which may also help with sunburn pain and swelling. You should also have some Acetaminophen, Ibuprofen, Naproxen, or Aspirin in your pack. I carry a few of each so I can treat aspirin sensitive hikers like myself.

If someone suffers from an epileptic seizure, you should clear the space around him. After the seizure has run its course, loosen clothing around his neck. Seek professional medical attention only if the person is experiencing seizures for the first time, has a series of seizures without regaining consciousness, injures himself or takes longer than 15 minutes to regain consciousness.

Fainting is caused by a reduced flow of blood to the brain. If someone feels faint, have him sit down and put his head between his knees. If he actually faints, make sure he’s breathing, then raise his feet above the level of his head to increase circulation to the brain.

The clotting process can be assisted by raising the injured area, which also slows the flow of blood. The flow of blood can also be stopped by applying direct pressure to the wound. Severe bleeding can be stopped by pressing on a pressure point such as the brachial artery in the arm or the femoral artery at the top of the leg. Do this as a last resort, and never maintain full pressure for more than five minutes at a time.

Small blisters will usually heal on their own, and breaking a blister is only invitation to infection. If you do need to break the blister, sterilize a needle, drain the fluid, and cover with a bandage.