When being outdoors we usually find ourselves in places quite far from other people and first response teams. It is thus very important that we are able to act and handle the unexpected, because who plans to have an accident or arrive at the site of one.

What we will cover here is the basics of making first aid treatments. Just remember that these techniques do not remove the problem, they only lessen the effects of them to a certain extent. Always make sure to call the local emergency number in case of an accident so help can be sent. Then use what you know and have with you to prevent things from getting worse until help arrives.

Now some general principles when doing first aid.

• First thing to make sure when an accident happens and this is even more important the worse it is. Make sure to call the local emergency number before you start helping, once you start treating someone with first aid you can’t stop to make a phone call. If required put the phone on speaker and then start the treatment.

• Second, make sure everyone at the site got something to do but not everyone can help with first aid. If there is more people on the site make sure someone calls for help, someone gather supplies, someone makes sure everyone got water… The list can be made very long, just don’t leave anyone without a task.

• Third, don’t be afraid of not knowing enough and doing nothing. Doing something is always better than doing nothing.

• Fourth, keep clean! Make sure that when you start first aid on an open wound or infection that you quickly clean your hands or use gloves. Always treat small blisters and infections as soon as possible to avoid them festering and becoming a real problem.

First and second aid supplies

Always keep a first aid kit on yourself and a second aid kit in your backpack or in your camp/car. Always use the other persons first aid kit in first hand, your own second. Check our first aid supplies page for more details on supplies.

First aid techniques

In the following section we will show you how to make the most common first aid treatments when outdoors. If you are unfamiliar with first aid we highly recommend that you take a first aid and CPR training course. It might save your own or someone else life.

Burn wounds

When outdoors we have with fire to do, usually as a campfire or camping stove. This means beyond the actual fire we also have with hot surfaces, liquids and food to do with. A burn wound can easily happen and knowing how to treat one is important.

Open wounds

As with fire, we have several sharp tools and objects that might cause open wounds should an accident happen. Axes and knives got very sharp edges while even pointy branches and edged rocks can cause open wounds if we fall upon them. Thus knowing how to stop the bleeding is important!

Sprains and fractures

When walking outdoors (or really anywhere) a slip or misjudged step can cause us to fall and sprain or fracture the bones in our bodies. This is the most common cause for such wounds and being outdoors puts this in a very serious perspective. Being unable to walk with your feet or work with your hands could cause you to be stuck somewhere in the middle of nowhere.

Being able to apply at least basic first aid for sprains and fractures could be the difference between limping to rescue or being stuck where you are. So knowing how to make some makeshift splints is really important. Of course it helps not being alone in these situations but some of these can be still made alone, though it will take more time and possibly be much more painful and straining.

When it comes to sprains or fractures there is a lot to know but the basics are quite simple. They can simplified be three different kinds, a sprain, a internal fracture or an external fracture.

• A sprain is a stretch or tearing of the ligaments between two or more bones.
• An internal fracture is a broken bone that is not breaking through the skin.
• An external fracture is a broken bone that have broken through the skin.

It is very difficult to tell the difference between a sprain and internal fracture but generally a sprain will be less painful, granted from the wounded this is of little consolidation. A broken bone will normally cause such pain that the wounded will be unintentionally use force to keep you away if you are rough with the wounded area. A sprain will cause pain but they will usually not cause the wounded to by reflex force you away.

If you do not know what you are doing, never try to correct a suspected or confirmed broken bone. It is better to create a splint and let the bone be where it is to avoid causing further damage to the body. Make a crutch or even better a stretcher for the wounded to transport them if required to reach the rescue team.

A external fracture is quite obvious what it is as you can see the bone. There is not much you can do to this but never try to force the bone back in if the patient is unconscious. If they are awake they will use force to get you away from them.

Instead protect the part that break through the skin and the wound from infection by carefully cleaning the area around and cover it up. Then make a splint for the bone and a stretcher if it is a leg bone as the wounded will not be able to walk.

Stretchers and litters

A stretcher is useful when you need to transport another person to quicker get help. There is several types of stretchers and which you can make depends on what resources you have available as well as the terrain you need to pass through.

As a stretcher require a lot of fabrics a litter might be an alternative as well. In its simplest form a litter is a thick branch with a cloth tied on both ends where the wounded lie down to be carried away. You then have two people lift the litter and put it on their shoulders.

Another version is a litter made for sitting which we show below. It requires some branches and rope instead which might be easier to spare than for example a jacket which is usually made to craft a makeshift stretcher.