Winter hiking / climbing specific first aid supplies

[jc1234]

My winter hiking involves traversing a lot of ice and snow covered waterfalls and streams. The state requires that we have crampons, ice axe, and 50 ft of climbing rope, so Ive got that covered and actual survival clothing and gear covered, but my first aid kit really isnt season specific. Im not actually mountaineering, but other than altitude (only 2500 feet), I think the safety requirements are similar. I am never more than 5 miles from a road, but there is no cell service and no monitoring of the area, which means there is no rescue unless you go in pairs (which I try to do, but often cant find anyone to go with me) or someone happens to spot you, which is quite unlikely since the area isnt frequented in winter. I do always let someone know where Im going and when I plan to be back btw.

Ive got a fairly well stocked first aid kit for general use, but are there any cold weather or winter specific first aid supplies that would differ from a versatile all season kit? You know, the kinds of things I might not realize would have been a good idea to pack until I needed it? I have 500ci of space tota for first aid supplies with at least 250ci of space available.

[Rick]

I'm not an EMT or Paramedic so let that disclaimer stand before I start.

Winter presents some serious complications to what otherwise would be just another bad situation. Blood will freeze when it's below 32°F so bleeding must be stopped and the wound area warmed. You can usually accomplish that with a compression bandage and some type of chemical hand warmer. Once the wound has been dealt with then you can loosely wrap a chemical warmer near the wound. Frozen blood against the wound and skin is no different than frozen water (which is what blood is) so frost bite can be a concern. In addition, an open would will lose heat very quickly so hypothermia on top of shock is a real concern.

You probably want to carry a good sun screen as well. Reflected sunlight off snow is worse because you are getting it from above and below. The bare ground would normally absorb the UV rays from below but the snow just reflects it back. Good sunglasses of course.

Not having cell service is one of the reasons I invested in a portable HAM radio. Depending on how remote you are a personal locator beacon (PLB) like SPOT might be a strong consideration.

Talk to your doctor and explain what you are doing. He should be willing to write you a script for hydrocodone (Vicodin brand name) to help ease any serious pain that you might encounter with something like a broken bone. It shouldn't knock you out or make you goofy but it will take the edge off and still let you function with your situation. Hydrocodone can be addictive so be advised. You might also talk to him about something like Ciprofloxacin HCL. It's a good all around antibiotic that should help prevent any infections associated with a serious open wound until help can arrive. It's also good for back country ailments from water borne pathogens. I'm assuming, with the antibiotic, that you are days aware from help, not hours.

[DOGMAN]

One thing to keep in mind, is the effects freezing and thawing out, has on stuff, and another thing is that extreme cold temps can make things that are sticky- not sticky.

So, band-aids sometimes dont work in cold temps (I am talking like -15 and below) if they've been stored in that temperature for awhile...I have noticed older boxes of band-aids fare much worse than new ones. WIth a just bought box of band-aids, that is just getting out of a "room temp" situation for the first time, you might get 4 out of 5 of them that stick just fine....but, if you have an older box thats been in your first-aid kit for a year and been cold then warmed up alot, at extreme cold temps you might get 1 band-aid to stick out of 10! very frustarting when your dripping blood everywhere and your hands are freezing since you've got your gloves off to try and putt a band-aid on.

Also, different ointments, and cremes, and cleansers etc...can frequetnly freeze all or partially and burst open- then make a big mess in your kit. Look your kit over frequently in the winter and keep it stocked with fresh stuff and it should be fine...but if its a couple of years old and alot of the items have been used some (not full containers) really cold temps can reak havoc on it.

Also, I keep a a tube of superglue in my pocket....it keeps it warm and pliable, and its ready at a moments notice to close up a wound on me, or a dogs paw (I often am traveling with 120 dog paws- so, I see alot of splits,etc...) Also, I keep a well stocked first-aid kit for clothes in the winter....lots of safety pins, and about a foot of velcro....with safety pins and velcro a blown zipper on a tent, bibs or parka are quickly repaired.

Good question!

[jc1234]

One thing to keep in mind, is the effects freezing and thawing out, has on stuff, and another thing is that extreme cold temps can make things that are sticky- not sticky.

So, band-aids sometimes dont work in cold temps (I am talking like -15 and below) if they've been stored in that temperature for awhile...I have noticed older boxes of band-aids fare much worse than new ones. WIth a just bought box of band-aids, that is just getting out of a "room temp" situation for the first time, you might get 4 out of 5 of them that stick just fine....but, if you have an older box thats been in your first-aid kit for a year and been cold then warmed up alot, at extreme cold temps you might get 1 band-aid to stick out of 10! very frustarting when your dripping blood everywhere and your hands are freezing since you've got your gloves off to try and putt a band-aid on.

Also, different ointments, and cremes, and cleansers etc...can frequetnly freeze all or partially and burst open- then make a big mess in your kit. Look your kit over frequently in the winter and keep it stocked with fresh stuff and it should be fine...but if its a couple of years old and alot of the items have been used some (not full containers) really cold temps can reak havoc on it.

Also, I keep a a tube of superglue in my pocket....it keeps it warm and pliable, and its ready at a moments notice to close up a wound on me, or a dogs paw (I often am traveling with 120 dog paws- so, I see alot of splits,etc...) Also, I keep a well stocked first-aid kit for clothes in the winter....lots of safety pins, and about a foot of velcro....with safety pins and velcro a blown zipper on a tent, bibs or parka are quickly repaired.

Good question!

The temps here VERY rarely get below -5 and if it is -5 chances are that Im inside near a fireplace lol. I will go out in anything that is 0 or above unless the wind chill makes it feel like -20, in that case, I would again be in front of the fireplace.

So, not to derail my entire thread, but since you seem like a person who would know, can you give me a list of what you recommend for dog first aid kit? Since my dog is so heavy (about 160 - 170 depending on the time of year), lifting him up and walking him out would not be a simple task. I have some standard dog first aid stuff that my dog CPR class suggested, but nothing extensive.

[DOGMAN]

When I have to treat my dogs that can not get to the vet, I monitor pluse/BP, breathing quality, temperature, and the color of the gums/dehydration. Diagnosis possible causes. Treat immediate life threatening injuries. Clean and close minor injuries, bandage and immobilize, then treat with pain killers and or antibiotics. For a large puncture or ripped bleed I will suture or for clean and straight cuts I'll crazy glue/skin closer glue it closed. Pressure points are great for big bleeds while applying clotting anesthetic powder and bandaging.

My kits Have:

2 X 500ml Nacl saline I.V bags for wound cleaning. Squeeze and instant high pressure rinse for visual inspection.
10 X small saline squeezes minor everyday cuts and scrapes
4 X large abdominal pads, 4 X medium abdominal pads
4 X roller gauze all sizes
2 pair of Lrg sport socks for all types of bandaging and padding
1 roll tube gauze
4 X rolls vet wrap
4 rolls of assorted first aid tapes
2 X Zap Straps
2 Sterile surgical staple kits
1 X suture kit
1 Stethoscope
2 exclamation point shaped leg splints
1 small pair of hair cutting scissors
1 tweezers
1 tube Polysorin
Benadryl
Aspirin
Instant cold packs
Instant hot packs
crazy glue
zip ties all sizes
2 IM syringes
1 liquid tube of Glucose

For a dog the size of yours evacuation would be similar to a human. You could construct a litter out of ski poles (or saplings) and a sleeping bag, tarp or space blanket and drag him out...also you probably dont need such a comprehsive vet bag/ first-aid kit, since you'll usually be 5 miles from a road. I do trips that are about 130 miles from the nearest vet...and sometimes have about 30 dogs with me- so I have to be able to work on them myself....You could probably get by with a basic first-aid kit and some vet wrap

[jc1234]

When I have to treat my dogs that can not get to the vet, I monitor pluse/BP, breathing quality, temperature, and the color of the gums/dehydration. Diagnosis possible causes. Treat immediate life threatening injuries. Clean and close minor injuries, bandage and immobilize, then treat with pain killers and or antibiotics. For a large puncture or ripped bleed I will suture or for clean and straight cuts I'll crazy glue/skin closer glue it closed. Pressure points are great for big bleeds while applying clotting anesthetic powder and bandaging.

My kits Have:

2 X 500ml Nacl saline I.V bags for wound cleaning. Squeeze and instant high pressure rinse for visual inspection.
10 X small saline squeezes minor everyday cuts and scrapes
4 X large abdominal pads, 4 X medium abdominal pads
4 X roller gauze all sizes
2 pair of Lrg sport socks for all types of bandaging and padding
1 roll tube gauze
4 X rolls vet wrap
4 rolls of assorted first aid tapes
2 X Zap Straps
2 Sterile surgical staple kits
1 X suture kit
1 Stethoscope
2 exclamation point shaped leg splints
1 small pair of hair cutting scissors
1 tweezers
1 tube Polysorin
Benadryl
Aspirin
Instant cold packs
Instant hot packs
crazy glue
zip ties all sizes
2 IM syringes
1 liquid tube of Glucose

For a dog the size of yours evacuation would be similar to a human. You could construct a litter out of ski poles (or saplings) and a sleeping bag, tarp or space blanket and drag him out...also you probably dont need such a comprehsive vet bag/ first-aid kit, since you'll usually be 5 miles from a road. I do trips that are about 130 miles from the nearest vet...and sometimes have about 30 dogs with me- so I have to be able to work on them myself....You could probably get by with a basic first-aid kit and some vet wrap

Awesome list thanks. I wont need most of that, but some great ideas like the saline wash, glucose, and a few others. What would you use the zip ties for?

[DOGMAN]

Awesome list thanks. I wont need most of that, but some great ideas like the saline wash, glucose, and a few others. What would you use the zip ties for?

Keeping splints and/or other wraps etc... in place. Often times dogs will chew through vet wrap and start pulling it off in strips....several zip ties spread up and down the wrap just aid in keeping stuff in place. I actually have a dog right now that has some zip ties on it its bandage/vet wrap on its leg right now...I'll try to take a picture tomorrow and post it

[Alaskan Survivalist]

I don't carry first aid kit but just as I was taught as a Boy Scout much of the gear I have can be used for that purpose. Most injury just needs to be imobilzed. It is not hard to improvise wraping or slings. I have noticed wraping broken bones and sprangs do a lot to lessen the pain too. The hand warmers I carry are great applied to sore muscles and preventing frost bite. My canteen is not insulated. I can use it to apply either heat or cold. Cold slows swelling and helps for pain relief especially for burns. You will also find it is hard to warm feet by a fire if they are approaching frostbite. An uninsulated Canteen can be heated and then wraped with feet in something like a sleeping bag or extra jacket to hold the heat in. Pulled muscles and frostbite seem to be my most common problems.

[tipacanoe]

I find a cut in the winter the worst problem, I don't know if it is me (probably), but it seems harder to stop the bleeding when cut and its cold. Of course a couple of hours later, my joints and muscles let me know that I'm getting older.

[DOGMAN]

I agree Tipacanoe...cuts in the cold really seem to bleed more profusily

[BENESSE]

How is liquid (tube of) glucose used, DOGMAN?

[jc1234]

I have never actually injured myself in winter other than tearing a tendon. I've never dealt with a cut in cold weather. I am a bleeder too. I tend to bleed a lot, but luckily I also clot rather well generally, so Ive never needed stitches which still shocks me since I tend to be accident prone lol.

[DOGMAN]

How is liquid (tube of) glucose used, DOGMAN?

Dogs can get exercise induced hypoglycemia...if they run for hours and hours- they can get dizzy, sleepy, drunk acting (lose cordination), etc... give them a little bit of liquid gluclose...and wham you've jumpstarted them and can get them back to camp or the truck, so they can rest and eat a proper meal...

Another thing I forgot to list is Pepto Bismol...dogs can get stress diarrhea during lots of exercise. Diarrhea leads to dehydration. Pepto works on dogs just like it does on humans. Also, If your dog is having chronic diarrhea you can feed it Psyllium and it will really firm it up, and keep it hydrated.

Granted, this stuff is only treating symptoms- not addressing causes, but First Aid, and self-practicing backcountry/remote vet skills are all about keeping the animal stable until you can get it to a vet.