So live in the middle of podunk nowhere, Indiana where UE can be tough - but the few locations I personally find are only accessible through pain-in-the-ass hikes (which are fun, don't get me wrong) but usually it's farmsteads, silos, old campgrounds or even a hotel - but my question is: what's your guy's failsafe if say you are shit and busted your leg --miles into the woods in Old Man Jenkins' home? I obviously have a first aid kit, but service sucks and is unreliable, so my last line of defense is telling someone where I will be down to latitude longitude and when I should be back, and if I don't check in at x hour, time to start waking people up. I mostly go alone, or with my dog when the weather/predicted place allows, so any advice on some "oh shit" situations would be cool.



Also, my gear, minus the Gas mask - tossed it in as a gag for a buddy

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Posted by Zulu -my question is: what's your guy's failsafe if say you are shit and busted your leg --miles into the woods in Old Man Jenkins' home? I obviously have a first aid kit, but service sucks and is unreliable, so my last line of defense is telling someone where I will be down to latitude longitude and when I should be back, and if I don't check in at x hour, time to start waking people up. I mostly go alone, or with my dog when the weather/predicted place allows, so any advice on some "oh shit" situations would be cool.

First you always wear lace up high top boots, and long pants. A good walking stick for hikes.
Always bring lots of water.

Don't take take stupid risks.
-Never delude yourself thinking that someone will save you in time even if it's possible-
Legs don't just break. Think before you move.
My 1st aid kit is a knife, water, sunscreen, sudafed, and a roll of cloth tape and a tube crazy glue for patchwork jobs is the most I carry.

I'll be damn if I'm calling for help. I'll crawl on bloody legs, be lost all night, and hobble out 24 hours latter before I call for a rescue.
Even if it was a snake bite I wait at least until I know it was a hard envenomation (you don't have to wait long); I wouldn't call for a "dry" bite.
If you need a rescue you most likely fucked up proper and it was your fault... don't.

Learn to know your limits and never exceed them. Rest before you suffer heat stroke or shock. Getting out fast isn't the goal; getting out alive is.

Always file a flight plan with somebody you trust when venturing too far from the road to crawl out with a broke leg

I tell my wife roughly where I'll be and not to worry unless Im not back by ___:___P.M.

Posted by 2Xplorations Always file a flight plan with somebody you trust when venturing too far from the road to crawl out with a broke leg I tell my wife roughly where I'll be and not to worry unless Im not back by ___:___P.M.

I don't but no wife than either.
That takes all the fun out of a walkabout
I get back when I get there...

This is very informative blackhawk.

The easiest answer is watch where you walk, both down low & up high. You may avoid the rusty nail but whack your head on an overhead beam that your missed because you were focused on the nail. Situational Awareness is paramount above everything else, your photo's won't be any good if you don't make it out or if your drop your camera down an open well or mine shaft. carry a full first aid kit in the go bag & there's more than enough webbing and paracord to make a sling, tourniquet or a splint. Always have a sharp knife, a fully charged cell phone (text don't call & set text's to retry if it fails) and a decent handheld gps doesn't hurt. If you're lost, look at the gps, if you're hurt (and not mobile), text the location (coordinates not intersection) with SOS to your chosen contact.

All but the most serious injuries can be treated with a good first aid kit & some serious bleeding can be treated with pressure or a tourniquet. Neither my wife or I have ever suffered a debilitating injury while exploring and this has been at large complexes with lot's of broken concrete, open tunnels and demo debris. I got a nail through my foot, got sliced on glass & my wife fractured her ankle but it didn't stop us. It slowed us down but that was it. Each time it was because we didn't watch where we were going.

We tend to explore super remote areas usually without cell service. I now have a SPOT tracker that I take with me. For those that don't know, it's basically a GPS tracking device that has the ability to bounce a signal off a communication satellite. You can send an "I'm OK" signal, "Not an emergency, but I need assistance" signal, or an emergency SOS signal that will cause first responders to roll into action. It also sends "pings" on a pre-set schedule that are overlaid on a web based map so your friends can tell where you are.

Cell phones, GPS trackers, and the like are good ideas but letting someone know where you are going, and when you expect to return should be the first step. Finding out that the fall that fractured your leg also broke your cell phone could have a tragic ending. Or the boy they found years afterwards stuck in a chimney.

We can play hard and take calculated risks, but it's good to have a safety net back home.

Abby Normal

Posted by Abby Normal SPOT tracker

I googled, that thing is pretty cool. I can see where that would be a great tool to have for some instances.

I really like the posts mentioning how important carrying extra water is. As someone who has led groups of teenagers on hikes and short backpacking trips I can tell you that many people get delirious from a lack of proper hydration before they realize it.

All the comments telling you to think before you do stuff if useless if you are too far mentally gone from a lack of water.

A lot of the remote places I have been visiting in Iowa and South Dakota are only really accessible from the waterways. as such I carry a bunch of duct tape for my canoe.

Posted by NeuroticMatt I googled, that thing is pretty cool. I can see where that would be a great tool to have for some instances.

This. They are insanely useful up here, especially since the woods are bear territory. Not something most of you need to worry about though.

They work fantastic and can map where you are and came from so long as you hit the track button. In pretty much every state except AK, if you can see sky when you hit the SOS button, help us coming. (You have a 23 degree shot at the sats up here)

Beyond that, whoever said flight plan is exactly right. That way if you are still out of contact at +2 hours from checkin, help us coming.

Then your basic backwoods survival stuff, water, etc. I'd also recommend a solid aid kit, plus a pack of quick clot ACS, A SAM splint, and God forbid you need it, an izzy wrap.

That said, educate yourself on the wrap, as if misused they do more harm than good.

Posted by 2Xplorations Always file a flight plan with somebody you trust....

Just don't forget to close your flight plan and cancel flight following.

All good advice above. The only thing I would add is when I explore alone, I tend to be a lot more cautious and take fewer risks.

For a really sketchy adventure, I had a friend just hang out in the car while I did my thing. Told them if you don't hear from me by X time, tell the police my body is over there somewhere. They hung out and read while I had the time of my life.

I wouldn't advise exploring alone if the location is at all "risky" in regards to structural stability or the presence of dangerous chemicals/fumes.

It's like mountain climbing... idiotic to do so alone. If you're properly prepared for the situation, you shouldn't have to take any "risks".

Posted by blitz I wouldn't advise exploring alone if the location is at all "risky" in regards to structural stability or the presence of dangerous chemicals/fumes. It's like mountain climbing... idiotic to do so alone. If you're properly prepared for the situation, you shouldn't have to take any "risks".

Almost all locations are risky to some extent. Having someone with you does nothing to reduce the risk if you do something stupid.
How many have died in falls with their friend(s) right there?
Of those not killed instantly, more or less, helped arrived too late to save them even if they made it to the hospital. You have less than an hour sometimes only minutes to make to a trauma center to survive with critical injuries many times.

If team work is needed such as in climbing that's different. Still if any member fuck up it can cost them and others their lives.

You are in complete control. Each step and hand hold count. No one will save you from yourself...
and never expect to be rescued in time or at all.
Severe falls are not an option and the price is steep if you do.
Don't delude yourself into being careless.

Have you ever opened that "first aid kit" you show in the picture?
Most of them are trash and made for home sicknesses or some little scraps.

So the usual first aid kit has pain killers and some band-aid.
For the injuries you could get this is just trash.

When you are alone most of the time you need things you can apply alone.

So in my first aid kit, at least the hiking/ UER one are the following items.

tourniquet
QuikClot
Bandage
Triangle Bandages
Alcohol pads
Hydro gel (burns)
Antibiotic ointment
anti itch cream
Bandages
Neosporin
Disinfectant
Medical Scissors (stainless steel, good quality)
tweezers
safety pins
O2 pulse Oximeter

All in a small first aid bag that I packed so I can find everything even in the dark and also can apply everything in the dark.

I also carry one surefire with spare batteries and a headlamp with two sets of spare batteries.

And this is the minimum for all hikes or UER activities.
As we don't have cold weather here, I am not taking a silver blanket in the summer month but in all other month I have one with me as it also works against rain.

And get a better knife. Like a Kershaw or so.

Also a Kukri is better than the Machete you have there. But get a good quality one.

Now you might want to think about getting a ham radio license as ham radios work at all places and with a good HT and a good antenna you should be able to hit repeaters up to 50 miles away.
If this isn't an option because you don't want to spend the $16 for the test and the $100 for the radio and another $40 for a good antenna, there is also the option of PLB's
PLB's or Personal Locator Beacons are private copy to the ones you have on ships and airplanes. When you buy one it gets registered on your person and after activation it sends out a GPS location and your personal ID number to a nearby satellite that sends all signals every 15 minutes to a ground station that will first try to call you and when this doesn't work active the rescue chain.
In the USA the average time to be found is about 8 hours. The cheap PLB's only give a GPS signal while the better ones also have a homing signal that allows a rescue team to use a radio to home in on your location.
The GPS signals are not always that great when you are in a ditch or under trees.

Does this answer your question?

Posted by SuchundFind Have you ever opened that "first aid kit" you show in the picture? Most of them are trash and made for home sicknesses or some little scraps. So the usual first aid kit has pain killers and some band-aid. For the injuries you could get this is just trash. When you are alone most of the time you need things you can apply alone. So in my first aid kit, at least the hiking/ UER one are the following items. tourniquet QuikClot Bandage Triangle Bandages Alcohol pads Hydro gel (burns) Antibiotic ointment anti itch cream Bandages Neosporin Disinfectant Medical Scissors (stainless steel, good quality) tweezers safety pins O2 pulse Oximeter All in a small first aid bag that I packed so I can find everything even in the dark and also can apply everything in the dark. I also carry one surefire with spare batteries and a headlamp with two sets of spare batteries. And this is the minimum for all hikes or UER activities. As we don't have cold weather here, I am not taking a silver blanket in the summer month but in all other month I have one with me as it also works against rain. And get a better knife. Like a Kershaw or so. Also a Kukri is better than the Machete you have there. But get a good quality one. Now you might want to think about getting a ham radio license as ham radios work at all places and with a good HT and a good antenna you should be able to hit repeaters up to 50 miles away. If this isn't an option because you don't want to spend the $16 for the test and the $100 for the radio and another $40 for a good antenna, there is also the option of PLB's PLB's or Personal Locator Beacons are private copy to the ones you have on ships and airplanes. When you buy one it gets registered on your person and after activation it sends out a GPS location and your personal ID number to a nearby satellite that sends all signals every 15 minutes to a ground station that will first try to call you and when this doesn't work active the rescue chain. In the USA the average time to be found is about 8 hours. The cheap PLB's only give a GPS signal while the better ones also have a homing signal that allows a rescue team to use a radio to home in on your location. The GPS signals are not always that great when you are in a ditch or under trees. Does this answer your question?

I'd add in a roll of coban, some kerlex, SAM splint, pressurized can of sterile saline for wash/irrigation, and an abd pad too.

If you haven't tried, it 2nd Skin works great as a burn ointment replacement and is in single serve packets.

Beyond that, no major thoughts from me. +1 on your post. If you have to go past that for first aid or survival stuff, someone seriously fucked up.

Posted by DarkAngel I'd add in a roll of coban, some kerlex, SAM splint, pressurized can of sterile saline for wash/irrigation, and an abd pad too. If you haven't tried, it 2nd Skin works great as a burn ointment replacement and is in single serve packets. Beyond that, no major thoughts from me. +1 on your post. If you have to go past that for first aid or survival stuff, someone seriously fucked up.

Signal mirror.

My voodoo med kit:
Crazy glue for patch work and large lacerations. It's not dermalbond, but close enough for emergencies. It can be used to help prevent blisters. If it gets into a laceration it will eventually cause a foreign body reaction however this will take days, weeks or longer. Not effective for lacerations on "tight" areas; knee, elbow, finger joints unless immobilized. If you can seal a laceration in the first couple minutes, it heals rapidly.

A roll of self adhesive cloth sports tape. I wrap cuts,blisters on fingers with all it the time. Not sterile but doesn't seem to matter. Some potassium iodine can be added after wrapping. Can be used to reinforce crazy glue patch jobs. For tapping sprains or making splints.
A roll is compact.

DMSO, better than ice for burns, sprains, and soft tissue injuries including hematomas. It will limit the damage, inflammation and reduce the pain. Can be used to deliver drugs directly to the site or bloodstream transdermally. A little bit goes a long way.

Sudafed for anaphylaxis. It saved me once.
Potassium Iodine, saturated solution
http://www.ncbi.nl...ticles/PMC3754371/
Tea tree oil, Bactroban, gentian violent, 95% isopropyl alcohol, and hydrogen peroxide.
Tobacco; anti-inflammatory, stimulate, smart drug, pain relief, gastrointestinal ailments, bug repellent.

Before I forget it, always follow Gibbs rule #9 and add Abby's Rule #9 to that.