A standard first aid course teaches you how to quickly recognize a life-threatening emergency, and how to manage it until professional medical attention arrives.
What if your situation is not the same as what you were taught in your first aid class? What if you have to manage a serious injury on your own for hours or days before professional medical care arrives?
Cuts
Some cuts can be treated at-home with basic first aid, depending on the severity of the injury. Medical attention is needed for larger or more serious cuts that won't stop bleeding.
To prevent infection, it is important to clean and disinfect the wound. The cut should also be covered with a clean dressing and changed often.
A small amount of antiseptic may be applied to the cut or graze. For this purpose, pine sap is a great choice.
By applying pressure to the area with a gauze or cloth, bleeding can be stopped. You can stop bleeding by applying pressure to the wound using a cloth or gauze. If blood smears through the cloth place another cloth on top.
Scrapes
We will all be subject to puncture wounds, scrapes, and cuts from time to time. These injuries are common in the wild, but being able to properly treat them can prevent infection and help you stay healthy.
Small cuts and scrapes can be stopped quickly by taking a few actions. To stop blood from flowing, you can press the wound with a gauze pad or cloth.
A little bit of rubbing alcohol can be used to clean a scrape or cut. This will get rid of dirt and other particles trapped in the wound.
Rubbing alcohol will also clean the skin, killing bacteria that can cause infection. Next, cover the wound using a sterile gauze pad or bandage. It is important to change this dressing or bandage on a regular basis as it will help prevent infection and keep the wound clean.
Burns
First aid is required if you are hurt by heat, flame, or liquid. The basic steps to take are stopping the burning process, removing the burn, irrigating it, and covering the area with a bandage.
Ice is not recommended to cool the burn. This can cause further tissue and skin damage. It can also cause shock (a sudden drop of body temperature).
Take off any jewelry, belts or tight clothing that may be causing the injury. If necessary, offer pain medication to reduce the symptoms of burning.
If the burn is severe, affecting the eyes or covering a large area of the body, dial 111 to get an ambulance. If it's a minor second degree burn, you may be able to treat it yourself at home following the steps below.
Broken Bones
Bones are living tissues and can get bruised in lots of ways. If struck hard enough, they can also be damaged.
Most fractures are treated with a cast or splint to keep the injured bone from moving while it heals. This helps the bone heal naturally and reduces bleeding and pain.
Surgery is required to treat broken bones. Treatment will vary depending on the extent of the injury, severity, age, and medical history.
It is important to get professional help immediately if you suspect that you have suffered a serious injury. For an ambulance, dial 999 or Triple Zero (000), if you cannot get to an A&E.
FAQ
What is the best survival tip you have?
It is essential to be calm in order to survive. Panic will make you fail and you will die.
How long does it take to find help after becoming lost?
This is dependent on many factors.
-
You are where you need to be
-
What type of terrain do you have?
-
It does not matter if you are able to receive cell phone service
-
It doesn't matter if someone has seen you.
-
Whether you're injured
-
Whether you are dehydrated
-
Water consumption is a matter of personal preference.
-
No matter how recently you ate
-
Wearing appropriate clothing is important
-
No matter if you're carrying a compass or a map,
-
How familiar do you feel with the region?
-
How long have you been lost?
-
How much time you spent looking for help
-
How long does people take to notice you are gone?
-
How fast they decide to search you
-
How many rescuers have you attracted?
-
How many rescues were you able to receive?
How to Navigate With or Without a Compass?
Although a compass does not tell you where you're going, it can help you get back to your home in case you lose your bearings.
There are three methods you can use to navigate.
-
By landmarks
-
Use a compass to find magnetic North
-
By stars
You recognize landmarks when you see them. They can include buildings, trees, rivers, and others. Because they give you a visual clue about where you are, landmarks are very useful.
Magnetic North is simply where the Earth's electromagnetic field points. The sun appears to be moving across sky if you look up. The sun actually moves around the earth because of the earth's magnetic fields. While it may appear that the sun moves across the sky, in fact, the sun actually moves around its horizon. At noon, it is directly overhead. At midnight, the sun will be directly below you. Because the earth's magnet field is constantly changing, the exact position of the magnetic North Pole changes every day. This means you might be off the course by quite a bit during a single day.
Another method of navigating is using stars. Stars appear as if they rise and fall over the horizon. These are fixed points that can be used to pinpoint your location relative other locations.
How can you remain calm in a survival situation
Most situations will require patience and calmness. It's easy for people to panic in survival situations, especially when they are far from civilization. But being calm and patient will enable you to cope with any circumstance.
You cannot alter the outcome of a situation. Only you have control over how you respond. So even if you didn’t achieve all you wanted, you can still feel good.
When you are in a survival situation, you must remain calm and collected. This requires being mentally and physical prepared.
Mental preparation involves setting realistic expectations and having a clear goal.
Physical preparation includes ensuring you have enough food and water to last until rescue arrives.
Once you've done those two things, you can relax and enjoy the experience.
Why are basic survival skills important?
Basic survival skills include how to make shelter, fire, shelter, hunt, fish, and protect yourself. These skills are important no matter where you live. But they are more crucial when you're traveling alone or in remote places.
Survival skills include navigation, self defense, self-defense as well wilderness medicine. They are invaluable life-saving tools that should be mastered before venturing into the unknown.
These skills are not the only ones you should have. There are many valuable skills that can be useful when you're away from home. If you want to spend your vacation hiking, learn about mountaineering. If you intend to camp in deserts, learn how extreme temperatures can be beaten. There are many ways to prepare for any situation. Don't be afraid to try new things and think outside of the box.
Statistics
- In November of 1755, an earthquake with an estimated magnitude of 6.0 and a maximum intensity of VIII occurred about 50 miles northeast of Boston, Massachusetts. (usgs.gov)
- The downside to this type of shelter is that it does not generally offer 360 degrees of protection and unless you are diligent in your build or have some kind of tarp or trash bags, it will likely not be very resistant to water. (hiconsumption.com)
- so you can be 100 percent hands-free, and there's less chance you'll put your torch down and lose it. (nymag.com)
- The Dyrt PRO gives 40% campground discounts across the country (thedyrt.com)
External Links
How To
How to Build a Lean-To Shelter
Lean-tos are small structures found throughout the United States. They are made from wood or steel poles covered by tarps. The walls, floor, and ceiling are usually built first, then the roof is added.
A lean-to is a temporary shelter constructed at the side of a building when the weather does not permit the construction of a permanent shelter. It may also be referred to as a "lean-to shed," "lean-to cabin," or "lean-to house."
There are many types o lean tos.
-
A simple wooden frame with a tarpaulin covering. This type of leaning-to is very common in rural locations.
-
A lean-to tent consisting of a framework of poles supporting a tarpaulin.
-
A lean-to cabin is also known as a "cabin on-frame" and consists of a platform supported with beams and posts.
-
A lean to shed, also known as "shelter–on-a-pole” or "paddock shed", is a structure of poles and supports that has a cover.
-
A lean-to-garage, also known as "garage -on-stilts", or "overhang", is composed of a steel structure that rests upon concrete stilts.
-
A leaning studio, also known as "studio -on–a-frame" or simply "studio -on–a-post", is made up of a framework with two parallel horizontal members ("posts”) and one perpendicular component (beam).
-
A lean-to greenhouse, also called a "greenhouse-on-a-post," consists of three parallel horizontal members (posts), one perpendicular member (beam), and a canopy.