May 31, 2023
If you like exploring in the outdoors, it’s possible—maybe even likely—that you will find yourself with some kind of medical *situation* at some point. And that situation might demand some first aid – disinfecting a scratch from an aggressive trail-side plant, stemming a bout of gastro after a snack break gone wrong… The more adventuring you do, the more likely it is that something like this goes wrong.
So, where do you start when it comes to being prepared for a health issue on the trail?
The humble first aid kit of course!
And there is no better person to provide advice on this topic than a qualified doctor with lots of adventure experience under her belt. Phoebe Sneddon has a komoot profile brimming with fresh adventures, from family-friendly gravel jaunts to epic multi-day rides, plus she’s a trained expedition medic and works as an emergency doctor in the UK.
So, what is in Phoebe’s first aid kit? And more to the point, what should you put in yours?
Duct Tape The exact words from Doctor Sneddon’s mouth were: “All wounds or injuries can be patched back together with duct tape…” Trim your duct tape on the go to make steri strips that literally close an open gash, wrap the tape around blisters to protect them, or cover over your cuts and grazes if you’re worried they’ll get infected.
Alcohol (hip flask optional) Germs are not all bad but broken skin and the wilderness can be a bad combination. Use your common sense and disinfect your wound before you go taping duct tape over everything. For this, you can use medical alcohol from a pharmacy and – in the interest of making it dual purpose – wrap your duct tape around the bottle to avoid carrying a roll of tape and a small bottle of disinfectant.
Tampons (not just for people with periods!) Tampons are used in hospitals to stem nosebleeds. And in the wild they can do this job and serve as a stand-in cotton ball for dipping in alcohol and cleaning a wound, and/or as the absorbent cushion under all that duct tape. P.S. If you do get periods, it’s not unusual for them to suddenly come on if you’re exerting yourself physically. Phoebe pointed out that when your body is under stress, it may trigger menstruation in an effort to ensure you cannot get pregnant in your current depleted state.
A Warm Jacket This may not seem like a first aid item, but if you injure yourself, or come across someone who is injured, keeping warm is paramount. For this reason Phoebe says you should never leave home without a packable down jacket.
Medicine to cover the common symptoms on a longer or more remote adventure:
Tablets for nausea & diarrhea
Tablets for pain
Antibiotics for emergencies
Heartburn or indigestion medicine
The exact packing list is one thing, but there are a few other useful tidbits from Phoebe that may help you to keep in mind:
You can consider yourself adventure-ready with a surprisingly pared-down first aid kit.
The key to packing your first aid kit is dual purpose – as far as possible, choose items that serve double duty in your bags or backpack.
Adventure isn’t one-size-fits-all and your first aid kit doesn’t need to be either. Weigh up where you’re going, what you’re doing, and what amenities you’ll have access to en-route, against your own body’s quirks or existing conditions.
Things going a little awry from time to time are a necessary part of adventure, but like with so many things, being prepared counts for a lot. The sense of control that comes from preparedness will not only serve you well if something does go wrong, but might help you get out the door in the first place, particularly if hiking, cycling or multi-day adventures are new to you.
Wherever you’re at, we hope this was useful. Don’t forget the duct tape!
Follow Phoebe on komoot.