Before I could teach mountain biking to campers in New Hampshire I was told that I needed first to be certified by the National Safety Council in Adult and Child CPR. In addition to getting my certificate, I also went on to obtain a certificate in Wilderness First-Aid which is fast becoming a valuable certification to have.

Some other helpful and useful items include a halogen flashlight with extra batteries, a flare gun, a camping/survival knife, a sewing kit, aluminum foil, extra canteens, fish hooks, fishing lines, flint and steel, a dull knife, and a survival knife.

A great outdoor survival kit I recommend for camping, hiking, moutain biking, cross-country skiing, or just simply for you car on long road trips is the Back Pack First Aid Kit. Everything you need is right here in one easy to carry backpack. Here's what you'll get:

60 Bandages, Assorted (3/4"x3", 1"x3", 5/8"x2 1/4")
1 Bio-Waste Bag
15 Antiseptic BZK Towelettes
3 Cold Packs, Disposable 4"x5"
2 Combine Pads 5"x9"
1 CPR Life Mask
2 Elastic Bandages 3"x5 yds.
2 Eye Pads, Medium
1 Eyewash 4 oz.
1 First Aid Guide
5 Gauze Pads 2"x2" Sterile
5 Gauze Pads 4"x4" Sterile
4 Gloves, Vinyl, Large
5 Hydrocortisone Cream Packettes
2 Pressure Bandages 4"x4" Sterile
1 Rescue "Space" Blanket
2 Gauze Rolls 4"x4yds.
1 Scissors, Paramedic
6 Sting Relief Towellettes
1 Tape 1"x10yds., uncovered
2 Triangular Bandages 40"x40"
10 Triple Antibiotic Ointment Packettes
1 Tweezer

For Campers and Weekend Warriors

If you do plan to go camping a for few days, here are some tips that may help, as being over-prepared is better than being under prepared:

1. Let people know your destination and when to expect you to return
2. Take a map and compass, both of which you know how to use
3. Dress appropriately, using layers to avoid overheating
4. Take water and water purification tablets or filter
5. Take food, even high calorie energy or protein bars
6. Travel at the speed of the slowest member of the group
7. Stay together
8. Stay on the trails or roads
9. If you get lost stay in one place.

One of the first things you want to do when you are in the great outdoors is (besides staying calm and not panicking) is to find water. Humans can go about 30 days without food but only about 3-5 days without water, depending on weather conditions, so it is indeed essential that you make strides to find viable drinking water. Adults are recommended three gallons of water per day to prevent dehydration. As there are several ways of finding and purifying drinking water, here are just a few things you can do:

• Drinking Water Tablets: This is one of the easiest things to do. You will need a container in order to house your water, like a spring water bottle or canteen. You can find drinking water tablets on-line or purchase them at a camping supply store like EMS, REI, or Cabela's.
• Bleach: I've read that you can use two-drops of chlorine bleach per one-gallon of creek water. This will destroy the harmful bacteria you find outdoors but will make the water safe for drinking. The first video to the right (TOP) will show you how to go about finding water.
• Make a Water Purifier: The videos to the right will show you where to find proper drinking water and tell you what supplies you will need in order to make a charcoal purifier to make safe drinking water.
  

As I had earlier pointed on the importance of having safe drinking water, the lack of shelter can result in death in a mere hours to just a few minutes after a serious injury. To protect you from wild animals and intermittent weather (drastic weather changes), it is important to seek a means of shelter as keeping warm and dry should be a major priority. If you are fortunate enough, you might be able to find a cave that is unoccupied as a means of shelter, otherwise you could build your own. This video will show you how.

One great way to insure that you have a fire to warm you is to have with you a a block of flint and steel.  You will also need a dull knife.  I don't recommend using a sharp knife to scrape filings that you will need for other things, as a dull knife will do.  Speaking of which, a great knife to have when outdoors is a Survival Knife.  It has everything you would need to insure that you are prepared for just about anything mother nature will throw at you.

Also known as personal locator beacons, Stress Radio Beacons or Emergency Beacons are used as tracking transmitters for boats, aircraft and people who are in distress and in need of rescue. In other words, SRBs and/or EBs are radio beacons that interface with Cospas-Sarsat, the international satellite system for search and rescue. The ability to call for help could be the deciding factor between life and death.

There might come a time when while outdoors that a person in you company becomes injured and incapacitated and cannot walk under their own power. In such instances, a make-shift stretcher is needed. Here is a clip on how to build one, taught by boy scouts. My apologies for the audio distortion.

Firstly, it is important to stabilize the break with splints, and move the injured party as little as possible unless they are certain to die from lack of shelter or care. The object is to prevent the bone from causing more injuries. If the skin is broken, treat it as a major wound.

Broken ribs are stabilized with tape. A person with a broken arm, collarbone or ribs can often be stabilized enough to walk out, however large amounts of pain indicate this is a bad idea. Waxed cardboard splints are inexpensive, very lightweight, quite waterproof and quite strong.  Crutches or a cane could well be made easily enough when outdoors with a carving knife (to remove nobs or branches) but be wary of rotted or weak wood.

Keep in mind that either of these are only temporary solutions to serious injuries and that professional medical help in the form of an EMT or other professional medical assistant should be sought after immediately.

Most animal bites should be considered as possible sources of infection, including rabies. Wash the wound, ideally with povidone iodine. Loosely bandage it, and do not suture it. Know the venomous animals in your area.

Animal bites by carnivores other than rodents should be considered possible cases of Rabies. If you are bitten, try to capture alive or kill the animal and preserve its head. Look for signs of Rabies (foaming mouth, self-mutilation, growling, jerky behavior, red eyes). If the animal lives for ten days and does not develop rabies, then no infection has probably occurred. The head can later be analyzed to detect the disease.

If the animal is gone, prophylactic Rabies treatment is recommended in most places. Certain places, such as Hawaii, are known not to have native Rabies. Treatment is generally available in North America and the Western European states. Away from these areas, try to get to the nearest embassy of one of these states and indicate an acute medical emergency. The embassy doctor is usually willing and able to help.

Conclusion

There is still more that I wasn't able to cover, such as cuts and lacerations and others, as they are practically self expanatory. With any accidents, injuries, and unplanned incidents, please seek immediate help as time is of the essence. I also would recommend two-way radios for larger groups and checking in with a ranger or local enforcement as to what to do in case of emergency.

Happy trails!

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