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what do people put in their first aid/emergency kit? what if you had snowmobiled deep into the backcountry to shred?

I do more snowmobiling then snowboarding but my kit is pretty extensive, read heavy. I just thought about what kind of injuries you will see most and plan for that stuff. Or what has happened to you or your bros and think how you could treat those injuries in the field.
I carry foam wrist splints, the velcro kind for carpal tunnel.
I also carry an assortment of ace wraps and a couple of arm slings to help immobilize shoulders.
Some kind of c collar would be good too.
An assortment of tape.
Emergency blankets are good to have. Those bivy sacs from adventure medical work well.
wool blanket
Tarp
Small stove with pot for water.
There is a new locater out called spot and they have them at rei and places like that. They are really slick because they tell sar where you are and have the option of calling your bros or whomever you want called with your location. It also lets others track your progress and allows you to send them an ok page if you are running late. The cost is only $150 but you have to pay like $100 per year for the service. Small price for life.
4"x4"s are great to have too
bandaids
tampons. Don't laugh, they come in handy. They also make great fire starters when sledding. Drop by the string into gas tank, they soak up gas and swell, then light on fire with some branches to start a fire. Don't burn yourself, they soak up gas well. Also could be used as a packing, they are sterile.
Kling wrap, or kerlex (sp?)
batteries
flashlight, headlamp
cell phone- sometimes they work
trauma shears-the scissors that cut pennies in half. They have these at auto stores for cheap, they call them utility scissors
wool clothes or fleece- small medical emergencies can become life threatening if you can't get the victim out of the cold.
Some good rope, duct tape, some wire, tools- these are snowmobile related but duct tape is good for anything
Maybe a small pocket guide to first aid- I have some knowledge but it might help others out

Like I said its heavy, but knowledge is your best bet. Take a course on avy safety and get some medical training, emt or first responder, general first aid, even just cpr.
Good luck and stay safe.

I have the Guide II from adventure medical. Seems to have most of the major stuff you could use for a bc trauma emergency. Of course there is always more but it's a start. Pretty light and fits in the bottom of my pack.

I guess you could always buy all the stuff separately and it might be cheaper (but a pain in the arse). Just go to their website and get the list of what is in the kits then go shopping.

Dr. Christopher Van Tolberg (Docwild) wrote a sweet article in this year's first issue of Backcountry Mag. He provided info on how to treat some common injuries and also included a list of first aid items that should be in everyone's pack. I think I'm going to take the list to Walgreen and stock up.

Here's my home assembled day trip kit:

2 sets of non-latex gloves
pocket cpr face shield
compact surgical face mask
1 medium plastic garbage bag
(and I always have glasses and/or goggles with...)
mini-mag
pen
2 self-adhesive run sheets
shears
oral glucose gel
1oz irrigation siringe
1 triangular bandage
1 compression bandage
moleskin
small 2" gauze roll
several tylenol, advil and aspirin
several sani-wipes
several misc bandaids
1 pack of wound closure cover strips
antibiotic treatment
6 4x4 sterile gauz

I aslo bring a 36" sam splint. Weighs next to nothing, packs well. Great improvised c-collar.

And 1 WFR class.

Other safety gear beside the first aid kit:

Space blanket and soon to be added Adv Med bivy
duct tape
repair tools for board
extra food
extra (lofty) clothes
cell phone
avy gear
whistle

And McLovin mentioned the new SPOT tranceiver. Curious if anyone has bought in or is planning to. Seems like good insurance.

a few 24 inch voile straps are invaluable, not only for medical emergencies and splinting but for tons of other bc touring and winter camping uses too. bungees are almost as good.

Yeah - those SPOT things aren't that expensive and could get help in a hurry. I wonder if the search and rescue guys are gonna have a busy winter with all those things walking around out there. Actually, I can think of quite a few good uses for a helicopter - do you have to pay for the flight?

Is there such a thing as a good emergency bivvy that could get you through a night? I found this ortovox bivvy but I think at today's rates £39.00 is equal to about $8000. Also 350 grams is more than I want to carry every day. Is there anything lighter than this, but more substantial than a 'space blanket'?

SanFrantastico,

Check out the Adventure Med bivy. Half the weight of that Ortovox. Pretty hard to beat for the weight and better than nothing.

http://www.adventuremedicalkits.com/kit ... =0140-0223

Thanks, JC. That link didn't work, but I poked around the Adventure Medical site and this looks like what I had in mind. Plus they have a BC snowboarder on the banner at the top of the page!

SanFrantastico,

I did a little damage control on that link. Thanks for the heads up.

I'm actually looking at getting the Thermo-lite 2.0 because it has a little bit of insulation.

If you get the Termo-lite 2, please post up a review.

below is best whistle i've found, a KEY safety item always hung around the neck.

this one blows LOUD --

http://www.basegear.com/jetscream.html

I found Emergency Bivvy, this is like a sleeping bag. This Heatsheets® emergency bivvy will keep you out of the cold. More compact, lightweight design features a quiter, more durable polyethylene material. Reflects 90% of your body heat. Fits one person. Put these in your home emergency or survival kit.

Once you climb in this bivvy, you begin to feel the warmth. This is your own body heat not escaping into the air as it normally does. Instead it's contained within the confines of the emergency bivvy and around you where it belongs.


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Emergency Bivvy