When you are miles from anywhere, It is critical to be 100% self-reliant, as you never quite know what is to be expected down the track.

Being prepared for just about anything on the tracks will make sure no matter how bad things may seem to get you have absolute confidence in your skills equipment and abilities.

This article is not a substitute for proper first aid training, but will hopefully give you a bit of insight into exactly what you need to stay safe and prepared on the tracks!

Burns

If you or someone in your group burns themselves the first step is to run cool water over the burn for 20 minutes. This is ideal however sometimes cool running water is not available, this is where burn gel like the Hydrogel found in the Survival First Aid Kits can provide relief.

Burn gels are only to be used on external wounds and when the skin is open, you should definitely avoid using these.

Cuts/lacerations

Minor cuts and lacerations can seem harmless, but they can escalate quite quickly so performing the right first aid is important to getting back up to health!

Step 1:

Apply direct pressure on the area, this will stop the flow of blood, and allow the wound to begin clotting. This prevents excess blood loss and allow the wound to start healing!

Step 2:

Clean the entire wounded area with warm water and gentle soap or a disinfection wipe then apply a sterile bandage over the wound, ensuring to avoid the adhesive from sticking to the open flesh.

Step 3:

Contact the nearest health professional to ensure the wound is taken care of properly and to ensure the wound is stitched if stitching is required.

Bites and stings

When you are further off grid than comfortable the risks associated with snake and spider bites, increase dramatically, it is extremely important to be able to identify the bite as well as treating it correctly to ensure maximum chance of survival.

With most snake bites, it is important to learn not only how to treat a bite using a compression bandage (or more), but also knowing how and why, the Survival Snake Bite Kit Includes;
 

3x Cotton gauze swabs, sterile, 7.5cm x 7.5cm

1x Emergency blanket, 2.1m x 1.6m in zip lock bag

1x Mini black permanent marker

2x Nitrile gloves, large

3x Pressure bandages – 2 SMART Bandages, heavy duty, reuseable and washable, 10cm x 2m; 1 medium weight, 10cm x 1.8m

1x Snake bite instruction card, includes bite record register and CPR instruction card

1x Splint, 11cm (W) x 61cm (L)

With everything here you should be on the ball with just about any snake bite you should encounter.

Dehydration

Australia is one of the world’s most sparsely populated and desolate continents, because of our arid climate and the chances of finding water in a pinch, particularly during a drought means that dehydration could be an issue.

First thing is first, 1 ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, if you can stay hydrated you can avoid this issue, as a rule of thumb drinking around 2-3 L of water in a day will keep most people well hydrated, however if you find that you are suffering from dehydration, you should definitely start treating this immediately.

Start by sitting down out of the heat, the best way to rehydrate is to take small sips of water, by continually drinking water you allow your body to absorb the water and prevent giving yourself a stomache ache, this sounds simple enough but really is the best way to rehydrate your body when you have low fluids.

As you can see, having a First Aid Kit will mean you have the tools you need to heal yourself, however most of first aid is going to be the correct knowledge for the issues you face. You need to go and get proper first aid training to be able to cope with any scenario you might find yourself in, it is also important to make sure your first aid training company knows why you need first aid training, to ensure they can tailor the course to suit the potential situations you may end up in!