First Aid

Stingray Injuries
Stingray Injuries 768 610 Greg Ellifritz

I’ve seen a couple of stingray injuries in my travels over the years. They can be pretty nasty.   I once did a sea kayaking trip of the coast of Belize and the support boat driver got stung in the ankle while checking the moorings of the boat one night.  He was out of commission for about three days, unable to walk and having really bad flu-like symptoms.

Read about how to treat these stings in the field if you travel in areas near the ocean.

 

Stingray Injuries

Medical Management of Frostbite
Medical Management of Frostbite 300 42 Greg Ellifritz

If your adventure travels take you to cold places, you’ll want to review this complete guide for treating frostbite in the field.

A New Proposal for Management of Severe Frostbite in the Austere Environment

Travel First Aid Kits
Travel First Aid Kits 680 400 Greg Ellifritz

Check out Nomadic Matt’s article titled How To Pack A Professional Travel First Aid Kit.

This is an excellent article on what kind of first aid supplies you should carry when traveling.  For most folks, Matt’s list would be enough to treat the majority of injuries they might encounter.

I would add a few things to make it more complete:

– a CAT Tourniquet for severe bleeding

– some duct tape (because surgical tape doesn’t stick well to wet skin)

– a broad spectrum antibiotic (usually Cipro, Levaquin, or Augmentin but you may consider Azithromycin if traveling in SE Asia)

– a prescription anti-nausea medication like Zofran.

Depending upon where you travel, you may be able to buy the prescription meds I recommend over the counter in other countries.