How to set a broken bone during a hiking emergency

Breaking a one during a day hike is a serious injury.
Photo courtesy of Photoree.

While accidents on a hiking trail are rare, they can occur. A broken bone is among the most serious of them. Not only is it painful, if the bone is in the leg the injured party will have to be carried out, slowing you incredibly.

You’re first priority with any broken bone should be to get medical attention. If no blood is flowing to the affected limb, however, you may need to set the bone. Doing so may be the only way to save that arm, leg or finger.

To set a broken bone, first determine if doing so is necessary or wise. Begin by pressing on the skin beneath the break. If it turns white then upon your release it turns pink, blood is circulating in the limb, and no setting is required. However, if it remains white or already is blue, circulation probably has been cut off, especially if there is a lack of a pulse, numbness or tingling in that limb.

If the bone protrudes from the skin, however, do not set it. Immobilize it, instead.

The next step is to align the bone to its normal position. This can be done by pulling the limb in opposite directions on either side of the break. Recheck to see if circulation has returned to below the limb.

Read more about day hiking with children in my Hikes with Tykes guidebooks.

How to make a leg splint during a hiking accident

Make a leg splint the same way that you would make one for a broken
finger. Photo courtesy of van Hilten / Photoree.

Should a leg be injured during a hike, you may need to immobilize it with a splint, especially if a bone has been broken or fractured or a muscle sprained. Immobilizing the leg can help prevent further injury as well as reduce pain, which is vital if the injured party is a child.

A splint is the leg’s equivalent of a sling for an arm. This is where having a small tarp, gauze pads, and full bandage roll in your backpack can prove helpful.

Before placing a leg in a splint, make sure all bleeding has stopped. That typically can be done by applying direct pressure if a gauze pad over any cuts.

If a broken bone, next determine if circulation has been cut off beneath the break. Pale skin below the break suggests there is limited circulation. If this is the case, you will have to set the bone. We’ll save how to do that for another entry and presume the circulation is fine.

Gently slide your tarp (Stronger material, such as cardboard, works better, but we’re improvising, based on what materials you might carry during a hike.) beneath the injured leg. Place gauze pads between the leg and the tarp.

Fold the tarp about the leg, ensuring it is tight enough to prevent the leg from moving (otherwise the bone may shift) yet not so tight that circulation is cut off. Secure the tarp by use the roll of bandages, which can be tied to hold the splint in place.

Seek medical attention immediately.

Find out about trail guidebooks available in the Hittin’ the Trail series.