First-aid Tips for 6 Hiking Emergencies

• Eating poisonous berries
• Falls
• Watch for kids who are 'risk-takers' on hikes
• Hypothermia
• Mosquito bites
• Muscle cramps

Learn about trail guidebooks available in the Hittin’ the Trail series.

6 Great First-Aid Tips for Hiking

• Altitude sickness
• Avoid losing your breath at high altitudes
• Dehydration
• Dislocation
• Drinking bad water
• Eating bad berries

Learn about trail guidebooks available in the Hittin’ the Trail series.

How to Avoid/Treat 6 Kinds of Hiking Injuries

• Altitude sickness
• Bleeding
• Blisters
• Broken bones
• Bruise
• Chigger bites
• Cuts, wounds
• BONUS: Get children right kind of footwear for hikes

Learn about trail guidebooks available in the Hittin’ the Trail series.

Carry a first-aid kit for your feet, ankles

When hiking, your feet are your most important piece of “equipment.” After all, injured or sore feet means you may not be able to walk, or doing so will be extremely painful and only further aggravate the injury.

While you should always hike with a general first-aid kit, making sure you have items in it specifically to treat your feet is a good idea, especially if heading deep into the wilderness.

Items you should include in a first-aid kit for your feet include:
• Adhesive bandage – To cover blisters and cuts
• Alcohol pads – For cleaning an area before applying bandages to it
• Antibiotic ointment – Place over blisters and cuts to prevent infection
• Cotton swabs (such as Q-tips) – Use to apply antibiotic ointment
• Gauze – For applying to sprained or strained ankles
• Extra pair of dry socks – In case your feet get wet
• Ibuprofen – Relieves pain following an injury
• Mole skin – For placing over blisters
• Nail clippers – For trimming hangnails
• Resealable plastic sandwich bags – For storing medical waste created during treatment
• Safety pin or gauze tape – For holding gauze together
• Scissors – A small one can be used to cut bandages into place
• Sewing needle – For lancing blisters or helping to remove splinters
• Soft padding – Place over a sprained or strained ankle, with gauze securing it
• Tweezers – For removing splinters

Always carry out any waste created during a medical treatment. This might include used cotton swaps, the plastic covering of an adhesive bandage’s sticky parts, and excess, cut-off gauze.

Learn about trail guidebooks available in the Hittin’ the Trail series.

Avoid a hiking disaster when on the trail with children

Avoid dangers by not allowing children to get into
dangerous situations.

While day hiking is fairly safe, accidents and problems can occur. Knowing how to deal with each one usually can avert larger issues.

The best solution to any of these scenarios is to avoid the problem altogether. Before hitting the trail, this means educating children on being safe. On the trail, it means playing it safe, so no horseplay around rocks, water and campfires, which can lead to injuries. Children also should not push or nudge one another on the trail to get past, and you should never press your children into doing something that is unsafe.

It also means keeping a close eye on children. “If there’s more than one adult in party, have one take point and hike ahead of the rest of the party, watching for obstacles and dangers and ensuring no one gets ahead of the group,” says Roberta S., Santa Cruz, Calif. “The other adult then can take up the rear and ensure no lags behind and gets lost or injured.”

But even the best plans can be laid to waste, so you’ll also need to be aware of how to face down each problem. Begin by taking a first-aid course. Besides learning to treat various injuries, a course can teach you how to deal with the stress of an emergency. The Red Cross and many hospitals and clinics offer them at a low cost. In addition, teach your kids basic first aid, or if they’re old enough have them take the course, too. It’s knowledge that could come in handy far beyond the hiking trail.

Some parent hikers put their small children on a harness or leash when they head into dangerous areas, such as steep cliffs. To me, that feels antithetical to the notion of what hiking in part is all about – the challenge of negotiating the trail, the freedom of the outdoors. If the trail is really so dangerous that a child can’t be trusted to be on it, then he belongs in a baby carrier. If the child is too big for a carrier, then the trail is simply too unsafe for him to be on, and the parent shouldn’t be taking him there. If you’ve done your research when selecting a trail, you’ll know if a trail is too dangerous or not.

Should a parent hike solo with children? Many long-time hikers say never, as the chances of getting lost in-crease dramatically. In addition, getting out of the wilds should one become injured makes a sharp decline if solo. Certainly having two adults is better than one when dealing with a group of kids. Having said that, many hikers including myself always take children by ourselves. If you properly prepare for the hike, given the short lengths of the trails you’ll hit, the chance of anything going wrong is very low, certainly less than the chance of getting into a car accident, and we drive our vehicles by ourselves or with just our children every day. Further, considering I usually hike in populous Southern California, I’m confident another hiker will be along within a day (and some-times even a few hours) to provide any help. I wouldn’t be so certain if in the backcountry of Alaska or northern Idaho, however.

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

Outfit special first-aid kit for dog on hike

We often think of animals as better fit and more resilient than ourselves. Yet if going on a day hike with your family dog, always be as prepared to handle an injury to Rex or Queenie just as you would for your own child. Your dog’s innate curiosity about wild animals and no paws in boots makes it a prime candidate for an injury on the trail.

Just as you would meet the needs of your injured child in different ways than you would for a fellow adult – for example, CPR for an adult performed on a child would break the youngling’s ribs – you’ll need to be aware of your dog’s special medical needs. That means carrying a doggie first-aid kit apart from the one you bring for your children.

Here’s what to include in a doggie first-aid kit:
g First-aid guidebook for dogs – You can’t be expected to know as much as a veterinarian. A guidebook can help ensure you correctly deal with your pet’s needs.
g Iodine solution – A povidone-iodine solution works well as an antiseptic for dogs that suffer cuts and wounds. It should be the color of ice tea and can be applied with a sterile wash cloth.
g Liquid bandage – These work well for paws with cuts and scrapes. However, do not use them for deeper cuts on other parts of the dog’s body, especially if they require stitches, as they can itch, causing scratching and worse infections.
g Saline solution – This can be useful for flushing gunk from the eyes. Make sure that the solution is intended for use in eyes and for dogs, however.
g Skin stapler – Sterile, disposable staplers can be used to treat skin tears and cuts from barbed wire. Always know how to use one before actually doing so, though; you may want to consult with your veterinarian.
g Tourniquet – Dogs require a unique tourniquet to stop bleeding. Look for a latex strap that doesn't roll or pinch and with a quick-release metal clip.

All of these items typically can be purchased at large pet supply stores or through a veterinarian.

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

Bring this gear for family dog on day hikes

Taking the family dog with you on a day hike can be lots of fun. Running about and sniffing, your pet likely will enjoy being outdoors as much as you and the kids. As a member of the family, your dog will help create experiences that make the hike memorable for your children.

But don’t send your dog naked onto the trail. Like you, Rex or Queenie probably needs some hiking gear. Here is some dog gear you may want to take:
g Collar – All dogs should have a collar, with a name tag (giving owner’s name and contact info), that a leash can be hooked to. Consider getting a collar that doesn’t absorb water in case your pet jumps into a stream or gets caught in the rain.
g Leash – A walking leash is a good idea in case your pet begins to misbehave by wandering or chasing other animals. Don’t get a long one, though, as this invites all kinds of entanglements with trailside brush and trees.
g Crushable food and water bowls – Your pet probably will need to drink and eat on the trail, just as you will. Crushable bowls are lightweight and easy to pack.
g Doggie first-aid kit – Pets have different needs than humans for first-aid care. Carry a first-aid guidebook for dogs, iodine solution, liquid bandage (for paws with cuts and scrapes), and saline solution as a minimum.
g Dog pack – If your dog is mature and strong enough to carry its own food and water on a hike then have him or her do so. Stay away from those packs with pockets and extensions that can snag on branches.
g Flotation device – Should a mid-hike swim be part of the day’s plans, consider bringing a flotation device for your dog, especially if it doesn’t know how to swim or if there is a potential that you’ll be near fast or rough currents.
g Dog tracker – This is a collar and device that looks like a walkie-talkie so you can find dog for several miles around. You probably won’t need one unless your dog has a tendency to wander off (in which case, you then should put it on a leash).

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

When kids eat something they shouldn't

Know how to perform first-aid in case children eat and
choke on items found along the trail, such as leaves.

Toddlers like to put things in their mouth, and this can be a problem on the trail: sticks, pebbles, leaves, dirt all could be swallowed.

Advise them not to put anything in their mouth other than the food and water you give them. Be vigilant in watching them.

In most cases, what they put in their mouths will be harmless, but this is where first-aid training comes in handy. For example, you may need to stop them from choking on a pebble or a twig. If they develop any other symptoms, seek immediate medical attention.

Read more about first aid when day hiking with children in my guidebook Hikes with Tykes.