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[pct-l] Rattlers?



>  If I am hiking alone, should I carry a snake bite kit?

There is no one else who can answer this question but you.

> - Do they actually work?

As another person mentioned, the only thing proved to work is the Sawyer
Extractor.
The old Cutter kits are not worth their salt. The same goes for old home
remedies,
like cutting and sucking. Don't try them. They only make a painful mess of
things.

> - Can I just manage to hike out after being bitten if I taken enough pain
killer?

Generally speaking, yes. You should remain as calm as possible and exert as
little as possible. That may mean mostly unloading your pack or leaving it,
depending
on how remote from help you are or aren't. Go nice and slow and steady.

> - How bad (really) are rattler bites?

Different species have somewhat different venoms. One fact to know is that
the
initial strike may not have injected any venom at all. Rattlers are known to
'bite dry'.
Another fact that helps you remain calm is that the odds that one bite will
kill a
grown adult are extremely small, even if you can't get help. Do expect a
fair
amount of pain, though.

The very best remedy is to avoid the bite in the first place. A reasonable
amount
of precaution goes a very long way toward that end. Most bites occur when
people
do really stupid things. Often when drunk.