Re: [pct-l] Hiker Experience and Wisdom

["Karen Elder" <bluesky@rt66.com>]

    -----Original Message-----
    From: ROBERT E RIESS <CDRRIESS@prodigy.net>


    1.  Does anybody carry a Swiss Army Knife?  I kinda like mine, find it
very handy and not too heavy.  I wish it had locking blades, though, and
would buy one that did.  Does anyone carry a multitool like a Gerber or a
Leatherman?
            I carry a Swiss Army Classic, the tiny one with a blade and
scissors. I used to carry a larger SA knife, but found that I used the
scissors most often. Locking blades are nice if you're cutting a lot of
stuff, but on a backpacking trip I hardly ever cut stuff, just the
occasional small rope or a piece of cheese and a locking blade is hardly
necessary.

    2.  Does anybody carry those miniature butane cigarette lighters?  I
always seem to have about 3 of them with me.  I put a little strip of
adhesive backed velcro on the lighter to stick it to the side of the fuel
bottle.
            Yep. I just put in a ziploc bag -- part of the 10 essentials.

    3.  Does anybody carry the "10 essentials" as recommended?  Just
curious.
            Hard to imagine being on a backpacking trip without having them.
What the heck are they again? Something like: water / food, map / guidebook,
compass, sunglasses / sunscreen, raingear, warm clothes, firestarting stuff
(matches (waterproof / windproof), lighter), first aid, flashlight (extra
batteries/lamp), pocketknife, a few quarters... I never bring a whistle, one
of the often-recommended items, nor a candle (for starting fires). I've
heard too many stories about people blowing a whistle all day long without
having anyone respond, and since I'm backpacking, I always have better
methods for keeping warm (sleeping bag, tent) so don't feel I need
firestarting stuff (other than for my stove).

    4.  How extensive should the first aid kit be?  I'd appreciate any
stories, especially ones where having the right stuff made a difference.  If
you are really ambitious, you could list the contents of your first aid kit.
I'm betting there is a wide variety.
            I have my backpacking list organized by "rooms" (a la Colin
Fletcher's _The Complete Walker). So, the Bathroom...
    *** Bathroom ***
    --- First aid ---
    _ Bandaids
    _ Moleskin
    _ Gauze rolls(4)
    _ Gauze pads(4x4)
    _ Adhesive tape(2)
    _ Antibiotic ointment
    _ Ankle brace/Knee brace
    _ Ace bandage(s)(4" or 6")
    _ Sling
    _ Kaopectate
    _ Antibiotic pills
    _ Aspirin/Tylenol/ibuprofen
    _ Gel packs (for burns)
    _ Painkiller
    _ Nose drops/spray
    _ Pseudophedrine
    _ Other prescriptions
    _ Other medicines
    --- Small towel ---
    --- Chapstick ---
    --- Sunscreen ---
    --- Insect repellent ---
    --- Comb ---
    --- Toothbrush/paste/floss ---
    --- Vitamins ---
    --- Toilet paper/wipes/ziploc ---
    --- Trowel ---
            Actually, this is the ultra-complete list. Some things I don't
bring, but my husband does (I used to bring the ankle brace; he still brings
the knee brace).
    One point, we do bring *large* things -- i.e., 2" adhesive tape, rather
than 1/2" -- if you need 1/2", you can cut 2" down; if you need 2", you
can't create it from 1/2". We don't bring a whole lot, just the remains of a
roll mostly used up at home. Same thing with gauze -- big stuff: 4" squares,
4" gauze rolls. The thing is, when you really really need this stuff, you
often need the big stuff -- but you don't need a lot of it, because then you
get outta there for real medical treatment. We converted to this way of
thinking when we were finishing the John Muir Trail. At the summit we
met a young girl (junior high school age) who had hiked there with her
dad (two days, I think). She was wearing a sleeveless shirt and refused
to use sunscreen. As we were hiking down to Whitney Portal, we met up
with them again, but by now the girl had several large blisters on the tops
of her shoulders -- each larger than a silver dollar in diameter and about
a half-inch thick. She was in lots of pain (sunburn on all other exposed
skin too, of course). We looked through our first aid kit, which was not
quite as listed above. The gel packs made her feel a bit better, but we
only had small gauze pads, so couldn't cover them. Luckily, a ranger
happened by, and he had "big stuff", so finished the job. That's when we
realized that his stuff would work where our stuff would, but ours couldn't
handle all situations his could.
        Of course, you have to balance all kinds of factors: how likely
something is to happen, how heavy the supplies are, how far away from
civilization you will be, how much you care about helping other people
(personally, I figure anyone out in the backcountry is taking on
responsiblity for himself, so that I am under *no obligation* to put myself
in more danger than I want to to help him -- though I probably will help all
I can), how uncomfortable you can stand to be, how much you care about
ruining your trip (a small cut or blister can get severely infected and end
your trip if you're not prepared).
        In the first aid section, the most commonly used stuff are the
bandaids, antibiotic ointment, moleskin, and adhesive tape (and prescription
drugs (of course) and anti-inflammatory stuff like ibuprofen). I did use the
sling one time, on a trip in the Presidential Range in New Hampshire, when I
slipped on a rock and partially dislocated my elbow. We had one more night
planned but decided to hike out that day :-)  -- I couldn't tie my boots but
could carry my pack. Nowadays, I often *don't* carry the sling -- kind of
figuring that it was always rather unlikely to be needed, and since I've
already used it once, what are the odds...?  :-) And there are other
solutions -- pinning your sleeve to your shirt or using a small length of
cord to improvise a sling.
        Basically, I bring the things that I *always* use, and the things
that I might want in a severe situation: a way to stop severe bleeding long
enough to hike (or carry) out, CPR training (yikes), codeine for pain...

    Karen Elder
    Albuquerque, NM, USA



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