Medical Details

Last year I went on a short hike with a group of about 15 people.  It was a short hike, but less than a mile in, an older gentleman started feeling weak and a little disoriented.  After asking a couple questions, it was determined that he as a diabetic and his blood sugar was low.  He did not have his test kit or insulin with him.  Now what do we do?  Luckily, I almost always care some hard candy with me.  A short rest and a piece of candy did the trick and we were able to get back to the cars.

If we were on a wilderness trip and the same thing happened what would we do?  It will not always be as easy as giving someone a piece of candy. That one piece of candy may not be enough.  You never know what will happen on a wilderness trip, so it’s best to be prepared for most possibilities.  Here are a few tips:

·         Talk about any medical conditions in your planning meeting.

·         Ask everyone to carry a medical card with them.  The card could list:

o        Your Name, Address and date of birth

o        Emergency contact information

o        Your Doctors contract information

o        Any Allergies

o        All your Medications including dosage.

·         Bring your medications in a waterproof container.

·         Keep you medications with you. (In a small pack that you wear.)

·         Bring at least 2 extra days just in case you get delayed due to weather.

Does anyone have any physical limitations?  Your friends can only help you if they know what you need. 

What would happen if you lost some of your equipment in some rapids and was not able to recover everything?  Remember that you medication are only good if you can get at them. 

You should carry at least one good First Aid Kit for the group, plus a small kit of band aids, etc., in each boat.