Backpacker Magazine – November 2009

The Ultimate First-Aid Manual: Stay or Go?

Use this chart to determine if you can finish your trip–or should hightail it to the ER.

by: Buck Tilton

Problem	Stick it out if . . .	Head for help if . . .
Hypothermia	Person warms up and feels fine	Pulse slows; shivering stops; person becomes incoherent or unconscious
Frostbite	Tissue warms and looks normal	Blisters or black tissue form
Heat illness	Persons cools off and feels fine	Person has altered mental status and red, hot skin
Muscle/bone injury	Person can use the injured part	Person cannot use the injured part
Diarrhea	Problem resolves within 24 hours	Problem persists for more than 24 hours
Wounds	They are cleaned, properly dressed, and don't require closure	They are large enough to require closure; they're deep wounds on the face or neck
Burns	Pain is manageable and no large blisters form	Pain is intense; blisters are large; face is burned

LEARN MORE
The Ultimate First-Aid Manual
Wilderness Medicine Institute cofounder Buck Tilton boils down a lifetime's worth of experience into 62 tips

Photo Tutorials: First Aid Center
From splinting a broken leg to duct taping a bloody wound, the BACKPACKER First Aid Center is an invaluable resource for backcountry first aid.

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