First Aid 101

Camping is about getting away from the urban hustle and bustle, and leaving behind your daily responsibilities. But one important aspect of your camping preparation is making sure that at least one person in your group has enough basic first-aid training so you don’t get caught out by an unforeseen mishap.

FIRST THINGS FIRST

You’ll want to identify possible threats to your safety, but also consider the safety of the victim. Of utmost importance is getting the victim away from the threat of danger. Always wear gloves to protect yourself and the victim.

CPR

This is when you’ve checked a non-responsive victim for a pulse (pressing your index and middle fingers next to the throat and feeling for a heartbeat) and are certain that there isn’t one. Essentially, you’re trying to get the heart to beat on its own again.

Once the victim is laid out and you’ve established that there’s nothing blocking an airway, you breathe into the victim’s mouth twice using the pocket mask in your kit. This fills the victim’s lungs with oxygen for when you perform the next step of chest compressions. When