What You Should Do If You Get Hurt in the Woods When Alone

[joesawer]

I am thinkin the first thing to do when you get hurt is to get to help asap. Lol

How to do that is any number of ways depending on the situation.

 

[deeker]

Well, today I pretty much always carry my CPR/First Aid Cards, a current Red Card, a cell phone, a radio, a GPS, and a first aid kit, so it wouldn't be the same situation.

I guess what I'm getting at is yet another pitch for "situational awareness".

That Sir, applies to everything in life.

 

[madhatte]

Too true, too true!

 

[Humptulips]

Seriously, I think the key word is the last in your thread title,(alone).
Best thing to have if you get hurt in the woods is a partner and he/she should be close enough to know when you are in trouble.

Ok, so I've broke that rule but it's still a good idea.

 

[ryan_marine]

Good call Ray, there's nothing wrong with packing cotton ponies around for those,'heavy days'.
John

John, I can't get the pic out of my mind of you having a maxi on your face to help stop the bleeding. All kidding aside the first time I seen one was in the shoulder of a Marine. He was in Afgan and took a bullet in the shoulder. He had 2 strings hanging out. But lost very little blood due to the quick action of a fellow Marine. Our Corpman said it saved his life due to the likely hood of him bleeding out.

Ray

 

[a_lopa]

I was with a guy who cut deep into his calf muscle with a 488 shindiawa,I can sure tell you the adrenalin works for a good while but when it wears off there some swearing and cursing!

Try and keep a cool head and like other poster have said PPE!

 

[1999HarleyRN]

With almost 25 years experience in emergency medicine, both in and out of the hospital, after wear your PPE probably the most import thing I can add is stay calm. Whether you are the victim or the rescuer, panic will not help anybody. I can't count the times I've had to tell a partner on the rig, or another nurse in the hospital, calm the **** down. Once they do, the job gets done. Let's all try to keep it safe so we don't need to use our first aid kits, cell phones, gps, helicopters, etc in the first place.

 

[logbutcher]

YA know on the other hand some of us would save others and would do all we can for them. However there is a small amount that think it just better to leave them there and let them go if you do find them in need of attention. What the heck do we do then? I always thought, Well, who really wants to go back to town and deal with all the crap it might just be better to stay there. Thats not a good attitude to have about it though because for me they always find me.....:chainsawguy:

No, and no.

The "attitude" is to do what you can, with what you have, as much as you can, and for who you can save IN the particular situation. Perhaps if you have not been there it's hard to understand. It is the only attitude in a situation far from assistance, you alone with others, multiple injuries. Think. It's what we were trained for. This is not a "good samaritan on the freeway" thing.

This not a "going back to town". This is "there is no town". It is life often on the edge.

JMNSHO

 

[hammerlogging]

You all are going to think that I am crazy but besides a basic first aid kit I also carry maxi pads and tampons. I know it sounds strange. But a maxi pad will cover a large wound with out a problem and tampons with stuff a puncture wound. I have seen this more times than I care to talk about. It was two of the things I had on me all the time in Afgan and Iraq after I seen what they are capable of. I also carry my cell phone. When I go to an area to work I alway check to see if I have service. If not I do have a gps thing that has an emergency responce button. I have not had to use any of the above but I feel better carring them. 99% of the time I am in the woods I have some one else with me though.

Ray

Tampons are great for big wounds, true, BUT, they have other secondary uses as well.

Introducing, the MANPON.

This technique was developed by a faller I worked with, lets say his diet consisted of beer and questionable other intake.

Another day of the sharts (you guessed it) sick of wiping his ass, insert the manpon (I trust it was inserted laterally and not vertically, but whatever floats your boat)

He was right back to falling timber. Too bad I couldn't cut #### from laughing so hard about his solution.

 

[deeker]

Thanks to Darin for making this thread a "Sticky"!!!

 

[holzspalter]

Before heading to the woods, I be sure to have my belt on and the hankerchef (sweatban in summer, snotrag in winter) in the pocket. Good tools to have from common clothing in time of need.

 

[logbutcher]

Next subject: "Tampons Use For Sucking Chest Wounds".:hmm3grin2orange:

After that, sizing considerations, absorbancy, color (colour).

And for those who know: "sticky" is what happens when that Kotex, tampon, or whatever absorbs blood. Thought you'd like to know.

This sticky could go for years.....................

 

[purdyite]

I always heard that if you are working, hiking, climbing, etc. in the woods or remote areas, take 3 people. That way if the first one gets hurt, the second stays to help while the third goes for help. I am thinking, crap, just leave that first guy home...:hmm3grin2orange:

 

[TimberFaller660]

I think your best bet would be not go into the woods alone. Even if you have to give a friend $50 to carry your saw gas aurond & keep a cell handy. I think that be $50 well spent if ya got hurt.

 

[Gypo Logger]

I think your best bet would be not go into the woods alone. Even if you have to give a friend $50 to carry your saw gas aurond & keep a cell handy. I think that be $50 well spent if ya got hurt.

That makes good sense TF, but if a faller can go 25 years with no hardhat, chaps or backup buddy system, does it justify having one?.
I think so, accidents are rare and few and far between, but we take our chances and there is nothing wrong with 'safety.'
Danger should be foremost in the mind, but shouldn't clutter vision either.
John

 

[joesawer]

I think your best bet would be not go into the woods alone. Even if you have to give a friend $50 to carry your saw gas aurond & keep a cell handy. I think that be $50 well spent if ya got hurt.

In my experience if I waited until there was someone available for $50, Starvation would be a much bigger danger.
And there have been some days when I did not clear $50. And a $50/day extra expense would soon eat deep into what little profit is left in this business, so once again starvation is a clear and present danger.

 

[Gypo Logger]

In my experience if I waited until there was someone available for $50, Starvation would be a much bigger danger.
And there have been some days when I did not clear $50. And a $50/day extra expense would soon eat deep into what little profit is left in this business, so once again starvation is a clear and present danger.

Joe, it still doesn't take away from the fact that if we had a hot girl sitting in our truck while we did our thing in the bush, that we wouldn't be all that much safer.
I think girls in the bush reduce the danger factor by 98%.
John

 

[joesawer]

Joe, it still doesn't take away from the fact that if we had a hot girl sitting in our truck while we did our thing in the bush, that we wouldn't be all that much safer.
I think girls in the bush reduce the danger factor by 98%.
John

I had a time and place where that I had a really HOT 21 year old girl for a fire watch that followed me for miles up and down steep mountains.
She was with me when I got clobbered in the hard hat. I got knocked out and knocked down the mountain a little ways.
I woke up with my saw laying on my arm still running. I had to feel of my head to see if my brains where all still on the inside, so that i would know if I needed to blow my whistle or not.
She was the only person around but had no idea that anything was wrong until I came staggering up with my busted hard hat and glasses. The glasses where supposedly unbreakable titanium.
She had not been working with me long then and she did get much better and more helpful as she gained a little experience.
I was able to work the next day with another hard hat and set of glasses. With out a hard hat I would have been seriously messed up.

I remember sitting on the side of the mountain watching her work her way across a steep piece of ground and thinkin it was too good to last. Lol

 

[056kid]

Un-breakable LOL. yea right, sure!!

Best thing is to not be in the woods alone!!

Im lucky so far that my worst has been just a good KO. Wake up seeing white, but I wasent alone. . . Skidder man was there, asking all kinds of bothersome questions. . .

 

[Gypo Logger]

Sometimes girls in the bush can throw you off your game, but not too often.
Once I was in a new bush and the girl I was with asked me to take her over the winch/brush gaurd of the truck.
Shortly thereafter while recovering, the woodlot owner came jogging thru and asked me, 'How many loads I'd taken out.' Lol
John