Emergency Supplies

[DreamWeaver <karen@chaton.gardnerville.nv.us>]

>As an OB nurse, people at work laugh when I snarf up on "contaminated"
>kotex, the ones that drop on the floor and such.  These are the old
>fashioned big fluffy kind.  They fold or roll up well.  Pop one or some and
>a vet wrap into a ziplock and you have a great pressure dressing.

Becky is right...these pads make great bandages.  They have new ones that
are individually wrapped and so are much easier/neater to stuff into a
saddle bag.  Vetwrap of course is a must. Another thing that is handy is a
large triangular bandage.  The completion awards at the Pit Stop ride were
rather large bandanas/napkins just about the right size.  These can be used
to tie a sling and swathe (for a shoulder/clavicle/arm injury), or for
applying pressure or to wrap around a wound.  The large ziploc bag can also
be used as a pillow to support an arm in the event of an injury to that
area (fill with air and place under the arm).  

The main thing to remember is to stay calm.  A lot of blood makes things
seem worse, but remember that it doesn't take very much blood to seem like
a lot.  If you are applying pressure on a bleeding wound, continue to add
the bandages on top of the existing ones.  Don't take off the blood soaked
ones on the bottom and replace them.  

If you have been carrying around a roll of vetwrap in your pack for very
long, you might want to check it.  Sometimes when they get old or squashed
you can't hardly get the stuff started to use it.  

Happy Trails,

Karen
in Gardnerville, West Region
and EMT