First aid, the ultimate arbs kit?

[Dean Lofthouse]

No offence taken!

 

It was a retorical question (as I provided the answer myself)

 

My point is that it is very difficult to improvise a turniquet one-handed with blood flowing from your left arm. So the life-saving first-aid tools must be ready to use.

 

The answer isn't "you dont" though

 

If you are for example in conifers, you haven't got a hope of getting out of them in under a minute and you dont carry the tourniquet out of your first aid kit with you.

 

You will have a few seconds to decide your course of action and if there was a doubt about me getting down I'd go for an improvised tourniquet and apply it one handed in under 15 seconds.

[felixthelogchopper]

Aye yeah you do need both BUT simple large wound dressings (blood stoppers) will do for most cuts we are likely to get, Applying pressure is the best thing, Rupes post is very valid in my area, Its all urban stuff, so a phone call will usually see an ambulance there in no time, if pressure is applied til the ambulance gets there its happy days and you pass the problem on.

 

Absolutely mate, I work in a similar environment to you I guess. It's like anything, having the right kit for the job is always preferable to making do but I'm not going to complain that someone stopped me bleeding without using the right dressing. My point is, having to improvise kit rather than use something designed for the job will logically be slower, albeit only slightly maybe, in a situation where time is of the essence. I've said before on here, no-one is happier than me when my dressings reach their use-by dates without being used on me or anyone else. I always carry spares because if you get a major bleed, one dressing won't be enough and any means of getting pressure on is acceptable in my book, even standing on it.

[Dean Lofthouse]

having to improvise kit rather than use something designed for the job will logically be slower

 

Sometimes you may have no choice, such as in conifers.

 

You will not have the time to get out and get your first aid kit out the truck.

 

It would take 10 seconds to get one of your dyneema slings off your harness and tournoquet your arm or even wrap your climbing line round a few times.

 

That 10 seconds could give you half an hour to sort things out if you keep releasing and retightening

 

If not and you cant get down you may as well throw yourself down the outside of the conifers and risk death, you would die anyway

[Mozza]

Not too sure about slowing things down Felix, If a guy is cut, Id rather use the blood stopper in my pocket and/or a t shirt to put pressure on, Than run to the van thats round the front of the house, To get the fancy first aid kit.

[felixthelogchopper]

Sometimes you may have no choice, such as in conifers.

If not and you cant get down you may as well throw yourself down the outside of the conifers and risk death, you would die anyway

 

Working on conifers has that effect on me too, Dean I know I'm talking about 'perfect' situations which rarely happen, but I stick by my comment that having the right kit makes the job easier.

[felixthelogchopper]

Not too sure about slowing things down Felix, If a guy is cut, Id rather use the blood stopper in my pocket and/or a t shirt to put pressure on, Than run to the van thats round the front of the house, To get the fancy first aid kit.

 

I always have at least 2 dressings in my pockets mate

[Dean Lofthouse]

Working on conifers has that effect on me too, Dean I know I'm talking about 'perfect' situations which rarely happen, but I stick by my comment that having the right kit makes the job easier.

 

It wouldn't be the first time I'd have come out of conifers fast and against my will:lol:

[felixthelogchopper]

It wouldn't be the first time I'd have come out of conifers fast and against my will:lol:

 

pmsl mate

[Mozza]

It wouldn't be the first time I'd have come out of conifers fast and against my will:lol:

 

hahaha

[treequip]

I'd still spend 20-30 seconds mounting the turniquet to stop the bleeding, before attempting the descend to avoid bleeding to death mid-descend.

That’s your choice, if you have the presence to do it in 30 seconds, most people will freak at the sight of their own claret and I personaly don’t think the average person could do that in 30 seconds if at all.

 

How quickly did you make it to the ground (one handed) last time you did a rescue-excercise without having prepared for it (i.e. whenever someone blows a whistle)?

Are you serious? In that situation I would come down at a blistering speed, fast enough to met a prussic and burn my hand if needed, if the rope became tangled I would cut it and take my chances with the fall.

 

But I'd really like to know someone doing a bit of research on what the most sensible thing to do is in these situations.

What’s to research? This is not Rambo where he stitches his arm back together in the field with a survival kit. Forget the “Mc Guyver” stuff and get yourself to where someone can render assistance before you become unconscious. Simple as.