Spinal injuries are a huge fear when out in the wilderness. There literally isn’t anything much worse than dealing with this type of injury. The last two episodes I quickly discussed several ways to immobilize the spine and extract the injured person. There are two types of immobilization systems. First, the short-board immobilization system, which would be used to quickly extract someone to a safer area for better treatment, or to develop a better system to extract further.

Dehydration is not terribly difficult to come by when living or traveling by foot across the land. In a SHTF scenario you'll likely be on the move quickly and possibly under the blazing sun for more of the day than you anticipated. Dehydration can come quickly and easily, especially if you are limiting your water intake. This week we discussed recognizing the signs of dehydration, and how to replete those fluids as safely as possible with limited resources. Oral rehydration s

Head lacerations bleed like there is no tomorrow. Unfortunately, they aren't too difficult to sustain since our noggins tend to head first into locations with which we may be exploring, or during a quick bug out situation. Luckily, most lacerations to the head can be easily managed with your own hair acting as the suture. You simply place a piece of string, dental floss, or fishing line within the wound, then use 3-4 strands of hair on each side of the wound and tie multiple

This week's quick and dirty medical tip details how to easily fix a pesky heel blister or prevent one if you are without a med kit. First and foremost, you shouldn't be without a med kit if you listened to our latest podcast dummy. Okay, there are times you may be without supplies, and this quick tip can help deal with a sore spot or blister that may develop. The steps are quite simple, granted you have some form of a plastic bag, trash bag, or plastic sack, and don't live in

Safety pins save lives. Maybe. Safety pins have an incredible amount of uses as was discussed in our latest podcast. I thought it would helpful to compile a little list here for you disbelievers of the sacred pin of safety. So besides pinning up your pantaloons that may be too big, or safety pinning your fly or tent door shut, here are the many medical uses; 1. Pin the anterior aspect of the tongue to the lower lip to establish an airway in an unconscious victim. (sound