What emergency gear do you carry in your BC pack?

[Yukonrider]

After a brief review, I have decided I am woefully unprepared in the way of emergency gear in my BC pack. What are the mags carrying?
It seems there are many answers to this question which range from "a cellphone with AT LEAST 25% battery" to "I could live for a week out here and perform minor surgery"

Realistically I rarely venture more than 3 hours (95% of the time 1 hour) from the car, so I feel my first aid needs are more towards the side of "keep most blood inside a person" and "be semi prepared for an overnight" rather than a more comprehensive first aid or survival scenario.

That said I'm interested in hearing what others are carrying with similar, or different needs, lets hear it

[Foggy_Goggles]

Take a lot of training, a conservative decision making mindset, equipment in good working condition, small first aid kit (somebody got a list?), and a means to communicate (InReach is needed)

[John_B]

My setup is pretty similar to yours.
First Aid: ACR PLB, quikclot, more bandages, VetWrap, ibuprofen, percocet, pepto, lighter, other odds and ends
Gear repair: Leatherman skeletool, assorted bits for boots and binding, bailing wire, gorilla tape, wax for glopping, bolts to make a toboggan out of skis w/ holes in tips and shovel parts, lighter, section of bike inner tube(firestarter)
Survival/overnight: SOL emergency bivy, giant synthetic puffy, (more clothes stored on snowmobile with stove, sleeping bag and pad. This stuff doesn't always come with.

I think the thing to keep in mind is 2 hours from the car would turn into a helluva lot longer time with a blown knee /broken leg.

[mall walker]

I think there is a good thread on this already somewhere... I am too lazy to search but it's out there.

Fortunately I haven't had to deal with a big medical emergency in the bc; the downside of this I suppose is that I don't really know how effective/adequate/complete/etc my emergency supplies are. I bring a lot of stuff (first aid / repair kits, shelter, etc) but don't have a great sense of how truly useful they would be in various types of real emergencies.

The things that I have used that I'd consider my not-so-serious-emergency but kinda "oh shit kit" include a big warm puffy, big warm insulated mitts, glop-stop skin wax, extra batteries/extra headlamp, something soft to wipe off really fubar glasses/goggles, and a spare buff (in case I started out wearing one and it got too wet).

An arms length of TP in a plastic sandwich bag has a pretty high "emergency" value to weight ratio as well...

[caulfield]

Take a lot of training, a conservative decision making mindset, equipment in good working condition, small first aid kit (somebody got a list?), and a means to communicate (InReach is needed)

I found this discussion helpful when I was recently revamping the first stuff I carry. Best advice in it was "carry what you have training for." Led me to take more training.

[Meadow Skipper]

I carry a copy of this post.

[rod9301]

I carry a copy of this post.

Rest

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[rob stokes]

Small first aid kit

Two type of pain killers, one of them is if I still need the person (or myself!) to be mobile, one is if I want to knock them the fuck out.

SAM splint

Radio with local patrol/SAR/Heli guide channels programmed in for when I am skiing off of the hill (Whistler Blackcomb)

Head torch

Extra warm gloves

Synthetic puffy

Knife

Ski straps

Lighter

My (small) brain.


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[neufox47]

Don’t forget your glock. I’ve often found myself being hunted by a pack of wolves thinking, jeez if I’d of just remembered my glock and class 4 holster.

[Cocximus]

Imodium, because you just can't tough out diarrhea

[reckless toboggan]

Imodium.



Because you can't out run diarrhea. (TM)

FIFY.

[Fritz]

[TahoeJ]

In addition to everything else listed, I usually carry an extra pair of ski socks just in case. Haven't had to use them but could easily envision a scenario where I (or someone else in my group) would be very happy I had them.

I also have one of those light weight sacks that can be turned into a small tent using ski poles, but rarely take it with me unless I'm on a hut trip or something like that and it's snowing.

[summit]

I carry a copy of this post.

I found this discussion helpful when I was recently revamping the first stuff I carry. Best advice in it was "carry what you have training for." Led me to take more training.

These

[SumJongGuy]

I keep an epipen in my hiking backpack. I don't have severe allergies but never know when someone else in the group might have that kind of event... more likely in the other 3 seasons with bees and stuff than winter though.

[Foggy_Goggles]

I keep an epipen in my hiking backpack. I don't have severe allergies but never know when someone else in the group might have that kind of event... more likely in the other 3 seasons with bees and stuff than winter though.

Which is to say you have training diagnosing anaphylaxis and you are away of the side effect and danger associated with Epinephrine?

Even if it is just OTC drugs, be aware of side effects that could be deadly. Take WFA at minimum. I wish it was more widely available.

You could carry everything, you could carry nothing. The answer is something in the middle. Focus on what is small, light and potentially life saving and work from there.

[SumJongGuy]

Which is to say you have training diagnosing anaphylaxis and you are away of the side effect and danger associated with Epinephrine?

Kept them on hand for mom when she lived nearby and used them occasionally. When she moved there were still a couple in my cabinet. She had plenty and a new script at her nursing home across the country. I decided to keep one in the first aid pouch of my day pack. Came in handy once already on a scout hike. Another dad was extremely grateful I had one handy. Scouts, trail mix, other triggers on a hike, you do the math. It happens. I replaced it since I have a couple more.

[Foggy_Goggles]

I'm not saying don't carry on EpiPen. I'm saying make sure you have first aid training and understand the meds you are carrying.

[hafjell]

Which is to say you have training diagnosing anaphylaxis and you are away of the side effect and danger associated with Epinephrine?

Even if it is just OTC drugs, be aware of side effects that could be deadly. Take WFA at minimum. I wish it was more widely available.

You could carry everything, you could carry nothing. The answer is something in the middle. Focus on what is small, light and potentially life saving and work from there.

A doctor told me, better to use the epipen and not need it, then not use it and need it. Have you been taught differently?

[adrenalated]

Slight hijack - what is the best emergency shelter for backcountry skiers?
I had one of these https://www.surviveoutdoorslonger.co...ncy-bivvy.html but the fabric is too light and tears easily on ski boots, and the taped edges came apart easily. It's basically the same as the standard $5 space blanket.
Looking for something more durable, but still small enough and light enough to live full time in my pack.
Thx

[BCMtnHound]

A doctor told me, better to use the epipen and not need it, then not use it and need it. Have you been taught differently?

Might be good advise for normal healthy kids, but folk with heart conditions, high blood pressure, angina, diabetes, and the like, are contraindications for epinephrine. So better to know the health history and medications the subject is taking.

[summit]

Slight hijack - what is the best emergency shelter for backcountry skiers?
I had one of these https://www.surviveoutdoorslonger.co...ncy-bivvy.html but the fabric is too light and tears easily on ski boots, and the taped edges came apart easily. It's basically the same as the standard $5 space blanket.
Looking for something more durable, but still small enough and light enough to live full time in my pack.
Thx

From the other thread, there are MUCH more durable options from the same company in the same price range:

On the emergency blanket vs mylar bag thing, here is the deal: those super light silver blankets/bags are fairly useless: fragile as surface hoar, and make an ungodly amount of noise with the slightest breeze. Don't believe me? You paid what, $4? $6? Go try it out in your backyard with some gear and ski boots on and report back.

So at the risk of turning this into a survival gear thread, what you want is a fabric backing with the reflective stuff so it is durable, waterproof, hivis, heat reflective, and useful for packaging a patient.
Here is an 8oz blanket
Here is a 1lb blanket that also can serve as a tarp and has grommets.

The nice thing about blankets is that they are more multipurpose and easier to pack/unpack someone in, like if you need to assess them or they need to pee when you are extricating (or in a snow cave). But it's harder to get them fully sealed up h if just using as a survival bivy.

I've carried this 9oz bivy for years and used it 2-3 times. It's dead now and I need to replace it. You can take it out, use it, and put it back in its bag! it has velcro closures 1/3 of the length and even a velcro foot vent. But try to imagine getting a person inside that with an injured leg?

For more money ($130), you can get an actual functional 1lb (thanks 3pingrin) bivy sack from Sierra Designs that has full zip for easier patient loading: https://www.campsaver.com/sierra-des...kaAhQ_EALw_wcB
You lose the thermal reflection coating...

So I purchased one of these that was on sale because I wanted a lighter emergency shelter more than a bivvy sac that I'd use for camping with a sleeping bag:
https://www.surviveoutdoorslonger.co...pro-bivvy.html

Haven't tried it out just yet...

[summit]

Might be good advise for normal healthy kids, but folk with heart conditions, high blood pressure, angina, diabetes, and the like, are contraindications for epinephrine. So better to know the health history and medications the subject is taking.

There are NO absolute contraindications for Epi. That means if the patient is suffering from anaphylaxis, give them the epi pen or they risk death. That is why we train medical lay persons to give it.

BCMtnHound has listed relative contraindications, meaning you need to be able to justify the risk/benefit BY being more certain about anaphylaxis so you don't cause great harm by giving the medication "just to be safe." I'll add to his relative contraindications list: patients on MAOIs, narrow angle glaucoma, thyrotoxicosis, laboring patients, maybe Raynauds.

[BCMtnHound]

Slight hijack - what is the best emergency shelter for backcountry skiers?
I had one of these https://www.surviveoutdoorslonger.co...ncy-bivvy.html but the fabric is too light and tears easily on ski boots, and the taped edges came apart easily. It's basically the same as the standard $5 space blanket.
Looking for something more durable, but still small enough and light enough to live full time in my pack.
Thx

Maybe research a bothy bag or similar shelter. Various sizes and construction available. Haven’t tested one thoroughly, but I think the materials and construction are a bit more durable than the single-use emergency bivies I have tried. Local heliski uses them for emergency shelters attending a subject while awaiting transport. Those are 8 person bothys and weight less than a kg. A 2-person bothy is about 250g and compresses down to about 10cm.

[PNWbrit]

I carry a copy of this post.

It can be used as a tourniquet in a pinch.