First aid kits, built to suit, $495.00... Re: [at-l] Re: Blistermanagement question

[hudsom at us.ibm.com (Mark Hudson)]

More important than what you may be carrying is to get some first aid
training. Unfortunately mine is very long out of date, but I did make it
through the Advanced First Aid class a long time ago. I should at least try
to find a Wilderness First Aid class to get into. (Any recoomendations in
the NY or northeast would be welcome...)
On my first Long Trail thru-hike I was "pulling a Datto" (ie, napping out
some nasty post-lunch weather at a shelter) when a girls summer camp group
pulled in. They were quite suspicious of the homeless-looking guy curled up
in the sleeping bag, but they had other problems to deal with; one of the
girls had slid off a rock and severely cut up her shin, it was going to
require stitches. They had already done all the first aid needed before
they got to the shelter. They quickly reorganized their group, half were
going to stay with one leader at the shelter, and the other half were going
to escort the injured party down to the road and go for help. Did I mention
that they were suspicious of the homeless-looking guy curled up in the
sleeping bag?
Just before they left I asked if they were carrying Maxi-pads... ("Oh
great! What kind of a creep are we dealing with here?")
"Yeah, why?"
Well, they're sterile... and you can pad the injury so that if she happens
to hit it again on the way down the trail she won't pass out on you...
("Ok, maybe he's a creep, but at least he's a smart creep")

I think they felt better when the rain stopped and I moved on...

skeeter