What You Should Do If You Get Hurt in the Woods When Alone

[tramp bushler]

dogs are a lifesaver , thats for sure !

That same dog pulled my little brother out from an icewater filled road culvert, he was just under 4 years old and fell in on the upstream side, the water pulled him and he got stuck. The old culvert was made of spiked together 6X6`s and he got his snowsuit caught on a rusty spike. The dog dove in immediately and resurfaced with my brother, I grabbed him by the hood of his snowsuit and with the help of my dog we pulled him out, I swept him up in my arms and ran for home with the dog running ahead and barking loudly to alert our parents. My brother had swallowed some water but he coughed most of it up then threw up on me, I could not have been happier.

Pioneerguy600

The dog I have now has saV ed m/y wife and I from 4 maulings that we know of . He also led me out of th brush one time when I was falling down exguasted and couldn 't find my way oto my trail .

 

[Gypo Logger]

All good post fellas.
Another thing I can think of to do after getting wacked, is to thank those that helped, whether it was the first reponder, abulance, dogs, nurses or doctors.
Regardless, thank yourself for maying it thru, 'yet another one'. Lol
John

 

[teatersroad]

dieing is always an option. cool head is top advice, not hard to get some first responder training so you might have an idea what some symptoms mean. First Aid kit - including an epi-pen, and some sort of comms. if you are in proximity to help. Also having an idea where you are, be it place name. lat-long, T;R;S;.

I was alone and pinned under 900lbs of atv (had a water tank on it). Uninjured but trapped, vhf radio was my link to help.

 

[Gypo Logger]

dieing is always an option. cool head is top advice, not hard to get some first responder training so you might have an idea what some symptoms mean. First Aid kit - including an epi-pen, and some sort of comms. if you are in proximity to help. Also having an idea where you are, be it place name. lat-long, T;R;S;.

I was alone and pinned under 900lbs of atv (had a water tank on it). Uninjured but trapped, vhf radio was my link to help.

They say that ATV's are more dangerous than snowmobiles, but I think atv's are safer.

How long was it before you got help and what damage was done?

John

 

[Saw Bones]

Although I'm not an expert on the subject, I just wanted to discuss a few things about it.
First of all, keep your cool and if you still got two legs and a heart beat, you'll probably be ok.
You can lose alot of blood and still live.
Finding the trail out can be the biggest problem, that's why snow is a good thing as you can sometimes follow your back trail.
When hurt you'll have mega adrenalin, so use that to your advantage and when and if you find help, be chipper and laugh a bit, that will help the first responder to act fast and not freak out.
Saw injuries are mostly just superficial, so keep your cool then too.
Most injuries are not life threatening and those that are will be read about in the news.
Once again, keep your cool and enjoy the adrenalin rush and the warm feeling of the blood.
John

Basic Survival

1. Have a GPS, and some sort of communication. (Remember that electronic equipment can fail) Have a good general idea of where you are, and carry a compass as a back up.
2. Use your head. Avoid injury. Use your PPE, but remember that PPE is not the end all beat all. It is a last line of defenese after you have made a critical error due to lack of attention. (That happens to every one from time to time)
3. Some one should know where you are going, and when you should be back.
4. Carry first aid equipment, Water, and something to start a fire. Also a whistle to attract attention is not a bad idea.
5. To take a line from "The Hitch Hikers Guide to the Galaxy" "DON'T PANIC"

 

[046]

excellent thread!!!

wear that PPE ... almost no one around here (Tulsa), except me wears it.
in the last 10+ years, I've only seen 1-2 other persons wear chaps while cutting with a chainsaw.

 

[user 64030]

Hey all good thread, lots of good advice. I have an old(er) friend my fathers age, and he talks about his mom using sugar as a blood clot agent, he talks about how he cut his hand as a child and his mom filled the cut w/ sugar. Not that anyone would back a bag of it into the woods

 

[Stihl Rules]

excellent thread!!!

wear that PPE ... almost no one around here (Tulsa), except me wears it.
in the last 10+ years, I've only seen 1-2 other persons wear chaps while cutting with a chainsaw.

are all chaps about the same? I really do need to invest in them. And try to never be alone.

 

[Aaron441]

and he talks about his mom using sugar as a blood clot agent, he talks about how he cut his hand as a child and his mom filled the cut w/ sugar.

Try superglue instead, just glue the cut closed. It works a lot better than a bandaid, and it will stick even if the skin is dirty, oily or sweaty.

 

[MountainCutter]

Tree cutter first aid Kit Video

I found a guy on youtube that is logging his own land and building an off grid homestead. His name is Wranglerstar and he is documenting his project on youtube. I think he used to be a fireman paramedic. Here is a link to his video on the first aid kit for loggers YouTube - ‪Timber Fallers Tool Kit Off-grid Homestead Project Wranglerstar‬‏ I really like his videos. He is doing some cool projects

MC

 

[Rounder]

Wasn't quite alone..........but carry a ####### wistle with you. Help will get there quicker.

 

[promac850]

They say that ATV's are more dangerous than snowmobiles, but I think atv's are safer.

How long was it before you got help and what damage was done?

John

I beg to differ on snowmobiles.

ATV's ride much higher, and the center of gravity is about six inches to a foot higher than a snowmobile's c fo g. Also, more modern snowmobiles have the stabilizer bar for the front suspension, greatly reducing the chance of rollover.

My personal testimony regarding an accident on my 1998 MX-Z 440F...

I was trail riding in the country around our area with my pops, he was riding about two feet staggered to the left of me... I was only slightly over to the right... it was dark out, and we were traveling slower than normal (about 45-50 mph) through a field near an apple orchard...

Obviously, better headlights would be beneficial in the pitch dark of winter. I hit a rock that juts about 1 foot out of the ground, and the sled literally was on the edge of the left ski... I shot off of the sled (yes, I have a good grip on the bars, but jeez, I was torn away from the sled on this impact) about 20 some feet to the left and slid about 10 feet forward. If I didn't have a helmet, my neck probably would be broken because of the angle my head would be reaching before it would hit the ground... that extra 2" thickness of the helmet probably saved me. Snow pack wasn't hard, it's just the angle that would've ####ed me up.

Talk about surprising and sudden impact... jiminy ####ing christmas...

I got up expecting the Ski-Doo to be upside down and smashed up, but when I looked ahead, I saw it about 200 feet away, rear taillight glowing. I am glad I don't use the tether, I probably would never have found the thing, it was so dark out. I ran off, hopped on, and rode off. Tethers, IMHO, are for those real cold days where the throttle icing and sticking open is a concern, or if you are racing the sled in snocross or the like.

The only damage sustained by the 440 was the right plastic ski now has a groove that tapers from about 3/8" wide by 1/4" deep to nonexistent, in the area of the tip where it does not normally contact the snowpack.

Moral of the story... be careful. Never know what will happen, and safety gear will pay for itself, usually numerous times over.

 

[promac850]

Wasn't quite alone..........but carry a ####### wistle with you. Help will get there quicker.

Pic of one? I think I needs to buy one. You know, for when the fecal matter meets the spinning blades of an airflow improving device when I'm cutting firewood or whatnot.

 

[slowp]

Pic of one? I think I needs to buy one. You know, for when the fecal matter meets the spinning blades of an airflow improving device when I'm cutting firewood or whatnot.

A whistle. Like referees blow. If falling, you pin it up on your suspenders or hook it there so if your arms are pinned you can maybe reach it without and tweet it.

The FS gave us whistles. At that time, radio and phone coverage was bad so the joke was, if you can't get through on the radio, blow the whistle for help.

 

[RandyMac]

I still have the brass one my Dad gave me, he said you might not have the breath to yell, but you can always make noise with a whistle.

 

[promac850]

I still have the brass one my Dad gave me, he said you might not have the breath to yell, but you can always make noise with a whistle.

Has anyone heard of a Boatswain's whistle? It has a metal ball, and is press fitted into a tube assembly. It has been claimed that you can hear it from miles away. Been thinking about buying one. Maybe to use as an alert when the zombies come...

Yes, a whistle can take a very diminutive amount of air and make a heck of a lot of noise... smart pops.

I used to annoy the piss out of my brother by blowing a whistle while standing right next to him... He hated it when I did that, especially inside the house... :jester: He got mad enough to snatch from me, and break the little plastic referee whistle that I was disturbing the peace with... :biggrinbounce2:

 

[slowp]

The safety whistle needs to be easy to blow in case of a chest crushing injury (heaven forbid) , and loud.
Don't need no bosun's signals. That's what talkie tooters do.

 

[RiverRat2]

You all are going to think that I am crazy but besides a basic first aid kit I also carry maxi pads and tampons. I know it sounds strange. But a maxi pad will cover a large wound with out a problem and tampons with stuff a puncture wound. I have seen this more times than I care to talk about. It was two of the things I had on me all the time in Afgan and Iraq after I seen what they are capable of. I also carry my cell phone. When I go to an area to work I alway check to see if I have service. If not I do have a gps thing that has an emergency responce button. I have not had to use any of the above but I feel better carring them. 99% of the time I am in the woods I have some one else with me though.

Ray

First and foremost,,,,Thank you for your service to our country,,, My son just got out of the Corp last august, be a year next month,, 2 tours in Iraq,,, he saw the tampons used a couple of times,,, He said it wasnt pretty but they worked very well,,,,

 

[k5alive]

i unfortunatly have been cut when alone but in my camelbak i carry stitches maxis' small peroxide and ducktape, i was unlucky to have to use it but it was defenatly replaced, it can be a 2 hour ride to the hospital at time over here everyone on our site has a little something.

 

[Hillbilly Rick]

Great thread, I'm the only person I've seen with PPE on, other than maybe eye protection. I have an orange hardhat, glasses and ear plugs and muffs, gloves and steel toed boots. I want full wrap chaps or the pants but about all I'm makin' is goin' in the fuel tank of my truck. There is no first aid kit, cell phones don't work out here and I doubt anyone would hear or pay attention to a whistle, unless the co-worker heard it.
I think I'll get a couple of good whistles and make up a first aid kit,maxis, tampons and duct tape.
One big problem is the skidder the guy left us to use has no seat belt. After having it on 2 wheels more than once, it is a serious concern. The steering wheel is just 3/8" steel with the plastic grip broken off, not much to hang on to. On these steep grades you try to go straight up and down but it's not always possible. Then rocks get pulled up, ground sinks or you have to turn around. This is the first time I've used a skidder and don't know what it should have for a restraint, I'd think a six point harness.