First Aid/Medical Training

Discussion in 'Wilderness and Tactical Healthcare Management' started by Lostviking, Feb 16, 2020.

  1. Lostviking

    Lostviking Member

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    Wasn’t sure where to put this. Or even how to articulate it.
    But here goes.

    I’m sort of an independent guy. Capable of sitting around a fire with a few friends.
    Just as capable of sitting around it by myself.

    I see a lot of folks heading in the Prepper/Survivalist direction. Prepping can be cool I guess.
    Surviving is essential.

    One of the things that draws me to ESEE, is the decided lack of bullshit. More walk, less talk.

    I don’t consider myself a survivalist, or really even a prepper.
    With that being said, I’m not a moron either.

    I carry enough in my vehicle to get by for a few days. In case I break down, or run off the road in some remote spot. I have enough in my pantry to get by for a few months if necessary. I don’t see that as prepping. I see it as basic common sense.

    Candles, blankets, flashlights, spare batteries, and more, are just basic life necessities. As is fresh water and some food.

    I do visit some sites that could be considered survival/prepper focused.

    Almost always, they seem focused on Armegeddon/TEOTWAWKI.
    Is that a possibility?
    Sure it is.

    Will it happen in our short lifespan? Who knows.

    They almost always seem to solve this problem with firepower. Guns it seems, will solve everything.
    Hand guns, shotguns, and long guns. All with at least 10,000 rounds each. Stored unceremoniously in 55 gallon drums secured in the basement/bunker.

    The above is also linked to months if not years of dehydrated MREs. It seems if you don’t have a single axle dump truck full of rice. You probably aren’t going to survive!

    Running a close second and fighting food for that spot are knives. The enigmatic “Survival Knife” Never fully defined, and even less likely to be agreed upon. The “Survival Knife” as it’s name would imply will keep you alive!

    I mean you can do absolutely nothing., no skills, no training, no supplies. As long as you possess that knife, your chances of survival are through the roof. The mythical blade will see you through.

    Another thing that attracts me to ESEE is their focus on skills. Tools are cool. Skills are essential.

    Where am I going with all this you ask??
    Well, guns and knives are cool. People, especially guys naturally gravitate here.

    A meteor may strike. The cliffs of East Africa could collapse causing a Two hundred foot tsunami to strike the east coast of the US. Red Dawn could happen!

    But in reality, it will be a bad tooth, a broken leg, drowning, or a heart issue that will take you out.

    Your gun won’t help much with this. Your knife won’t help much either. Maybe more than the firearm, but still not much value.

    ***First Aid/Medical Training.
    Sure it’s like watching pain dry, compared to the latest Rock River piece. Giving up two weeks of your life to become a Wilderness First Responder (Woofer) seems so totally uncool it is almost painful.

    It never ceases to amaze me how many prepper/ survivalists, and even people in general, have zero medical training. Not even basic First Aid/CPR.

    Get over the cool factor. Go get yourself some training.
    Start of basic. Work your way up.
    Get to at least the Advanced First Aid Level. Wilderness First Responder would be better. Wilderness EMT is a good place to be.

    I stress Wilderness Medicine over Standard First Responder because it is structured for more remote scenarios. Many urban classes are basically, stabilize and call 911.

    A broken femur twenty miles from town, may not see the arrival of immediate help. A child choking at a campsite may not have time for a rural ambulance crew to arrive. Get some training!

    I have personal experience with these folks;
    https://soloschools.com/
    I left tired, educated, impressed and prepared.

    S.O.L.O. isn’t the only good option. But they are good enough to train the teams.
    Pick your poison, just do it.

    At the very least, alone or in addition to the above.
    Go grab a book (several) called Wilderness Medicine byBuck Tilton.

    Stash them in the pockets behind your vehicle seats. They take up next to no room. Put one in every vehicle.
    They do no good at home on a shelf, if you’re in trouble in the woods.

    Obviously I believe this is a very important topic. Way more so than the latest AR or Survival Knife.

    I know, it will be tedious, it will eat up some time, it may cost as much as a quality AR. But it may save your life, the life of someone you love, or possibly even the lives of total strangers.

    If you never use it, even better. Go get trained!
     
  2. Jeff Randall

    Jeff Randall ESEE Knives / Randall's Adventure & Training Staff Member

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    This is an awesome post and spot on to our philosophy. Glad someone posted this up. About 90% of this whole "survival" industry is bullsh*t and that includes the tools that everyone thinks they must have. The gun and knife crowd are a strange group. God love 'em though. They pay our bills :)
     
  3. Chris Talley

    Chris Talley Member

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    I agree with your post 100%! I like my tools and gear just like the next guy, but knowledge and readiness are key in any disastrous event. Training goes a very long way.
     
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  4. C99c

    C99c Member

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    One of the many lessons McGyver taught us was that "The bag's not for what I take..... it's for what I find along the way".

    Your mind is the bag.
     
  5. Kevo

    Kevo Member

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  6. Frigin

    Frigin Member

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    So does anyone know of any good schools that are in the newengland area? I have found a few schools but I’m not really sure what one is good or not. didn’t know if anyone here has taken any in my area.
     
  7. Lostviking

    Lostviking Member

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    First Post, half way down. S.O.L.O. North Conway, NH
     
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  8. Frigin

    Frigin Member

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    @Lostviking
    Thank you for that!! I found like 5 places from MA to Maine but this one didn’t pop up. have you attended a class there? Or know someone who did? I’m definitely taking a class there this summer. The NH camp is 3.5 hours away but they do classes at bass pro in MA and it’s only 45 min away so that’s great.
     
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  9. Kevo

    Kevo Member

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    There should be a good amount of options, only limited by the time you can put in to it. Keep in mind, depending on where you end up with your SAR search, you might be able to get trained up on some stuff through the team.

    I got my emt through a local junior college. The sar team covers my con ed credits to stay current.
     
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  10. Frigin

    Frigin Member

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    @Kevo yeah the SAR seems like a no go for a wile. They told me I can check back in 6 months to see if they are looking for anyone. So I marked it in the calendar. I’ll just be doing this for me. For the amount of time I spend outside and hiking and hunting it’s worth it
     
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