You are here

Traveler's Gear Box: When You Need To Stop Bleeding Fast....

Share

May all your trips into the national parks be with the wind at your back, the sun overhead, and without mishaps. Sadly, we can't always ensure that accidents won't happen, and that's where some key First Aid items are nice to have on hand.

Along with sun block, bug repellent, blister applications, and an assortment of Band-aides and rolls of gauze, a nice product to have with you for worst-case situations is QuikClot Sport (MSRP $9.99/25g package and $14.99/50g package). This product, brought to you by the folks who make the Adventure Medical Kits, can stop bleeding from substantial wounds in a matter of minutes. According to the company, the product can reduce bleeding from anywhere between 10 and 30 minutes to fewer than 3 minutes. It does that through a hemostatic agent called Zeolite that is contained in a surgical sponge.

Now, this is not a new-fangled chemical concoction. It's been around for quite a while and has found use in detergents as a water softener, in insulated double glazed windows to prevent condensation, and even in oil refineries where it separates hydrocarbons. But in the field, when you've seriously cut yourself, this product hastens clotting by pulling the liquids out of your blood and so allowing the platelets to do their job and clot.

Use is simple: You place the gauze sponge over your wound and apply direct pressure for at least three minutes, or until bleeding stops. You won't be the first to use this product. It's already been carried into battle by U.S. military forces in Iraq and Afghanistan, where it reportedly has saved at least 150 lives, the company says.

If you're worried about staph infections or other bacteria out in the field, consider QuikClot Silver (MSRP $18.99/25g package and $20.99/50g package), which contains ionic silver. Adventure Medical also makes a smaller QuikClot product for use in halting nose bleeds, appropriately dubbed QuikClot Nosebleed.

Along with its clotting properties, QuikClot products are small and light, so they won't add much to either your pack's weight or your available storage space.

Comments

Are there any possible allergic reactions to these products? And what is the shelf life / storage life? Oh, and where can these products be a'gotten? Thanks


Asoul, I'm not an expert, and this isn't medical advice, but the manufacturer says the product utilizes a "chemically inert" material, so I'm not sure what allergic reaction might be possible.

As for where you can find these and other Adventure Medical products: REI, Cabella's, Dick's, and Eastern Mountain Sports are among the main outlets.


Asoul--

If your patient is conscious, it is always good to ask him/her to what he/she might be allergic. Most people have a fairly good idea about this. I never even give anyone an aspirin or a excedrin without asking. Most of the products that Kurt mentions are safe for almost anyone. But the operative word is "almost".

Rick

Rick Smith


Add comment

CAPTCHA

This question is for testing whether or not you are a human visitor and to prevent automated spam submissions.

Image CAPTCHA
Enter the characters shown in the image.

The Essential RVing Guide

The Essential RVing Guide to the National Parks

The National Parks RVing Guide, aka the Essential RVing Guide To The National Parks, is the definitive guide for RVers seeking information on campgrounds in the National Park System where they can park their rigs. It's available for free for both iPhones and Android models.

This app is packed with RVing specific details on more than 250 campgrounds in more than 70 parks.

You'll also find stories about RVing in the parks, some tips if you've just recently turned into an RVer, and some planning suggestions. A bonus that wasn't in the previous eBook or PDF versions of this guide are feeds of Traveler content: you'll find our latest stories as well as our most recent podcasts just a click away.

So whether you have an iPhone or an Android, download this app and start exploring the campgrounds in the National Park System where you can park your rig.