First aid on Camino - some thoughts

[David]

Thank you Doug, you are a fellow first aider and I do understand your point of view and indeed share a lot of it. I do not brush aside the grey area that lies between the good samaritan laws and offering first aid to all, it is just that I don't think the first is connected to the second in any way. I have my St John diploma and it also gives me world-wide St John Ambulance insurance and I hope that this is enough. I only patch pilgrims up, take the pain away, clean their wounds and cover them, give them comfort. I also give them enough supplies to allow them to change dressings themselves until they reach either a pharmacy or a doctor/nurse in a surgery at the next town. I never go further than simple first aid.
There is a great need on Camino for those willing to offer first aid, we all know this, and the same goes for pastoral care. My first aid is a mission .. I am one of those pesky Christians (though a heretic of course) and believe that I am responding to the command at the end of the story of the Good Samaritan - "then go, Ye, and do likewise" and this I see as my authority. Over the last nine years or so I have met many police on the Camino and not one has asked for my documentation; all have been friendly.

A parallel in legality, perhaps, was the formation of the metro 'angels' some years ago in New York - young men and women who wore a sort of uniform (basically a beret and black blouson) who rode the subways to protect passengers from harm such as violence, muggings, and rape. They were essentially vigilantes, not part of any recognised group, no insurance, no sanction from any authority - they did what they did because they saw that it needed doing and the passengers were always glad that they were there.

Were I to set up a 'clinic' in a building .. well, I wouldn't. First because I merely have first aid diplomas, not medical training, and secondly because such a thing would need to be sanctioned by the authorities and put on an official footing, and quite rightly too.

I agree with you that one of the problems is actually getting some pilgrims to go to the nearest doctor or even to stop walking for a day! I have had a number of pilgrims with obviously medical problems. Some I have taken to the town surgery, others I have asked them to do that in the next town ..... of the pilgrims I do help so many of them have their blister problems because they have completely ignored their condition and just carried on walking, even though they were in intense pain - how does one handle this? They are not our children, we are not their commanding officers ... humour and clear explanation does have some effect, but one cannot 'order' them to alter their ways.

 

[David]

David:
I am planning another camino in the fall and shall be walking from Pau in the south of France over the Somport Pass and along the Camino Aragones to Puenta la Reina, then on to Santiago, probably on the Frances. This will be about a 950 km route. I want to be able to share my footcare supplies with persons whom I meet on my pilgrimage, generally for them to do their own footcare, as I do not pretend to have any special knowledge in this area. I shall have to carry whatever I take with me, as I am travelling only on foot, and renew supplies in farmacias along the way. Can you suggest basic supplies to start with, in addition to moleskin, tape, bandages, dressings, and antiseptic wipes? Can antibiotic ointment be shared safely? How? I do have Red Cross first aid training and I would be willing to suggest that any particularly nasty blisters or other foot injury be referred to a clinic. A focus on travelling light may cause some persons with little long distance hiking experience to be under-supplied, and I should like to help as I can.

AlbertaGirl, hello. Sounds like you are planning a wonderful Camino! I think that you already have the kit that you need, and you also have Red Cross training. Personally I don't offer antibiotics as if I think it is that serious I take them or send them off to a doctor .. that fine line between first aid and medical care, and I am not qualified to offer medical care, only first aid. I have yet to find waterproof plasters in Spanish pharmacies that have a strong enough adhesive to stay in place for long so always use fabric plasters as they seem to adhere better - and also flex better.
I stock quite a lot of finger-tip plasters as they can be manipulated easily into between toes and over the ends and underneath of toes ... like these


I also use only plasters that have adhesive all the way round with a medicated island pad in the middle. I find it necessary to 'de-oil' feet before applying dressings.
You will also need something to drain blisters - either needles or scalpels (No. 11 blade) and something to be able to clean these tools properly such as a small container of surgical alcohol. And you will need tissues to absorb the liquid expelled from the blisters.
I prefer not to wear latex gloves so carry a medicinal grade bottle of hand cleaner which I use thoroughly before I start on each pilgrim.
I carry Germolene (uk brand name), which is an antiseptic 'over the counter' cream that also has a mild anaesthetic which is very soothing. I carry an antiseptic spray, Iodone spray, it is a good thing as it gets right in to tiny crevices and also dries quickly .. once I have put a sealing plaster on I sometimes, especially on the heel, over cover it with fabric strip plaster cut to length to add cushioning. I no longer use compeeds as I have seen too many problems with them. I also carry 'spray plaster' which gives a secure and clean film over such as a graze but am wary using this - only on shallow grazes and only if I am sure the wound is absolutely clean.
I do carry both Ibuprofen gel as well as the Spanish Voltaren gel for inflamed muscles and tendons and also some tiny grip-seal bags so that I can send them off with a couple of days supply. I carry a tiny bottle of Olbas oil for those with chest/sinus blockages.

Now, I also carry 'over the counter' paracetomol, ibuprofen, hay-fever tablets (anti-histamine so rather good for reactions to bed bug bites), Lemsips (paracetomol and decongestant, makes a hot drink) - but I am always careful that I find out if they want me to offer them and if they are allergic to any of the ingredients. I carry Aspirin but this is for heart attacks - get the casualty to crumble one in the mouth before swallowing, or if they are unable then crumble one and put into their mouth - is the greatest help.
I also carry quite a lot of Dioralyte sachets – fast replacement of body salts and liquid for those with diarrhoea or exhaustion or dehydration.
Personally I think that every pilgrim should carry some, especially in hot weather as just drinking lots of water can lead to leaching out of electrolytes and feeling weaker and weaker - these sachets harmlessly counter-act that condition.

A pair of small scissors, tweezers, safety pins, tic removal tools. (Scissors to cut the edges of large plasters so they can be pressed flat, without wrinkling). You could take bandages; elastic compression rolls for twisted ankles – these things do come up but the bandages are not light and are bulky – you could carry one or two and replace if used? Also possibly a triangular bandage - for hurt arms, not really needed as you can tuck the hand into a shirt, or use their belt - but great for making a head bandage. This year I will be taking quite a lot of cohesive bandage rolls to support knees.

Now, the thing is ... this year I will park my car up somewhere and walk off for a few days then either walk or bus back to it - I am not on my way to Santiago! - so the car is also my re-supply depot. I will only carry what I think I will need for a week each time .. for you, well, different logistics so you will have to make that compromise between carrying "everything" and weight - I wish you well, and think it marvellous that you want to help other pilgrims out there with first aid! Buen Camino!!

 

[auldies]

Ah, I should be more clear - sorry .... plasters tend to have adhesive at each end and the absorbent pad in the middle, which leaves a wound open to the air on either side .. but you can get rectangular and square plasters in various sizes where the adhesive goes all round the edges and there is an 'island' of absorbent gauze in the middle - so the absorbent gauze goes over the treated wound and then the plaster sticks down all the way round. I also carry individually wrapped sterile dressings in much larger sizes that are constructed the same way. By 'fabric' plasters I mean that stretchy non-waterproof type rather than the plasticky shiny waterproof ones. I don't use the waterproof ones mainly because the adhesive is very weak on them and they come off really quickly.
This is the sort of fabric plasters, do you see how the absorbent gauze pad is an island? - though I buy mine from wholesale suppliers online and larger sizes too (and different shapes!).
View attachment 23616

@LesBrass - crikey! that is a serious wound there - the body shock must have been serious as well - did you feel 'jittery' for a couple of days? Shock really can kill, but you know that now. You are so right - those boiling water accidents can happen at any time, especially when one is in a refugio kitchen using unknown equipment with other people milling around.
I think it really is worth reading a first aid manual just to know what one should do in these situations, then one can help oneself as well as others. First aid should be taught in schools, don't you think?

Thank you David for all your sage advice. It is most welcome.
I have ordered a box of these today and hopefully they will find their way to Oz all the way from the UK well before we leave for our Camino. Hoping not to have to use any at all, but just in case, (or to maybe benefit others in need), it will be comforting to carry them in my pack.

 

[Albertagirl]

AlbertaGirl, hello. Sounds like you are planning a wonderful Camino! I think that you already have the kit that you need, and you also have Red Cross training. Personally I don't offer antibiotics as if I think it is that serious I take them or send them off to a doctor .. that fine line between first aid and medical care, and I am not qualified to offer medical care, only first aid. I have yet to find waterproof plasters in Spanish pharmacies that have a strong enough adhesive to stay in place for long so always use fabric plasters as they seem to adhere better - and also flex better.
I stock quite a lot of finger-tip plasters as they can be manipulated easily into between toes and over the ends and underneath of toes ... like these
View attachment 24280

I also use only plasters that have adhesive all the way round with a medicated island pad in the middle. I find it necessary to 'de-oil' feet before applying dressings.
You will also need something to drain blisters - either needles or scalpels (No. 11 blade) and something to be able to clean these tools properly such as a small container of surgical alcohol. And you will need tissues to absorb the liquid expelled from the blisters.
I prefer not to wear latex gloves so carry a medicinal grade bottle of hand cleaner which I use thoroughly before I start on each pilgrim.
I carry Germolene (uk brand name), which is an antiseptic 'over the counter' cream that also has a mild anaesthetic which is very soothing. I carry an antiseptic spray, Iodone spray, it is a good thing as it gets right in to tiny crevices and also dries quickly .. once I have put a sealing plaster on I sometimes, especially on the heel, over cover it with fabric strip plaster cut to length to add cushioning. I no longer use compeeds as I have seen too many problems with them. I also carry 'spray plaster' which gives a secure and clean film over such as a graze but am wary using this - only on shallow grazes and only if I am sure the wound is absolutely clean.
I do carry both Ibuprofen gel as well as the Spanish Voltaren gel for inflamed muscles and tendons and also some tiny grip-seal bags so that I can send them off with a couple of days supply. I carry a tiny bottle of Olbas oil for those with chest/sinus blockages.

Now, I also carry 'over the counter' paracetomol, ibuprofen, hay-fever tablets (anti-histamine so rather good for reactions to bed bug bites), Lemsips (paracetomol and decongestant, makes a hot drink) - but I am always careful that I find out if they want me to offer them and if they are allergic to any of the ingredients. I carry Aspirin but this is for heart attacks - get the casualty to crumble one in the mouth before swallowing, or if they are unable then crumble one and put into their mouth - is the greatest help.
I also carry quite a lot of Dioralyte sachets – fast replacement of body salts and liquid for those with diarrhoea or exhaustion or dehydration.
Personally I think that every pilgrim should carry some, especially in hot weather as just drinking lots of water can lead to leaching out of electrolytes and feeling weaker and weaker - these sachets harmlessly counter-act that condition.

A pair of small scissors, tweezers, safety pins, tic removal tools. (Scissors to cut the edges of large plasters so they can be pressed flat, without wrinkling). You could take bandages; elastic compression rolls for twisted ankles – these things do come up but the bandages are not light and are bulky – you could carry one or two and replace if used? Also possibly a triangular bandage - for hurt arms, not really needed as you can tuck the hand into a shirt, or use their belt - but great for making a head bandage. This year I will be taking quite a lot of cohesive bandage rolls to support knees.

Now, the thing is ... this year I will park my car up somewhere and walk off for a few days then either walk or bus back to it - I am not on my way to Santiago! - so the car is also my re-supply depot. I will only carry what I think I will need for a week each time .. for you, well, different logistics so you will have to make that compromise between carrying "everything" and weight - I wish you well, and think it marvellous that you want to help other pilgrims out there with first aid! Buen Camino!!

David,
While I have the usual first aid training, I do not intend to do first aid, unless the situation makes it necessary. I intend to carry enough basic foot care supplies to offer other pilgrims who do not have them. I shall add finger bandages to my supplies and will look at the rest of your suggestions. The only oral medication that I ever offered anyone while on camino was antihistamines, to a young Korean pilgrim who was having a very bad reaction to bedbug bites. I hope that most pilgrims will have some sort of sharp object that they can use to open a blister and I shall supply antiseptic wipes. I must admit that I opened one of my own with the sharp end of a corkscrew. That worked very well and I never used it for anything else. I am somewhat nervous about waving a scalpel around in the neighbourhood of someone else's feet and I have never carried one for my own use. I am intending to be a kind of mobile farmacia, for footcare only, and let the injured person do the necessary.

 

[SYates]

... Can antibiotic ointment be shared safely? ...

No, because of two things: possible allergies and the danger of increasing the amount of antibiotic-resistant germ-strains. In most European countries ALL antibiotics, no matter if internally or externally applied, have to be prescribed by a doctor. Buen Camino, SY

 

[Albertagirl]

No, because of two things: possible allergies and the danger of increasing the amount of antibiotic-resistant germ-strains. In most European countries ALL antibiotics, no matter if internally or externally applied, have to be prescribed by a doctor. Buen Camino, SY

Thanks for the info,
I have never had a prescription for antibiotic ointment and as far as I know it is still available on the shelves in pharmacies in Canada and in many other stores. I was just concerned about hygiene, not about antibiotic resistant germs.

 

[SYates]

Thanks for the info,
I have never had a prescription for antibiotic ointment and as far as I know it is still available on the shelves in pharmacies in Canada and in many other stores. I was just concerned about hygiene, not about antibiotic resistant germs.

As long as you take the ointment off the tube in a sterile manner, not contaminating the ointment that stays in the tube, you should be fine. Or simply use the same tube of ointment only for one person.
But the real problem of unrestricted use of any antibiotic, including ointments, is the danger of contributing to antibiotic resistance. A good article is for example this one http://www.cdc.gov/drugresistance/about.html It refers mainly to antibiotics that are taken/administered internally but exactly the same principles also apply to externally applied ones like those in ointments.

Also, be aware of allergies, never put anything on anybody without asking for allergies and, for example in the case of Betadine, for thyroid issues.

Buen Camino, SY

 

[David]

Well here we are - March 2016 and not long until the vernal equinox - spring is nearly here!

I am nearly sorted to go off to Camino, all my first aid supplies have been bought .... just thought I would post up a photo of what I will be taking.
(I was So tempted to put odd items into that picture - corkscrew, small bottle of whiskey, electric coil, stuffed rabbit, small axe, etc ... ).

I would also like to thank the three donors - you know who you are - who wrote to me and literally insisted! - even when I tried to refuse - that they put some funds towards rebuilding the kit for this season - thank you. I raise a glass to you. xx

But! This won't all be on my back! I will use my parked-up car as a supply depot and return to it weekly!!

Any of you out there from two weeks or so onwards, look out for a fat old man dressed in brown with a first aid sign pinned to his rucksack, and please DO come and say hello.

 

[auldies]

Hats off to you David If there was an angel emotive I would definitely have put one here for you!
Sorry but I can't seem to find in the thread where exactly you will be and how long you will be there?
Blessings
Carol

 

[David]

Hi Carol - no no no - I am an irritable judgmental old fool - any angel propensity is merely a projection - it isn't the real me - ask anyone who actually knows me!!

I am off to visit friends down Portugal way, going next Thursday, and then expect to be on Camino by April 1st - I will mainly walk between Pamplona and Logrono or as far as Santo Domingo, then bus back to my beginning, restocking from my parked-up car, and repeating. This is because I find that if St Jean starter pilgrims' bodies are going to fail it is usually from Pamplona to just after Logrono. Though, I may leap to Burgos up onto the Meseta - for the same reason. Many start in Burgos and then have problems up to Carrion de los Condes. (The other reason is that I Love! the Meseta and especially Castrojeriz! ).

I will be on Camino until late May when I must return to England, and then will be out again doing the same from early August, when Jenny H from Australia will join me, until sometime late September I think.

I will post on here when I am out there and will check my phone twice a day to see if there are any messages asking for help left on the forum - but not yet, a short while before I am there ...
but please - I and my friends know what I am really like .. a well intentioned fool who speaks without thinking too often! - so no projections

 

[Albertagirl]

Dear David,
Are you trying to polish up your angelic credits with humility? We shall be grateful regardless for your help when needed.

 

[auldies]

Methinks you are way too humble David!!
I am just super excited that we may get to see you along The Way, hopefully just to say hola and encourage you, not to avail ourselves of your altruism.
I have bookmarked your whereabouts so we can keep an eye out for you
Muchas gracias
Carol

 

[dougfitz]

I couldn't see a koala, stuffed or otherwise. Are you letting me off the hook?

 

[VNwalking]

Any of you out there from two weeks or so onwards, look out for a fat old man dressed in brown with a first aid sign pinned to his rucksack, and please DO come and say hello.

David, thank you for your humanity and your heart! I so wish I were going to be on that end of the Frances, because it'd be a joy to have a long interfaith chat in person, rather than just here.
I'll be starting in Santo Domingo de Silos, arriving the 23rd, beginning to walk the next day to Burgos via the visigothic church at Santa Maria de Lara...then on to the meseta on Easter Sunday. Well, if I see "a fat old man dressed in brown" I will surely come and bother you. Look for a bald getting older buddhist nun, also dressed in brown...

 

[zzotte]

Very kind indeed David God Bless for people like you

zzotte

 

[David]

I couldn't see a koala, stuffed or otherwise. Are you letting me off the hook?

Dang!! Doug! that would have been brilliant! How did I miss doing that!!!!

 

[David]

Now the first aid supplies are complete .......

 

[Kanga]

NO, David that is not good enough. @JennyH94 can we organise for you to take him one?

 

[JennyH94]

NO, David that is not good enough. @JennyH94 can we organise for you to take him one?

Definitely Kanga! Shall I make it a life-size toy koala? ... 'shouldn't weigh too much! I could attach it to my pack "koala-style" until I give it to David!

 

[JennyH94]

Now the first aid supplies are complete .......

View attachment 24444

David ... what's in the plastic bag under the First Aid signs? ... 'Looks like an 'emergency' pasty to me!!! Jokes aside, it's a seriously well-equipped and fab kit.

May your Spring First Aid Camino be busy and be filled with wonderful connections with the pilgrim and Spanish communities on the Camino.

Take joy in every step -

Cheers - Jenny

 

[David]

Thanks Jenny - ah, an emergency pasty, I'd like that, but, no - latex gloves, and above the signs a few packs of the flower seeds we handed out. Mind you, could be a good idea to carry an emergency pasty and an emergency pint of rough cider in case I meet a Cornishman in need

I've now sorted it into a week's kit to carry and the rest to stay in the car as re-supply - the carrying kit weighs 2.25 kilos.

 

[Kanga]

@David are you taking the Aarn packs, have you given then a trial walk? How does it all feel? They should sit on your waistband, and not drag on your shoulders.

 

[VNwalking]

David, wait, wait. You're carrying 2 and a quarter kilos of first-aid stuff for the benefit of other pilgrims and you're just an "irritable judgmental old fool"? Ok, perhaps not a 'saint,' but certainly more of a (perhaps complicated but) compassionate human being than most of us! And that's a not projection....
May you have a blessed and rich journey: Buen Camino!!

 

[David]

@David are you taking the Aarn packs, have you given then a trial walk? How does it all feel? They should sit on your waistband, and not drag on your shoulders.

Hi Kanga .. most of the kit goes in the front in the Aarn packs, with only a bag of light backup items in the rear, mainly plasters. The Aarn packs seem pretty good on balancing the load - one stands straight without any stress or the body trying to lean forward to maintain a centre of gravity, so 'relaxed' standing really works - no stresses down the legs at all, really comfortable .. however it is new to me and I do find it strange on two points. The first is that this is what it must be like being a woman with huge breasts, as a man it seems odd to have all that stuff at the front! - the second is that I cannot see my feet directly below me ... not sure how this will be when walking on rough ground .. but I think one will get used to it.
It is certain that the Aarn concept of load balancing works.

They fit and remove easily. I replaced the little clips they came with that are supposed to attach to the chest strap fittings (which I found just pulled the chest strap down along the sliders) with small carabiner clips and they clip onto my pack shoulder harness, then there is a shaped wired bottom to them that tucks inside the pack waistband .. pull that out and unclip - takes seconds.

@Viranani - as I will only be walking for a few days at a time and then taking a bus (or walking) back to my starting point, my car with supplies in it, I won't be carrying much personal stuff - so far I weigh all at about 7 kilos - will know exact weight in a couple of days - plus food and water of course.

Am very happy with my new rucksack - an Osprey Talon 22. Looks and packs like a 32 litre .. excellent adjustment, back and straps and all the stuff that goes into their larger packs like adjustable back length and so on - supremely comfortable, and weighs just 750gms - oh, and it is black and grey, as are the Aarn front packs!
Anyone interest in this pack look here - http://www.ospreyeurope.com/gb_en/hiking/talon-series/talon-22 - I treated myself when I found one 30% off!

 

[Kanga]

You should be able to see your feet through the middle of the Aarn packs, which is why he makes two separate ones rather than one single front pack. I got used to it pretty quickly. Using two sticks also gives me confidence.

Sounds like you are all set! Hope it works out. Can we have a photo with you in all the gear please?

 

[David]

You should be able to see your feet through the middle of the Aarn packs, which is why he makes two separate ones rather than one single front pack. I got used to it pretty quickly.

Sounds like you are all set! Hope it works out. Can we have a photo with you in all the gear please?

Ah! I found that the individual packs sort of sway around so mini-bungee corded them together to stop that! I will take the bungee off to open them up and get used to the movement - thanks for the tip! (signed: stupid of Weston-Super-Mare).

I live alone but will get a photo taken when I can - when I have a visitor - dressed and loaded up and post on here.

 

[VNwalking]

If anyone of us spots David out there in action, please let's post it here (With your permission, David!)...
(She says. hoping...David, any chance you'll be on the meseta after Easter?)

 

[Kanga]

@David , you are clipping them together at the top and the bottom aren't you? That stops them swaying. The gap in the middle is for air circulation, so you don't get too hot, as well as vision. The stays (the thin metal or plastic rod down the back of each pack) can be taken out and bent to fit your body, holding the packs parallel but allowing an air gap. That should also help stop them swaying. But don't be tempted to leave them out to save weight, they are what makes the whole thing work.

 

[Kanga]

I wish I could come over and help put you altogether! Being very Kanga here.

 

[David]

@David , you are clipping them together at the top and the bottom aren't you? That stops them swaying. The gap in the middle is for air circulation, so you don't get too hot, as well as vision. The stays (the think metal or plastic rod down the back of each pack) can be taken out and bent to fit your body, holding the packs parallel but allowing an air gap. That should also help stop them swaying. But don't be tempted to leave them out to save weight, they are what makes the whole thing work.

Yes - fly out to Spain for the 1st of April and fit me properly! (I'll buy you a Rioja!!) . Clip them together?? Ah, just had a look on the Aarn site - and see that yours are two separate bags ... mine are the front packs designed for 'other' packs so don't have clips and aren't separate. They are two packs firmly attached to a fabric covered wire shield shaped back so they are already 'attached' as it were, with a slightly forward curved 'edge' shape at the bottom to tuck into the waist band and two adjustable clip-on straps at the top. I now see (thanks!) that my bungeeing them together was wrong - here Aarn pics of my type of front bags




@Viranani - happy to have any pics posted up, just a little too embarassed to ask someone to use my phone to do it - am meeting DennisD at Puente La Reina about the 22nd of April so he might do it - hhhmmmm, you will be on the Meseta, the wonderous Meseta, all green at this time of year??? ..... message me the date you expect to be at Castrojeriz! about 29th April? No that can't be right ... Easter .. about 29th March? Could be possible ...

 

[Kanga]

Ah @David I can see, they are quite different to mine.

 

[JennyH94]

Hi David - photos - what about asking the friendly staff at Albergue Santiago Apostol to take a photo or two of you fully kitted up? I'm sure they'd be happy to oblige.

Cheers - Jenny

 

[Deleted member 3000]

Balance packs attached to each other seem like a bad invention! They defeat the ability to see your feet, and would cause them to sway.

There is probably a reason that Aarn does not incorporate them into their own packs and just sells them for non-Aarn packs. Honestly, it is a bit damaging to the product brand identification!

 

[Wokabaut_Meri]

Definitely Kanga! Shall I make it a life-size toy koala? ... 'shouldn't weigh too much! I could attach it to my pack "koala-style" until I give it to David!

Problem solved!

A koala backpack that will make David stand out and easy to find. image courtesy of Corporate Oz

 

[VNwalking]

I'm immune to cute...but that's cute!
David shouldn't be too hard to spot as it is, but that'll guarantee people find him.

 

[David]

Before I start getting inundated at home with koalas - the koala thing is a joke for when DougFitz is next on Camino, that I would hang one in a tree that he walks past - not a koala for me!! Just saying - no koalas, thank you

 

[Albertagirl]

Before I start getting inundated at home with koalas - the koala thing is a joke for when DougFitz is next on Camino, that I would hang one in a tree that he walks past - not a koala for me!! Just saying - no koalas, thank you

DougFitz does not strike me as the teddy bear type, whereas I can easily see a small bear hanging from a tree as a "David was here" message.

 

[dougfitz]

DougFitz does not strike me as the teddy bear type, whereas I can easily see a small bear hanging from a tree as a "David was here" message.

 

[David]

I see Dougfitz as the Teddy bear type!!

It was on another thread .. water bottles versus water bladders. Doug is a bladder man and I am a water bottle adherent .. I eventually posted a photo of a dehydrated Koala being given water by a cyclist and said you couldn't do that with a platypus, I rest my case - and Doug replied that he would use bottles when he saw a Koala on the Camino .. so I said that I would SO like to get a stuffed Koala and hang it in a tree for him to walk past next time he was on Camino - was where the joke started, he wrote back saying "So long as it's the right species of eucalyptus, it will be fine!!"... which is why he made the funny comment about my kit lacking a Koala and I then added one ... nice running gag - so, no! - the Koala isn't for me!!!

here the original photo

 

[Albertagirl]

I see Dougfitz as the Teddy bear type!!

Well, I guess I learn something new everyday. But then, I am used to learning new things from Dougfitz.

 

[dougfitz]

Doug replied that he would use bottles when he saw a Koala on the Camino

That's close, but not quite what I promised. I will be checking every eucalypt now I know that @Kanga and @JennyH94 are in league to get @David a stuffed bear toy.

 

[David]

That's close, but not quite what I promised. I will be checking every eucalypt now I know that @Kanga and @JennyH94 are in league to get @David a stuffed bear toy.

ok - to be utterly exact, after I posted the photo Doug wrote "When I see a koala on the Camino, I will rethink my position on bladders vs bottles!" and then after I said I would SO like to get a stuffed Koala and hang it from a tree when he was on Camino he wrote "So long as it's the right species of eucalyptus, it will be fine!!".

There - verbatim

eerrmmm .. just in passing, when are you going back on Camino, Doug? I see it is the Frances this year ... so where and when - no reason, just asking ..................

 

[dougfitz]

eerrmmm .. just in passing, when are you going back on Camino, Doug? I see it is the Frances this year ... so where and when - no reason, just asking ..................

Our paths will cross at some stage, unless you have taken shelter in a convenient bar for some reason when we walk past!

 

[David]

Our paths will cross at some stage, unless you have taken shelter in a convenient bar for some reason when we walk past!

I might sneak into a bar to get into my Koala suit if I see you - but only if you come in too and drink some Rioja/coffee/tea/etc with me

 

[Kanga]

@dougfitz knowing you are a man who is knowledgeable, precise and Australian, I'm disappointed. I can accept the word "bear" or "teddy bear" from foreigners, but we know koalas are not bears at all. Bears are members of the Ursidae family. Koalas are the only remaining members of the Phoscolarctidae family.

 

[dougfitz]

@dougfitz knowing you are a man who is knowledgeable, precise and Australian, I'm disappointed. I can accept the word "bear" or "teddy bear" from foreigners, but we know koalas are not bears at all. Bears are members of the Ursidae family. Koalas are the only remaining members of the Phoscolarctidae family.

Now I will be very carefully checking that any stuffed object David may attempt to pass off as a koala is truly a representative of the correct family!

 

[David]

this has become a strange thread ... how did we get from first aid to Koalas??

Pilgrim meets Koala on the Camino .............

 

[dougfitz]

this has become a strange thread ... how did we get from first aid to Koalas??

View attachment 24571

That would have been my fault!

 

[Kanga]

I recognise the Blue Mountains @David - looks like the Walls of Jerusalem lookout.

 

[VNwalking]

I love this forum.
Hee hee, and David, good that you're standing firm about 'no koalas, thank you'...if that got out of hand it could be way worse than those proliferating rock cairns...koalas along the way attracting more koalas, and teddys, and...

 

[JennyH94]

Before I start getting inundated at home with koalas - the koala thing is a joke for when DougFitz is next on Camino, that I would hang one in a tree that he walks past - not a koala for me!! Just saying - no koalas, thank you

Too late David ! Kenny the Koala is on his way !



Buen Camino David and Kenny !

Cheers!

 

[kusitb]

Can you suggest basic supplies to start with, in addition to moleskin, tape, bandages, dressings, and antiseptic wipes?

Hi @David, would you be able to answer @Albertagirl 's question? I myself am assembling a first aid kit for our upcoming camino. I have everything on her list, plus needles. Are we missing something obvious?

Thanks in advance.

 

[David]

Hi Kutsitb - I did answer Alberta Girl - scroll way up! It is really just your own kit slightly enlarged so there are enough spares. As you may be helping others you could carry some medicinal alcohol in a tiny container and keep your needles in that, plus also some pharmacy hand gel so that your hands are properly clean.

Buen Camino!!

 

[kusitb]

Hi @David, Sorry I missed your reply - I didn't notice there is a second page to this thread.

Thanks a lot!

 

[RuthieS]

First post and heading over on 23rd April from Ireland. Walking 133K from Oia to Santiago on the coastal Portuguese Camino. Loving this thread but already purchased a load of compeed! I'm really looking forward to the whole experience and the koala spotting! Ruthie x

 

[soozansings]

Good old school medicine and advice. I'm a retired Navy-Marine Corps Corpsman. We would cap blisters (CUT the top off) then paint the area with Tincture of Benzoin. Tincture of Benzoin is sn antiseptic and shin adhesive. Burns like the Dickens AR first but toughens the new skin fast and the fabric (moleskin) patch will not sweat or shower off. My Marines were up and walking right after treatment. Works great for stopping hot spots from becoming blisters.

Thank you for your service! I'm a US Navy granddaughter, daughter, wife and mother. And, as the old saying goes, the Marine Corps already has a few good men...Navy Corpsman lol

 

[RumAndChupacabras]

... if you are ‘religious’ and it is of interest to you please do visit my website www.pilgrimfriars.org (and perhaps also my www.donoharm.co.uk) - the whole mission is based upon the command given by Jesus/Yeshua at the end of the story of the Good Samaritan “Then go, Ye, and do likewise".

You know, this first aid, it isn’t just about putting dressings on. Many pilgrims are suffering internally and cover it with laughter and jolliness, but inside, if you look, you can see their pain, the anguish they are going through - one has to look at them, one has to see them; it is an integral part of the first aid mission. You might be amazed at how many apparently confident pilgrims burst into tears when you start helping them - it is, after all, about love...

For all of this you posted (especially, the last two bits above brought warmth and a tear of joy to my eye)...

 

[lbpierce]

Hi. I am recently back from doing seven weeks first aid. ...

So I drain them - always. They have to be drained. I use a scalpel to make two tiny V shaped cuts that allows the blister to be completely drained. I then spray antiseptic (to get into all crevices and inside the cut sections) and cover with fabric plasters that have sticky all the way round the edge. I then sometimes fabric plaster on top of that to give more cushioning (I give the pilgrim back-up plasters to keep them going until they get to a pharmacy).

David, I have a follow up question re fabric plasters. I bought Omnifix but it looks like the side that is sticky is sticky all over. Wouldn't that be a problem to put a sticky fabric on top of a drained blister? I don't have any blisters now, but I bought some Omnifix just in case...

 

[David]

Hi Ibpierce - Omnifix is good, latex free, tape but one should never place anything sticky or adhesive over a wound ... with Omnifix one would place a non adherent dressing over the wound first and then put the Omnifix on top - the plasters I mentioned have a non adherent antiseptic cushion in the centre, large enough to completely cover the wound, and then have adhesive all round the edges so that they stick down completely, sealing the wound.

 

[lbpierce]

Hi Ibpierce - Omnifix is good, latex free, tape but one should never place anything sticky or adhesive over a wound ... with Omnifix one would place a non adherent dressing over the wound first and then put the Omnifix on top - the plasters I mentioned have a non adherent antiseptic cushion in the centre, large enough to completely cover the wound, and then have adhesive all round the edges so that they stick down completely, sealing the wound.

Thanks, that makes sense. What brand of plasters do you use?

Linda

 

[David]

It really depends on how many I need to re-stock and who is doing the best deal - I use an awful lot of them, of all different sizes!!

 

[linkster]

David,

I am planning on my first Camino (St. Jean - Santiago) next September. I started with Red Cross Wilderness and Remote First Aid a long time ago. Then, I upgraded to NOLS WFR, and am I considering upgrading to NOLS WEMT when my current WFR expires next year. I have taken a lot of wilderness trips and keep increasing my first aid skills. I am not a doctor wanna be, but do enjoy helping others in need. I would be on a personal Camino and not a dedicated Camino like yours. I like the idea of incorporating the first aid help into my Camino though. I am going to take Spanish 101 in the fall semester, and have been practicing with Rosetta Stone. But, I cannot imagine that I would be fluent in Spanish by the time I actually take the trip. Has the language been a barrier in providing first aid? Have you ever used a bounce box for medical resupply? Have you incurred any downside to helping others on the Camino? Is it too aggressive to try and include this in my first Camino? Thoughts???

 

[David]

Linkster, hi. I have been unable to retain Spanish so get by on a mix of English, French, and some German and have never found it a problem, not at all. I take a vehicle with me so carry my own re-supply - but, Linkster, it is mainly feet, mainly blisters .. with some knees and shin splints and tendons thrown in - every now and then I have the joy of meeting a pilgrim who has fallen over and I can do bandage first aid !!!

The two main problems you will have is 1) it is cold calling at refugios and you may be put off by the negative "I'm ok" dismissive responses, but if you sit at an outside table and just chat (or wait) sooner or later a pilgrim will ask you for help and then invariably those very same negatives will be queueing up for their turn!
2) many of the injuries are caused by the stupidity of the owner of the body and one has to learn not to judge but to teach - how to walk, how to walk wearingf a rucksack, how to wear/pack a rucksack, what speed to walk etc etc etc ... there is a lot of teaching and also pastoral care, not just scalpels and plasters.

I am just on my way back now from being on Camino for a while, doing the first aid ... had an interesting time and met some wonderful people.

Good for you, taking an extra kit with you to help others - good for you - and Buen Camino!!

 

[RumAndChupacabras]

It's funny...3 months after Camino and I recall that I helped two strangers who had severe blisters, by offering them my silicone foot protection "extras". I hadn't thought of it as first aid, until now. Both of them were able to get moving the very next day, after putting a toe cap over two bandaged toes.

I guess I'm hooked on all things silicone for feet, like silicone toe caps and these strange silicone heel hammock/thingies, as well as a silicone bunion protector which can be easily turned to protect the top of a toe joint or bottom. These are very versatile, shock absorbing and protective items which are cheap & easy to pack, as well.

I don't mean to sound off track but, I don't think I am off track.
I know...I'm strange

View media item 5450

 

[OLDBIKERIDER]

This is precious work, and precious information. Thank you for all of it especially the last paragraph. Treating the whole person is the Creator's message.
I would like your permission to share this with another online forum, American Pilgrims of tbe Camino. Please let me know if that is OK with you.

More later,
God bless