Camping first aid keeps smaller problems from spiralling into big ones, and big ones from turning into tragedies when professional help is hours away. Remote area first aid uses all the same principles as standard first aid, but with a greater focus on stabilising someone who is injured or ill over a longer period of time until they can get the medical assistance they need.
If you’re planning to head out for a hiking adventure or for some caravanning or camping, first aid is an essential skill you need to bring with you. From the techniques to treat injuries to having a fully stocked camping first aid kit, here’s everything you need to take with you so you can be prepared for when the unexpected strikes.
Caravan and Camping First Aid Kit Essential Items, Supplies, and Contents
A camping first aid kit should have everything you could possibly need to treat injuries or illness in remote locations when professional help might be hours away. Before heading out, make sure your first aid kit has high quality first aid items to treat injuries and useful safety items. Make sure you’re fully stocked and up to date with:
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Bandages
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Antiseptic wipes
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Gauze
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Adhesive bandages
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Medical tape
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Pain relief medication
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Any personal medications
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Antihistamines
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Burn dressings
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Tweezers
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Scissors
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Saline solution
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An emergency blanket
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Cold packs
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Compression bandages
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A radio
Store your camping first aid kit in a clearly labelled, brightly coloured waterproof bag, and check all supplies and medications are not expired.
Basic First Aid Skills for Australia's Wilderness
Wilderness medicine requires different skills than standard first aid because professional assistance may be hours or days away.
One of the most basic and universal first aid skills anyone can learn is the DRSABCD protocol. This mnemonic device can easily help you remember the steps to perform CPR in an emergency: check for Danger, check for a Response, Send for Help, clear Airways, check Breathing, perform Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation, and use a Defibrillator. When someone is not breathing properly or unconscious, providing some CPR is always better than none at all, but CPR is always most effective when delivered by someone who has taken a CPR training course.
Bleeding is a common condition both when you’re going camping and in your everyday life. You can control severe bleeding by applying firm, direct pressure to the wound with clean gauze or cloth, and elevating the bleeding site above the heart.
To clean a wound wash your hands with soap and water or use hand sanitiser, and put on disposable gloves. Scrub the area with soap and warm water that’s been filtered or purified. Never use untreated river or ocean water as this can introduce dangerous bacteria. Pat the area dry with sterile gauze, apply antibiotic ointment, then cover the area with a sterile dressing and secure it with medical tape or a bandage.
Heat Exhaustion First Aid
Heat exhaustion is exactly what it sounds like. It occurs when your body overheats and gets exhausted due to prolonged exposure to high temperatures or physical activity, or loses too much water and salt through excessive sweating. Symptoms include heavy sweating, muscle weakness, cold and clammy skin, a fast weak pulse, nausea, fainting, dizziness, headaches, and cramps. Left untreated, heat exhaustion can progress to heatstroke, leading to organ damage and death.
Camping first aid for heat exhaustion begins with moving the affected person to a cool, shaded area. Have them lie down and remove any tight or excess clothing. Cool them by applying wet cloths to as much of their body as possible and fanning them. A shower in cool or cold water is great if one is available. Also provide the person with cool water or electrolyte drinks if they are not vomiting; never give them drinks containing caffeine or alcohol.
First Aid for Burns Outdoors
In the Australian bush, you should avoid starting fires unless necessary, and any campfires should be 5 metres away from tents, trees, and anything flammable. A campfire should never be left unattended and you should always keep a bucket of water nearby.
If someone gets burned when camping, first aid steps begin with putting out the fire. Stop drop and roll to extinguish any flames and quickly remove any jewellery and clothing from any burned skin before swelling begins. Cool the burn with lukewarm running water for 20 minutes. Never use ice, butter, or oil as these can make tissue damage worse. Cover the cooled burn with a clean, moist dressing.
Insect Bites and Stings First Aid
Camping first aid means knowing how to deal with insects like mosquitoes, ants, bees, and wasps. While most insect bites and stings can be prevented with bug spray and only cause minor itching that can be treated with soap, water, and antihistamines, others can be more serious.
Bee stings often leave the stinger in with the venom sack attached. Remove the stinger by scraping sideways with a fingernail or credit card rather than using tweezers, which can squeeze more venom into the skin. Meanwhile, ticks should be removed by freezing it off with an ether spray
All insect bites and stings carry the risk of an allergic reaction or anaphylaxis. Common symptoms include difficulty breathing, swelling of the face or throat, or a rapid pulse. To treat these conditions, lay the person flat on their back (or sitting up with their leg stretched out if breathing is difficult) and administer an adrenaline (epinephrine) autoinjector into the outer mid-thigh, through clothing if needed. Monitor the person and be prepared to give a second dose if there is no improvement after 5 minutes. Always all emergency services as soon as possible and be prepared to give CPR if the person becomes unresponsive or stops breathing properly.
How to Treat Fractures, Strains, and Sprains
A fracture is the same as a broken bone. You can usually see or hear when a bone breaks, but symptoms of an invisible fracture include the inability to bear weight, limited range of motion, swelling, bruising, or a grating sensation.
Camping first aid for fractures begins with stopping any bleeding by covering the wound with the cleanest dressing you have. Next Immobilise the injury with a splint above and below the fracture site; you can use straight tree branches, trekking poles, or rolled magazines in a pinch.
Secure the splint in place with whatever materials you have on hand (if you don’t have bandages, strips of clothing work great), make sure it is tight, but not so much so that it cuts off circulation. Arm injuries will also need a sling to support the weight. Check the person’s fingers or toes for normal warmth, colour, and feeling regularly, and if any of these are off or the person feels tingling, numbness, or becomes cold or pale then it is too tight and needs adjusting.
Ice should not be applied to the area as it can slow healing. Never attempt to push protruding bones back under the skin, and do not move the person unless absolutely necessary.
Snake Bite First Aid Camping
Australia is well-known for having some of the most venomous snakes in the world, so treating snake bites is an essential part of camping first aid. While not all snakes are dangerous, all snakebites should be treated as venomous until you can get the person to a hospital. As always, the first thing you should do is call 000 as soon as you can.
To treat a snake bite, use the pressure immobilisation technique (PIT). Wrap a compression bandage around the bite site, starting beneath it and continuing upwards before fixing it in place. It should be wrapped firmly, but you should still be able to easily slip a finger underneath.
Keep the person still as movement causes venom to spread through the body quicker. If the snakebite is on a limb, use a splint to keep it immobilised as well. Monitor the victim and be prepared to begin CPR if necessary.
Do not wash the bite site as residual venom can help doctors identify the snake species and deliver the correct antidote. Contrary to popular belief, you should never cut a wound or try to suck out the venom; these methods are not only ineffective but can introduce bacteria into the wound. You should also never use a tourniquet as these do nothing to slow the spread of venom, and can cause serious muscle damage.
Get First Aid Training for Remote Situations
Learning camping first aid through hands-on training is your best defence against things going wrong when you’re out in Australia’s wilderness. Having a fully stocked camping safety kit is a great first step for survival, but for real confidence in your skills, a HLTAID013 Provide First Aid in Remote or Isolated Site course can teach you how to use these items for the most effective results. A wilderness first aid course can give you the skills to improvise, make decisions with limited resources, manage injuries, and save lives when help is otherwise hours away.
FAQs
Always tell someone your exact route and expected return time, and give them emergency contact details before departing. Check weather forecasts and research possible hazards of your destination including venomous wildlife, as well as water sources and mobile phone coverage. Bring a personal locator beacon or satellite messenger for areas without a phone signal.
Inspect your camping first aid kit every six months and immediately after each trip where supplies were used. Medications expire and other used items will need replacing.
Call 000 for immediate helicopter evacuation if someone has uncontrolled bleeding, a suspected spinal injury, severe head trauma, difficulty breathing, chest pain, or signs of envenomation from snake bite. Walking out is appropriate for stable fractures with proper splinting, controlled minor to moderate bleeding, superficial burns, and injuries where the person can move safely with assistance.
