Adding to Jeff's good advice - its a good idea to remind the patient *not* to shake their head when answering your questions. You're aiming for immobility, and it seems that folks have a natural tendency to nod yes or no when asked a question. That was the case with my Mom, who had to remain immobile for 20 minutes while we waited for a rural response. Nodding might actually be a good sign for the patient, I don't know, but give them a reminder, no head nods, that you're keeping the head still until help arrives. It can keep them with the immobility program.

Also I also learned that c-collars are not the end all be all of immobility. I think I would have a difficult time fashioning even a reasonable c-collar from the SAM splint. But I still run into hikers who have a c-collar traced out on their blue foam sleeping pads: in a pinch, you cut out the c-collar and apply it fairly tightly with duct tape etc (careful not to cut off circulation :-)). As c-collars go it is still second rate, but 5-10 miles up a trail you often don't have alot of options. Doubling up the c-collar from blue foam also provides additional rigidity. I'd be interested to hear from SAR / WFA folks how they would improvise immobility (that is, improvise before more capable / equipped SAR arrives on scene with the backboards and equipment to move the patient), as a fallen and head injured Scout / hiker is high on my list of probabilities.