This reminds me, I've seen Benadryl listed before, not just on this list and wondered since a side affect of Benadryl is drowsiness I wouldn't think it would be advisable to take in a survival situation. I have inherited both sleeping and allergy/sinus problems so I take Benadryl at night to help with both issues and it does make you quite sleepy, its not somehting I'd want to take if lost in the woods unless I knew I had a good shelter and was safe to sleep.

Benadryl should, in my opinion, be in every FAK. If you encounter someone having a serious allergic reaction it could make a significant difference in that person's survival. Same with aspirin for cardiac events.

I second having benadryl and aspirin in a hiking FAK. Benadryl can make you drowsy - it's often given to people who are going to, for example, be settling in for a several hour chemotherapy session (first hand experience on that). But in a hiking/emergency situation, the effect would be virtually non-existent, since the user is likely to be amped up.

I left this list on the screen last night. My wife read it long after I was asleep.

Early this morning I find a note on the key board -

"They forgot the Kahtoola MICROspikes!"

I checked my list and something we never think of leaving home without WAS NOT ON THE LIST! They are always on the boots.

The back country of Idaho is steep and slippery. Most injurys by local hikers are "slip & falls".

I know that myself, when I take it I cannot fiht the effect. My wife has many times tried to wake me up too and couldn't. I've since changed and only take a half dose at night but still have a hard time fighting the effect when it kicks in. I don't think I'd be able to fight it in an emergency situation.

Point well taken. Change made as highlighted above.

I agree. Arbitrary limits aren't helpful in life or survival. My exercise is about teaching and informing. Hopefully a concise, limited list will be less intimidating and more likely to be accepted by someone not well acquainted with the idea of preparedness.

Excellent. Whatever list we bring, and whatever strategy we intend to employ should be tested by questions like those above or by actual scenarios as suggested by Cliff in the original thread.

Same here. The water in the mountains of western North America is very clean. Studies I've read indicate that it's actually cleaner than most municipal water supplies. If one uses common sense (don't drink water downstream from livestock for example), the chances of contracting a waterborne illness are very low. Even if one were to come into contact with such pathogens, one normally will show no symptoms unless the concentrations of said pathogens are high. Of those who do contract an illness, the symptoms typically are minor and pass on their own. It is a very small percent of people who contract a waterborne illness in the mountains of western N. America who display the pronounced symptoms that grab everyone's attention.

HJ

Agreed. There's no substitute for sitting down and thinking through what kind of outing one is going to undertake. A list can be a helpful starting point, but thinking to one's self "I've got everything on the list; therefore I am prepared" is a recipe for disaster IMHO.

I put "antihistimines" on my list. Hopefully that covers it.

Sounds like a good idea.

HJ

Eugene: Hmm. Good point about Benadryl. I've not had a strong reaction to Benadryl, so I'm not sure how to properly address the issue in a list. Perhaps an advisory: "Warning, Benadryl may cause drowsiness; use with caution". What do you think?

Cliff: Good point on micro spikes. Of course an ice axe and crampons might also be appropriate depending on the circumstances.

HJ

Well, Benadryl has a warning on it, but my though is maybe there is someting else that could work that doesn't cause drowsyness, just doesn't seem good to have your rescuee fall asleep and be dead weight.
Maybe its just me that gets affected, my wife seem to be affected similarly, whe's had a couple minor surgeries and the anastesia (hate trying from work with no spell checker) really knocks her out. My guess is because we've never had any kind of alcohol, tobacco, or any of the less than legal substances in our bodies we don't have any tolerance to any of those kind of chemicles.

Ah, I knew all my beer drinking training would pay off!

Not sure what the correct answer is here. I guess each person would have to know what his/her reaction to Benadryl type medications is and then compare that to the severity of the reaction to the insect bites.

I've experienced a bit of drowsiness before with Benadryl, but nothing significant.

HJ