After the "customizing' thread on FAKs got off on a tangent about tourniquets, Russ suggested that it should be another thread. This thread is a result of that suggestion, so it's entirely Russ's fault - I, as usual, am blameless....

Let's not talk about tourniquets, or even primarily about FA gadgets, but about the knowledge, skill, background, etc. that one might bring to a first aid situation. These intangibles are at least as important as all the dressings, pads, tape, etc. that you might carry.

For one thing, the first task is to define the problem: you must check the victim and find all the injuries. Sometimes there is only one boo-boo, but my experience is that there usually is more than one and the most serious is not always obvious.

Allied with this is the often related problem of environmental stress; I have seen this quite commonly in wilderness settings. Your victim may be too hot or too cold or perhaps dehydrated, as well as injured.

The scene may be unsafe. If you are treating someone hit by a falling rock, are you are sure that that hazard is no longer present.

How long will the victim be in your care? The longer you are responsible, the greater the challenge and responsibility.

These are just some of the factors that indicate that training, as well as practice, are just as important as the goodies in your kit. I maintain that a trained person, improvising, can arrive at a better outcome than an untrained person with the very best kit available. The ideal, naturally, is a trained, well equipped person in ideal weather and rapid transport to definitive care.

This mirrors many aspects of survival - where training and skills are just as important as gear.

So, how does one get this training/ experience and in what proportion should resources be committed? What are other important considerations?