Equipment
Emergency Kit
This page covers the basics items that should be included in an emergency kit for canyon country exploration.
Your emergency kit is a very important part of your hiking, backpacking, and camping equipment. A small, compact kit can still be well stocked with a variety of help aids that you might wish to have along in an emergency situation. You can build your own kit from scratch, or buy a commercially prepared kit at your local camping or sporting goods store. The important thing is to always take it with you. See Backcountry Emergencies.
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Baby Powder and Ointments
These are handy items to have along in case you get chaffed from hiking, scraped by abrasive rocks, or stung by insects. Sometimes the coarse fabric of some walking shorts can rub your inner thighs to the point of distraction. A quick application of baby powder can offer instant relief. The powder also works well on damp feet in hot boots. Cortisone cream works well to relieve sun burn, insect bites, and chaffed skin.
Moist Towelettes
A few moist towelettes, like Wash-N-Drys, tucked away in your day pack, backpack or glove compartment can come in handy, especially if water is scarce and you need to clean your hands. They also come in handy if your need to clean a cut or scrape. Just remember to store the used towelettes in your pack for disposal after you return to the trailhead. Pack out everything that you pack in.
First-Aid Kit
Your first aid kit is a very important part of your camping equipment. You should stock it with Band-Aids, ointments, antibiotic creams, mole skin for blisters, medical tape, tweezers, scissors, toenail clippers, extra matches, safety pins, ace bandages, cotton balls, and any other item you might wish to have along in an emergency situation.
For car camping, if you have a good first aid kit in your car, that is probably adequate. Before you head out, do some research to locate the nearest clinic, hospital or emergency room. A little forethought can be critical in an emergency situation. Some folks take along a cell phone for emergencies. However, don't count on service in all areas.
Insect Repellent
Depending upon the time of year, the area where you will be hiking, and your personal sensitivity to flying critters that hover around your eyes, ears, nose and mouth, you may want to consider bring along some sort of insect repellent. As with many of these items, there are a variety of repellents on the market, and each has its champions. We don't enjoy the smell of many of the repellents because they detract from the natural scent of the sage and forest and fresh air that we enjoy so much.
When we suspect we will be in mosquito or gnat territory we take along plastic wrist bands that have been commercially saturated with a repellent that is difficult for humans to smell. We either attach them to our wrists or ankles or through a loop on our packs. They have worked well so far. We also take a small plastic bottle of a stronger spray just in case we get into a really infested area.
Medications, Pain Relief, and Vitamins
If you are on any sort of medication or take daily doses of vitamins or dietary supplements, make sure to bring along an adequate supply for your backpacking trip. And make sure the containers are water tight to prevent deterioration of the dosage. You may also want to take along your favorite pain relief medication, such as Advil, Aspirin, Tylenol or other similar product. By the end of a hike muscles can cramp up and a little pain relief goes a long way toward getting you back to the trailhead. Headaches can also occur from the heat of the sun and the stress of a long strenuous hike. An antacid or heartburn medication, like Mylanta, Tums, or Pepto-Bismo, might come in handy at times, as well.
Also be aware that some medications, especially prescription medications, can be damaged by excessive heat and/or direct sunlight. Check with your pharmacist to make sure how to care for your specific medications. One method of protecting them is to bury them deep within the interior of your pack where there is more likelihood of a constant, acceptable temperature.
Take along some cortisone cream or other medication for insect bites and stings. Also pack one or more of the many varieties of insect repellent, especially if you are headed to a marshy or swampy area where mosquitoes tend to breed.
Sun Screen
Sun screen is a good idea, probably a necessity, in the desert southwest and the high elevations of the west. If you run out of sun screen, white toothpaste can be used in an emergency to cover crucial areas and prevent burning.
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