Freeriding is a sport with a not inconsiderable risk of injury. Especially as some accidents simply cannot be foreseen. A small rock jag just below the surface of the snow and the shit hits the fan. If you are well prepared, there is a good chance that you will be able to tell this unfortunate story at some point during an evening in the hut to the amusement of everyone... Well prepared means one thing above all: know your foe. In addition to observing the basic rules of conduct on the mountain, mental preparation for an emergency is the be-all and end-all for successful first aid on the mountain. A standard first aid course already provides a good basis, but special courses on first aid in the mountains are really worth their weight in gold - where life and health should at least be balanced out. These courses also deal specifically with the typical injury and health risks in summer and winter mountain sports, as well as the problems that problematic terrain can cause during rescue and return to civilization.
In this respect, knowledge of the correct measures is the most important thing in order to be able to react quickly and correctly in an emergency. But it is almost as important to have the necessary equipment with you. Because you can only use the right emergency equipment if you have it to hand. The radius of action on the mountain determines what is indispensable and necessary, and what equipment is at least useful. If you are permanently in the direct sphere of influence of professionally organized help, the necessary emergency equipment looks different than for those who are half a day's hike on foot or even further away from outside help.
Accordingly, I would like to show you here in three steps what my first aid kit contains on the mountain.
The minimum equipment for area freeriders
If you're out and about in the ski area with lift support and without having to hike into side valleys, the piste rescue team and therefore professional help is almost always close at hand. And the word "professional" says it all: the guys and girls can do a lot better than you can and you should leave it to them. So this is about rapid first aid, but rarely about rescue, improvised help or medical treatment.
The set for'the ski resort consists of:
a moisture-resistant and sealable bag (1) - for stowing your gear within easy reach
Scissors and tweezers (2) - it's worth investing in a decent pair of scissors that can also cut in an emergency. And don't just take the metal crap from the car first aid kit. A blunt end helps to get under bandages etc. and a pointed end if you want to cut through clothing or other things. Tweezers are helpful for removing splinters or all kinds of debris from wounds.
Disinfectant (3) - alcohol-soaked swabs for cleaning the skin around the wound and Betadine for sterilizing the wound itself
Compresses/wound dressings (4) - sterile, non-adherent compresses are best here.
Triangular bandage (5) - a real miracle when it comes to immobilization or splinting. Can also be used as a spare cap or scarf. Improvisation talents can also leave it out
Bandage packs (6) - these sterile baked gauze bandages with a non-stick wound pad are the basis of the bandage material and can do everything that a pure gauze bandage can do. And more...
Cotton swabs (7) are helpful when it comes to cleaning wounds and applying the disinfectant solution.
Latex gloves (8) are mandatory for hygienic reasons when treating wounds
Wound suture strips (9) - strong adhesive strips that help to get a grip on particularly gaping wounds.
Rapid wound dressings (10) - also known as plasters in common parlance. Everyone knows their advantages and areas of application.
Tape (11) - mercilessly versatile in use and always helpful when something needs to be fixed, supported or covered. It's worth taking the slightly more expensive but clever sports tape with you, especially if you need to treat your own aches and pains.
Rescue film (12) - an absolute must, especially in winter mountain sports with the risk of hypothermia.
Elastic cohesive bandage (13) - these self-adhesive bandages are the ultimate wrap for all bandages, whether for support, splinting or wound care.
Mobile phone (14) - usually on the person anyway and is therefore rarely mentioned separately, but is perhaps the most important piece of equipment for first aid. If you can't call for help, you won't get any.
Medication - If you need certain medication, you should carry it with you. Additional medication is rarely indicated in the immediate vicinity of professional help. They usually do not work until the rescuers arrive, and they usually have better and more suitable medication in use, with which the medication you use yourself may not be compatible in the worst case.
Weatherproof jacket - always carry a windproof jacket, especially in winter. If you have to fight the elements unnecessarily in an emergency, it can quickly become tedious.
The must-have for earn-your-turn
If you then have to drive yourself into the distance of the organized winter sports operation, you have to be prepared for the fact that professionally organized help can take longer and may not even get through to you. Especially on multi-day tours, it is important to prepare for the possible imponderables to the best of your ability and rescue, improvised help and "buying" time come to the fore.
The additional essentials for tours are:
Bivy bag (15) - indispensable for keeping yourself or others warm and dry. The more you plan to use it for planned bivouacs, the more you should invest. Two-person bivouac sacks are particularly useful, as they have no disadvantages compared to smaller ones (apart from being slightly heavier) and you simply keep each other warmer. As a pure first aid measure, an emergency bivouac sack is also sufficient
Medication (16) - in addition to the medication you personally need, it makes sense to take well-sorted remedies against the usual bugs that may haunt you. Standard medication for nausea & vomiting and diarrhea as well as painkillers are certainly useful. Especially in summer, a remedy for water sterilization is also helpful. The medicines shown here are not necessarily recommended, but the local pharmacy will be happy to help you put together a first-aid kit
Bladder plasters (17) - even if they are rather expensive, they are the non-plus-ultra to get chafing spots under control. And this problem is not uncommon in ski touring
Special plasters and bandages for finger injuries (18) - rocks, crampons and skis often have sharp edges and finger injuries that occur quickly are somewhat difficult to treat. Special finger plasters and bandages are convenient here. Particularly worthwhile in summer when you are also climbing
SAM splint (19) - the ultimate weapon for immobilizing, splinting and supporting. This splint made of aluminum-foam composite is compact, lightweight and can be formed into a wide variety of shapes to splint or immobilize wrists or ankles, forearms or cervical spine or something else entirely. It can also be easily cut up to be used as a finger splint, for example. With a little practice and a talent for improvisation, you really are equipped for a wide range of situations
The nice-to-have
These items and pieces of equipment are no longer strictly speaking part of a first aid kit, but are extremely helpful and versatile in emergency situations. You have many of the items with you anyway when you go to the mountain, but considering them as rescue material also helps to broaden your horizons and to improvise skillfully and purposefully in an emergency. And first aid on the mountain can also mean simply managing to get away. It doesn't always have to involve illness and injury to create an emergency situation.
Useful equipment for first aid:
Telescopic poles (20) - they can be used in a variety of ways. Be it to support a patient or carry them between two people, but also to splint limbs. You should therefore familiarize yourself at home with how to take apart the individual stick elements
Fabric adhesive tape (21) - also known as duct tape in "cool". It is the ultimate helper when mending clothing, attaching skins, replacing gaiters or splinting limbs. Rolled a few meters around the pole, it is always with you and serves as an additional grip on the pole when steep traverses need to be mastered.
Radio device (22) - if you have it with you anyway, you can also use it in emergency situations when orientation is difficult or possibly to contact other rescuers. Not really essential.
Warm clothing (23) - nothing is better for morale than being able to put on an extra layer of warm, cozy clothing. It buys you time and prevents many problems. Modern down jackets with a small pack size are excellent and are always a pleasure to take with you.
Warming pads (24) - goodbye cold fingers. If you have a few of these small charcoal heating pads with you, you are prepared for many cold situations. Wrapped in a layer of insulation like a thin glove and stuck to the affected area, they are also excellent for loosening up your tissues if your muscles get a bit sore on a long tour or your intervertebral discs start to complain.
Sun cream (25) - a small sample pack of sun cream in the first aid kit has saved many a person from making a zoological class leap to the (cooked) crustaceans
G3 ski strap (26) - these rubber straps for clamping skis together are very versatile and real miracle weapons when it comes to tying something off, splinting, supporting or stowing something.
Rep cord (27) - also extremely versatile. Torn rucksack straps, missing belts or anything else can be quickly fixed with it and is indispensable for improvising an emergency stretcher or slide using an avalanche shovel and skis.
Multitool (28) - No matter what, the right tool is always there. Actually a real must-have.
Headlamp (29) - Especially in the height of winter, you can quickly run out of light if your freeride adventure doesn't go as planned. A small headlamp in your backpack is worth its weight in gold. The e+LITE from Petzl is barely bigger than a normal petrol lighter and only as heavy as a muesli bar, so you can always carry it with you.
Tea light and lighter (30) - If the worst comes to the worst and an emergency bivouac is called for, it's incredible how such a small lump of kerosene can provide warmth and morale in a snow cave.
Mobile, fast energy (31) - a quick supply of energy can significantly defuse the situation, especially in cold weather, stress or shock. Dextrose and/or a muesli or energy bar has secured lifelong sympathy for many a person when it has been selflessly pulled out and distributed.
Flower wire (32) - broken ski boot buckle, missing screw or defective binding: with a bit of flower wire, amazing things can be provisionally repaired so that an emergency suddenly becomes just a somewhat wobbly descent.
Of course, this list can be extended indefinitely and we are extremely excited to hear your tricks and tips. On the other hand, you are already very well equipped for many emergency situations with the items presented here, and you will never be equipped for all of them.
If you want to purchase an emergency bag that is already equipped, you should take a close look at it before buying. The contents are often not very useful and parts, such as the scissors in particular, are cheap crap.
The most important tool both for avoiding emergency situations and for coping with them is probably the human brain. Use it, train it and feed it. Knowledge and experience are irreplaceable in any situation out on the mountain.
