Common Camp Injuries

When to use this

Read once before the trip. Recognition + first move is what matters.

• Any trip
• Trips with kids
• Hikes longer than a campground loop

What you need

• First-aid kit on hand

Step by step

1. 1.Burn (minor): cool with running water for 15+ minutes. No ice, no butter. Cover loosely with sterile gauze. Pain reliever.
2. 2.Cut (minor): rinse with clean water, apply pressure with gauze until bleeding stops, antibiotic ointment, bandage.
3. 3.Blister: don’t pop a small one. Pad around it with moleskin to prevent rubbing. If popped already, clean it, ointment, gauze.
4. 4.Tick: grasp the tick with tweezers as close to the skin as possible. Pull straight up, slow and steady. Don’t twist. Save the tick in a zip-lock if there’s any concern.
5. 5.Sprained ankle: RICE — rest, ice (or cold stream water in a bag), compression with a bandage, elevate. Reassess in an hour.
6. 6.Bee sting: scrape the stinger out with a credit card edge. Antihistamine. Watch for swelling beyond the sting site or breathing changes — that’s a 911 call.

Pro tips

• For any head injury, even a "they seem fine," watch for an hour: vomiting, confusion, or worsening headache means seek care.
• Take a photo of any tick before disposing — it helps doctors identify the species if symptoms appear later.

Common mistakes

• Putting butter, ice, or oil on a burn. All make it worse.
• Pulling a tick by twisting or with a hot match. Both can leave mouthparts behind.