Stock Up

Most family activities don’t require bringing the equivalent of a mobile field hospital with you. But it’s advisable to have a few items on hand to treat minor injuries. Put together a small first-aid kit that can easily fit in a waterproof and sealable plastic baggie and stow it with the rest of your food and drinks.

Your pack may include such standards as bandages, first-aid cream, adhesive tape, rubbing alcohol, cotton balls, a cold pack, tweezers, small scissors, antacids and anti-inflammatory tablets like ibuprofen or just plain aspirin. Extra meds like epi pens, insulin or other items may be necessary to pack for those with unique medical needs. These will help you navigate most incidents until you can get professional help.

It’s a good idea to check and replenish items every time you plan on heading out on some outdoor adventure. There’s nothing worse than needing ointment and discovering that you used up most of it on your last excursion. It’s a five-minute check that’s more important than what kind of sandwiches to pack.

Common Summer Maladies

Here are some tips that can help you assess and take action on common outdoor occurrences.

1. Heat stroke. It’s nice to be out in the summer sun after a season spent cooped up indoors. But be aware that too much sun can cause all sorts of ailments beyond sunburn. You must be aware that mere water can’t often replace the electrolytes that are a vital part of regulating body temperature. The first signs are thirst and fatigue, but those can escalate into hallucinations and delirium in severe cases. Doctors recommend you drink a mix of water and Gatorade, which has sodium and potassium that can help rebalance the body. A good rule of thumb is to drink about a liter bottle each hour when out exercising or engaging in vigorous activity.