Talking to a ranger in Yosemite made me pack a different first aid item

I was getting my permit last week and the ranger asked if I had a tourniquet. I said no, just a normal kit. He told me a story about a hiker who slipped near Nevada Fall and cut their leg on sharp rock. He said 'A bandage won't stop that bleed, you need to be ready to clamp it.' It hit different because he showed me his own kit, and it was right there next to his map. Has anyone else started carrying one after a close call?

2 comments

2 Comments

hernandez.jordan2d ago

Yikes, that reminds me of when my buddy gashed his arm and we had to use a belt.

jason5621d ago

Ah, the classic belt tourniquet. Hope it wasn't his good leather belt. Those things are a pain to get bloodstains out of. Always turns into a whole debate about who's gonna hold it tight while someone else fumbles for a phone. Bet the hospital staff had some thoughts on that DIY first aid.