Paddling first aid bag - what to take with you

Your paddling first aid bag is a very important piece of kit and needs to be in your canoe or kayak on every trip. It's basic and contains some simple things that will help you in an emergency. To keep everything dry, it's kept in a dry bag or dry box (or both!).

This first aid bag is the one we carry with us and contains items specifically for us. You can of course put extras in or swap out some of the items at your own risk.

Let's look at the items one by one.

Rain poncho

A rain poncho is a quick and small way of providing waterproof cover over a person especially if they have been injured. Keeping the water off them will keep them warm and dry.

Hand sanitiser

This is great for cleaning hands before attending to an injured person. One with a high alcohol content is best and provides 99.999% effectiveness against bacteria.

Pocket first aid kit

A basic, small first aid kit with an assortment of plasters, dressing and other items. There are two in our first aid bag so one can be handed to someone to take to an injured person while the other remains with the group. It's not essential for these to be comprehensive unless you have specific advanced first aid training.

Knife

In addition to a knife carried in your buoyancy aid, this knife can be used for cutting away clothing, straps or rope on an injured person.

Emergency blanket

Keeping an injured person warm is a top priority. An emergency blanket provides a heat reflective blanket that conserves body heat. We have two in this bag to provide maximum warmth and coverage.

Sling and karabiner

It's useful to keep this in the bag to assist when moving an injured person. Steep river banks and tree hazards can be easier to traverse when you have the security of a line like this. It's not advised to use it for serious climbing, but certainly beneficial as a safety line on moderate scrambles or hazards.

Waterproof box

This is used to carry some of the kit in the bag. It's waterproof and can be used to carry delicate things in the event of an emergency (some emergencies require small body parts - fingers/toes - to be carried).

Mobile phone

In order to contact the emergency services, you should always carry a mobile phone. Either in the first aid bag or, ideally, on your person - which ensures it is always with you.

The phone should be fully charged and contain the numbers of key people involved in your trip/paddling. You can use it to confirm your whereabouts and timings should things not go to plan.

A word about first aid...

It is essential that you (or a group member) has an outdoor first aid qualification as a minimum when you are paddling. These courses cover the basics of first aid including CPR, drowning, hypothermia and hyperthermia and are usually one day long.

These basics will help you to make comfortable an injured party until the emergency services arrive.

For more information, search 'outdoor first aid courses' in your search engine.

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