10 Tips to Save Your Trips

Ten Tips to Save Your Trips
By Yvonne Lanelli, Freelance Writer

You’ve prepared for this trip for months, read all the guidebooks, surfed the ‘Net. This outdoor adventure will top them all.

Then why are you lying in your hotel room unable to walk, much less hike, swim, ski, raft, dive, fish, paddle or whatever exciting activity you planned?

OK, it happens. Even the most intrepid outdoor adventurer fails prey to a bug, a bite or a boo-boo. How will you treat it? Better yet, how will you avoid it!

COOL, CLEAR WATER

What are the two most important steps you can take to avoid injury or illness? “Wash your hands before meals and several times a day with soap and water,” advises Dr. Pierre Guibor, M. D., travel medicine specialist.

“And drink plenty of water,” reminds Dr. Bruce Meyers, D. P. M., avid outdoorsman. No matter if you’re skiing or swimming--drink. And not water out of a stream. Carry your own water—at least four quarts per day. Drinks containing alcohol or caffeine don’t count because they dehydrate (big word for “dry you out”).

BUGS . . .

We mean the bacterial and viral kind. First, update your immunizations by visiting your doctor or checking with the Center for Disease Control.

Second, be careful what you eat and drink, especially in foreign countries. If visiting the tropics, Mexico, Central or South America, drink only bottled water. Don’t use tap water to brush your teeth, either. Generally, better restaurants will serve uncontaminated food, but if you’re eating “on the road,” eat only well-cooked foods served hot, avoid salads that may have been washed in unpurified water, peel all fruit yourself, avoid ice--and wash your hands!

If, despite your best precautions, you get “Montezuma’s Revenge” (Traveler’s Diarrhea, which affects more tourists than any other illness or injury), you can save your trip, says Dr. Guibor. “Start with two tablets of Imodium ™ or equivalent, then follow every diarrhea with one tablet for a minimum of six tabs in 24 hours. Take Pepto-Bismol ™ or an equivalent two hours on either side of the Imodium with a maximum of six doses in 24 hours.”

Important: “Don’t take Pepto if you have gout.”

Drink only water or diet soda and eat only crackers, baked potato with nothing on it and white bread. Avoid sugared sodas, fruit juices, milk products, meats and fatty foods. Still ill after three days? “Consult a physician if you haven’t already.”

. . . BITES . . . .

By far, the most common bite affecting outdoor adventurers is the mosquito. Minimize bites by wearing long sleeves and pants where possible, stay indoors during prime “skeeter” hours, i.e. dawn and dusk, and use insect repellent.

If bitten, cover the bite with alcohol or topical steroid cream available over the counter. Try not to scratch because this can lead to infection, particularly in humid climates.

We outdoor adventurers must be aware of tick, spider, scorpion or snake bites, but again, prevention is the key. If camping, shake out your sleeping bag before crawling in and again upon waking. Tuck pant legs into boots or secure at the ankles to keep ticks and spiders out.

If hiking or rock climbing, watch where you put your hands. Snakes like to sun themselves on rock ledges--the same ledge you’re grabbing!

If bitten by a spider or scorpion, wash the bite and visit an Emergency Room. If it’s dead, take the critter with you.

If bitten by a snake, forget old mountain man tales of scoring the wound and sucking it out. “Disinfect the wound and attempt to identify the snake, but don’t waste time trying to kill or capture it,” advises Dr. Robert Norris, M D. “Less than 50% of snake bites are envenomed.”

In other words, there’s a good chance the bite is dry. “Treat the bite as a puncture wound, clean it, and keep the victim calm. Transport him to a medical facility as soon as possible. Don’t pack the bite in ice, but do remove any constrictive clothing or jewelry in case swelling occurs.”

. . . .AND BOO-BOOS

Assemble your own first aid kit. As a minimum, pack adhesive bandages in three sizes, 2-inch adhesive tape, alcohol preps, safety pins, triangular bandages, “Super” glue (useful for closing small wounds), sunscreen, insect repellent, a small knife blade, tweezers, aspirin or acetaminophen, anti-diarrhea meds mentioned above and a thermometer, advises Dr. Mel Otten, wilderness medicine specialist.

If trained in first aid or CPR, add splints and a CPR shield.

Pack everything in a waterproof, brightly colored container labeled “First Aid” and make sure that everyone in your group knows what and where it is.

FROM HEAD TO . . . TOE?

Has a blister marred your Mayan trek or museum stroll? Never again with this secret to happy feet--hair dressing!

Sounds crazy but it’s true, vows Pam Rheuark, P. A., dedicated hiker and backpacker. “Start with clean feet and nails neatly trimmed. Apply a light coating of Citre-shine™ or other silicone hair dressing to entire surface of foot, including between toes.” Put on thin liner socks, well-cushioned outer socks, then well-fitting hiking boots already broken in. Pam says one application can last up to two days.

If blisters erupt despite your best preventatives, you may still save your trek, says Dr. Bruce Meyers, foot specialist. “Cover the blister snugly with adhesive tape or moleskin. If the blister is on a toe, tape that toe to an adjacent one to prevent new blisters on the unaffected toe. If the blister “pops”, disinfect with soap and water, dry well, then tape.”

We outdoor adventurers thrill to challenges, but we’re not foolhardy. We practice common sense and plan ahead to prevent disaster. In other words, we know how to have fun!

If You Go

If traveling abroad, prepare your body for the trip. First, visit your own doctor or a travel medicine specialist to see what immunizations you will need, what diseases may be in the area and get all your prescriptions updated and filled. The Center for Disease Control gives up-to-date travel info: www.cdc.gov and the Wilderness Medical Society provides practical suggestions: www.wms.org.

Make sure your body is as fit for travel as it can be. Ask your doctor what exercise regimen will best prepare you for long hours cramped in an airplane seat, for lugging baggage from one end of an airport to the other, as well as for your outdoor adventure.
If you wear glasses or contacts, bring a spare pair and the lens prescription.
And speaking of prescriptions, bring your meds in their original, labeled containers. Ask your doctor to write a spare prescription in generic terms so that if you lose your meds, you can ask a foreign doctor for the correct medicine.
If you’re diabetic and require injections, bring your doctor’s signed statement that you need to carry needles.
Pack extra hearing aid batteries.
And never pack your prescription meds, glasses, batteries, needles, etc. in checked baggage. Always carry them with you on a plane, bus or train.