Mountain First Aid: The Skills and Kit Every Mountain Traveler Needs¶

Mountain first aid differs from urban first aid because evacuation can take hours or days. This guide covers the essential first aid kit for mountain travel, wound management, fracture stabilization, blister treatment, hypothermia response, altitude illness treatment, and improvised evacuation techniques. Every mountain traveler should have these skills.

Introduction¶

Why Mountain First Aid Is Different¶

The Mountain First Aid Kit¶

Day Hike Kit¶

Multi-Day Expedition Kit¶

Group Leader Kit¶

Assessment — The ABCDE Framework¶

Scene Safety¶

Primary Survey¶

Secondary Survey¶

Common Mountain Injuries¶

Blisters — Prevention and Treatment¶

Sprains and Strains¶

Fractures — Splinting with Trekking Poles¶

Wound Management¶

Environmental Emergencies¶

Hypothermia — Recognition and Treatment¶

Heat Exhaustion and Heat Stroke¶

Frostbite — Field Management¶

Lightning Strike Response¶

Altitude Illness Response¶

AMS Treatment Protocol¶

HACE/HAPE Emergency Response¶

Improvised Evacuation¶

Carrying Techniques¶

Improvised Stretcher¶

When to Wait for Rescue¶

Training Recommendations¶