The first aid kit

Today I will talk about the first aid kit I carry. I try to be ultra light in my first aid kit and see what items can be of multiple use.

My first aid kit is more towards infections and light cut scrapes. I am prepared to improvise in case of broken bones and deep cuts using items I carry and will explain them as a part of this post.

I am not in this kit prepared for conditions like burns, deep cuts and other serious conditions.

Please note I am not  a certified medical practitioner and do not take responsibility for any side effects or loss of life due to this first aid kit use. A number of drugs on this require written consent from a doctor.

It is recommend that you visit a doctor and trim this to the best of your needs.

So  with that said, here is my list -

1. Bandana - This can be used for multiple purposes as a bandage, a Triangular bandage, something to compress, something to support splints and so on
2. Hiking Pole - Can be used as improvised splints
3. Hand sanitizer 
4. ORS - Can be used in case of dehydration. I always mix it in my water.
5. Diamox - It is used for mountain sickness
6. Nasal Spray - Used for congested nose
7. Alcohol Swabs - To clean wounds
8. Soframicin - Antiseptic ointment, to dress wounds
9. Bandaids - These are used as primary source to dress wounds. I carry 4-5 in each size. If the cut is small enough this is the best way to dress it.
10. Bandage - I carry just one cotton medical bandage. I use it with cotton and medical tape to dress a large wound. The idea is to get enough care until medical care can be made available.
11. Cotton - Small roll of  sterilised cotton.
12. Medical tape - This is used to put a dressing together.
13. Volini - This is an anti inflammatory  gel, this is used for tired and or swollen limbs.
14. Sprain bandage - Again I carry just one and have my knee caps in case I need extra protection.
15. O2 - This is a good antibiotic for stomach and throat infections
16. Amoxicillin - This is a good broad spectrum antibiotic.
17. Norflox 400 - This is used for any stomach infection.
18. Stemetil - This is used to for any kind of Nausia. I also carry ginger tablets and vomit control licks.
19. Imodium - This is used for loose motion.
20. Combiflame - This is a pain killer
21. Paracitamol - Used in case of fever

To save weight I do not carry all this in a first aid kit. All this items are packed in zip lock bags and are carried on my person except for bandage and sprain bandage.

Lake Parashar - Episode 7 Lessons learnt

I made a bunch of mistakes on this trek and many improvements based on my previous trek.

I think I want to explore the following

• Hydration Bladder - It was a pain to take your pack off and drink water. I did not drink as much water as I should have and in future will try caring a Hydration bladder
• Poles - I am not happy with the poles I have they kept on sliding and coming loose. I think I want to invest in a good pair of poles
• Need to train with an elevation training mask - I had a tough time walking when I wore my balaclava to combat this I need to train with restricted flow of oxygen.
• Gloves vs Mittens  - I hated my gloves my hand got really cold. I will try Mittens next time.
• Underpants - I am using cotton underpants and will move to some sort of quick dry material.
• Music -  I will carry only the songs I love and am ready to listen to them all the time, moving to the next song is annoying in the middle of a trek with poles in your hand.

Lake Parashar - Episode 6 Back to Mandi and other small adventures

We started our trek back to the snow line. The idea was a Jeep will be waiting for us there. Our trek was mostly uneventful. People had made a path in the ice and it was easy to walk. We had been told after a good 8 KMs ww will get our Jeep.

We Start

The road covered with snow 

Its Me....

Happy and the random pond

Happy making out with the snow

Happy Exhausted

Making our way down

Some last pics 

Some random pond 

WOW!

Making our way down

Nice!

The end

Dada next to a tap

Happy was a bit worried because the weather was closing in so we were rushing through. Happy kept a watch for us and ensured no one was left behind. We were temped to take some pictures on the way back.

Most of our trek was uneventful barring one small adventure.

We reached a small ledge and found a couple of boys from IIT Mandi there. They asked us for help. They had been in a strange situation. They jumped from the ledge into the snow and one of the guys lost his show in snow. In there panic they had all jumped and stampeded the snow and compressed it into ice. We tried our best but could not find where the show was.

Happy as always rose to the occasion and made a temporary shoe using socks, poly bags and medical tape.

On our way down we met many students of the IIT who were trekking up to Parashar.

At the end our snowy slushy trail was our Jeep. We boarded it and were back in Mandi.

We landed in a Maha Shivratri festival of Mandi it was a great show and many small villages had brought there deities on portable shrines.

Festival

There was a fair on the occasion and we ate some lunch at our fair. We had  a lot of time to kill so we hunted for a Himachal fruit wine shop and bought some for home.

Around 7 PM we boarded our bus back to Delhi and said farewell to the land of treks...

Lake Parashar - Episode 5 To Parashr we go

I was woken up next day on 2nd March 2014. I was the last one up. Our huts caretaker had put our clothes out of the kitchen. We quickly did our morning chores and got dressed.

We had a quick breakfast. There was only material for five aalo parathas and if we wanted more he would have to boil more potatoes. Everyone agreed they wanted to have only one but I wanted more and had more. We took some pictures around the hut.

Eating breakfast

Bench outside the hut

Snow outside the hut 

Rahul and me

A view to kill

The other side

They keep wood in it

Unending views

Snow makes everything beautiful

Snow outside our hut

Our hut

Our hut

A mountain

Me

Happy

Me looking wow

Happy playing in Snow

O...K...

We started trek to the lake, in the middle of our trek it started to snow again. The path required us to cross the forrest guest house fence and walk towards the lake.

Parashar lake board

Me working my way down in snow

Snow poring again

Us making our way

The entry to the lake side and a hut of the monks 

Us making the final dash

What I think is the lake

Me trying to find the lake

The way back

Happy made a vow that he will never trek with me as I am bringer of bad weather.

We made a futile dash by the time we were near the lake the weather was so bad we could not see anything from the monk's hut. Some pictures were taken and we started back. Happy asked me to keep a watch for his glasses which he seemed to have lost.

Happy had taken the position of our guide and was modulating his speed to ensure no one is left behind.

I was very cold and wore my balaclava. I do not know when this happened but I got a tap from Happy who told me I was walking too slow. I think I was dizzy and realised my balaclava was restricting my breathing. I quickly pulled it up and got back on speed.

We had met couple of people in the PWD guest house they were also trekking to the lake. They were four people and they passed us. However soon I learnt the two women with them were coming back, Happy took over as a guide for them and ensured they reached safely to there hut.

Happy ensuring the girls get back to there hut

Mission accomplished

We got to our hut and packed our bags. We were ready to start our trek back. We knew we had no guide so we could not take the trek route, we took the proper road which had snow for first 8 KMs.