where are you?

[Drago]

An emergency survival bag is better than a foil blanket, albeit a little weighter. A rescue knife is a useful tool if you're in the mire, but that depends on your local legislation.

Try and pack a haemostatic dressing in your first aid. If rescue is a long way away, or can't be summoned then you want to be able to staunch serious bleeding, which a run of the mill first aid kit won t do. Ditto a tourniquet, although that requires a little training to use effectively.

 

[tom73]

An emergency survival bag is better than a foil blanket, albeit a little weighter. A rescue knife is a useful tool if you're in the mire, but that depends on your local legislation.

Try and pack a haemostatic dressing in your first aid. If rescue is a long way away, or can't be summoned then you want to be able to staunch serious bleeding, which a run of the mill first aid kit won t do. Ditto a tourniquet, although that requires a little training to use effectively.

Tourniquet not only need training to be effective but using them safely. But its no sub for even some basic First aid training.

 

[DRM]

Road I.d make a bracelet that you have laser etched with contact details, they also have an app that alerts nominated people with your location if you stop for longer than 5 minutes, unless you cancel the alarm prior to ordering a coffee at the cafe, the suggestions of a whistle & survival blanket/bag and small amount of first aid kit is a very sensible idea for remote rides.

 

[tom73]

A few safety apps be a good idea British Red Cross do a great First aid app simple to follow and shows you want to do do even with no FA kit.
As for FA kit most off the peg ones are full of stuff that really is pointless.

 

[Drago]

Tourniquet not only need training to be effective but using them safely. But its no sub for even some basic First aid training.

If you've an injury severe enough to require a tourniquet you're probably doing to die quite quickly if you don't apply one - that's the level of seriousness required before contemplating deploying one. They only become unsafe when people start using them for less than life threatening bleeding.

Indeed. I'm trained to first responder level for my Search and Rescue activities, and prior to that FASP aid level to manage gunshot wounds and similar massive trauma, and is why I suggested training is required to use one effectively. It doesnt take long, 2 hours for the tourniquet.

All the first aid training in the world will be useless when your arterial blood is pumping away and all you have is a run of the mill first aid kit - haemostatic dressings are essential if you're serious about stopping yourself bleeding to death from the torso or head, and a tourniquet for heavy bleeding from exposed limb fractures. The sort of "St Johns" style first aid kit most folk might keep in the car or a kitchen cupboard are next to useless when you're really in the sheet - that level of kit is unsafe from sheer ineffectiveness.

 

[bluenotebob]

Indeed. I'm trained to first responder level for search and rescue purposes

Better give me your mobile number then - sounds like the perfect solution....

 

[tom73]

If you've an injury severe enough to require a tourniquet you're probably doing to die quite quickly if you don't apply one - that's the level of seriousness required before contemplating deploying one. They only become unsafe when people start using them for less than life threatening bleeding.

Indeed. I'm trained to first responder level for my Search and Rescue activities, and prior to that FASP aid level to manage gunshot wounds and similar massive trauma, and is why I suggested training is required to use one effectively. It doesnt take long, 2 hours for the tourniquet.

All the first aid training in the world will be useless when your arterial blood is pumping away and all you have is a run of the mill first aid kit - haemostatic dressings are essential if you're serious about stopping yourself bleeding to death from the torso or head, and a tourniquet for heavy bleeding from exposed limb fractures. The sort of "St Johns" style first aid kit most folk might keep in the car or a kitchen cupboard are next to useless when you're really in the sheet - that level of kit is unsafe from sheer ineffectiveness.

you are right but lets not forget basic FA principals 1st any mount of direct pressure will be better than nothing. Ive used many a basic kit effectively applied effectively and correctly can buy time. If bleeding is so bad nothing will stop it no matter what level of pre hospital care you use.

 

[Drago]

How long do you think you can apply direct pressure manually to yourself while you're laying in a ditch in the sun? A couple of minutes? 5 minutes? You're stuffed beyond that. Proper kit if you're serious about surviving a major incident unsupported. Prepare properly then there's a good chance that Search and Rescue experts like myself might find you still alive.

 

[tom73]

How long do you think you can apply direct pressure manually to yourself while you're laying in a ditch in the sun? A couple of minutes? 5 minutes? You're stuffed beyond that. Proper kit if you're serious about surviving a major incident unsupported. Prepare properly then there's a good chance that Search and Rescue experts like myself might find you still alive.

Yes fully I agree with you that in that situation it will be needed. I was just wanting to point out to anyone who may not know the basics that simple things can and do work. For most situations and lack of kit will not stop anyone from providing others with effective treatment. Many see FA as all smoke and mirrors as it is. I've had to fight it for years when training others.

 

[Drago]

Very true, although the concern for the OP is that he'll be in the back end of nowhere with no one to help him, and my response is to that scenario.

 

[tom73]

Very true, although the concern for the OP is that he'll be in the back end of nowhere with no one to help him, and my response is to that scenario.

And rightly so too

 

[PaulSB]

Another suggestion for the OP is not to mention cycling incidents to your family or friends. What many of us regard as a routine hazard may well have a greater impact on a non cyclist.

On Wednesday I was on a long, dead straight local descent riding at 35mph. About half mile visibility ahead. Out of the only side road came a dog chasing a tennis ball followed by his owner. I don’t know how I avoided the dog, the guys behind said it was impressive! I’ve chatted about it with cycling friends but wouldn’t with my wife or non cycling friends. Why worry them about something they can’t fully appreciate.

Basically shoot happens.

We went back to remonstrate with the owner but he’d disappeared!!

 

[boydj]

Lots of good info about tracking apps. Personally, I always carry my reading glasses as I'd struggle to do any minor repairs, map reading or texting without them. I use a soft pouch in a back pocket - no real weight to carry and they always come in handy in the coffee shop to read the menu.

 

[jefmcg]

Another tracking app is Endomondo. It's basically a rival to strava, but it updates continuously when you have data, so someone can track you on the website. There are privacy settings so your rides can be private (only you can see, so you would have to give your friends passwords), only visible to friends (your friends would have to register on the site), or public - then the would just need the url to your home page. It's also great if you are doing a spectacular ride and want to have an audience. People can even type in "pep talk" messages on the website, and you phone will speak them to you for encouragement.

It won't help much if you are bleeding out in a ditch though

(Strava can do live tracking and something called "beacons" but that requires annual/monthly fees, and I don't think it has the pep talk feature.)

 

[Will Spin]

I always carry reading glasses, I've got a pair of those small ones that go into a case like a cigar tube. I wouldn't be able to see properly to sort out punctures etc without them. As far as relaying your position is concerned, I usually send a text when I arrived at a lunch or coffee destination, or other rest point. It is possible on my phone to have stored standard message texts, so I don't need to do a load of typing when out on the road.
I don't use tracking apps as these use up data and battery.