All Things Bikes and Tacos! (...and every vehicle imaginable)

That’s a cute first aid kit....

Thing is it won’t do anything for you. Peace of mind, yes. Actual help, no. The only injuries you could treat with that kit are injuries that you could ignore until you get to the trail head, and home, and forget to do anything about.

Look in to a tourniquet. (C.A.T. Style) cheap and WILL save a life if needed. Your 2” gauze bandages are not practical. I use them when I remove an IV, and that’s all they’re good for. Look in to 4” sponges (4x4s) or abdominal pad/combine dressing. My vote is for the abdominal pad. Also grab a few petroleum gauze bandages. They are usually 4 or 6” squares and saturated in Vaseline. Super handy if you scrape yourself up really bad and it’s really painful. Get a triangle bandage, and look up how to use it, super basic. Lastly, get a a 4” roller gauze or a few.

Basically, if you can ignore your injury, why bother. If it’s bad and needs attention, then you need actual supplies that can be useful.

PS, I am a paramedic and in 12 years, I have never seen anyone use a kit like yours on any call. People pull them out when needed and realize they are useless, then call me. Ask me if you have any questions, more than happy to help.

 

When does it creak? When pedaling standing or seated? Does it creak when just cycling the suspension (push on the frame only to test the shock pivots and mount bolts, push on the fork crowns only to test the fork)? Some forks also have a creaky CSU. http://lmgtfy.com/?q=creaking+fork+
Pedals need regressing every once in a while. Shock bolts as well. And of course, linkage bearings need replacing eventually, but those are usually after thousands of miles.

 

Full suspension bikes are loud and creaky as shit. It a way of life

 

Nice that’s my go to when other trails aren’t ready yet, I work right across the street so it’s handy!

 

I've driven around some fire roads/power line roads in the desert with my bikes attached to a fork mount, and didn't have any issues. I wouldn't recommend doing it regularly, as the forces/vibration, especially side to side would probably EVENTUALLY cause fork and/or steering tube/Headtube damage and wear. But the fork mount on the track is sturdy, and will hold.

 

Good info. 4" roller gauze and the abdominal pad is a great idea.

 

Haven't had one of those, but I bought a PureFix cheapie bike to see if I liked riding fixed gear. Honestly it was pretty awful. Hardware wouldn't stay tight, handlebars were uneven. Finish flaked or chipped every time you put a tool to it. The whole bike felt dead and unresponsive. I think you get what you pay for with bikes. Especially sub 1K every dollar spent really enhances the experience.

That being said, if you don't plan on riding more than a mile or two, cheapie bikes can do it. Everyday commuting or riding more than about 5 miles, I'd look upmarket. Go to your LBS and test ride!

 

My transition doesn’t creak at all... I probably go overboard with maintenance but I’ve never touched the articulation bearings and it’s still smooth

 

You can use the 4” roller gauze as a semi-tourniquet.

We don’t always jump to tourniquets for bleeding control but sometimes we do. Normally we use the 4” roller gauze and wrap it as tight as we can. It’s close to a tourniquet but not quite there. It will usually control bleeding without cutting off all blood flow.

 

I read an interesting article about large scale disaster emergency medical aid ... large accidents, explosions, and especially mass shootings. Most common and avoidable cause of death is bleeding out before getting to the ER. Use of tourniquets and stuffing gauze in wounds is apparently the most urgent first response, and even a t shirt or rag is fine, as infection can be dealt with later (that may not apply in a remote wildland situation). So apparently this is changing the protocol for EMT’s @jmauvais is this true?

 

after learning emergency mass casualty triage in the military, this is definitely accurate. Most people don't die immediately after trauma, unless its severe, or hits the heart or brain. They usually bleed out or die of shock. I would say what you said is accurate. Stopping bleeding is almost always the first step in first aid anyway.

 

A spare tube and a stick makes a pretty good makeshift tourniquet too. Maybe not a good bet in the desert though.

 

Spare tube makes a good sling for broken collarbone too. 29”, fatty or 26”, Schrader or Presta, brand new or patched 4 times and leaky ... it all works. Try that with Stan’s. DAMHIK.

 

Sort of. EMS in the US has been learning a lot from military. Actually, The leading causes of death are bleeding out AND tension pneumothorax. Tourniquets (or hemostatic dressing) solve the bleeding issue, needle decompression solves the tension pneumothorax. EMS is very focused on adapting to the situation to solve the problem at hand. Packing wounds to stop bleeding as long as it’s working, makeshift tourniquets... you’re right about that. In fact, look up pictures of that Paris France concert shooting. If you pay attention to the EMS responders, none of them have belts on. They all used their own belts to make makeshift tourniquets. Clean gauze is preferred obviously as infections can still be fatal. Being in a hospital is no guarantee that it can be treated, but the infection is days or weeks away. Bleeding out is minutes away. Pack the wound, and do whatever is necessary to get them to the hospital.

 

Accurate. I teach EMTs and I teach the DABCs.
Disability, Airway, Breathing, Circulation.

These are what people need to stay alive. Disability is basically bleeding out. Solve that first, then go to the airway, breathing, and circulation. If you do not have $125k worth of equipment with you, and you go by those 4 principles, you can usually keep someone alive until help arrives.

 

Damn, so much respect for first responders and the entire medical field. All this talk makes me queasy, I definitely don’t handle blood well...

 

Luckily I've never had to use any of the training I received. I just received it because I was in a medical Squadron, even though my career field had nothing to do with emergency medical or first response.

 

O know i know im behind the curve but starting to get me bike ready.

 

Hey all,

Just found out that there is a mtb/taco thread! Anyways, moving to Camas/Portland area anyone have any recommendation for rides? Also, would like to find a crew to ride with. Pic for attention

 

That’s the same method they use in wilderness first aid. Super helpful class in my opinion. They could definitely go a little more into bleeding but overall I thought it was solid.