How to Treat a Burn. Camping is still considered by many to be one of the greatest of all American pastimes, from roasting marshmallows over a crackling fire to grilling hot dogs and hamburgers on a sizzling metal skillet, camping is truly the sport of kings. Receiving a painful burn while camping however, can put a damper on your entire wilderness outing but knowing enough first aid and how to treat a burn is half the battle.
Depending on the degree of burn, there are a variety of different strategies to take when attempting to heal it. Bear in mind, when you’re in the wilderness away from any sort of medical attention, any burn must be treated as a severe one, in order to prevent infection. For a 2nd or 3rd degree burn, it would be wise to simply cut your camping endeavors short, as there is little you can do to heal such a wound in the wilderness, and if left unchecked it could cause permanent damage to your body. A 2nd or 3rd degree burn will unequivocally leave an indelible scar, and potentially even result in infection or loss of limb unless treated quick enough. Luckily, there’s not a lot than can be done in the wilderness to cause a pernicious 3rd degree burn, aside from falling right into a campfire.
In order to treat a burn of any tier, immediately run cool water over the site of the burn (unless it is a large area which can cause the body temperature to drop), and elevate the area of the burn above the heart. Wrap the burn in any bandages you may have in order to reduce the risk of infection. If the burn is severe enough to have caused any fingers to stick together, separate them immediately to prevent them from becoming fused together, and remove any clothing that isn’t stuck to the skin. For a burn of great severity, cover the victim in a blanket in order to prevent them from going into shock, and call for help, or take the victim to the nearest medical facility immediately.
For a burn of minor severity, you may want to continue your camping trip, but may be bothered by the painful burning sensation. A truly skillful naturalist could identify medicinal herbs such as aloe, and use them to heal a painful burn. This method however, is recommended only for the professionals though, as many plants you find in the wilderness can do more harm than good to a burn.
Some good things to keep in mind when camping are knowing some survival skills and having a first aid kit and supplies. All in all, while a minor burn does not necessarily have to mean the end of a wilderness outing, a burn of any caliber should be treated as serious due to the threat of infection. For a more severe burn, it is imperative you get the victim to a medical center immediately, even if it means having to call it quits on your camping trip. Although for some burns of moderate severity you may not want to cut your trip short, doing so is a must, as burns of any severity risk the potential of getting infected, and delivering the victim straight into a world of hurt.
2 comments
Very Informative and thank you for the reminders’.
Silver sol is great for minor burns. I have also used it for painful infections where the skin was red and swollen. It is a must for any first aid kit.