An injury during a trip can spell doom - for an individual, a group, or both. What are some of your worst nightmare injury stories that have occurred in the BWCA/Q? Not necessarily looking for the gory details (although you’re welcomed to go into as little or as much detail as you please); mostly looking for was the injury severe enough to end the trip? If so, was it difficult to persuade the injured individual and the rest of the group that it was time to pack it in and to seek medical assistance?

The only evacuation I have had during a trip I was on involved a young woman who was complaining of severe abdominal pain over a 12 hour period. My counselor and I paddled back up the Allenwater River in Ontario and brought some locals back with a motorboat to assist in getting her out. We had to flag down a freight train to get her to a doctor in Sioux Lookout. She promptly lied to the doctor that she was fine, then on our way back down the river to rejoin the group she said she wanted to go home (there was a LOT more to this story) so we turned back around and waited for a passenger train. Put us days behind on our route, but we continued the trip after delivering her to some other camp staff.

The only injury I would count as somewhat major was on an adult trip I led. One participant sliced a digital artery in his finger with a knife and was spurting blood. We stopped the bleeding, bandaged him up and finished the other 2 days of the trip.

I’ve been very fortunate with injuries on my trips, only a badly cut foot. It should have had a few stitches but we were 2 days out so I just wrapped it up tight to stop bleeding. On a brothers trip my older brother dislocated his shoulder when he tripped and fell on a root or rock. This was on the last day of our tip. I moved into his solo canoe and my other brother moved to the stern and padded the rest of the way. Others are just common cuts and sprained ankles.

I now carry a Garmin InReach unit for our trips. In my contact list in my InReach I also include the outfitters email and a cell phone number if they have one. This way I can contact our outfitter for a tow if allowed on non emergency injuries.

None so far…

A high school aged guy on a youth group trip I was chaperoning in the late 1990’s stabbed himself in the calf with a fixed blade knife deeply enough that the wound was pumping blood with each heart beat. Two camp staff with us on the trip started to paddle him out and within a hour ran into a couple of USFS rangers one of whom was an EMT. Their radio battery was dead so while the EMT treated the kid the other Ranger and a camp staff portaged into the next lake and found more rangers with a functional radio. A plane came in and evacuated the kid to Ely where he was treated. Later after getting home I heard he was hospitalized again for an infection.

This injury caused several kids on the trip to be very concerned about their injured trip mate. For the rest of the trip they needed regular reassurance that he was getting the treatment he needed to recover.

I’ve never had a major injury-knock on wood. But yesterday I was eating my lunch along the shore and I decided to throw a few casts. A large Brook Trout swam up and struck my lure. I didn’t have my net handy so I pulled the fish out It came off the hook and started flopping around. I bent down to grab it and banged my knee. Meanwhile, the fish slowly slid down the rock I was standing on. I lunged to grab it again and twisted my back as I watched it slip back into the water.

Nothing major... in 2011 I had an eighteen day trip planned and started at Brule Lake. The weather was terrible going across the big lake with driving rain and wind. It was better going up to Town lake, but I was a little miserable being so wet and slogging through mud on some portages. Finally all set up for the night I grabbed my gorp of all things. Chomped down on one those hard corn things I’d got from the natural food store and broke a moler right in half. Wasn’t sure what to do so not wanting to go real far in case, I did the Frost River to Mora, Howling whatever portage out of Tuscarora. Made my way to Winchill and out down through the Cones. So cut it to eleven days. (Solo)
Thought if I got out I could save my tooth... nope!
2010 I had serious blisters on my feet that caused me to reroute my trip to portage less. That was painful but didn’t cut that trip short.
Oh, and another solo I was trying out one of those shorty rods and got a rapala stuck in my bare back. That was interesting.

We had a guy accidentally (obviously) step on the handle of a fry pan that had hot cooking oil in it. Splashed the hot oil all over one of his legs from the knee down. He howled like crazy and we treated him the best we could. It was already dark so we couldn't do anything but wait until morning to get him out.

He was fairly blistered when we got up, so we packed up and headed out - five hours of paddling and portaging. Drove home 11 hours and he went to the doctor. He had the full range of burns, mostly 2nd degree with a few spots of 3rd degree. He turned out alright. Pretty scary though.

I heard this second hand from the protagonist, who went on to become the best man at my wedding. I tell this cautionary tale when it is appropriate for the audience (as it is here).

About an hour's paddle from an entry point far up the Gunflint Trail, he left camp to collect firewood and found a nearby downed tree that was pretty dry. He broke off some branches and then spotted a good-sized one that needed "more power," as a certain TV star was wont to say.

He stood on the branch and commenced jumping on and down on it. At some point (the pun is intentional, as you will see), it broke under him and he fell, piercing his throat in the process.

He could only tell the tale later 'cuz it somehow missed every major blood vessel in his throat. His twin brother was in camp along with a couple others. They got him to the entry point and then to the hospital in Grand Marais. He came out of it with a small scar and a cautionary tale.

I had a severe leg injury when I stepped off the trail and my foot went into a small hole while carrying a portage pack. My shin hit a rock when I fell. The people with the dog helped me get the pack back on when I got up and I finished the 10 rods or so left of the trail (I told them I was ok to carry it). I was feeling a little woozy from the shock, so I took a short break and ate a snack before going on to complete 2 more portages and a push through the reeds on the Oyster river. I didn't realize how much my leg had bruised until we were almost to Oyster.

I spent the rest of the trip thinking about the fastest way to get out if I had a fracture that gave way. We continued on up to Geb-e-one-quet since I thought it would be easiest to get over to Crane lake or a Lac La Croix outfitter to get a tow out if necessary. I spent the rest of the week worrying about what to do and we finally just went out the way we planned. The real pain didn't start until I stopped walking on it on the way home in the car and started having painful leg cramps from the blood pooling in my lower leg. It wasn't fractured, but the Dr thinks I tore the sheath on the outside of the bone and that's what caused the bleed. We carry an In-Reach now. I doubt I would have used it for an evacuation for this incident, but probably would for a complete break.

My wife was bitten on the eye by a mosquito one afternoon and her eye swelled enormously. We fortunately were in cell phone range of our outfitter and they picked us up on a tow the next morning.

I've had the usual cuts, scrapes, and bruises. Otherwise there was the plantar fasciitis and the injured knee (torn meniscus) which altered my plans considerably although I did not come out early.

I feel like I have avoided the worst of it. A sprained ankle on Rock of Ages not even half way through the PowWow (long walk to finish that.) A hyperextended knee in the snow on Misquah to Little Trout which still gives me problems. A tweaked back which was annoying for a couple weeks but not too bad. Plenty of overuse tendon issues. An amusing (not in the moment) one with hitting a tree hard enough on the portage from Henson to Cherry to dismount the canoe yoke and drop an Alumacraft on my head. And the one that hurt the most was on a solo trip. I was double packing a pack and an aluminum canoe. Tripped and fell landing perfectly on top of this pyramidal shaped rock right under my knee cap with the weight of the double pack kindly helping to pile drive the knee. Hurt like heck, but didn't break anything. Hobbled my way out with single packing for the rest of that trip.

My poor girlfriend has it worse with a broken hand, wrist, and dislocated shoulder (three incidents.)

No evacs for us personally though, but a handful of camper incidents over the years. All has turned out well though, and sometimes the little incidents are the price we pay for spending time in this incredible wilderness.

On my most recent trip, I was using the saw to remove small limbs from a branch. Looked away for a minute, saw slipped and went across the ack of my left hand. My son thought for sure that I had cut my self to the bone, but it ended up being a REALLY bad skinning. I got the bleeding stopped, washed it and applied antibacterial and bandages. Within a day it had stopped oozing, etc.. Still waiting on this to heal as it just happened last Thursday. Not life threatening, but it reminded me to be more aware for sure.

Helped a person self-evac a couple years ago.

We were on the second to last day of our trip from Seagull to Ogish and back. There are two portages between Seagull and Alpine Lake. One is ~100 rods and roughly E-W. The other is ~40 rods and N-S. The longer portage is basically a super highway. The shorter is not well maintained as evidenced by reviews and comments. We had taken the long one at the beginning of our trip and decided to try the shorter on the way back.

About halfway down the portage (which was about as rough as commenters have described it), we came across two guys, their canoe, and their gear in the middle of the trail. One of the guys had stepped off the trail and hurt his ankle. Thankfully, one of our group was a nurse, so she began assessing his injury, which I think turned out to be a broken ankle (rather than a sprain). They were definitely not finishing their trip and they both knew it. It didn't take any convincing.

They were on the very first day of their trip, and we soon discovered there were actually two other guys in their group. Those two had gone ahead to Alpine and they were going to meet up at a campsite. Problem was the two pairs had no way to contact each other. We left a note at the Alpine end of the portage about the injury and evac.

We shared snacks and a some of our leftover whiskey because the injured guy was in shock. We portaged their gear and canoe back to the Seagull side, while our nurse friend helped stabilize his ankle with a sleeping pad, sticks, and duct tape. Once ready, we helped him back down the portage and into his canoe.

The injured guy was well enough to paddle, so we paddled with the pair for the length of Seagull back to the landing at Trails End. They actually outpaced on us the water (adrenaline?). At the landing, we got on the phone with EMS and they sent out a crew. I believe they took him to the hospital in Duluth.

Never did hear about the other two guys and how long it took them to figure out their friends were missing!

I finished up the NOLS wilderness first aid certification last spring. The person teaching it said our job in the wilderness is triage. . . .deciding if the situation is "stay and play, or exfil". That really stuck with me.

That is why each of our camps have a Garmin Inreach, spot, sat phone, etc. in each camp. If the decision is "exfil", we are not going to take the time to paddle out several ours back to an outfitter, then drive them to a hospital. We are "pushing the button."

I think I have more stories of how I have managed to barely dodge serious injury than actually become seriously injured. On a solo to Fourtown a couple years ago I fell four times between Mudro and my campsite. (My guess is that my blood sugar was low and it had just rained. Everything was very slippery and I was quite lightheaded.) One of those falls was down the slick rock face of the final portage north into Fourtown. My legs were pretty beat up but I did okay.

On another solo, I fell on the shore of Spaulding Lake. By the grace of God alone I managed to not hit my head…though my back fell across a sharp rock leaving me quite bruised and sore. Considering Spaulding is a dead-end lake, it would've been quite a while until I was found or my body recovered.

My wife and I encountered a guy that had run a tent stake through his hand the day before. They were paddling out but the injury was starting to look a bit angry.

Mike

MikeinMpls: "
My wife and I encountered a guy that had run a tent stake through his hand the day before. They were paddling out but the injury was starting to look a bit angry.

Mike
"

How in the world do you run a stake through your hand?

To Dave (Okinawa55):
As far as I could tell, it was one of those thin tent stakes with the hooked end, not a wider flanged stake. Probably slipped on a rock putting it in, I dunno.

Mike

I shared this story in more detail on this site a few years back, but I slipped and fell while coming down from the big cliffs on Winchell. I hit my head pretty hard and was briefly unconscious. My 17 year old son was with me and helped me slowly back to our campsite four miles and a portage away on the west end of Gaskin.

Our group of three spent the rest of the day making sure I was ok and decided to stay the night and see how I felt the next day. Other than some scrapes along the side of my face and along my arms, a black eye, tenderness/swelling/bruising at the impact site, and a manageable headache, everything was ok and I was able to finish the trip.

I did see a doctor about a week after the trip ended and was told I likely suffered a mild concussion, but luckily avoided any orbital fracture. If this had happened on a solo, I'm not sure I would have been able to make it back to my campsite alone. It was this accident that spurred my purchase of an inReach Mini, which is now along on every trip.

Last fall a friend and I ended a trip a day early after I sprained my ankle. We entered LIS and were staying on Lynx. One evening I took an innocuous step in camp and rolled my ankle pretty bad. Lots of pain and swelling. Did RICE (rest, ice, compression, elevation) as best as I could overnight in my hammock. Obviously no ice, but keeping it wrapped and elevated and exposed to the cool Sept night seemed to help a bit. That and plenty of Tylenol.

We had already planned to move to the Paunesses for our final night, so we instead got up early and just exited a day early. I got across the portages slowly and gingerly with a paddle crutch and light pack and really wanted to do more, but my buddy insisted on me crossing once and laying down to elevate and rest. So he did the lions share of the carrying, which pretty much amounted to him triple portaging us the entire way from Lynx to EP14 parking lot (and then driving us 4.5hrs home).

To say I was grateful for his effort and care is an understatement. You know you've got a friend when.....

geotramper: " "

Not my most flattering angle. Lol.

Andy

I've reported this on a trip report. On the last evening camping on The Lake That Shall Not Be Named. My back went totally out. I didn't sleep all night and somehow had to get out the next day. I could barely stand up let alone walk. So my daughter in law fixed up a stick into a cane and when in the canoe I would sit about sit, stand, & crouch in about 5 minute intervals. When on the portage trail I would walk about 20 yards leaning heavily on my cane and then rest. Some guardian angel gave me some percoset which helped me endure the 8 hour ride home.
I learned if your back is hurting sit down and relax. Don't try to be an iron man, because your back eventually will let you know it's not happy.

Just out of curiosity. . . .why do most people try to paddle/portage a person with an injury out vs using a rescue service like a Garmin Inreach or Spot? The vast majority of paddlers on these forums. . . and those I have met. . .do not even carry any kind of PLB. Considering the cost is often only $200 and plans are as cheap as $15 per month (and you can cancel after one month), why do most trippers not carry them and prefer to "tough it out" if there is an injury?

ockycamper: "Just out of curiosity. . . .why do most people try to paddle/portage a person with an injury out vs using a rescue service like a Garmin Inreach or Spot? The vast majority of paddlers on these forums. . . and those I have met. . .do not even carry any kind of PLB. Considering the cost is often only $200 and plans are as cheap as $15 per month (and you can cancel after one month), why do most trippers not carry them and prefer to "tough it out" if there is an injury?"

In my case, I had an SOS service available to me and never seriously considered using it. Why? Thinking back to that day, I think we considered several things: our ability to exit on our own, the severity (or lack thereof) of the injury, the potential for serious aggravation or exacerbation of the injury by exiting on our own, and the weather conditions that day. We thought we could exit safely and, while doing so would (and did) hurt like the dickens, we didn't think it would seriously worsen the injury (it did not). Now, I might also add the cost of an evac to the mix of factors to consider.

Your question inspires an interesting thought exercise (to me anyway): how much more severe would the injury have to have been for me to press the SOS button. I don't know. But it probably would have to have been way closer to "life threatening" than just "severe pain." Would be interested to hear other thoughts.

SunrisePaddler: "

ockycamper: "Just out of curiosity. . . .why do most people try to paddle/portage a person with an injury out vs using a rescue service like a Garmin Inreach or Spot? The vast majority of paddlers on these forums. . . and those I have met. . .do not even carry any kind of PLB. Considering the cost is often only $200 and plans are as cheap as $15 per month (and you can cancel after one month), why do most trippers not carry them and prefer to "tough it out" if there is an injury?"

In my case, I had an SOS service available to me and never seriously considered using it. Why? Thinking back to that day, I think we considered several things: our ability to exit on our own, the severity (or lack thereof) of the injury, the potential for serious aggravation or exacerbation of the injury by exiting on our own, and the weather conditions that day. We thought we could exit safely and, while doing so would (and did) hurt like the dickens, we didn't think it would seriously worsen the injury (it did not). Now, I might also add the cost of an evac to the mix of factors to consider.


Your question inspires an interesting thought exercise (to me anyway): how much more severe would the injury have to have been for me to press the SOS button. I don't know. But it probably would have to have been way closer to "life threatening" than just "severe pain." Would be interested to hear other thoughts."

I have not had to "press the button" yet. After years of leading groups to the BWCA I finally tool the NOLS Wilderness First Aide Certification course. The theme of the course is traige. . .they called it making the decision to "stay and plan" or "exfil". The one that surprised me was head injuries. They said when someone hits their head and a concussion is suspected, it is always "push the button" time. This due to the potential for swelling round the brain. Others that were absolutely "exil" were severe cuts and burns, broken bones and animal bites (due to the potential for rabies).

I have a sat phone with SOS feature. Others in the group have Spot messengers or Garmin Inreach. I took out the added insurance (costs only $12 for the year) which covers any ambulance or air flight costs not covered by my insurance.

If we are on Red Rock Lake and we have a serious injury, howeer not life threatening, I would use the Sat phone to call Seagull Outfitters to meet us with the shuttle (as we could get from base camp to the shuttle pickup in 20 minutes). If one of the group has a broken bone, is in severe pain, concussion, bleeding that can't be stopped, or is diorientated, I would not hesitate to push the button.

We actually have a Opthomologist that comes with us. Honestly I think we would be the first one in the group to "push the button".

Here's Garmin's advice:

Use your best judgment when triggering an SOS. There is no one-size-fits-all list, since each individual circumstance can impact the urgency and seriousness of the situation. A good rule to go by is that when you feel uncertain of the outcome of your situation — that’s the time to reach out for help.

I’m WFR through WMA. Good call on the satellite devices. I’ve been a SPOT subscriber for a decade. They’ve recently switched from the formerly mandatory annual membership to a more flexible monthly plan. Sounds like you are running trips with multiple camps and maybe guiding? For readers leading private trips, make sure to ask about the subscription plan for every device and confirm that service will be active throughout the trip.

I just switched to the flexible plan. I had only planned one ten day solo trip in September. Had the good luck to get back on the water for an overnight trip just a few days ago. SPOT had the courtesy to send my two OK messages, but the ON button flashed red afterwards, reminding me that my monthly subscription had expired. Not sure what would have happened, had I needed to escalate to DEFCON 2 or even SOS. That’s something I don’t want to find out ten portages away from definitive care.

Lesson learned.

Oh, and another reason to carry adjacent maps. Fastest way out may not be on your route—hence not on your map.

For SPOT folks, mine is a Gen3. The instructions printed on the back of the device tell you to seek more open sky if the ON button flashes red. But this also can mean subscription is inactive.

Mike, thanks for bringing up this subject of falls when paddling solo. I think lots of folks traveling in groups underplay their injuries because of group dynamics, during and after the trip. It’s just a cultural thing. But soloists need to be realistic about how banged up we really are, and nobody else is there to make the call on treat & stay/exit.

Your comment about blood sugar is spot on. I have never been a big eater in the back country until I started touring in the canoe. I’ve absolutely noticed that putting food and caffeine in, in decent quantities, not just water, makes me more alert on portages. I’ve taken my fair share of spills out there. Broke a finger on one of the muddy portages out of Snake River a few years back. Was taking out and dislodged a step stone in muddy water. When I returned for more gear and stepped where that rock should have been, it wasn’t there. Dead fall a few inches onto my left pinky before the rest of my body arrested the fall. Self treated for what looked like a finger dislocation, determined I didn’t have compartment syndrome, buddy taped it, enjoyed my medicinal wine & spirits, learned I could paddle just fine without my pinky, treated my other scrapes and carried on. My route was heading TOWARD more people and a better exit if needed.

Had a lovely tour of the South Kawishiwi and took out at EP 30 ten days later, on the day the BWCA was closed in the fires. The local ER was a beehive of emergency worker activity, so I drove south for treatment. Planned Chicago. Arrived there to find that the ER was packed due to urban violence injuries. Kept rolling. Long story but I had some bad luck with a very fancy radiologist who misread my x/ray and pronounced the injury a dislocation when it was actually fractured. Ended up finding a fantastic surgeon and still made it out for another trip the following summer.

Stuff happens out there. It’s unpredictable. This last trip, I took a spill when my long-torn (meaning chronically suspicious) meniscus got tired with no warning on a rocky descent. Pretty banged up knee that took a full week of nursing out there earlier this month but still having fun. Meniscus acting like, what? Totally back to normal! Oy vey.

Don’t portage at night! I keep hearing stories (from guides!) of skilled canoeists who break bones on night portages. Those are injuries that truly seem preventable.

boonie: "Here's Garmin's advice:


Use your best judgment when triggering an SOS. There is no one-size-fits-all list, since each individual circumstance can impact the urgency and seriousness of the situation. A good rule to go by is that when you feel uncertain of the outcome of your situation — that’s the time to reach out for help.


"

Does anybody have reliable information on what is considered an unnecessary evacuation that would not be covered by the evac insurance that I have as part of my SPOT membership? I think it’s the same insurance that Garmin folks get.

My WFR training taught me the rule of fives. People tend to die in five seconds, five minutes, five hours, five days, five months or five years. It’s those five hours and five days that matter in BWCA. If you need definitive care within that window and pushing SOS is the only option, I think it would be seen as justified by any ruling body. But are there other conditions I should know about?

BTW, the definition of wilderness/field medicine is primary care that is needed either TWO HOURS away from definitive care, or else in a resource-scarce environment (like the wilderness). The key word here is definitive care. If somebody needs a thoracic surgeon (lung puncture), that means an airlift to the nearest hospital with one in residence. Those surgeons are regional varieties, not local ones. Is there even a thoracic surgeon in Duluth? Could easily mean definitive care is in the Twin Cities, Green Bay or Milwaukee
. Patch the hole with duct tape and push SOS. I think that would also go for a hole in the throat re the sobering post above. Airway issues, can’t breathe, push the button.

If somebody in your party used an epi pen and there is not a second dose available, have somebody keep their finger on the SOS button. Anaphylaxis often cycles back ten minutes after the first epi pen dose. A complete treatment cycle is considered to be TWO jabs of epi if needed. Don’t freak if you have to give the second jab, that would be normal for many patients. Just keep your finger on the button in case they’re not out of the woods after two jabs.

Just got back from our fall trip. Had a guy bury a lure in his hand past the barb. I carry a fish hook remover kit in the first aid gear as well as on my PFD. Never tried it before. It worked great and got the lure out of his hand with little pain. Treated with Neosporin, benzoin swab and bandage and he was back in action.

As others have said, if you are asking the question of whether to call for help or not, err on the side of caution and make the call. Also, take the Wilderness First Aid course. This will give you the skills to make decision of "stay and play vs exfil" (their words). And lastly. . . carry an Inreach/Spot/ or something similar. We bring both Inreach devices and a sat phone for our groups. The advantage of a Sat phone is I can call to get a doctors opinion on whether or not to treat or get the person out.

Was leading a youth group when one of our students turned his ankle very badly when he attempted to carry a pack on his front and back and couldn't see his feet. Fortunately this happened about 50 feet from the end of the last portage on our last day. We were able to pick up all 225#'s of him and carry him that distance and help him get seated in the canoe to cross our last lake before exiting. That taught me to discuss carrying a pack on your front as a no-no when instructions are given to our newbie youth. Better to make that extra portage trip than to risk the injury.

Another time the co-chaperone and I were prepping a meal near the campfire as the youth were enjoying some casting from shore down by the lake. We were usually pretty loose with accepting what was said in conversation but figured since it was a church-sponsored trip we should intervene when we heard one of them yelling quite the string of four letter words. When I got to the shoreline I could see that a barbed hook had become buried pretty deep in his finger when he tried to extract a lure from the smallie he'd caught and he was bleeding pretty badly. His language was instantly forgiven. We tried pushing the barb through to cut it off before backing the hook out but we were pushing up against bone. The next plan was to sterilize a knife blade with a couple of matches and then when it cooled to wipe it with a sani-wipe before using the knife to further cut the pad of his finger open to extract the hook. The boy did really great with this process and we were able to get the hook out without too much further cutting of the finger. We hit the wound with lots of Neosporin and bandaged it pretty well and he was soon back fishing. Made sure to keep the antibiotic ointment on it and keep it bandaged the rest of the trip. He said it throbbed a bit but he was otherwise fine. We managed to avoid infection and it healed quickly and well.

My worst personal injury was a badly twisted knee that still is not quite the same as it was (and likely never will be) four years later. That incident is detailed on day #3 in this trip report

ockycamper: "Just out of curiosity. . . .why do most people try to paddle/portage a person with an injury out vs using a rescue service like a Garmin Inreach or Spot? The vast majority of paddlers on these forums. . . and those I have met. . .do not even carry any kind of PLB. Considering the cost is often only $200 and plans are as cheap as $15 per month (and you can cancel after one month), why do most trippers not carry them and prefer to "tough it out" if there is an injury?"

I think they ae becoming more common. There is probably a tough guy mentality of not wanting to be a burden to others but you can make the argument that not having a device may make you more of a burden to others. I know I would stop my trip an help others if needed as I suspect most of us would.

I have an inreach and I almost used it this year. My 16 year old son was not feeling well the last day of the trip, went to bed early then at 1 am he woke up in severe pain in his abdomen, vomiting, then became lethargic. I was worried about appendicitis. This issue was my understanding is they aren't going to come in to save you at night. I decided to pack up and leave...he layed down in the canoe and his little brother got the work out of a lifetime :) paddling him out. We made it to the landing at first light. He was better. So we moved on towards Thunder Bay--kept assessing him...eventually made it to the hospital in Grand Marais by 10 am. So I had a device, but decided not to use it.

Still not sure what was wrong. No one else got sick but he was severely dehydrated and it took 5 pokes and eventually US guided IV fluids to get him feeling good. CT was negative. We think he had gastro enteritis, just weird no one else got it. He was sick for a few days. Been fine ever since.

T

bottomtothetap: "Was leading a youth group when one of our students turned his ankle very badly when he attempted to carry a pack on his front and back and couldn't see his feet. Fortunately this happened about 50 feet from the end of the last portage on our last day. We were able to pick up all 225#'s of him and carry him that distance and help him get seated in the canoe to cross our last lake before exiting. That taught me to discuss carrying a pack on your front as a no-no when instructions are given to our newbie youth. Better to make that extra portage trip than to risk the injury.


Another time the co-chaperone and I were prepping a meal near the campfire as the youth were enjoying some casting from shore down by the lake. We were usually pretty loose with accepting what was said in conversation but figured since it was a church-sponsored trip we should intervene when we heard one of them yelling quite the string of four letter words. When I got to the shoreline I could see that a barbed hook had become buried pretty deep in his finger when he tried to extract a lure from the smallie he'd caught and he was bleeding pretty badly. His language was instantly forgiven. We tried pushing the barb through to cut it off before backing the hook out but we were pushing up against bone. The next plan was to sterilize a knife blade with a couple of matches and then when it cooled to wipe it with a sani-wipe before using the knife to further cut the pad of his finger open to extract the hook. The boy did really great with this process and we were able to get the hook out without too much further cutting of the finger. We hit the wound with lots of Neosporin and bandaged it pretty well and he was soon back fishing. Made sure to keep the antibiotic ointment on it and keep it bandaged the rest of the trip. He said it throbbed a bit but he was otherwise fine. We managed to avoid infection and it healed quickly and well.


My worst personal injury was a badly twisted knee that still is not quite the same as it was (and likely never will be) four years later. That incident is detailed on day #3 in this trip report "

This happened to us this year. We carry fish hook remover kits with us. Worked like a charm. The mistake often made is "pushing the hook through". With the kit, you can easily guide the hook and barb back out with very little injury.

I had to hike 60mi across rock talus and winding trail on the Baltoro glacier in Pakistan with a case of--can you believe it--gout! Not exactly a medical emergency, but if anyone else has had a gout flare they know that just getting out of bed can be a challenge, let alone hiking a rugged route in a third world country. Took 5 days and I would've paid any sum for a helicopter ride out of there. Even now, almost 30 years later, I take blood thinners with me when I go into BWCA in case it were to happen again.

A story I wrote about the time I had to hit my Spot and launch a rescue in the BWCA in 2018.


I had to launch a Search and Rescue on my Canoe trip into the Boundary Waters a couple days ago.
Don't worry, it wasn't for me.
Long story short.
I was camping on North Temperance Lake when I heard three shots (three beats and a pause are a common SOS signal) toward the portage. I thought that was weird, 5 minutes later I heard 3 more shots, I got my stuff together and figured if I heard it one more time I was going to see who needed help, sure enough 3 more shots were fired, as I left my campsite at 13:00.
I paddled to the portage and found a 64-year-old man who had a possible dislocated shoulder, torn muscles and broken arm. He and his 21 YO son were green as BWCA tripping goes, the son had never been in the BW before and his dad hadn't been there in 25 years.
He was out of shape, in considerable pain, showing signs of shock, unable to paddle and had difficulty walking. (It was clear that they were not getting out of the BW without assistance and we were in the sticks so to speak. I was solo with an 80-pound dog, so I could not help much either with transportation, and if this fellow had one more accident he would be in a life-threatening situation.
It was a tough decision but I activated my SPOT and PLB knowing full well that my wife would get a call from the authorities that I may potentially be in trouble. Cook County Sheriff called her and told her I may be in trouble. She claims that she was not worried very much, telling them that I was a firefighter and I would know what to do in an emergency. One hour and 45 minutes after I launched my SPOT the USFS Beaver airplane arrived. It had another emergency to attend to and since this one was not life threatening he flew off without them. Lake County search and rescue arrived 6 hours after I activated my SPOT, and shuttled them out via Brule lake, I was engaged with the injured for 6 hours before rescue arrived.
This is the down and dirty version; it was much more involved than what I am writing. I cut my BW paddle short a day from Cherokee Lake because this made me feel like I was on duty again.
I corresponded with the injured party a month later, who confirmed that he had a broken and dislocated shoulder."

I’ve been lucky in canoe country, nothing major.

Same with backpacking, with one exception for my dog.

Was doing the eagle rock loop, which is Arkansas’s one true backpacking loop, 26 miles. On the exact far side of the loop my dog goes lame on one foot. I inspect it and find a bad cut. I treat it, but she was still not going to put weight on it.

So the next morning I start hiking out to the nearest road. She’s only 30 pounds, but no great way to carry her, and I had the pack. It was miserable.

Got to the road and walked several miles with a lot of cars driving by that didn’t stop. Guess they all figured I was carrying my dog like that for fun. Finally had someone stop and take pity on me and drive me back to my truck.

Spent a small fortune at the weekend vet and my regular vet called me an idiot for not waiting a day and bringing her to him.

Ockycamper or others what fish hook removal kit do you use?

T

You’re a good egg! Thanks for telling this story.

You’re a good egg! Thanks for telling this story.

timatkn: "Ockycamper or others what fish hook removal kit do you use?


T"

I use the: South Bend First Aid Kit & Hook Remover

It is a very simple item. Basically, handle with a loop on it, some alchohol wipes and bandaids. But it REALLY works as we found out this trip. We put the loop around the hook so it was against the bent side of the hook. Then one guy pulled back slowly wiht the handle while the other guy pushed down on the hook to release the barb. The reason it works better then just using your hands is that it keep the hook parallel with the skin. . .in the same position that it went in. So when one guys pushes down to allow the barb to come out, it slides the hook cleanly out. Then alcholol wipes, Neosporin and a bandaid and your are back in business.

If you try cutting off the hook and showing it through you now have and entry and exit wound and have damages more tissue then the above method.

....Or remove barbs before casting.

Makes fishing (eg snake and small smaller removal) much more enjoyable.

Thanks, looks like that kit is no longer made though.

T

Banksiana has it right. Debarb those hooks.

Guided fly fishing for many years and removed fishhooks nearly every year. One notable morning a client hooked himself, I removed the hook. A few minutes later he impailed his finger again. Told him the price of the trip just went up.

The leader loop method described above works. Many people will say they felt little or nothing as the hook was removed. No leader? A shoelace, whistle/compass lanyard or other stout line. Soap, water, a little triple antibiotic ointment and a band aid and some happy talk and they're usually ready to go. For many people getting hooked was a fearful event. You can see their relief when the hook is out and FA given with some gentle humor.

If someone gets hooked by two hooks on a treble, both can be removed, one at a time, with some careful wire cutting leaving enough shank on the clipped hook to still press toward the skin. Have done that, though not my first choice.

I removed a hook from a client's finger, married her a couple years later. Not sure if that's a cause - effect relationship? She got payback when I put a large streamer into the back of my right hand on a windy day years later. I did the pulling while she pushed the shank down.

Best comment from other posters, debarb your hooks, its only a fish. Another will come along.

Yes, I carry a sat signal device in my vest. Never needed it.

This past August we were feeling adventurous and traveled through the Weeny pma. As we were finishing portaging into brigand lake i was over confident with a step in a mushy part of grass and twisted my ankle badly. Night 1 it was swollen and I barely slept. Day 2 I couldn't put weight on it. My eagle scout buddy fashioned some bushcraft crunches and we hiked the 2 miles down the Soiux-Hustler trail from pageant lake into heritage. We ended up pushing that day all the way to lower pauness in hopes to get out early the next day and seek medical attention. We cut our trip a day short which really sucked. Still having problems with the ankle. We did almost call for medical evac but being out of state without travelers insurance is what stopped me. I'm glad we just pushed through as we made it out fine but in the moment, if I would have had a Spot i would have called.

In hindsight, the whole issue was the weight of the load I was carrying. I had two 45lb packs, if I would have stuck with one the ankle probably would have been sore but usable. Don't over estimate your ability to navigate uneasy terrain. I was carrying that load the whole trip but the terrain was just too unstable to support that weight.

I had forgotten my ‘injury’ incident. In fifty plus years of tripping, hundreds of trips, I’ve probably used a bandaid twice. I’m super careful in the woods. Came close to drowning twice but those incidents were not typical.
I was diagnosed with a Parkinson’s type disease years ago ( not Parkinson’s). I am disabled. I refused to accept that. So naturally I planned a solo hike on the Soiux-Hustler. That wasn’t the best idea but for me it’s what I needed to do. My leg decided to not be a leg anymore. A useless limb miles from the echo trail. I’m fine, no pain. Everything I need is on my back. Fortunately my leg decided to cooperate after several hours of it doing it’s thing . I limped out of there, happy to be limping.
My wife has banned me from solo trips

eagleriverwalleye: "I had to hike 60mi across rock talus and winding trail on the Baltoro glacier in Pakistan with a case of--can you believe it--gout! Not exactly a medical emergency, but if anyone else has had a gout flare they know that just getting out of bed can be a challenge, let alone hiking a rugged route in a third world country. Took 5 days and I would've paid any sum for a helicopter ride out of there. Even now, almost 30 years later, I take blood thinners with me when I go into BWCA in case it were to happen again."

I get gout flare-ups now and again. They are bad. I can usually tell when a flare-up is about to happen, maybe 12 hours in advance, and I load up with lots of ibuprofen...it usually helps. I tried Indomethacin, but it just makes me loopy.

Mike

Lot of comments in this thread of trippers unsure of whether to call for help, or try to self portage or even just continue. Here is the advice we were taught at the NOLS Wilderness First Aide course: If you are unsure of whether to call for help or carry on. . . call for help. In other words, if we don't have the ability and training to be sure we can carry on or self extract with a given injury, that is our sign we need to push the button

Just had a near miss. A friend and I were supposed to head out this past Friday. He called on Thursday night and said he had a sore throat all day. He was on the fence, feeling bad about all the prep that goes into a trip. Given the amount rain in the forecast he bailed and I went on ahead solo. When I came out and checked my texts I learned he spent Saturday night in the ER having an abscess in his throat drained. He could barely breathe and would have needed a tracheotomy, and a float plane, if it had not been treated. Got me thinking long and hard about going in when you're not 100%. Appreciate these stories as it's good to get refocused on safety.

We had one of our guys with us a few years ago paddling into Seagull. We kept feeling worse and worse, really weak and running a fever. We had an Opthomalogist with us on that trip. To our suprise he had brought Z packs of antibiotics. My friend started on the Z packs and by day three he was back to normal.

LaVirginienne: "

boonie: "Here's Garmin's advice:



Use your best judgment when triggering an SOS. There is no one-size-fits-all list, since each individual circumstance can impact the urgency and seriousness of the situation. A good rule to go by is that when you feel uncertain of the outcome of your situation — that’s the time to reach out for help.



"

Does anybody have reliable information on what is considered an unnecessary evacuation that would not be covered by the evac insurance that I have as part of my SPOT membership? I think it’s the same insurance that Garmin folks get.


My WFR training taught me the rule of fives. People tend to die in five seconds, five minutes, five hours, five days, five months or five years. It’s those five hours and five days that matter in BWCA. If you need definitive care within that window and pushing SOS is the only option, I think it would be seen as justified by any ruling body. But are there other conditions I should know about?


BTW, the definition of wilderness/field medicine is primary care that is needed either TWO HOURS away from definitive care, or else in a resource-scarce environment (like the wilderness). The key word here is definitive care. If somebody needs a thoracic surgeon (lung puncture), that means an airlift to the nearest hospital with one in residence. Those surgeons are regional varieties, not local ones. Is there even a thoracic surgeon in Duluth? Could easily mean definitive care is in the Twin Cities, Green Bay or Milwaukee
. Patch the hole with duct tape and push SOS. I think that would also go for a hole in the throat re the sobering post above. Airway issues, can’t breathe, push the button.


If somebody in your party used an epi pen and there is not a second dose available, have somebody keep their finger on the SOS button. Anaphylaxis often cycles back ten minutes after the first epi pen dose. A complete treatment cycle is considered to be TWO jabs of epi if needed. Don’t freak if you have to give the second jab, that would be normal for many patients. Just keep your finger on the button in case they’re not out of the woods after two jabs. "

Essentia St.Mary’s in Duluth is a level 1 trauma center, level 2 pediatric. Luke’s is level 2 I believe. So, yes, there are trauma surgeons, cardiothoracic, neurosurgery, orthopedic surgeons and many other specialties in Duluth, in addition to the trauma centers in the cities.

Worst injury on a trip was a crew mate with an injured arm on day 3 or 4 of a month long trip. Fell on a portage with canoe and canoe landed on her forearm. This was pre-sat phone days on a trip in Canada. Tried to radio passing planes with no luck. We ended up paddling further the next day to a fishing lodge where she was able to fly out to get her arm evaluated. She was ok enough that she was able to rejoin the group at our half way point.

Dislocated finger on a different trip with a different person. She was able to continue the rest of the trip.

Worst on a family trip was a scraped knee for my 8 year old on a portage. Cleaned it up, neosporin, a bandage and a few hugs fixed it :) luckily nothing major, knock on wood! I do worry about the people I see wearing flip flops or bare feet on portages. I make my girls wear boots when on trail and sandals like chacos or similar in camp. Footwear when swimming. I’m paranoid about protecting our feet when in the wilderness.

I can't recall any major injuries I've or anyone in my party has had other than the following.

I did break my ribs on a trip when my chair broke and I landed on some jagged rocks. It wasn't horrible though, and there isn't anything a doctor can do about it, so I kept on. I haven't carried a spot or whatnot ever but with my age now, I think it might not be a bad idea.

MikeinMpls: "

eagleriverwalleye: "I had to hike 60mi across rock talus and winding trail on the Baltoro glacier in Pakistan with a case of--can you believe it--gout! Not exactly a medical emergency, but if anyone else has had a gout flare they know that just getting out of bed can be a challenge, let alone hiking a rugged route in a third world country. Took 5 days and I would've paid any sum for a helicopter ride out of there. Even now, almost 30 years later, I take blood thinners with me when I go into BWCA in case it were to happen again."

I get gout flare-ups now and again. They are bad. I can usually tell when a flare-up is about to happen, maybe 12 hours in advance, and I load up with lots of ibuprofen...it usually helps. I tried Indomethacin, but it just makes me loopy.


Mike"

Mike gout sucks arse. I used to get it quite frequently but I went on allopurinol daily and it's been a life changer. You should check it out.

okinaw55: "I can't recall any major injuries I've or anyone in my party has had other than the following.


I did break my ribs on a trip when my chair broke and I landed on some jagged rocks. It wasn't horrible though, and there isn't anything a doctor can do about it, so I kept on. I haven't carried a spot or whatnot ever but with my age now, I think it might not be a bad idea. "

I would consider breaking ribs a major injury. You must be one tough cookie! Sorry that that happened to you.

MidwestMan: "

okinaw55: "I can't recall any major injuries I've or anyone in my party has had other than the following.



I did break my ribs on a trip when my chair broke and I landed on some jagged rocks. It wasn't horrible though, and there isn't anything a doctor can do about it, so I kept on. I haven't carried a spot or whatnot ever but with my age now, I think it might not be a bad idea. "

I would consider breaking ribs a major injury. You must be one tough cookie! Sorry that that happened to you."

Tough cookie? No. I'm very good at self medicating. :)

okinaw55: "

MidwestMan: "

okinaw55: "I can't recall any major injuries I've or anyone in my party has had other than the following.



I did break my ribs on a trip when my chair broke and I landed on some jagged rocks. It wasn't horrible though, and there isn't anything a doctor can do about it, so I kept on. I haven't carried a spot or whatnot ever but with my age now, I think it might not be a bad idea. "

I would consider breaking ribs a major injury. You must be one tough cookie! Sorry that that happened to you."

Tough cookie? No. I'm very good at self medicating. :)"

I didn't mean any disrespect or sarcasm. I just mean that, from my own experience, broken ribs are incredibly painful. That particular injury limited my physical capabilities significantly. That's why I consider it a major injury. So to hear someone suffer broken ribs in the BWCA and keep pushing on (although, what choice do you really have in that situation?), I admire your strength and resiliency.

I am struck again in reading through the thread that no one "pushed the button" even with broken ribs, head injuries, etc.

Unless you have a doc or nurse with you, the best even a WFA or WFR trained person can do is stabilize and triage. The person's health must always come first. We can't allow ourselves to adopt the mindset that "we can just tough it through".

I am responsible for three groups every year. . .16 men this year. If someone hit their head and had dizziness or severe head aches; broken ribs; vomiting; fever, etc. I will have no problem pushing the button

ockycamper: "I am struck again in reading through the thread that no one "pushed the button" even with broken ribs, head injuries, etc.


Unless you have a doc or nurse with you, the best even a WFA or WFR trained person can do is stabilize and triage. The person's health must always come first. We can't allow ourselves to adopt the mindset that "we can just tough it through".


I am responsible for three groups every year. . .16 men this year. If someone hit their head and had dizziness or severe head aches; broken ribs; vomiting; fever, etc. I will have no problem pushing the button"

Fortunately for me, my broken ribs didn’t occur on a BWCA trip. But I hear you, that’s a very tough injury to push through. I’m young and in great physical condition and that injury totally wrecked my life for a couple months.

I also understand that if you are "solo" you have to make these decisions on your own. When responsible for a group (or in my case three of them) we err on the side of caution. Fortunately for our groups, we have 3 WFA trained men as well as a medical doctor with us (ophthomlogist) who brings an array of antibiotics and suture kits. A couple of years ago I added a sat phone to my gear. That allows me to talk to a real doctor (even the injured man's doctor) and have them make the call shot. Also allows me to call the outfitter to bring a shuttle boat to the Red Rock portage (we base camp on Red Rock the last few years) and get the injured guy back to the outfitter to meet EMS personnel.

Does anyone have experience with the SOS capabilities standard with the iPhone 14?

Also a great book to read about Wilderness travel that includes lots of injury scenarios is The Falcon by John Tanner.

tmccann: "Does anyone have experience with the SOS capabilities standard with the iPhone 14?


Also a great book to read about Wilderness travel that includes lots of injury scenarios is The Falcon by John Tanner. "

tmccann,
No direct experience but I tried the demo feature on my iphone 14 and it was very helpful (go to settings, SOS, and scroll to "try demo"). I also found this Youtube video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dx1Wn7JpObM. It is really good on "how it works" in detail. I went in to paddle afterward and felt like I'd be fine if I needed to use it.