Checklist of Medicines and First Aid Equipment that You Must Bring When Climbing a Mountain

Climbing the mountain does have a very big risk. Because this outdoor activity drains almost all of what is in our bodies, from energy to mind and soul. In fact, it is not uncommon for some climbers to experience problems while climbing, such as muscle cramps, falls, injuries due to sharp branches or rocks, and other accidents due to extreme climbing terrain.

The weather on the mountain also makes the climbers have to feel chills and symptoms of hypothermia. Not only that, but sometimes you also feel an uncompromising stomach (diarrhea), cough due to cold weather, fatigue, to mild mental disorders. Therefore, before climbing the mountain, one must prepare physically, mentally, and also safety equipment and equipment. Don't forget to also bring medicine, yes or what we can call P3K (First Aid for Singles), er, I mean Accident.

So, this time, Explore Again, we will discuss first aid kits and medicines that must be brought when climbing the mountain. This is to avoid unwanted events that are even worse when there are problems in the form of accidents or problems in our bodies. So, let's talk about first aid kits and emergency medicines that must be brought when climbing the mountain.

1. First aid kits for treating external wounds

In the mountains, accidents often occur because of the extreme terrain, ranging from falling, hitting rocks, falling, to slipping and being hit by sharp twigs and rocks. This sometimes makes wounds in several parts of our bodies ranging from bruises, cuts, stabs, and other external injuries.

Peralatan P3K untuk luka luar - foto Freepik

Therefore, when climbing the mountain we must bring the equipment used to treat external wounds so that infection and bleeding do not occur. This equipment usually comes in a package in the first aid kit which consists of Plaster, Gauze, Triangular Bandage Cloth (Mitella), Cotton, Scissors, Red Medicine, and Antiseptic Liquid or Alcohol.

Usually, when an external wound occurs, we must use alcohol to clean the wound and kill germs so that infection does not occur. Then after it is clean, pour the red medicine and cover it with cotton and then wrap it with gauze, and finally use plaster to keep the gauze bandage from loosening and coming off.

That's for moderate wounds but if you have a wound that is large or heavy, you can wrap it again with Mitella cloth (triangular bandage) which does have a function to bandage the wound and avoid more serious injury.

For minor wounds such as scratches with only a small amount of blood, all you have to do is clean them with alcohol then give red medicine and stick the plaster. Oh yes, if there is plaster with funny pictures, such as a picture of a dino, a picture of Lope, and other pictures so that they can be displayed on social media when I get a signal with the caption, "Here, guys, the proof is that I went up the mountain in blood", eh.

2. Mandatory Medicines

In addition to the above equipment, we also have to bring our first aid kits, which are usually used in an emergency. And it is usually used to overcome problems in our bodies such as cold (chills), stomach errors, problem eyes, and other things related to internal injuries, but if the heart is injured because of being left by him, it's different, eh.

Obat-obatan wajib pendaki gunung - foto Freepik

So, here are some first aid drugs that you must and must take when climbing a mountain, namely,

- Cough medicine

This cough medicine must be brought because the higher a place is, the colder the weather conditions, where this cold condition for some people will make the throat feel itchy and end up coughing. Most of the people who experience coughing on this mountain are because our acclimatization has not been perfect. Because there is a difference in extreme weather when we are in the mountains where we are used to the hot air in the city suddenly going to the mountains so it is puoool cold.

So when a cough strikes, you can immediately drink cough medicine and warm water. That's why it's really mandatory to bring cough medicine in the first aid kit when climbing the mountain. Especially if you have a history of cough. For the brand of cough medicine, it can be adjusted according to the suitability of each, yes or, the general one.

- Diarrhea and ORS

It is undeniable that the risk of getting diarrhea in the mountains is indeed very open, especially if we eat the wrong food (eating the delicious chili sauce that most of our friends bring) then it could end up being an upset stomach and eventually going back and forth in the bush tents continuously like iron.

That's why we have to bring diarrhea medicine and ORS purchased at pharmacies or drug stores to anticipate this. Because believe me, diarrhea or stomach pain will be dangerous if you are on the mountain because it will definitely become weak and can also damage the atmosphere of the climb. Fyi, ORS itself is not a medicine to cure diarrhea but to increase the electrolytes in the body that are lost due to diarrhea.

Anyway, just additional tips if you forget to take your diarrhea medicine or ORS on the mountain and happen to have diarrhea. Don't worry, you can make your own ORS. The trick is to make hot tea water then add a tablespoon of salt and sugar and mix well. After it becomes warm, you can drink it slowly, then don't forget to rest in the tent.

- Medicine for headache

Headaches are really excruciating, especially if they happen when you are in the mountains and you forget to take your headache medicine, it will be very painful. Therefore, we must be ready and always carry headache medicine when we go to the mountains to anticipate this headache.

Remember, this headache medicine is only suitable for headaches due to migraines or disturbances in the head that cause the head to feel throbbing. But if you have a headache due to being left by him, this won't be suitable.

- Cold medicine

In the mountains, especially at night, the weather gets colder but it's not as cold as his attitude, eh. But even so for those who are used to the hot weather in the city, it will feel very cold. Then in the end the cold wind even enters the body at will and you catch a cold.

Therefore, you must always bring cold medicine when climbing the mountain. And don't forget before going to bed and before the summit attack if you can take cold medicine first, so you can be a smart person, eh. This means that the wind can come out of our bodies.

In addition, cold medicine can also improve the condition of the body to be warmer and also help increase endurance if taken 2 times a day.

- Flu medicine

In addition to coughing and catching a cold, the cold weather in the mountains can also make you catch a cold. Especially after a tiredtiringtired tiring day of walking carrying heavy loads on your shoulders, at night it was attacked by cold air right at the camp. It could be that you will get flu symptoms or even flu.

And the way to overcome this is of course by filling the stomach with food then taking cold medicine and finally resting by wearing a warm sleeping bag. Don't forget to drink warm drinks too so that the flu gets better quickly.

- Eye drops

These eye drops are needed when you summit attack to the top of the mountain or when you are on a sandy hiking trail. Because usually during a summit attack and on a sandy path, the wind that blows will carry fine grains of sand and in the end make our eyes squint and even become irritated.

Well, that's when the eye drops take action to make your eyes clear and not red and sore anymore. So what if you don't bring eye drops? Yes, you can wash your face and eyes using water, but the water on the mountain is very valuable, especially during the summit attack, where most of the climbers run out of drinking water. Is it time to wash your face? It's better to just bring eye drops, it's safer for the eyes too.

- Muscle Pain Cream or Wasp Oil

Because climbing this mountain is closely related to walking for hours on various tracks while carrying loads on the shoulders. So sometimes the leg muscles and shoulder muscles are unable to withstand the load and fatigue which results in cramps and sprains.

And to overcome and minimize this incident other than by walking leisurely, namely by using muscle pain cream or wasp oil. Besides being used when muscles cramp, it turns out that muscle pain cream can also be used or applied when going to sleep so that the muscles relax and don't tense up like you when you first met him, eh.

Although it has the same function, it turns out that wasp oil also has other advantages over muscle pain creams. Where when the muscle pain cream is no longer hot, aka cold, the part of the skin that was previously smeared will also become colder. Meanwhile, the hot wasp oil is more stable and durable and doesn't make the quiz cold when it's not hot anymore.

Anyway, just some tips that I got from the Mount Gede Pangrango basecamp people about wasp oil. Before starting the climb, you can apply enough wasp oil to both legs to the calves so that the muscles don't tense up and make them warm. The same thing is also done when you want to sleep at camp and when you just arrive at basecamp after coming down the mountain. This is done to minimize and even eliminate the feeling of soreness after climbing the mountain which is usually the suffering of climbers. Right at work, the walk becomes slow because all the legs are sore. So, these tips can be treated so that you don't get sore after going up and down the mountain.

- Eucalyptus Oil or Fresh Care

Just like muscle pain cream and wasp oil, bu eucalyptus oil and fresh care are used on the head or body. Because the air conditions in the mountains tend to be colder and the air pressure is low sometimes it makes the body uncomfortable because the cold is mixed with sweat. In addition, the head began to cramp because of fatigue, and which also the oxygen supply was running low.

Then we can apply eucalyptus oil or fresh care to our heads or to our bodies to make it warmer and calmer with its aromatherapy. In addition, eucalyptus oil can also be used to relieve colds, coughs, and respiratory problems and can reduce joint problems, and also protect against forest insects.

- Vitamin

Well, if this one depends on each mountain climber, yes. Because sometimes someone brings it and it doesn't matter. But we suggest that you just take the weight lightly, not as heavy as your family's, eh.

It is recommended to take vitamin C and vitamin B complex when climbing a mountain because our body will lose a lot of fluids and also really need vitamin B complex and vitamin C to restore body cells damaged by strenuous mountain climbing activities.

It is recommended to drink the vitamins right when you are going to bed and when you are about to start the summit attack to maximize the absorption of the benefits.

3. Personal Medicine

In addition to the medicines above and also the first aid kit, you are also really obliged to bring your personal medicines. Especially if you have a history of certain diseases that can recur while climbing the mountain.

Obat-Obatan Pribadi - Foto by thiagorsphoto via Freepik

For example, you have a history of having asthma, so as much as possible before climbing the mountain you should consult with a doctor to check and prepare what things and medications you should take when climbing the mountain. The bias is for asthmatics, it is mandatory to bring asthma medicine, breathing apparatus, and it is safer to carry small portable oxygen just in case during the summit attack.

Then for those who have a history of heart disease, as much as possible bring personal medicines to minimize the recurrence of heart disease during the climb. Because indeed mountain climbing will make the heart work harder than usual because we are forced to keep moving which makes the heart rate also increase.

For other diseases, don't forget to bring your own medicine, because there are no pharmacies or clinics on the mountain. There are only challenging tracks, peaks, trees, clear starry skies, forest dwellers, the togetherness and warmth of fellow climbers, and also a mate if lucky, eh.

So we have to know first and know ourselves whether we have a history of illness or disease and also have to take the medicine to anticipate if we are in a state of climbing we experience a relapse for the disease we are suffering from.

But for those who have heart disease because they left him in marriage, you don't have to take any medicine, let alone take photos with him in the past as well as historical items that he gave him for a long time. It's better if you just leave it and donate it to an orphanage or give it to the security guard at the complex, that's okay.

Let you calmly climb the mountain and get the medicine for your broken heart on the mountain. Because the mountain will hug you like a mother with its warmth and help you forget the one who has left. Then mountain climbing will also teach you to be tougher than usual, stronger than usual, and calmer than stagnant water.

Don't you climb mountains to heal and heal the inner wounds that are so deep and gloomy in your life. So step up and leave him who has left you who so hoped for him to stay but instead left. So suppose he has died and it's time for you to leave the past and look to the future by struggling. As you struggle to reach the highest point on the top of the mountain you climb.

4. Blanket Emergency

For additional equipment, this is closely related to equipment for survivors if something unexpected happens. For example, being separated from the group, getting lost, falling into a ravine, getting caught in a storm and almost hypothermia, and other things. So as much as possible we have to bring some additional equipment, namely.

Emergency Blanket - foto U-Buy

Emergency Blankets are used for emergencies such as cold or developing hypo symptoms. Well, this emergency blanket is indeed used to wrap ourselves when in an emergency so that more dangerous things don't happen, such as being exposed to hypothermia.

There are two types of emergency blankets, namely emergency blanket silver and emergency blanket gold. Both have different functions where the silver is useful for maintaining body temperature to stay warm and is used when there are is a cold or symptoms of hypo.

Meanwhile, gold is used to reflect heat from the outside like the sun and keep the body cooler. It is more suitable for use when the sun's heat is extreme, especially when at the top of the mountain. Because this emergency blanket gold has a gold color in its layer and can reflect the sun's heat and make the wearer cooler and not too hot.

And maybe it's rare for people to wear emergency blanket gold in Indonesia because the heat at the top of the mountain can still be restrained by the body even though they have to bring souvenirs with their charred faces and cracked skin peeling off after returning home. Meanwhile, for an emergency, silver blankets are more often used because of the many cases of hypothermia that occur to mountain climbers. Even the SAR team sometimes uses this silver blanket emergency when evacuating hypothermic climbers on the mountain.

Those are some first aid kits, drugs, and additional first aid kits that you must bring when you want to climb a mountain. Of course, to minimize the risks that occur and make our climb safer and more enjoyable. So before climbing, make sure to first check the contents of your first aid kit and don't miss the checklist above.

Keep Spirit and Stay Safe

Regards Lestari