The Natural First Aid Handbook

by Brigitte Mars

  If you are outside, stay there. If on a hill, watch for rock slides — getting to the top is safest. Keep away from tall buildings, trees, power lines, and any other collapsible object. Cover your head as much as possible. If the earthquake is strong enough to cause you to lose your balance, lie flat on the ground. Stay out of basements, subways, or tunnels, which could become blocked.

  If you’re in a car, stop and stay put. Dive for the floor, and crouch below the seat level if possible.

  When the earthquake has stopped, watch out for fallen cables, broken roads, and damaged buildings and bridges that could collapse. Aftershocks may follow.

  If your house seems okay, enter carefully (if outside during the quake), and check for fire, gas leaks, and water leaks. Don’t smoke or light a match. Use only a flashlight. Turn off gas, water, and electricity if you suspect any hazard or are advised to do so by local authorities.

  If your house is damaged, consider building a shelter from available debris. Some experts feel it’s safer to stay in a temporary shelter than return to a damaged building.

  Fire

  Depending on the circumstance, fire can put you in grave danger or save your life. Whether trapped in a burning building or huddled over a small flame on a cold night, it’s important to know fire’s habits and how to control it. Read on.

  When Your Clothing Is on Fire

  “Stop! Drop! Roll!” is the emergency adage that can save your life. It’s the fastest way to smother the flames.

  If you see someone running from a fire wearing burning clothes, stop the person and throw him or her to the ground, burning side up. Beat the flames downward, away from the head. Use water to douse the flames or smother the fire with a blanket, rug, coat, or drapes, but only after the person is on the ground. If water is unavailable, liquids such as milk may be used, but never spirits such as gin or whiskey. Avoid using a fire extinguisher, as it contains chemicals.

  After the fire is out, do not try to remove clothing stuck on the skin. Get medical assistance, and treat for shock or burns. Remove any smoldering clothing and any jewelry or tight clothes around the area of burns, as swelling may occur. Protect yourself — smoldering clothes can be hotter than the fire itself. Submerge any small burned areas in cold, slow running water for at least 10 minutes. Do not apply water to deep or widespread burns.

  Forest Fire

  If you’re trapped in a forest fire, your greatest danger is suffocation. Cup your hands over your nose and mouth to help cool down hot air and fend off sparks that can damage the respiratory system. Cover your head and body with a wet coat or blanket to protect your skin, and avoid dry vegetation, which can ignite easily.

  Forest fires burn more quickly uphill than downhill; they can travel uphill faster than a person can run. If you’re ever trapped uphill from flames, search for the largest open area possible and stay in the middle of it.

  If on foot, get low when flames are close. Jump into a body of water if possible, or a gully or ravine if you can find one. If you need to run through stands of trees, choose hardwoods rather than softwoods, as softwoods burn more rapidly. It is best to run through areas where there is little vegetation or run through an area that has already burned. Be on the lookout for falling branches and flying embers.

  If the fire’s coming your way and there’s no avoiding it, dig a hole for yourself in the ground, get in, and cover yourself with earth. People have survived fires by burying themselves in dirt and allowing the fire to burn on over them. Hold your breath as much as possible as the fire leaps over you if you’re in a gully or hole in the ground to avoid burning your lungs.

  Making a Fire

  Fire can keep dangerous animals away. Its smoke can repel insects, and its flames provide warmth and cook food. However, fire uses up natural resources, and campfires are a common cause of forest fires, so it is best to build one only if it’s really needed.

  To make a fire, you need a safe burning area, a spark, tinder, small kindling, and larger pieces of wood or other fuel.

  Site. To prepare an area for a fire, first clear away any surrounding brush. Dig a small fire pit or build a small circle of stones to contain the coals and ashes. When at a campsite where a fire pit already exists, use it rather than cause another burned spot in the camp area. Always have something handy to put the fire out if necessary.

  Spark. Matches are the easiest tool for sparking a fire. They should be stored in several waterproof containers and distributed throughout your supplies. That way, if you lose some of your pack, you’ll still have some matches available.

  You can also spark a fire with a flashlight battery and a small, thin piece of wire. Remove the wire’s insulation and, using a piece of wood or insulation to avoid getting burned, hold each end of the wire to an end of the battery. The wire will soon heat up. Hold the wire against some tinder and blow till it catches fire.

  You can also start a fire by focusing the sun’s rays onto a small pile of tinder with a magnifying glass or lens from a telescope or binoculars. And don’t forget the cigarette lighter in the car as a fire-starting source.

  Tinder. Tinder must be dry to ignite. Fire burns upward, so if you want the tinder to ignite, place it on top of the spark, rather than on the sides. Good sources of tinder include birch bark strips; abandoned bird’s nests; cedar bark; dry grass; dry moss; lichen; dead evergreen needles; feathers; pussy willow fuzz; dried puffball mushrooms; elder pith; down from cattail, milkweed, fireweed, and goldenrod; paper; resinous pine knots; straw; leaves; even shredded clothing fragments, cotton, or bandages from a first-aid kit. Dried pitch scraped from the outside of spruce, pine, or other conifers provides a powder that burns easily. If everything is wet, look for tinder at the base of trees or underneath rock overhangs.

  Kindling. Good sources of kindling include dry twigs from wood that burns fast and hot, such as alder, cedar, hemlock, pine, and willow. Softwood twigs flare quickly and are especially good.

  Wood. The ideal wood for a controlled, warming fire is slow and even burning. Good choices include beech, hickory, and oak. Middling choices include birch, fir, and maple. Standing deadwood is ideal for burning, as fallen wood will have collected lots of moisture. Damp wood, however, produces lots of smoke, which may be desirable if you want to drive off insects. Should you be without an ax, stouter branches or rotten logs can be broken by smashing them over a rock. Dried cattle or other animal dung, tumbleweed, and driftwood all are potential fuels.

  Fire building. Prepare the fire pit, then make a base of tinder and a tepee shape of kindling around it. Light the tinder. Blow gently as the tinder glows, adding more kindling in small amounts. As the kindling catches fire, add larger twigs. Add branches loosely so that there is adequate air circulation. Never add gasoline to get a fire going, as this can cause an explosion. Should a fire appear to go out during the night, clearing away some ashes may expose some hot coals still glowing that can be used to rebuild the fire. It is important to remember these coals when you leave your campsite: make sure the fire is completely extinguished.

  Flood

  When preparing your home for a flood, place sandbags along the outside thresholds of doors to reduce water invasion. Seal up the central heating flue and other ventilation ducts. Tape up windows if flooding is likely to be heavy, and seal off both exterior and interior doors with blankets, old carpet, or whatever else is available. Have something to signal with, such as a bright cloth. Turn off the gas and electricity. Gather emergency food supplies, drinking water in well-sealed containers, candles, waterproof matches, and warm clothes. Bring movable objects and outdoor furniture inside to reduce floating debris.

  If you’re trapped indoors by a flood, go to the top floor, taking with you anything that will float: wood, foam mattresses, spare tires, and the like. If possible, move your valuables up, too. Should you be relegated to the roof, set up a shelter. If it’s a sloping roof, tie everyone to a structure, such as the chimney. Be on the alert for floating snakes and other ani
mals, as well as boards with nails and other dangerous objects. Keep a flotation device with you. Remain where you are until the water stops rising.

  People have survived floods by tying themselves into a tree. Should water rise this high, be prepared to build a raft using anything that can float and any sheets or ropes that are available to tie things together.

  Food touched by floodwaters is deemed contaminated. Treat all drinking water before consuming. (See Water Shortage.)

  Ice Rescue

  Do not follow someone who is stuck out on thin ice, or has fallen through thin ice into the cold waters below, in a rescue attempt! In order to help the victim, you need to stay on the shore or on solid ice — you won’t be any use if you fall through as well. Instead, reach out from a safe location with a long, sturdy, lightweight tool — a light ladder is ideal. For even greater reach, you can tie a strong line to its lowest rung and slide the ladder out toward the stranded person. Ropes, buoys, and poles can all be used. You can even use a human chain, provided all the people lie on their stomachs to disperse their weight over the ice. Even after the person has been dragged to safety, the rescue may not be over. He or she may have inhaled water or may be suffering from hypothermia. Refer to Drowning, or Hypothermia.

  Lightning

  Lightning kills about three hundred people in the United States each year and seriously injures twice that many. It does not have to strike a person directly in order to kill. It can strike a long way from the storm with which it’s associated.

  If you get caught in an electrical storm, avoid moist areas, tall trees, lone boulders, and overhangs. If you are near a lone tree, boulder, or tall building, move away quickly — they can become channels for the lightning. If you’re at the mouth of a cave, get deeper into the cave. If you have to seek shelter among trees, do so in a large stand and crouch as low as possible. If you’re on top of a mountain, head for lower, level ground and kneel down.

  Stay away from metal objects such as fences, golf clubs, and umbrellas. Be wary of bridges. Remove any metallic objects you may be wearing.

  If your skin starts tingling and your hair stands on end, lightning may be about to strike where you’re standing. If out in the open, drop to the ground and lie flat to lessen your risk of being struck immediately. If you’re near a tall object and you can’t get away, kneel down, keeping your feet and knees close together on something dry like a piece of wood. Keep your feet off the ground and on the dry material. Bend over and hold your head to your knees, drawing in all your extremities so that very little of your body is in contact with the soil. Avoid placing your hands on the ground.

  If you’re swimming or in a boat when an electrical storm blows in, immediately get to shore. Water conducts electricity, and lightning can “spatter” when it hits something in the water — it disperses over a wide area upon impact. If you’re caught in a large boat and you can’t get to shore, go below deck. The helmsperson may need to stay at his or her post, but he or she should avoid touching anything metal.

  If you’re in a car when the storm hits, park safely, close the windows, and stay put. The wheels provide insulation from electrical charges.

  Once you find shelter, stay indoors until the storm is over. If you’re in a house or other building, stay away from open doors and windows, metal pipes, and electric conductors such as sinks and stoves. Unplug or refrain from using electric appliances. Lightning can enter through phone wires, so it is best not to use a landline telephone. It is generally considered safe to be inside a building, but isolated barns and sheds are a higher risk.

  Lost in the Wilderness

  Keep your head and do not panic if you’re lost in the wilderness. Check your map and consider the terrain you’ve just passed through. To help get your bearings, look at the vegetation around you. Depending on where you are, any of the following could work as nature’s directional tips:

  Most trees tend to lean to the east unless there are prevailing wind factors. Exception: Alders, poplars, and willows tend to lean to the south.

  Hemlocks, pines, and spruces are bushiest on their south side.

  Age rings in a stump are usually widest on the south side.

  Ant hills tend to be on the south side of trees and objects.

  Vegetation tends to be larger on northern slopes and smaller and denser on southern slopes.

  Moss (not lichens) will usually be found growing on the north side of tree trunks, especially if the tree is out in the open and is exposed to sunlight.

  As the sun sets in the west, north is on the right side of the sun.

  Woodpeckers tend to peck into the east side of trees.

  If you are lost, it’s best to stay where you are — search teams will find it easier to gauge the area where you might be if you don’t move around too much. If you do move, look for something that indicates the presence of people — a road, building, or power line. If you’re with friends, don’t split up. Take turns hollering or blowing a whistle. Leave signs of your route — deliberate footprints, bent branches, bits of fabric. If lost in a forested area, stay in the openings to make it easier for rescue aircraft to spot you. The sign recognized for distress is three whistles, gunshots, or light flashes.

  Walk downhill in a straight line. Keep streams within earshot, but don’t walk right next to them. Following them too closely could lead into dangerously deep ravines. Follow a watercourse downstream, as this is more likely to lead to a populated area. Once on level ground, there may be animal trails beside the water, which will be easy to follow. Should you find a road, it’s wise to follow it, even if it isn’t the right road.

  When it gets dark, stay put and light a fire if possible (see Making a Fire). Traveling at night is not recommended because you can encounter too many hazards. Ideally, set up camp an hour before nightfall. (Note: If you happen to be lost in the desert, the opposite is true — do your traveling at night, when it’s cool, and find a spot with some shade for resting during the day.)

  Be Prepared

  Always venture into a wilderness area with waterproof outer clothing, some food, water, a hat, gloves, a map and compass, waterproof matches or lighter, whistle, flashlight, first-aid kit, paper and pencil, and a large plastic trash bag, which can serve as a rain poncho or mini-tent.

  Check weather reports before leaving. Always tell someone where you are going and when you expect to return. If you’re exploring from a campsite, leave a note detailing your plans and who is in your party. Then, as you move, keep track of where you are with a map, pencil, and compass. Or draw a map as you go, indicating significant landmarks.

  Foraging for Food

  In case you’re ever stuck in the woods without supplies, don’t worry about your next meal. You’re surrounded by edible plants.

  Acorns can be shelled and soaked in running stream water for 24 hours to leach out bitter tannins, then ground into meal. They can also be boiled in several changes of water or roasted as a coffee substitute.

  Cattails are one of the best wild food plants — just be sure to avoid collecting from polluted waters. Flour can be made from peeled, dried roots. The new, white sprouts can be eaten raw or cooked. Young shoots are peeled and cooked as a vegetable. Pollen spikes must be cooked, and then they can be eaten like corn on the cob.

  Cattail sprouts

  Dandelions are versatile. Young leaves can be eaten in salads; blossoms can be cooked or eaten raw. If older leaves are used, boil in two changes of water to remove the bitter principles. Roots can be cleaned and cooked like carrots. Roasted roots are used as a coffee substitute.

  Lamb’s-quarters are packed with iron and beta-carotene. Eat raw in salads. Cook like spinach. Seeds can be ground into a flour. Can be fed to animals as fodder.

  Lamb’s-quarters

  Mustard plants can add spice to your diet. The greens can be cooked and the flowers eaten raw. Young leaves may be finely chopped and added to salads. Older leaves can be cooked as a green vegetable. Flowers are edible.


  Pine nuts, though small, are a delicacy. They can be harvested from the insides of pinecones.

  Seaweeds are full of minerals and fiber, and most are edible. Collect only those growing, not what washes up onshore. Reject any that smell bad or cause skin irritation when crushed with the fingers. Rinse in fresh water if possible. Seaweed can be dried for later use but will quickly decay when remoistened.

  Wild mustard

  Trees that have edible inner barks, buds, and shoots (usually best in spring and eaten raw) include aspens and poplars (Populus spp.), linden (Tilia americana), birch (Betula spp.), maple (Acer spp.), spruce (Picea spp.), and willow (Salix spp.).

  Eating in the Wild

  Do not eat unfamiliar wild foods unless it’s an absolute emergency. Better yet, as part of your preparation process, buy a good wild foods identification book and practice some wild food cookery as part of your regular diet.

  Do not assume that because a bird or animal eats a food that humans can also eat it. Avoid mushrooms altogether unless you are already an expert. Avoid plants with milky sap.

  If you’re in a group, one person at a time should test a potential food plant. First rub some of the plant’s juices on a tender part of the body, such as the inside of the elbow or under the arm. If swelling, redness, or irritation occurs, don’t eat that one. Rub a bit of a crushed plant around the inside of the lower lip. Place a smaller than fingernail-size piece on the tip of the tongue and wait 5 minutes. If any burning or swelling occurs discard the plant. If no signs of toxicity have occurred, take a larger piece of the plant (about 2 inches or 5 cm), chew, and swallow. Wait 2 hours. Be on the alert for nausea or diarrhea. If either occurs, eat no more. If all seems okay, repeat the process with a larger portion of the plant, about 6 inches (15 cm). If no ill effects are noticed, the plant is probably safe to eat.