Wilderness First Aid Q&A - Scout Life magazine

How Do You Prevent and Treat Chigger Bites?

Q: What are red bugs or chiggers and how do you treat their bites?

Tasty Treat or Fatal Fruit? Here Are 5 Dangerous Wild Berries To Avoid

Never eat wild plants unless you know for sure what they are and how your body reacts to them.

How to Prevent and Treat Snake Bites

Snakebites present a potential danger in the outdoors. Here are steps to avoid a painful bite.

How to Prevent and Treat Tick Bites

Ticks are tiny, but they can case a lot of trouble. Here's how to be tick aware.

9 Things to Know About Wilderness First Aid

Here's how to Be Prepared to treat injuries and ailments in the backcountry.

Beware these beautiful flowers that can kill

Few of us are familiar with the seemingly innocent but mischievously potent poisonous flowers readily found nationwide. Ingestion of such plants is one of the top 10 causes of poisoning worldwide.

Are tarantulas dangerous?

Have you ever wondered what gives tarantuals their bad rep and why the site of one of these gargantuan spiders makes our skin crawl? You may be surprised to find out that the answer is not so obvious!

How to treat scorpion stings

Although the scorpion's venom is usually relatively harmless to humans, there are species of scorpions that can be lethal. Here's what to do if you get stung.

How to sled safely

What can you do to minimize your risk of getting hurt while still enjoying sledding on the new snowfall?

Preventing and treating rattlesnake bites

Most snake bites occur in the summer months when both snakes and humans are most active outdoors, with the greatest number of venomous bites occurring in southern and western states with warmer climates. Here's how to prevent and treat a snake bite.

How to prevent and treat skier’s thumb

Skier’s thumb is an injury to the ligament that runs between the two bones on the interior side of your thumb and holds the bones of the thumb together. The injury can occur when you fall on your outstretched hands while holding a ski pole, causing the thumb to either bend backwards or too far out to the side.

snowboarder falling backwards on her wrist

Why the Wrist Is at Risk in Winter Sports

Before the snow melts, get in all the snowboarding, ice-skating, skiing and sledding you can. Make sure to take precautions, though, so you don’t have to cut your fun short by having an unexpected slip on some ice!

Taking the chill out of chilblains

Chilblains, known more commonly as pernio, is a rare and painful response of our blood vessels to cold, specifically, in above freezing temperatures.

How wind chill makes you colder

What is really going on when a strong gust of wind picks up out of nowhere and makes it feel like the the temperature dropped 10 degrees – even though the reading on the thermometer has not changed?

How to Prevent and Treat Frostbite

Frostbite is the end result of cold-induced injury to our tissues, and it is much more common than one may think.

Are poinsettias poisonous?

There is a lot to get anxious about at Christmas time, but Poinsettia toxicity should not be at the top of your “naughty” list.

What are no-see-ums?

Biting midges can be a nuisance to campers, fishermen, hunters, hikers, gardeners, and others who spend time outdoors. Here's how to treat their bites.

Remove a Fishhook Safely

Find out how to treat common fishhook injuries.

Using a mouthguard to protect your teeth

While helmets, goggles and kneepads protect your head and body, it's also important to protect your teeth. A mouthguard is an easy, reliable way to safeguard your teeth during sports and play.

Preventing and treating blisters

Q: My ankles and soles of my feet get very sore when I walk for two miles. What can I do?

How to prevent or cure athlete’s foot

Q: Are there any good ways to prevent or cure athlete's foot?

How to treat Tinea Versicolor rash?

Q: I get a blotchy rash on my chest and back in the summer that my doctor told me is something called “Tinea Versicolor.” What causes that and how can I treat it?