One of the most challenging aspects of wilderness medicine is patient transportation. Terrain, lack of personnel, minimal equipment, weather, safety concerns, and patient condition are all factors that can complicate extraction out of the wilderness to definitive care. If a helicopter or other mechanical transportation is not available, extraction times can extend into many hours, even days. But creativity and awareness can carry a long way.
First and foremost, self evacuation and the best kind of evacuation. It is preferable if a person can evacuate themselves under their own will power safely and without causing further harm to themselves. This avoids unnecessary risk and resource deployment involved with larger evacuation operations.
Transportation in an austere environment becomes increasingly difficult when a patient can not walk, and even more challenging when full spinal immobilization is needed. Professional rescue teams often use a variety of specially designed litters to carrying a patient over terrain obstacles. Terrain obstacles might include steep cliff faces, boulder fields, cervasses, narrow canyons, and bodies of water.
Do you know how to move someone with a neck or back injury? Learn how here.
Improvised stretchers can be difficult to make without prior knowledge or practice, but it is not impossible. A rope litter is a great example of an improvised stretcher and there are several different methods of tying one. Other improvised sketchers are possible, but again, practice beforehand is key. Here are four examples for you to test out at home:
The Rope Stretcher
 |  |  |
1. Find the middle of the rope. Lay down a zig-zag pattern that is 1 foot wider and 1 foot longer than your patient’s width and height.
2. Attach the rope ends along the each loop using clove hitches.
3. Thread any remaining rope through the loops. Poles or branches may be threaded through the loops for extra stability.
2. Attach the rope ends along the each loop using clove hitches.
3. Thread any remaining rope through the loops. Poles or branches may be threaded through the loops for extra stability.
Find out how to stop a bleed in the wilderness with these simple but life saving techniques
The Tarp Stretcher
 |  |  |
1. Lay tarp flat. Place a pole or branch at the ⅓ position.
2. Fold this ⅓ section over the pole. Place the other pole on top.
3. Fold the remaining ⅓ over this pole. The weight of your patient should hold the tarp into place
2. Fold this ⅓ section over the pole. Place the other pole on top.
3. Fold the remaining ⅓ over this pole. The weight of your patient should hold the tarp into place
The Jacket Stretcher
 |  |  |
1. Fully zip and invert the sleeves of at least two jackets (more may be used).
2. Thread poles of branches through the sleeves.
3. For added stability, reinforce the stretcher with cross support.
2. Thread poles of branches through the sleeves.
3. For added stability, reinforce the stretcher with cross support.
The Duct Tape Stretcher
 |  |  |
1. With two poles or branches, make four horizontal duct tape straps. The sticky side of the tape should be stuck together for stronger straps.
2. Create one long tape strap down the middle.
3. Create diagonal straps between each horizontal strap.
2. Create one long tape strap down the middle.
3. Create diagonal straps between each horizontal strap.
The Base Medical team decided to test and review some these popular improvised stretchers. They evaluated the time, resources, and technique it took to make these stretchers. Find the video of this test here below. We were very surprised!
RSS Feed