Sick When Camping

Roybrew

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Do to my recent event has got me thinking. Has anyone been out camping a long ways off and got sick? If the weather isn't the best and a person has a fever, that would really suck! Just being at home, feverish, is still a problem because of lack of movement and your basic motor skills. I haven't had a cold or anything in 3 years. I was just curious what experiences others may have had.
Roy

The Great Outdoors
 

Northern Dancer

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Yep. I'd been one of those. We were on a trip into the interior when I felt strange and out of sorts. When we arrived at our site I set up my tent, got the sleep system organized, and surrendered for almost three days. I had a bit of a fever and just felt lousy. The group carried on after I assured them rest and lots of liquids would help, and I would be okay. What was ironic when I was feeling better it began to rain and did so for two days straight. It's all experience.
 

Northern Dancer

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Your circumstance brings up a good point Roybrew.

Contingency plans.
Healthy people do get ill even when they don't want to.
But rarely are emergency plans discussed.
I guess because I'm older I'm more cognizant of situations that could occur.
So my first aid kit is more than the standard.
Things like tick tweezers, thermometers, aspirin, cold/hot compresses, and a generally more functional first aid kit is now a must.
Each group participant carries a full identification/information list including all medications and contact persons.
We know where the nearest emergency station is and we have all the local emergency numbers.
We pay attention to the weather, food preparation, and hygiene and are aware of any specific dangers - including bear warnings,
and poisonous plants that might inhabit the area we are headed for.
Most, if not all participants have a first aid course under their belt.



 
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ppine

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I made a trip to Yellowstone back in the 1970s. We were planning to backpack in Hayden Valley with a friend who had worked in the Park. By the time I got to Ystone I had a really bad fever. Never made it to the backcountry, but recovered after awhile enough to have a good camping trip.
 

Roybrew

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Glad you salvaged some of your trip Ppine. Did you make it to your destination or did you have other options?

Contingency Plans, I never thought of having one. Good idea to have one even for a short, simple trip

I've had one time when I started to feel sick. I was alone camping in a primitive spot at a camp ground (more like an RV lot) That's why I wanted the primitive spot because it was away from all that. It was maybe midnight and I started feeling sick. I looked out the tent door and saw the pines being pushed back and forth in the wind. I knew rain was coming in a couple of hours. Even though my aches and dizziness protested, I got up and started picking camp up. I hate packing up in the rain, so now was as good as time as any. I drove my truck and boat trailer 3/4 of a mile to the public boat launch, the camp ground didn't have one. I felt better moving around then laying in my sleeping bag. I walked back to retrieve my boat, and loaded it on the trailer. It was maybe 1:30am and there wasn't a soul around, so I could take my time loading and securing the boat. Now a 3 hour drive home. I was ok on the quiet, almost deserted, highways. I sure didn't want to get on an interstate. The only obstacle was get through Knoxville. I figured that wouldn't be a problem at 3 am, but I screwed up and got off on the University of TN drive, this is the main rode that leads me home but I should've avoided it on a Saturday morning. Just wasn't thinking about about all the college students out. There must've been an incident at one of the restaurants or something because the police were everywhere. The traffic lights are timed to slow traffic down in the event of a shooting or other major incident. It was awful pulling a boat through all that while feeling sick. I was stable feeling with no motor function issues, if not I wouldn't have tried driving home. I made it about 30 minutes from home and had to pull over. I stopped at a well lit boat launch where it looked like they getting ready for a tournament. Great place to stop and sleep. After sleeping for a couple of hours, it's daylight and I was on my way home. Luckily everything was stored under my bedcover, so I didn't worry about getting soaked in the rain. I slept till late in the afternoon.

I haven't done any real extreme back country camping. Most of what I do is boat or drive in, and most times I go where I can at least send a text message in emergency. A text will usually go through with minimal cell signal. I'll take at least 2 gallons, plus, of drinking water. I don't have a water filter, I've not had any need for one yet. I do take water purification tablets for dishes and bathing.

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Northern Dancer

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Your story Roybrew reminded me of the time when I was at Calumate [Boy Scouts of America International Jamboree]. I was a chaplain at the time for the five thousand scouts who were attending. I became really sick and was in excruciating pain.

In spite of the fact I was assigned a medic, who stood beside me for the whole service, as soon as it ended, I went home. From Pennsylvania to Cambridge Memorial Hospital, 320 miles nonstop. My driver reported to me later that he was so nervous that something would go wrong and prayed all the way home.

The excruciating pain that I was experiencing turned out to be a kidney stone. I'm happy to report that I was able to expel it from the body without any kind of surgery. At the time, for whatever reason, the attending physician, [a woman] said to me, "Now you know what it is like to experience birthing." I wasn't sure what that was all about but I was glad to be home.
 
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