Ready for an emergency? on QuizRevolution

Heat exhaustion is common among people exerting themselves on humid days when the air temperature is near the body's normal temperature, says Dr. James Wilkerson III, a pathologist from Merced, Calif., and editor of the book "Medicine for Mountaineering."

Stop exercising, get in some shade and drink plenty of fluids. If you wear a cap, take it off to vent your head. Heat illness left untreated can develop into heat stroke, which is a real medical emergency.

When a hotspot or new blister begins to form, you should try to treat it by covering the pinkish, tender area with moleskin or molefoam.

If you must continue your activity and you think the blister will burst, you should pop it and cover it, says podiatrist (foot doctor) Michael King. The pain of a blister comes from the pressure of fluid building up under the skin.

Make a needle or knife blade tip as clean as possible using heat or alcohol. Wash your foot with soap and water, then gently pierce the skin. Drain the fluid (don't squeeze a blister; that can make it spread). Apply antibiotic ointment, then Spenco 2nd Skin Dressing, moleskin or molefoam.

Don't pull off the loose skin left behind, warns Dr. King, because you'll expose nerve endings (which will really hurt) and open the area for infection. "Your own skin is a wonderful natural bandage," he says.

If you get too cold on a hike, you can be in for serious trouble, explains Dr. Bruce Paton of the Wilderness Medical Society. You could get hypothermia, a medical condition in which your body temperature drops from its usual 98.6 degrees. And it doesn't need to be winter: Dr. Paton says as many summer hikers get hypothermia as winter hikers. Summer hypothermia victims get into trouble because they aren't prepared.

"A T-shirt and jeans is probably the worst possible way to dress for a hike," Dr. Paton says. (Wet cotton does not hold body heat and takes forever to dry.)

Get to a shelter. "If people get taken out of the (bad) environment, the body will start to take care of things on its own," Dr. Paton says. Put on warm, waterproof and windproof clothes. You'll shiver for a while, but shivering is good -- it's the body's way of warming itself.

The hook has to come out. One way: Push the hook in until its barb comes out of the flesh. Using pliers, mash the barb flat. (Never pull out a hook with the barb intact.) Now back out the hook.

Wash the wound, and bandage your thumb. Check with a doctor to see if you need a tetanus shot.

As tempting as it might be to try to find your own way out, doing so will just make it harder for anyone to find you, says Martha Lenz, co-author of "Mountaineering First Aid."

"When a rescue team comes looking for you, you might actually be moving away from them," she explains.

Instead, find a secure spot nearby. You might build a lean-to or take shelter under the branches of a fir or pine tree.

"Stay warm and dry," Ms. Lentz advises. "Half the battle is fought right there."

Dr. Lowney says, "Remember the ABC's." A stands for airway; make sure the unconscious person's neck isn't bent in such a way that it blocks the air passage. B reminds you to make sure that the person is breathing. C stands for cardiac; check for a pulse. If A, B and C are OK, then watch the unconscious person until medical help arrives.

If there's no breathing or pulse, you have to help. Have someone call for an ambulance. If you think the person's not breathing because the airway is bent, you may have to reposition his neck. Genly move him so he's lying on his back; in this position, the windpipe will be clear. If you can't find a pulse, you may have to perform cardiopulmonary respiration (CPR). If you're not CPR-trained, find someone who is -- fast.

Before you set out camping, know the environment you're going to be in and what kind of wildlife lives there, says Curt Carter of Illinois's Touch Nature Environmental Center. "If I was camping on the upper peninsula (of Michigan), that could be a bear. But in southern Illinois, chances are it's a raccoon or a possum, or rarely, a coyote."

Most likely your camp visitor is a deer or a raccoon, which will be startled away if you talk, jingle some keys or turn on a flashlight, Mr. Carter says. The best way to discourage nighttime visitors is to run "a clean and tidy camp," Mr. Carter says. Prepare and cook your food in an area separate from your sleeping area. Dispose of trash properly. Make sure you don't have food in your tent or backpack.

"If fire or a spark ignites your clothing, stop where you are, drop to the ground -- covering your face if you can -- and roll over and over or back and forth until the flames are out," says Susan McKelvey, spokeswoman for the National Fire Protection Association. "You don't want someone running around and flailing." The air fuels the fire.

Make sure everyone knows what to do ahead of time. "In a lot of instances," she says, "it's too late to start practicing."

It's not enough for water to look pure. Even clear-running mountain streams can make you sick (from animal waste upstream, for example).

When you pack for a hike, bring some way of purifying water (or bring plenty of bottled water). Water filters are fast and easy ways of cleaning water. Iodine tablets also work well, as does boiling the water for at least three minutes.

This is a case in which a well-stocked first-aid kit comes in handy. Clean the skin around the cut with antiseptic if you've got it. Clean the wound itself thoroughly with clean water. Then bandage your hand loosely. There's no need to use a tight bandage or a tourniquet. If you cut a tendon, get medical attention immediately.

If you need stitches, don't try to stitch the wound yourself, says Dr. Wilkerson. You risk infection and damaging your hand. Seek a pro's help.

"You're your own best rescuer," says Wayne Dickert, 39, Eagle Scout and U.S. Olympic Canoe and Kayak Team member.

If you're in an open canoe, Mr. Dickert says, first get your bearings: Ensure you're safe and not about to be smashed against rocks or another obstacle. Try to hang onto your canoe and paddle, and swim to shore. Don't walk; it's easy to catch a foot between rocks and get trapped.

"Most people get into trouble by trying to stand in the current," Mr. Dickert says.

What about your gear? Before you shove off, tie everything to the canoe, making sure ropes don't have dangling tails that you can get tangled in.

If you're active, there's a good chance that someday you'll twist or sprain an ankle. Follow these basic first-aid steps from Dr. Timothy Lowney of Canton, Mass.: Keep weight off the foot, put ice on the ankle and keep it immobilized until you get a chance to see a doctor.