worst bushcraft injury

[Dale_jonez]

random question but whats everyone's worst injury while practicing bushcraft of any sort ....?

[Silverback]

cut finger....so far

[Dale_jonez]

i cut a 2inch gash into the palm of my left hand last week, while carving on a piece of wood. the blade hit a knot on the wood and bounced off onto my hand! dumb i know haha

[AL...]

Splinter in my thumb ... Could hadrly roll a smoke for hours!!


Cheers
AL

[Dale_jonez]

haha Al poor you :p

[FishyFolk]

Cut finger....

[sam_acw]

Cut a flap of skin near my wrist when I slipped whilst sharpening an axe.

[paulthefish2009]

Cut finger for me too.......theres a pattern starting to form here!!! Paul

[FishyFolk]

I think a hefty donation from the Adhesive bandage industry to the Natural Bushcraft website is in order. This since it's becoming pretty clear who is keeping the industry allive :-)

[Paul De Fitter]

Splinter in my thumb ... Could hadrly roll a smoke for hours!!
:happy-clapping:

About 2 years ago I gave my left thumb a good slice with my clipper (it's a good sharp knife).
I applied bandage's & duct tape and carried on, the next day at home I used sterry strips (I don't know how to spell sterry strips ! ) I now carry them in my FAK.

[Silverback]

You can use duck tape in lieu of steri strips - just cut it into strips

[BJ]

I was severely hurt after making my first spoon and showing my wife. Well I thought is was pretty anyway.

[admo919]

my worst injury...... the hole in my pocket! there always seems to be an upgrade to a piece of equipment required :)

[Ichneumon]

6704

I found this on another forum. Moral of the story: Be sure to kneel down when using a Small Forest Axe.

[paulthefish2009]

At least his blade was sharp by the looks of it ! Paul

[f0rm4t]

Burned the tips of my fingers on moving a log into the fire that was actually already molten! Dh'o! ;)

[AdrianRose]

Burned the tips of my fingers on moving a log into the fire that was actually already molten! Dh'o! ;)

Oh brother. I've done that so many times and I still haven't learnt from it yet.

What is it that makes me think that even tho the log is glowing red I can still lift it with my bare hand to rearrange it.

Ade.

[jbrown14]

Most common bushcraft injury so far: wounds from sharp and shiny things.

Mine: yup, same thing.

Common thread I'd be willing to bet on: using sharp and shiny things while tired, dehydrated, and/or hungry.

For me, that's when I seem to get into the most trouble. I have to remind myself to stop, have a snack, take a drink, have a rest and get my head clear. Too often I forget, though until my nice, new saw has raked across my knuckles because I've thought "heck, I can cut this dead tree by holding it vertically and reach above my head to cut it in half...makes sense to me right now..."

All the best!

Josh

[Ehecatl]

Severely injured pride. My first over night in a hammock and I had it strung up too tight. I couldn't get into it sober never mind after a few beers. My "mates" have never let me forget it and I'm sure the number of my failed entry attempts goes up each time they tell the story.

I'm sure the tale will be re-cycled yet again at the South East meet in March.

M@

[comanighttrain]

https://fbcdn-sphotos-f-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/204734_10150531949610058_7869476_o.jpg

Willie-finger!

Was cooking up some muscles, dad calls, turn away from the fire and lost track of time, turned back and picked up the crusader *tsssssssst*

[Kernowek Scouser]

Not strictly bushcraft, but while out on a wander the weekend before Xmas, unintentionally bounce 30 odd feet down a cliff.

Luckily, I was already wearing brown trousers, so I kept my dignity, but my girlfriend remains convinced I did it on purpose, to get out of spending Boxing Day with her family.

Other than that, as above just cuts from sharps, splinters from wood carving and the occasional burnt thumb trying to light a fire.

[ian c]

Luck would have it i have not injured myself whilst doing bushcraft but i have had many a cut off a knife i even took the top of my knuckle with my sharp clasp knife and made the medic sick when i pulled the flap of skin back.

[BJ]

Severely injured pride. My first over night in a hammock and I had it strung up too tight. I couldn't get into it sober never mind after a few beers. My "mates" have never let me forget it and I'm sure the number of my failed entry attempts goes up each time they tell the story.

I'm sure the tale will be re-cycled yet again at the South East meet in March.

M@

Tales like that should never be allowed to die. ;)

[Bernie]

Few near misses with sharps, but I guess my lack of experience shows in my lack of accidents. Lord knows I've had a few whilst working with wood in my garage, like opening up a flap on my palm with the belt sander during the past Christmas break. It's healing now... slowly.

[Tigger004]

Sounds like I should run an HSE course, my wife is the National S.H.E coordinator for a huge company if you lot think you need it....

round ended scissors and safety knives for our meetings then it won't be like a scene from psycho...haha eliminate the hazard and reduce the risk

[Silverback]

Severely injured pride. My first over night in a hammock and I had it strung up too tight. I couldn't get into it sober never mind after a few beers. My "mates" have never let me forget it and I'm sure the number of my failed entry attempts goes up each time they tell the story.

I'm sure the tale will be re-cycled yet again at the South East meet in March.

M@


Mmmm me too.... I misjudged the width of my new hammock at last weekends meet and was unceremoniously dumped into the snow with my sleeping bags et al......TWICE !!....this was beaten by a face plant into 5 ins of snow of epic proportions, I will however keep that one to myself...mainly because I didnt see it all and theres many others who tell that tale better than me

[Silverback]

Sounds like I should run an HSE course, my wife is the National S.H.E coordinator for a huge company if you lot think you need it....

round ended scissors and safety knives for our meetings then it won't be like a scene from psycho...haha eliminate the hazard and reduce the risk

I could teach a first aid course ........

[OakAshandThorn]

Like a few others, a cut finger for me.

[JEEP]

Sliced halfway though my finger, while teaching knife safety to my scouts...

:oops:

[Dale_jonez]

Sliced halfway though my finger, while teaching knife safety to my scouts...

:oops:


haha Jeep , i bet that was a bit embarrassing mate

ive been working with knives as a butcher in an abbatoir for 5 years and never cut myself (probably due to the safety gear lol)

had my first go at carving a piece of wood and cut a fairly deep 2 inch cut into the palm of my hand!

oh well , you live and learn hehe, no doubt i'll get a few more cuts and scrapes as time goes by :D

[AL...]

Take yer work gloves home with ye dale .. :D
I always use a glove when whittling
Its saved a few trips up to get stiches.
Cheers
AL

[Dale_jonez]

yea AL ive found a cut glove and my old chainmail glove haha :)

[Ehecatl]

This injury wasn't sustained during any form of bushcraft but it was in the woods, so I offer it up a a cautionary tale.....

A good friend is a ranger at a local country park and he used to ask us to assist with halloween fright nights. One of my jobs was to be "Scratching Jack". I'd hide in a hole and the guide would tell a story of how Jack had done bad things and when caught was hung from a nearnby tree. Of course all the punters would look up and on cue I would bolt from my hole into the middle of the audience (one time scaring a middle aged women out of her wits). After a few roars and a quick look around (couldn't see a damn thing in the mask) I eventually spotted my wife in the crowd who was a "plant". I grabbed her and dragged her off into the darkness......

Once out of sight and earshot of the crowd we began to trott along a bridal path to our next part of the evening. The use of torches wasn't practical since it would obvious the punters where everyone was. From my wife's point of view one minute she was trotting along side her husband and then next he was gone! From my perspective, I felt a wack in the head, my momentum took my feet from under me and I landed on my back and proceed to roll down a steep slope (this is the very steep side of the North Down). I eventually came to rest amoung fallen leaves and upon sitting up heared my wife; "Matt? Matt?".

I crawled back up the bank and after a quick inspection by Mrs Ehecatl it was announced that I'd sustained a gash to my head (that requried butterfly stiches the following day).

I had run into a low (ish) hanging yew branch and kinetic energy and gravity took care of the rest.

The moral of the story is to move very carefully at night when in the woods and if possible, use a torch! Otherwise stick to the centre of any paths. :confused2:

M@

[OakAshandThorn]

Ye Gods...that must have hurt. :(

[Ehecatl]

Ye Gods...that must have hurt. :(

No sense no feeling. :zombie-fighting:

[Silverback]

Sustained an ankle injury that rather embarassingly required evacuation from the hill by Bell stretcher, something I usually carry rather than be carried in. The mickey taking still continues 6 years later......I does rather put things in perspective though

[FishyFolk]

Sliced off about 2 cm of skin off my left thumb yesterday. Quite a good skinning job :-)

[OakAshandThorn]

No sense no feeling. :zombie-fighting:
True, sometimes shock takes care of the pain.

[GwersyllaCnau]

True, sometimes shock takes care of the pain.

Very true, totally unrelated to bush craft I once fell off a skateboard and landed on the kerb, my arm was on the road and my hand was on the path my wrist made up the 4 or 5 inch rise of the kerb, I had broken it in 5 places, dislocated it and turned one small bone into powder. I got up and complained to my friends that a small graze on my hip was hurting, it was not until they told me to look at my wrist that I realised it was even hurting.

[Silverback]

True, sometimes shock takes care of the pain.

The natural release of adrenaline into the bloodstream as part of the fight or flight response type of shock...... as opposed to the lack of circulating body fluid, hypoxic type of shock of course ;) (sorry, medical geekery overload)

[OakAshandThorn]

The natural release of adrenaline into the bloodstream as part of the fight or flight response type of shock...... as opposed to the lack of circulating body fluid, hypoxic type of shock of course ;) (sorry, medical geekery overload)
Overload? Naw, I love the details ;).

[Silverback]

Lol.......

[OakAshandThorn]

Very true, totally unrelated to bush craft I once fell off a skateboard and landed on the kerb, my arm was on the road and my hand was on the path my wrist made up the 4 or 5 inch rise of the kerb, I had broken it in 5 places, dislocated it and turned one small bone into powder. I got up and complained to my friends that a small graze on my hip was hurting, it was not until they told me to look at my wrist that I realised it was even hurting.
Dang! :shocked:
Not related to buschcraft but similar thing happened to me a few years ago.
It was the end of my junior year of high school, and I decided I would pedal to and from the campus on my bike. On such a day, as I was coming down a street on a fairly steep hill, I went to make a left turn to a connecting street. Well, I never noticed the incredible amount of sand on the right side of the road as I was making the turn. I wasn't going that fast, but apparently it didn't matter - as soon as I hit the sand, my wheel slipped and I skidded on the pavement. I knew I was hurt, but I couldn't feel much besides a tingling sensation on my left arm near the elbow. And then I saw it - a quarter-sized hole that exposed the end of my ulna. At first, I couldn't believe I was looking at my bone. I thought, "Why the heck is my bone grey? What the ****?". Then I realized that it was from all the sand on the side of the road. The blood was really starting to flow now, but nothing hurt. Knowing I was going to pass-out, I started yelling and swearing to get the adrenaline flowing - I also wanted people in the houses to hear me in case I blacked-out on the road. I limped to the nearest person's house, rang the doorbell (I was fading in and out of consciousness then), and a lady answered. She had a horrified look on her face as I pointed to the injured arm and weakly said, "You 'gotta help me. I just had a bike accident....". I must have fainted in front of her. Upon waking, I saw that I was placed on her lawn, and she was at my side with the same frightened expression - she had called for an ambulance. A neighbor had indeed heard my ruckus and was standing beside the lady.
The ambulance came, and the EMTs were relieved that I was wearing my helmet and gloves. According to them, the helmet saved me from a concussion, the gloves saved my left thumb from being badly torn up, and my belt kept my abdomen from receiving a nasty scrape or two (the shirt I was wearing had quite a few holes in it from the accident). Just goes to show how a helmet and riding gloves can make all the difference.
So, they hauled me away to the hospital, where they had to use some sort of water hose to flush away all the sand and grit. I must say, it felt 'freakin AWESOME to have the cool water flowing inside my arm :D. The wound required a few stitches, after which it was bandaged.
For awhile after the accident, I would sometimes have an odd tingling feeling on that part of my arm. Apparently, some of the nerves were temporarily damaged.
I still have the scar.

[Ehecatl]

True, sometimes shock takes care of the pain.

Rolling down a bank at speed, in the dark, being totally disorientated and dizzy almost certainly took my mind off of any pain. It's jogged my memory, people at work said "What happened to you?" "I hit a tree" I replied. "Oh, is your car alright?"

[OakAshandThorn]

Rolling down a bank at speed, in the dark, being totally disorientated and dizzy almost certainly took my mind off of any pain. It's jogged my memory, people at work said "What happened to you?" "I hit a tree" I replied. "Oh, is your car alright?"
Eeek :shocked:. Definitely not good if it jogged your memory. Had that happen to me many times, typically upon "awakening" from passing-out.

[Durham Bushcrafter]

No great injury apart from cuts n stuff ( laplander saws are sharp!) but i did see a lad a few years ago accidentally stab himself in the thigh with a blade....the blood shot about 10 feet ( honestly!!), luckily someone called Frank who was with us, had the clarity of mind to use a paracord tourniquet and a stick and THEN ring 999, we carried him to the road, about 200 yards away and the ambulance took him to hospital......turned out the chap saved the guys life as you can bleed out in minutes when you cut that artery.

[Johnnyboy1971]

Splitting kindling one evening and a wee slip. 4hours in hospital and three stitches later. No major damage but can't straighten my finger properly now.
http://i1223.photobucket.com/albums/dd514/johnnyboy1971/IMAG0085_zps9732487e.jpg (http://s1223.photobucket.com/user/johnnyboy1971/media/IMAG0085_zps9732487e.jpg.html)

[Chubbs]

Not me, but my 9 year old daughter last year at a local haunt down here in Cornwall. Just finished dinner and had everything sorted. Just about to settle down when she asked if she could whittle a stick for marshmallows. Even though I have shown her the correct way to use a knife many times, she slipped with a Mora and went straight through three fingers near the knuckle, one right down to the bone.

She didn't have time to worry about it as I had grabbed her hand within a second. This was the only time I had ever forget my first aid kit but luckily a mate had his. Bandaged her up quickly and then spent 9 hours in the local hospital as there were only two doctors on duty in the whole place due to illness. She was seen four hours later but the nurse wasn't certain whether she needed micro surgery, so he called out a thoracic surgeon who was the only qualified person on site. Didn't need surgery, so five stitches later we were on our way home.

Didn't get much better driving home in the early hours as it was getting light. Poor bunny ended up under the wheels of the car and just missed a badger a couple of miles further up the road. Bought her a butchers glove now just in case.