Importance of being prepared for the unexpected

Unexpected injuries can happen at any time, no matter the situation.

When Sandy bought her son a Rescue Swag first aid kit a few years ago, little did she know it would help him to save his thumb.

As a keen camping and 4WD enthusiast, Sandy thought a Rescue Swag would be a perfect gift for him to take on trips.

At the end of last year, he went on a camping trip, and his Rescue Swag first aid kit helped to prevent an injury from potentially being worse.

“He decided to go camping at Hill End in New South Wales for a couple of days in September to have a much-needed break from work and to get back to the bush,” Sandy said.

“After setting up camp and preparing his firewood with his recently sharpened machete, he proceeded to get ready for a swim in the river.

“But as he finished his firewood kindling, he threw the machete into the ground.

“As he turned away to get ready for his swim, the machete didn’t lodge in the earth but ricocheted back and severed his thumb at the palm joint.”

“He looked down and saw his thumb hanging on for dear life and knew it wasn’t a small injury,” she said.

Luckily, he was able to provide first aid quickly to his hand with his Rescue Swag before heading to a hospital.

“He grabbed the kit, unzipped it with one hand and continued to find the bandages to wrap it up.

“He then headed to hospital where they determined he had sliced through arteries, veins and nerves in the thumb, the ligament and tendons with the blade cutting into the bone”

While he still had to undergo surgery and a three-month rehab, the result of the injury could have been worse.

“He is very lucky to have his thumb, and without a first aid kit, it would surely have delayed and impacted treatment,” she said.

Sandy said while having a first aid kit isn’t always something you think to buy or pack, it should be on the top of your list.

“You never know what comes up unexpectedly and you need first aid,” she said

“A comprehensive first aid kit is always beneficial, it could mean the difference between life and death or losing a limb.

“First aid kits are like insurance; you buy it and hope you never have to use it.

“But when you do, you know you’re covered."

She said the Rescue Swag made it easy for her son to know where different products were located.

“The clear labelled pouches made it easy to see exactly where everything was, being bright yellow in colour it’s easy to find and isn’t too big to take with you,” she said.

“The kit is very easy to open, dismantle and refill if required and the zipped pouches for each section means that it stays clean and you only have to open the section you need rather than an entire kit exposing all to the elements.”

Whether you need a first aid kit for yourself, or one to keep the whole family safe – take a look at the Explorer and Adventurer Rescue Swags.