What to do if snake bitten?

[Tipi Walter]

Someone was operating the camera, .. it was not on a tripod, the viewpoint changes, and zooming in and out occurs. Thus, at least two people were putting their safety at risk. Did this guy deliberately sit down next to a rattlesnake to make a video?

Of course the vid was made deliberately and of course done next to a rattlesnake. How else could the video have been shot?? Other than the staging, what's your point? Does such manipulation in your mind mean such a scenario can never happen? It could happen. I take reststops all the time on hot summer days and unless 100% vigilant this could happen. His point in the vid is to look around the area before you sit. Point taken.

One time I was coming down the Big Fat Gap trail in Slickrock wilderness and stopped to clip a briar out of my face and heard a buzzing sound under my feet,but it sounded like a distant cicada and I kept working. Behold, below at me feet was Little Jimmy, relative to Big Jimmy.

The other point of the video is to sit calmly and not panic, although I myself would never touch the tail of such a snake and instead slowly slide my butt and body away from Sir PIT.

[saltysack]

This should make everyone feel great---

Dam I had to change my underwear just watching that fool...


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[yaduck9]

[QUOTE=perdidochas;2151661]From the vast internet research I've done on the subject (I spent 5 whole minutes), I think most health insurance covers anti-venin. That's part of the reason for the high sticker shock. Insured people (or their insurance company) won't pay near the $8,000-$40,000 per vial MSRP.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/...h-14-medicine/


This guy keeps many poisonous snakes at his home and has most of the anti venom. But he won't keep an american rattlesnakes because of the cost of the anti venom

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCUt...dSHPZP37n_Bymw

Every once in a while when i want to scare myself i will watch one of his videos.

[rocketsocks]

[QUOTE=yaduck9;2151675]

From the vast internet research I've done on the subject (I spent 5 whole minutes), I think most health insurance covers anti-venin. That's part of the reason for the high sticker shock. Insured people (or their insurance company) won't pay near the $8,000-$40,000 per vial MSRP.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/...h-14-medicine/


This guy keeps many poisonous snakes at his home and has most of the anti venom. But he won't keep an american rattlesnakes because of the cost of the anti venom

Like I said earlier, you gotta have a sense of humor, good article. My son has a high school friend who now lives in FL picking oranges on a farm, he told me he goes to work with a big stick and a knife, the stick is to kill the snake that bites you, and the knife is to cut off the head to bring to the hospital so you can get treated with the right anti venom.

[JFKinYK]

Haven't read all 5 pages, but it's really important to try and quickly identify the snake that bit you for future reference.

[MikekiM]

This should make everyone feel great---

Um....seriously?




Sent from somewhere east of Montauk

[MtDoraDave]

Well this was a fun thread.
* Not a doctor*
Back when I was in the military, we had many safety and first aid classes or workshops​.
Many of the logical sounding advice in this thread is what I recall from years of hearing do's and don'ts.
I've heard (more than once) that something like only 2% of rattlesnake bites are lethal. This should "help" with the stay calm and don't panic part of the first aid advice.
A tourniquet is always a last resort. If you've decided to lose your leg to prevent death, THAT'S​ when you use a tourniquet. (There's a procedure of releasing a tourniquet periodically to prevent loss of limb, but I don't know it)
Last November, hiking north of Damascus, VA, I got spooked when I realized I was very much alone with no cell signal or any other way to seek help should catastrophe occur.
Staying calm and keeping heart rate down are sure to be tricky if forced to self rescue via hiking out.
This may be THE time to set up your tent ON the trail, so another hiker or hunter finds you. Try to write "help" where easily found in case you lose consciousness​ - so a hiker doesn't just walk around you thinking you're just rude.


Sent from my XT1650 using Tapatalk

[MikekiM]

.....This may be THE time to set up your tent ON the trail, so another hiker or hunter finds you. Try to write "help" where easily found in case you lose consciousness​ - so a hiker doesn't just walk around you thinking you're just rude.
Sent from my XT1650 using Tapatalk

Good advice.

I know the feeling of being solo and out of reach. That's the main reason I now carry an InReach. no pun intended.

[Traveler]

So, screaming like Pee Wee Herman, wildly waving arms in the air as one tries to run out of the woods is not a good strategy... who knew.

[cmoulder]

This is when all those yoga sessions prove their worth — so you can bend over and kiss your ass goodbye.

Seriously, I carry a spouse-mandated Spot Gen3 and while I am loath to request assistance in the woods I think would press that SOS button if a rattlesnake had a good chomp on my leg. I am, after all, paying for insurance with the monthly plan. Although I don't actually know what is covered, so perhaps this discussion will prompt me to read the fine print.

[MuddyWaters]

Haven't read all 5 pages, but it's really important to try and quickly identify the snake that bit you for future reference.

Without actual snake....hospitals usually wont give antivenin. They dont trust joe sixpack to know what bit him.

Even here, you will see pics of various snakes people mistake for rattlers....

[Lnj]

I believe at the point illustrated in the video provided by Tipi, the snake bite would no longer be an issue of concern for me, as I would drop dead with a heart attack well before the snake even thought to bite me.... Plus, I would be very unclean and likely not very appetizing to anything, anywhere.

[MikekiM]

This is when all those yoga sessions prove their worth — so you can bend over and kiss your ass goodbye.

Seriously, I carry a spouse-mandated Spot Gen3 and while I am loath to request assistance in the woods I think would press that SOS button if a rattlesnake had a good chomp on my leg. I am, after all, paying for insurance with the monthly plan. Although I don't actually know what is covered, so perhaps this discussion will prompt me to read the fine print.

Not intending to go off topic, but I tried the Spot for a season and the preset alert/messages that were to sent to my spouse, were spotty at best. Some she recv'd others she didn't. That didn't leave us feeling too comfortable about the SOS call should something like a snake bite, fall or getting lost befall me. Plus, neither of us liked that if I did have to pull the rip cord and send an SOS, I had no way to communicate details of what actually was happening. Was it a snake bite.. I am awake, I can communicate, this is what the snake looked like? Or am I in a ravine, and just passed out because I am mangled? Pack & provisions with me? Or not? It made more sense to have two way comm's with the InReach.

[cmoulder]

I've read that the early versions had issues but I've used mine a fair amount with 100% reliability.

I figure the chances of my actually needing one for rescue are so slim that I accept the limitations, and I wouldn't carry one at all if I didn't have to give my wife the reassuring daily pings. 4.3 oz of marital bliss.

In the snakebite scenario I doubt they're bringing antivenin anyway, so getting out and to a hospital are going to be the first priority. I'm sure some SAR experts will correct me if I'm wrong.

Based on some comments above, I think I'd use my remaining moments of lucidity to check maps for fire or ATV trails to aid extraction before hitting the SOS button. Or maybe not. Who knows for sure what the hell they would do in this situation?

[Tundracamper]

"It has been estimated that 7,000–8,000 people per year receive venomous bites in the United States, and about five of those people die."

From https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List..._United_States

I have no medical advice. However, the odds of surviving a bite are pretty good. Given the numbers, you're probably more likely to die in a car accident on the way home.

Here's an interesting article on what to do in such cases. Yes, a $10k helicopter flight is expensive, but the alternative is not good.

http://www.wildbackpacker.com/wilder...-a-snake-bite/

[Tipi Walter]

Here's an interesting article on what to do in such cases. Yes, a $10k helicopter flight is expensive, but the alternative is not good.

http://www.wildbackpacker.com/wilder...-a-snake-bite/

Thanks for the link but . . . . Let's say I'm on a solo trip. Your link says---

"Evacuate the victim immediately by hiking to car, a helicopter or medical staff."

And then it says in its The Six Don't's---

"Don't allow the victim (me, I'm solo remember?) to engage in strenuous physical activity."

Okay, which is it? The areas I backpack would require very tough hiking to get out to either a phone sweet spot or a road.

And the advice to "don't drink anything" runs counter to my intuition as I'd want to drink as much water as possible to dilute the venom in my bloodstream??? The reason for not drinking anything is "to keep metabolism at a low rate."

Yet another source, extramilest.com, says to "drink some water."

[saltysack]

This is when all those yoga sessions prove their worth — so you can bend over and kiss your ass goodbye.

Seriously, I carry a spouse-mandated Spot Gen3 and while I am loath to request assistance in the woods I think would press that SOS button if a rattlesnake had a good chomp on my leg. I am, after all, paying for insurance with the monthly plan. Although I don't actually know what is covered, so perhaps this discussion will prompt me to read the fine print.

Haaaaa...I know the feeling...was just thinking my damn yearly fee is due the time I'm supposed to be hiking the CT....go figure......think I may save the wt and leave it behind as I should get cell service every few days....

[Disco]

"It has been estimated that 7,000–8,000 people per year receive venomous bites in the United States, and about five of those people die."
From https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List..._United_States

Thank you, Tundracamper, for the interesting wiki article. Of the 19 fatalities listed for the period 2010-16 with a KNOWN activity by the victim, at least 12 fatalities were avoidable: 4 by pet snake, 3 during snake-handling religious service, 5 while deliberately handling, trying to kill, or trying to move a venomous snake. Only 7 fatalities were during normal outdoor activities: 2 camping, 2 river wading, 1 gardening, 1 stepped on snake, 1 hiking. That's about 1 snakebite fatality per year in the entire USA. Nevertheless, remain vigilant.

[FreeGoldRush]

When hiking the AT it seems reasonable that expecting someone to evacuate you will take several hours longer than walking out yourself. Road crossings are frequent on the AT. Even with an InReach or cell service it would take some time for multiple people to get to you who are able to carry you out.

Is there any real research that shows sitting still for several hours additional time is better than walking to a road and getting treatment hours sooner? I keep hearing you should sit still but I'm skeptical because I haven't seen it backed up with data.

[Tipi Walter]

Is there any real research that shows sitting still for several hours additional time is better than walking to a road and getting treatment hours sooner? I keep hearing you should sit still but I'm skeptical because I haven't seen it backed up with data.

Sitting still for hours after a rattler bite?? The movie Billy Jack---(after this scene he sits and gets a vision etc etc). Not recommended for your average hiker.