Why RV Safety Products are Important
A quick sample demonstrates the importance of having and knowing how to use RV safety products on the road. I remember driving with some friends from Fort Hood, Texas, to Corpus Christi in my early twenties. We were mid-way between San Antonio and Corpus Christi when a truck pulling a boat started to fishtail. The driver did not know how to control the fishtailing trailer, and it worsened. Finally, the trailer struck a car in the other lane causing the vehicle with a grandmother and her two granddaughters to crash. The two passengers in my car and I were Army medics, and I was also an EMT, so we had to stop to help.
When we got to the car, the grandmother had badly injured her foot. It was only hanging by some skin. We called 911, but we were far from the nearest town. Unfortunately, we were not carrying a first aid kit. With a quality first aid kit, we would have been able to stabilize grandma’s foot, clean up, and bandage her wounds.
RV Safety Products: Surviveware First Aid & Trauma Kits
When we started living full-time in an RV in 2014, we knew that we could end up in some remote locations, a long distance from the nearest emergency medical services. In addition, Julie is a hiker, so she needed some basic first aid supplies to take on hikes. So we invested in cheap first aid kits with all the basics. They were not easy to carry or complete.
About a year and a half ago, we discovered Surviveware first aid kits. We are very happy with the two we now have. They are constructed with ruggedness in mind, allowing them to get tossed around and beat up without worrying about the supplies inside. In addition, the kits are built for compatibility with the MOLLE (Modular Lightweight Load-carrying Equipment) system with velcro straps that allow users to attach them almost anywhere.
Surviveware Small First Aid Kit
Julie has the small Surviveware First Aid Kit in her hiking pack. This has all the essential first aid items you need, including quality trauma sheers, bandages, tape, a pressure bandage, and even safety pins. Two unique things about this kit are that when you open it, all the items are clearly labeled, so someone does not have to search in an emergency. The other is that it comes with a small first aid booklet that walks a reader through what should be done in common situations.
The one downside to the kit is that it does not come with medications. However, it does come with small Ziploc bags and a place to store any medications you want to pack in the kit. Of course, as the owner, you would have to keep up with the expiration dates of the medicines and change them as needed.
Kenny uses the Velcro straps to attach his Surviewear first aid kit to his bike and never rides without it. He has pulled over twice on trails to help someone who has fallen off their bike and offered bandages for scrapes and bruises. He has also used the premium set of tweezers on himself for splinters while doing yard work back at home.
Surviveware Trauma First Aid Kit
Since Julie has the Surviveware first aid kit with her when we travel, I also opted to purchase the Surviveware Trauma First Aid Kit. I think of this as an addition to the Small First Aid Kit. This kit contains a quality tourniquet, trauma sheers, pressure bandages, protective eyewear, an occlusive dressing, trauma dressing, splinting material, nitrile gloves, an emergency blanket, and alcohol pads. If I had this when I witnessed the accident at the beginning of this article, I could have quickly stabilized grandma and made her feel more comfortable. I keep this in the truck, which is the vehicle we take when we go on adventures.
Again, both of these kits are constructed to be very durable and compatible with other MOLLE packs. Surviveware also sells a resupply pack to replace any items used or you can order your own. The quality of the items in this kit is better than any others I have seen. All of the equipment seems handpicked with the outdoor adventurer in mind. Items like the trauma sheers and safety glasses will last a long time.
RV Safety Products Podcast Interview
On the podcast, Kenny and I were fortunate to interview Janco, the CEO of Surviveware in episode 52. It is worth listening to the helpful tips he gives and learning about what brought him to develop this product.
RV Safety Products: Garmin inReach Mini
The other safety item we have, specifically for outdoor adventure emergencies, is the Garmin inReach Mini. This device is a lightweight and compact satellite communicator. It is small and can clip to a backpack strap to easily reach in case of an emergency. It is a little pricey, but you cannot put a dollar amount on your life.
We have been to several locations with no cellular or wifi signals. Julie hikes a lot in areas like this. We paid around $300 for the device and pay $11.99 per month for the satellite service.
What are the benefits? The primary benefit is that it uses the global iridium satellite network instead of cellular signals. This means you can communicate virtually anywhere on Earth. In addition, with the subscription, one button push will send a message to a professional emergency response coordination center that can locate you through GPS and coordinate with the nearest rescue units to respond.
The other cool features of this device are that Julie can send me messages if she is delayed, and I can see the location of the inReach device to see where she is and if she is moving. The inReach also allows the user to get weather updates while on the go. In the default mode, Garmin advertises the battery will last up to 90 hours.
Conclusion
Thankfully, we have not had to use the inReach for any emergencies, but having the first aid kits and the inReach device is like having an insurance policy reducing the risks in the event of an emergency. Thinking about safety and first aid should be on your “list” when planning RV trips. People tend to overlook RV safety items. Even if you cannot afford a Surviveware first aid kit or a Garmin inReach, at a minimum, have a plan for what to do in an emergency situation, especially when you are going to be off-grid and out of cellular range. We enjoy RVers and want to see you on the road instead of being injured or lost in the boonies!
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