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Wild10Basecamp

First Aid

Clean a wound in the field

Infection risk is high in the outdoors. Cleaning a wound within the first hour dramatically improves outcomes.

First Aid 15 min practice
All skills
Warning: Never close a heavily contaminated wound in the field. Cover it and let it drain — a closed dirty wound abscesses far worse than an open clean one.

Step-by-step

  1. Wash your own hands with soap and clean water before touching the wound.

  2. Irrigate the wound aggressively with clean drinking water — 1 liter minimum for anything larger than a scratch, delivered under pressure (from a squeezed bag, syringe, or bottle with a small hole in the cap).

  3. Remove visible debris with clean tweezers if possible; scrub deeply embedded dirt with clean cloth or gauze.

  4. Cover with a clean, dry dressing — sterile if available, or the cleanest cloth you have.

  5. Change dressings daily and check for infection signs: expanding redness, warmth, pus, red streaks, or fever.

Warning: Never close a heavily contaminated wound in the field. Cover it and let it drain — a closed dirty wound abscesses far worse than an open clean one.

Related outdoor skills

Educational reference only. Wilderness conditions change fast — practice in low-stakes settings, take a certified wilderness first-aid course, and confirm regional regulations before you rely on any of these skills in the field.