The outdoors can bring with it a lot of dangers - not only dangerous places but also climates, animals, and insects that can cause harm. Here are a few emergencies:

 

Heat Exhaustion: It is the result of losing electrolytes and sweat to the extent that hypovolemic shock (a drop in the volume of blood due to fluidloss) develops. It is a common and serious heat-illness that ma lead to heat stroke with is often fatal.

Heat Stroke: It occurs when the body’s cooling system is unable to cope with a hot enviroment. This may be due to severe loss of fluids, intensive exercise or high humidity together with high temperatures

Hypothermia: When the body loses enough heat to drop the core temperature to below nowmal.

Frostnip: This precedes frostbite. The affected part is very cold but not yet frozen. The fingers, toes, nose and ears are most commonly affected.

Frostbite: This is freezing of the skin and possibly the underlying tissue. Cells are permanently damaged when they freeze and this may result in gangrene.

Near Drowning: It is called so because a person who drowned is dead. Never try to rescue a drowning person by entering the water if you have not been trained to do so.

Decompression Sickness: Also known as The Bends, this occurs in SCUBA divers when they rise to the water surface too quickly. Nitrogen in the muscles and bloodstream expands due to the decreasing pressure, forming bubbles in the tissue and/or bloodstream.

Poisoning: Poisoning is defined as a condition where the body has come into contact (either by injection, inhalation, oral intake, or absorption) with a substance that is harmful to the body, in such quantities that the normal functions are negatively affected

Snakebite: Snake bites are easily recognised by the wound - two small pncture marks about 1,5cm apart. Normally the bite does not bleed much because the teeth are very thin and sharp. Only about 10% of snakes in Southern Africa are dangerous to man.

Bee stings: One of the mot common poisonings today. Many people are allergic but mortality rate is less than one in a thousand.  When a bee stings the poison sac at the end of the sting keeps pumping venom into the patient. Scrape the sting out with a sharp, stiff edged object such as a credit card.

If you are going leisure camping (setting up camp and staying there for the duration), there is some stuff that you will/might need:

* General toiletries like soap, toothpaste, deodorant

* Insect repellent, sunscreen and lip balm

* Large roll of duct tape for miscellaneous repairs

* Medical kit

* Sewing kit

* Cellphone (it’s useful to have for emergencies - if you have signal)

* A means of purifying water (either by boiling, filtering or using purification tablets)

* Bath towels

* 15m of strong parachute cord, string, spare laces

* Extra batteries

* Spare fuel for your stove

* Selection of waterproof sacks and covers for keeping things dry

* Selection of night clothes

* Spare tent stakes & mallets/hammer for pounding the stakes

* Toilet paper, tissues, paper towels

If you are planning to go off the beaten track, you should also take the following:

* A magnesium fire striker

* Box of tinder

* Portable disposable stove (one that includes fuel)

* Space blanket or ‘bivvy sack’ (a kind of lightweight tent)

* Poncho (doubles as a shelter)

* Maps and compass

* Signal mirror

* Personal first aid kit

When you go cycling, it is important to carry certain tools with you at all times, including:

1) Spare tube (even when you use tubeless tires)

2) Tyre boots (special patches to repair cuts in the tyre)

3) Personal Identification (written inside your helmet too)

4) Tube patch kit (patches, glue, sandpaper)

5) Small length of wire (handy for making ‘get-home’ repairs)

6) Frame pump or mini pump (set to fit your type of valve)

7) Emergency money

8.) Tyre Levers

This list is just a brief example of what you should take with when going out cycling.