Improvised Splints and Slings
Stabilize fractures and dislocations with materials found in nature or your pack. Proper immobilization prevents further injury during evacuation.
What You'll Need
- Padding material Clothing, moss, leaves, or foam
- Rigid material Sticks, trekking poles, rolled newspaper, cardboard
- Binding material Bandages, strips of clothing, belts, paracord
Step-by-Step Instructions
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01
Assess the injury
Check for circulation below the injury: pulse, skin color, temperature, and sensation in fingers or toes. A deformity, crepitus (grinding sensation), swelling, and point tenderness indicate a fracture. Do NOT attempt to realign a fracture unless there is no pulse below it.
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02
Gather splinting materials
You need three things: something rigid (sticks, a tent pole, rolled magazine), something soft (clothing, moss, socks), and something to bind (strips of fabric, belts, tape). The rigid piece must extend one joint above and one joint below the fracture.
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03
Pad, then splint
Place padding around the injury first. Then position rigid material on both sides of the limb. Bind in place above and below the fracture (never directly over it). The limb should be immobilized in the position you found it — don't straighten it.
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04
Build an arm sling
Fold a triangular bandage (or cut a shirt diagonally). Place the injured arm across the chest with the elbow at 90 degrees. Tie the bandage behind the neck with the point at the elbow. Pin or tie the elbow corner to prevent the arm from swinging.
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05
Check circulation every 15 minutes
After splinting, check pulse, sensation, and color below the injury repeatedly. If fingers or toes turn blue, go numb, or lose pulse, the splint is too tight. Loosen bindings immediately and reapply with more padding.
Warning: A too-tight splint can cause permanent nerve damage or tissue death. When in doubt, splint looser rather than tighter.
Pro Tips
- A sleeping pad cut to shape makes an excellent improvised leg splint.
- Trekking poles are ideal pre-made splinting material. That's a bonus reason to carry them.
- For a collarbone fracture, a figure-eight bandage wrap around both shoulders works best.
- Practice on a buddy. Splinting yourself with one hand is significantly harder than you expect.