Body Language: Doc Forgey by J. Michael Wyatt

Rating: *

While this article looks as though it is essential to read before going on a trip, it does not deliver as expected.

On the cover of this magazine, there is a blurb that states that inside this magazine, there is an article that shows you how to “Create the Ultimate First-Aid Kit”. While this article shows you what to put in a First-Aid kit that prepares you for everything, the kit contains too much equipment. It lists 28 different items, some of which are very specific and most likely hard to find.

Also, the article itself is a letdown. The article does not teach you how to treat common afflictions that can happen to anyone in the outdoors. Instead, it is an article about who Dr. William Forgey is and what he’s done. While he is “the master of wilderness medicine”, there is no information on how to treat “the most common things ... will be friction blisters and, maybe, thermal burns, sprained ankles, and sometimes a knee injury”. The closest he comes to how to treat these problems is when he states that you should really think carefully about what goes into your First-Aid kit. Ironically, none of the “common problems” that he mentioned are included in the Ultimate First-Aid kit. There are things to treat diarrhea, fungal infections, snakebites and antacid, but nothing for the “common problems”.

So although this looks like a great article to read, this is definitely one that you should avoid. It does not give the reader any useful information on how to treat themselves or others, and the description on the front of the magazine is misleading. Even if you are going on a large expedition sometime soon, do not consult this article on what to pack in your First-Aid kit.

Wyatt, J. Michael. “Body Language: Doc Forgey.” Backpacker December 1989: 20 – 22. Print.