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Talking Ski First Aid Kits with Teague Holmes

By

Gavin Hess

Holmes' first-aid kit is populated with items that balances preparedness with weight efficiencies.

Holmes' first-aid kit is populated with items that balances preparedness with weight efficiencies.

As the backcountry season begins to open up in the Northern Hemisphere, thoughts turn to being prepared for emergency scenarios. This means first-aid kits and repair kits are robust enough to do the job, yet light enough to haul in the pack all day long. Here’s Teague Holmes’ take on the preparedness/efficiency equation. 

 

Backcountry Skiing First Aid Kit Series: Starting in the Middle

 

For the next part of our first aid kit series, I wrangled Teague Holmes from Summit County, CO. Teague is a reformed skimo racer. These days, he is well known for huge outings around his home in Colorado as well as steep skiing exploits around Chamonix. 

I asked Teague to put together some information on his first aid kit/emergency system for a few reasons; first, he isn’t a guide, so he has less professional obligation to be well prepared. Second, I know Teague is a thoughtful gear nerd who leaves no stone unturned when optimizing his pack weight and kit, which he somehow fits (often including a paragliding wing) into a 23L(+) Apocalypse Equipment pack. Given this, I had a notion that his kit would be lighter, and more pared down than my own. Turns out, we seem to have converged on a similar setup. Teague gets into more detail on his repair kit here, and I appreciate the sentiment that everything in a pack can become a first aid item in an emergency. 

Here’s what Teague is carrying: 

 

Repair kit

The repair kit is just as important—maybe even more so—as a first-aid kit to keep moving, get out, and prevent injury.

  • Five feet of bailing wire, ski pole splints (corrugated gutter or sliced ski pole sections) and zip ties.
  • Skin tail, basket, extra long, Voilé strap, small star drive, or Allen wrench to adjust bindings. 
  • A very small multitool with pliers and screwdrivers.
  • Space bag, not blanket.
  • Firestarter : Cotton balls soaked in Vaseline with KT tape wrapped around the bottle. 
  • Cash$$
Holmes' first-aid kit is populated with items that balances preparedness with weight efficiencies.
Holmes’ first-aid kit is populated with items that balances preparedness with weight efficiencies.

First aid/comfort kit

  • inReach and or iPhone 14 with SOS. Charge, test, and know how to use.
  • Lipstick size auxiliary battery and mini charging cable for phone and rechargeable headlamp (Petzl Actik core).
  • One or two Honey Stinger waffles and a ginger chew. 
  • Steri-Strips, smoothing non-stick dressing, maxi pad, regular thinner, gauze, miniature finger Sam Splint—mostly for fun. Consider carrying a full-size Sam splint
  • Foot kit (including KT tape mentioned above), band-aid, Dr. Scholl rubberized and sticky blister padding, cotton balls for toe padding, and a little moleskin
  • Alcohol pads, small sticky foam pad, sunscreen packet, one pair of contacts, eyeball hydration tubes, large band-aid, rubber gloves, cling wrap, caffeine tablets, standard pain medicine (including ibuprofen, Tylenol, Excedrin, naproxen, sodium, narcotics), a lighter with duct tape wrapped around it, toilet paper, athletic tape wrapped around a Chapstick with SPF.
  • Chemical pack toe and hand warmers. 

Total Weight: ~500g absent inReach and phone

With a total weight of ~500g, it makes for a tidy and light package.
With a total weight of ~500g, it makes for a tidy and light package.

 

Additional components of the safety system

  • Two light puffies instead of one puffy. (One synthetic, one down or both synthetic.)
  • Zip-off three-quarter-length long underwear.
  • An extra underlayer/synthetic shirt, lightweight shell.
  • At least two pairs of gloves and sometimes mitten shells

I adjust what I carry occasionally, depending on the mission—proximity to help/a car, or more remote tours. Also, there are times when I do go as light as possible, even for big missions, and leave some items behind. If I leave a few items behind I aim for 300 to 400 g total.

 

Conclusions 

As mentioned in the intro, there’s some convergence between the kit outlined in my original piece in the first-aid kit series and Teagues’ kit. My plan going in was to seek a well thought out, super minimal kit for this post, but in my conversations with Teague, and knowing how devoted he is to a light pack, it seems like showing the convergence here is worthwhile. Similarly, in the comments for the last post, Dr. Patrick Fink commented with a very similar kit to both Teague and I—which takes my idea of looking at a light – medium – heavy kit from a recreational minimalist, a guide, and a medical provider, rather than just three similar kits. 

Responses

  1. Beacon.shovel.bearspray

    Thanks for laying this out nicely for the reader to digest. I am wondering if you could link to an example or two of the “zip-off 3/4 length long underwear” mentioned above?

    1. Simen Hjelmeland

      https://www.northernplayground.no/nb/shop/ziplongs-r-3-4?fit=men

    2. Slim

      Seems like the hunting brands offer more full zip options. Kuiu and Firstlight.
      Here is a model that is called ‘boot top’ , so not 3/4, but not ankle length either. If you don’t have short legs, this should be plenty short (26” inseam)
      https://www.kuiu.com/products/peloton-97-fleece-zip-off-bottom-gunmetal?variant=40340236533918

      1. Ben Coffman

        I have the kuiu 97, very happy with it for skiing/ice climbing. One of the warmest per weight fleeces that I’m aware of, and breathes well enough for a leg item. Being able to take the long underwear on/off with boots on is a game changer for temp regulation.

        1. Ben Coffman

          (Alpha is warmer per weight, but I’m not aware of any bare alpha pieces with full zips – they’d likely get shredded. pretty quickly)

  2. Slim

    I see hypothermia as a major danger in backcountry skiing. Whether on its own, or as an additional complication during injury or illness. So, the spare clothing/shelter makes a lot of sense. The one part I have not packed myself is the spare base layer. First I heard of it was from mtn guide Zahan Bilmoria. Two things have stopped me so far:

    1: base layers offer a poor warmth:weight ratio. I can get more warmth for the same weight with additional fill in a puffy or sleeping bag
    2: I imagine it’s hard to put a dry base layer on someone who is wet and immobilized enough to need it?

    Has anyone here tried putting a new baselayer on an accident victim?

    I guess I have to get out in the yard suited up in ski gear, let my kids hose me down, then strip off the wet gear and redress starting with base layer to test this. Brrrr.

    I think the Brynje Super Thermo mesh (poly pro) baselayer seems the way to go if I do bring one. Not only do they offer probably the best warmth:weight of any made layer, but more importantly, they work well when you are wet. And are very stretchy to fit different people.

    1. Ben Coffman

      Have you heard the BPL podcast on this? I generally find those pretty informative. I tend to get a sweaty back while moving with a pack, pretty much no matter how cold it is. That’s always seemed like a bit of a liability to me, and obviously isn’t optimal on longer trips. I’m planning to experiment with wearing a mesh layer in temps that are “too warm” for a mesh+solid layer this year, to see whether it’s still drier. I’ve been playing around with this on runs with a vest where it’s a bit overkill (ex. 40 F), and have found that I not only feel 100% dry the entire time, (even if I’m not), but I believe my back is legitimately drier (based on the eye test of how wet the solid layer is) when compared with the solid layer alone. Perhaps some more evaporation is actually occurring.

      1. Ben Coffman

        If that’s just a drier system overall, then perhaps there’s no reason to ever not wear a mesh layer in the winter backcountry. That would at least cover the safety aspect of always having one yourself, without an “extra thing in your pack” penalty. No need to carry an extra base layer if you’re already wearing one that never gets wetted out (assuming polypro, not merino). (And presumably in an emergency you could just give yours to a victim, unless things have gotten really wild.)

    2. Beacon.shovel.bearspray

      I have found the Mountain Hardware Airmesh tops to have an excellent warmth to weight ratio FWIW

    3. Gavin Hess

      Slim, good thoughts/info here. Another tidbit I picked up from Z was the idea to carry an insulated vest as it is easier to get on to a patient regardless of their layers/size/potentially easier with some injuries.

      I’m interested to try out the mesh base layers- I can remember just as I was leaving the xc skiing world, they were very popular among the Norwegians.

  3. Teague Holmes

    Thanks for hitting me up and writing the Gavin.
    I love that my finger Sam Splint is in there.
    Since I’ve been carrying it, no one has broken a leg. I have never knocked on wood. I only just make the next best decision I can.
    Just a couple notes of clarity:
    •Correct, I carry a space bag. Honestly not sure why the blanket is in there. I think I grabbed it from my mountain bike kit as this was before the ski season started.
    • That Petzl Arctik mini headlamp lives in my Kit. I try to remember to test it and replace the battery to be sure it’s ready.
    Then I’ll carry that Petzl whatever the model is when I feel more hopeful, or, concerned that we will be out beyond dark.
    • I actually never carry an extra bass layer. (I must have miscommunicated, which sounds about right) I stay pretty dry, and if I do sweat and get damp, I’m usually dry by the time I start up again.
    • those Northern Playground three-quarter zip off log underwear are absolute money! Start on a cold inverted spring morning? Comfy. Then Climbing up a coolie so steep your dragging your nose and baking in the sun? Zip off without taking your boots or skis off and your legs are breathing easy. I can honestly say they build them to last. Unconditional guarantee and they will repair them at no charge. They want you to keep them forever. And that my friends is a standup company. (I have no affiliation with the brand. They are just great.)

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