Blue Place in HK

Blue Place is the Outdoor and Sports Wear arm of Lok Wah Fashion Group.
Prices are very reasonable. And they have outlets along Granville Rd.

http://lokwah.com/

Going on YEP Trip? Not sure what to get? Here is my top 8 list

1) Notebook with pen
(useful for copying down phone numbers, making notes) in a ziplock bag (to prevent water damage)
2) Headtorch
The headtorch allows you to illuminate the area around you with your hands free.
3) Wide Brim hat
Keeps the sun off your face.
4) Electrical Adaptor for that particular country
Important for you to charge your hp, camera, netbook etc.
5) Spare handphone. The Nokia 1280 is what I use for reservist and very hardy.
(or any other non camera, non color screen, the nokia phones have very long battery life
without all the bells and whistles. Very important for communication with local partners, team members or endorsing organisation)
6) First Aid Kit for Go bag
(when you need to access to plasters, gauze and gloves quickly)
7) Medium clear plastic bags
(for trash, gloves, wet clothes)
8) Quick dry tops
(available online, I haven’t found something cheap in Singapore, brands like Columbia sell for $79.90, I buy online from Sierra Trading Post or if you happen to be in Hong Kong, Blue Place in Granville St, you only need 2 to rotate, can dry by night in your room with a fan blowing)

Choosing a first aid kit

http://www.firstaid.com.sg/

www.progress.com.sg

My criteria
1) Must be large enough for the expedition, a small pack is not going to last 14 days.
Your kit must be able to support all 20 people or more in your expedition.

2) Must be a sling bag, the sling bag allows me to bring it along when I have a backpack. If you do use a backpack it’s a little hard to get to. And it’s hard to have one backpack for medical supplies and another for everyday stuff.

3) Must be waterproof. Your expedition might have to go thru rain or rivers. You don’t want your supplies to get wet or dirty. I use a large plastic container box.

Headtorches are great when you need your hands free. It’s also helpful to strap the torch on your head and walk down some rickety stairs with your arms free to grip the handrails.
This example from Soundtech costs about $16.90. We were wading through waist high water and the light enabled us to see with our hands free to grip the person in front or vegetation by the sides.

A handphone allows you to call for help and communicate with local partners.
Non camera Nokia handphones are great, have super long battery life. Ensure everyone knows your number. Always have a spare. One of our handphones was damaged by rain and flood waters.
While it was raining heavily, I had run out of ziplock bags, so I put my spare phone in the first
aid kit container box.

Things to get at SKP
Ziplock bags – Small size for waterproofing meds, bandages,
Plastic bags – Useful for throwing rubbish, packing ice for sprains
Plastic gloves – Useful for maintaining hygiene, throwing away rubbish

Reservist First Aid

Thank God for a smooth reservist in Apr.

The only time my paramed scissors came out in anger was to cut the banner
for our standdown parade at 6am in the morning with my new headtorch.

I also used a trolley to move all my equipment to range and back with the
officers helping. 02 tank, Ice box, 20kg Medic Bag, Stretcher, Helmet + 1 trolley =
Medic who got checked by Safety Warrant (retired) and didn’t find any problems.

The poor safety rover driver got a rollicking for not being by his vehicle
while firing. But aiyah he took it quite well.. Funny thing is the same thing
happened last incamp live firing with a different driver.

At least he took the heat off me.

Good thing I didn’t rely on CQ because he used his ice for drinks.

YEP First Aid Tips

YEP First Aid Tips

Gloves – Always a must when dealing with blood.
Get proper latex gloves. Not chicken rice gloves.

Thermometer sheathes are cheap. I get mine from NTUC Unity Pharmacies
but they fit only 1 thermometer easily, the Terumo Thermometers. I have tried Omron,China,Taiwan thermometers and none of them fit the sheathes.
Terumo thermometers also last very long and are probably the most accurate of all brands.
Cost $28 per piece.

Sling bag – A sling bag is better than a box kit. Carry it around wherever you go.
A Sling bag also means you have quick access. And you can sling it over your pack/equipment.

Notebook and Pen – helps you to keep track of participants history.

Headtorch – At night when the generator is turned off, and a participant
complains of being sick or an insect bite. A head torch is great to be able to assess the
situation with your hands free.

Dealing with Diarrhea and Dehydration -
Common problems you might face especially overseas.
Monitor the participant, watch for dehydration (parched tongue)
To help their fluid intake, blend clean water with cordial or ribena.
Send the patient to hospital if he/she vomits or is unable to hold down fluids.
Avoid tea, coffee, milo, milk products.

Appendicitis – recognising symptoms, pain in right flank
(or could present itself as stomach pain), fever,
nausea, vomiting, diarrhea. Immediate evacuation is needed.

Gauze pack lots of it useful for packing cuts or cleaning wounds.

Learn how to take a person’s pulse. A racing pulse
(when the participant is at rest, not just after laying cement) usually means an infection.

Taking a medical history (what is the person’s name,
important stuff before you bring them to the doctor,
any food/drug allergies, how many days have they been feeling sick)

Learn the difference between terms like nausea and vomiting.
Learn how to describe the scale of pain (scale of 1-10),
Learn how to describe pain (dull, sharp, shooting down their legs)

Basic First Aid Class

Basic First Aid Class

The classes are taught by ex-paramedics but how come no one teaches you things like this.

1) Knowing the nearest Clinic, 24hr facility or Hospital.
Not everything is solved by calling 995.

2) Making the class relevant. If all of us come from different backgrounds,
why not make the class think about the possible injuries that may happen
in their line of work?

3) Risk Assessment – Of their worksite/work area. They practice with you on
assessing the situation but couldn’t this be done as a preventive measure before an accident
happens to pre-empt injuries?

4) Means of transportation, will a car be faster?

5) X-ray facilities are best when you go to hospital/polyclinic.
Useful knowledge for fractures and sprains.

Rockport Shoes

If you are wondering where to buy Rockport Shoes in Singapore.
Wonder no longer. The outlet at Marina Square has closed.
D&P Lifestyle is the new distributor in Singapore.

http://www.psc.com.sg/psc_new/lifestyle.asp?subid=1

Apparently D&P is a subsidiary of PSC Corp. Who are looking to expand
their consumer business.

A large range can be found at Takashimaya and Isetan Scotts.
Smaller ranges can be found at other outlets.
Apparently the updated info will only be on the Rockport website in Jan 2011.
But D&P will be launching via newspaper ads in end Aug/early Sep.

Flying Jetstar to KL

Tips for Traveling on JetStar to KL

1) Prepare yourself mentally, flights rarely take off on time.

2) Allow time for check in, at Changi Airport Terminal 1, there is a seperate queue
before you can approach the immigration counters.

3) When Flying from KLIA, the gate is usually at the Satellite Terminal,
so allow for some time to take the train to the gate.

4) If possible use hand luggage that has wheels.

5) There is no onboard entertainment, a book, newspaper, magazine or ipod is great.

6) It can get quite cold, some ladies might want to bring a jacket or shawl.

7) There is free WIFI at KLIA limited to 2hours. Changi Airport has Wireless@SG.

Counting down

Tips for lowering your aircon bill

Tips from

http://www.lowcarbonsg.com/tag/air-conditioner/

Use your air-conditioner and fan on alternate days. For example, use the air-conditioner on even days and the fan on odd days.

Switch on your air-conditioner one hour before going to bed. When it’s time to sleep, switch off the air-conditioner and use the fan instead. The fan is able to circulate the cool air and keep you comfortable.

Use a timer to turn off your airconditioner at about 2am once the room has been sufficiently cooled.

Use two fans instead of one. Two fans cost about $8 month to turn on. The aircon uses about $48 per month.