Trekking Neccesity: Knowing Your Blood Type & Why It's Important

When we talk about trekking, it is critical to be prepared as much as possible. Bringing maps and preparing our gear all come to mind as means of preparation. But do you ever think about finding out your blood type? It came to my attention recently from a fellow blogger that this is something very important to consider. Anyone who is active in the outdoors should know there are inherent risks associated with hiking, trekking and climbing which can lead us, on rare occasions, to sustain injuries that may require blood transfusion. This is when knowing your blood type becomes critical and even more so knowing where to find blood when you have a rare blood type becomes a matter of life and death. For instance, for people who are RH negative, some countries have very limited supply of such blood type. The good news is there are organizations worldwide that work on ensuring there is a supply for those who have a rare blood type.

Mike Dammann, who is a passionate advocate on this topic, explains in the video below why it matters to know your blood type. Needless to say, Mike is a great resource to have for those of us who travel and trek globally. Further information including a list of organizations that can help in such a dire situation are noted in his website, Firetown.

I hope this convinces you to take the next steps – (1) talk to your doctor to find out your blood type, (2) if you have a rare blood type, find out about the organizations available in your country of destination that will be of resource to you, and (3) bring a card with all the aforementioned information noted. This is a small series of steps that can save your life.