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Why Would Anyone Put A Tampon In A Cache?


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I was caching near Beloit, KS this spring and I found a cache along US-24 Highway. One of the "prizes" in the cache was a tampon. It was still in the wrapper, of course.

I had several thoughts about this:

 

1. Have any female geocachers ever been out to a cache and had a female emergency? Good thing someone put a tampon in that cache!

 

2. Why wouldn't you just sign the log rather than trade for something so silly? Maybe put a $1 bill in there instead?

 

3. What are people thinking when they put stupid trade items in a cache?

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I dunno, I've seen women get REALLY creative when an 'emergency' rears it's ugly head on a camping trip (why she wasn't fully prepared on a weeklong camping trip that close to her 'time' still baffles me, but that's another subject) All I remember is them asking for a few items from the med kit and the guys making the mistake of asking why--we regretted it...sometimes ignorance really is bliss.

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I did a cache this weekend and found an AOL cd.

I can't think of many things less interesting than an AOL cd. They are of zero (or less) intrinsic value. If I really wanted one, they are free for the taking in much more accessable places.

And, it still had the mailing label on it, complete with name and address.

:huh:

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Tampons and Pads are NOT the method for stopping a wound from bleeding. In fact it will cause more bleeding than about anything else. The whole concept behind feminine protection is to absorb blood which requires the wicking away of the blood. To stop the bleeding of a wound, the best way is to use direct pressure. The blood needs to be able to "clot". Do not use tampons for nose bleeds as well. Same principle.

Also toilet paper is not very good for packing wounds. Too absorbent as well as the TP will have a tendency to degrade into the wound. Then you have the problem of a bleeding AND a contaminated wound.

If by chance you use the direct pressure with say a rag (not slang) and the wound keeps bleeding through, do NOT remove the rag. Add another to the top and keep the pressure on. Avoid the temptation to "peek" at the wound. You are just peeling away the clotting process and the blood has to start over.

 

In a first aid kit is fine to have feminine protection for emergencies. But not for first aid! As for in a cache...?

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Tampons and Pads are NOT the method for stopping a wound from bleeding. In fact it will cause more bleeding than about anything else. The whole concept behind feminine protection is to absorb blood which requires the wicking away of the blood. To stop the bleeding of a wound, the best way is to use direct pressure. The blood needs to be able to "clot". Do not use tampons for nose bleeds as well. Same principle.

Also toilet paper is not very good for packing wounds. Too absorbent as well as the TP will have a tendency to degrade into the wound. Then you have the problem of a bleeding AND a contaminated wound.

If by chance you use the direct pressure with say a rag (not slang) and the wound keeps bleeding through, do NOT remove the rag. Add another to the top and keep the pressure on. Avoid the temptation to "peek" at the wound. You are just peeling away the clotting process and the blood has to start over.

 

In a first aid kit is fine to have feminine protection for emergencies. But not for first aid! As for in a cache...?

First of all, I believe the poster you were replying to was being facetious. But beyond that, a tampon could be used to control a nosebleed. My concern would be that it would swell up too much, making removal difficult. But one method of treatment of nosebleeds in the Emergency Department is insertion of a Mirasel Tampon. It looks similar to the device in question here, but is inserted into the nostril and inflated with an injection of saline solution, instead of allowing the blood and other fluids to do it gradually. What stops the bleeding is the pressure against the inside of the nostril or septum. The tampon provides direct pressure to stop the bleeding. There's no reason a feminine hygiene type tampon wouldn't also do this, if inserted properly.

 

You're right on the money with your advice to not "peek" if a wound bleeds through the dressing, and to just add more dressings on top of the old. That's what we do in the field (except that we use 4x4s, 5x9s or other sterile dressings!) <G>

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Tampons and Pads are NOT the method for stopping a wound from bleeding. In fact it will cause more bleeding than about anything else. The whole concept behind feminine protection is to absorb blood which requires the wicking away of the blood. To stop the bleeding of a wound, the best way is to use direct pressure. The blood needs to be able to "clot". Do not use tampons for nose bleeds as well. Same principle.

Also toilet paper is not very good for packing wounds. Too absorbent as well as the TP will have a tendency to degrade into the wound. Then you have the problem of a bleeding AND a contaminated wound.

If by chance you use the direct pressure with say a rag (not slang) and the wound keeps bleeding through, do NOT remove the rag. Add another to the top and keep the pressure on. Avoid the temptation to "peek" at the wound. You are just peeling away the clotting process and the blood has to start over.

 

In a first aid kit is fine to have feminine protection for emergencies. But not for first aid! As for in a cache...?

First of all, I believe the poster you were replying to was being facetious. But beyond that, a tampon could be used to control a nosebleed. My concern would be that it would swell up too much, making removal difficult. But one method of treatment of nosebleeds in the Emergency Department is insertion of a Mirasel Tampon. It looks similar to the device in question here, but is inserted into the nostril and inflated with an injection of saline solution, instead of allowing the blood and other fluids to do it gradually. What stops the bleeding is the pressure against the inside of the nostril or septum. The tampon provides direct pressure to stop the bleeding. There's no reason a feminine hygiene type tampon wouldn't also do this, if inserted properly.

 

You're right on the money with your advice to not "peek" if a wound bleeds through the dressing, and to just add more dressings on top of the old. That's what we do in the field (except that we use 4x4s, 5x9s or other sterile dressings!) <G>

Merocel nasal packing (aka "Tampon"). This is a packing and by no means to be confused with hygiene tampons.

But hey, I wouldn't leave that in a cache either! :rolleyes:

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Tampons and Pads are NOT the method for stopping a wound from bleeding

 

Wrong. My grandpa was a medic in WWII and he delights in telling us how they were almost the best things in the world for wounds. Whenever they were in a town, the medics would "appropriate" them from wherever they could. And to see the faces of hardened soldiers who were patched up with pads......yes they took some razzing!

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Tampons and Pads are NOT the method for stopping a wound from bleeding

 

Wrong. My grandpa was a medic in WWII and he delights in telling us how they were almost the best things in the world for wounds. Whenever they were in a town, the medics would "appropriate" them from wherever they could. And to see the faces of hardened soldiers who were patched up with pads......yes they took some razzing!

WRONG! This is a true statement! Back in your grandfathers day the items of the time were not of the same wicking material as the are now. WWII was how many years ago? Things have changed. As I mentioned before, the idea of stopping bleeding is to let the blood clot, or coagulate. Wicking or pulling the blood does not allow for that. It keeps fresh blood pumping in and past the wound. The blood that sits at the surface is starting the coagulating process.

There is a difference between soaking and wicking. The items in your grandfathers day were large pads (my friend called them surfboards. Huh. I wonder why?) and were probably of a cotton batt.

By all means, when you get a gashing wound, go ahead and place one of todays modern pads on your wound. I am sure after enough bleeding takes place and totally soaks the pad and then starts to pool at the wound, your bleeding will start to slow down and eventually stop. It will take longer than direct pressure with packing.

Here is a good example that a geocacher should appreciate. The socks for an avid hiker these days are made of a material that is designed to pull moisture or sweat away from your skin. When you feet are dry, you are more comfortable. The same thought is put into a lot of products these days. Ranging from socks, diapers and yes, say it with me, feminine protection.

I just realized this has gone on too long. :D

Use a maxi pad for your wounds! I'll use my dirty jeans or shirt, thank you. Yes I said dirty jeans. Infection is something that can be dealt with later. Let's stop that bleeding first.

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Here is a good example that a geocacher should appreciate. The socks for an avid hiker these days are made of a material that is designed to pull moisture or sweat away from your skin. When you feet are dry, you are more comfortable. The same thought is put into a lot of products these days. Ranging from socks, diapers and yes, say it with me, feminine protection.

You guys seem to know a lot about "feminine hygiene products", but as an experienced user I probably know a few more things...

 

Actually, it is true that modern pads have a wicking layer and a superabsorbant core, to stay dry on the surface . This is not true for tampons though. Tampons have changed very little in the last 20 years at least (a few technological developments regarding the applicator, not the tampon itself). Slow absorbants are ok for tampons, and you certainly wouldn't want a wicking / dry feel surface. Because, well, the place where those things are used is not supposed to be dry.

 

To go back to the original post, I'd say leaving a tampon in a cache is not weirder than toilet paper. Both can be handy, if left in a waterproof baggie. Pretty low value trade item, but better than a beer cap, and I've seen a few of those... So as long a it was a fair trade, why not?

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Ok I left a brand new box of thermometers. I had included a joke about how cold one gets while geocaching in Maine winters. They were some of the first things taken. There were about 10 of them in the box. They were the old fashioned mercury kind. I had no clue what to do with them so I thought it was funny to toss them in. Well I was going to go back later and recycle them but they had all been taken within the first two weeks. I looked at the box later and discovered they were all rectal thermometers. Well they were all brand new so what anyone on these geocachers wanted to do with them is none of my business.

 

After my uncle passed away he had a brand new box of them in his condo. Well he did work in a hospital for 33 years. Sadly he passed away 30 days before he was due to retire.

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From a feminine point of view, excessive or unusual exercise can increase menstrual flow. So, it could come in handy if a female cacher found herself in dire straits during a hike, especially a long one. I would rather bring an extra along, though, than use one that has been in a cache. Some of the packaging is not all that waterproof, and I don't know if I would want to use one that has been sitting in box in the woods, handled by who knows whom!

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tough police alert :D

 

it's not disgusting, it just is

 

women menstruate...women cache...women cache while menstruating...women might need tampons while caching if they're menstruating...a tampon in a cache might be useful in this instance...if it's not, don't take it...if it offends you, trade it out

 

jamie

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Well, for what it's worth: A snowmobiling friend from Oregon told us that it is possible to use a tampon to start a fire with. Just dip it in the tank of your snowmobile and let it soak up some gas. Then put the tampon on what wood or fuel that you want to burn and strike your match. I guess they burn long enough to get your fire going pretty well. So I guess they are good for survival.

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About wierd items left in a cache: how about the razor I saw a few months ago. This was a disposable plastic razor with cap left in a container of toys. This also happned to be the cache I dragged my sister an neice to for their first experience. Sigh... My sister was not amused, and wont go caching with me anymore.

I did learn a lesson. When showing someone the sport for the first time, take them to a cache you know! Haha

~SFR~

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To go back to the original post, I'd say leaving a tampon in a cache is not weirder than toilet paper. Both can be handy, if left in a waterproof baggie. Pretty low value trade item, but better than a beer cap, and I've seen a few of those... So as long a it was a fair trade, why not?

Hey, I stocked an ammo can cache with small purse size rolls of tp,seat protectors, instant hand sanitizer packets and gloves that reach all the way to your armpits!

 

There were coordinate written on the gloves that led you to an outhouse. Where you would find the final that was a micro.

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Hey, I stocked an ammo can cache with small purse size rolls of tp,seat protectors, instant hand sanitizer packets and gloves that reach all the way to your armpits!

 

There were coordinate written on the gloves that led you to an outhouse. Where you would find the final that was a micro.

Eeewwwww!!!

 

B):oB)B)

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To go back to the original post, I'd say leaving a tampon in a cache is not weirder than toilet paper.  Both can be handy, if left in a waterproof baggie.  Pretty low value trade item, but better than a beer cap, and I've seen a few of those...  So as long a it was a fair trade, why not?

Hey, I stocked an ammo can cache with small purse size rolls of tp,seat protectors, instant hand sanitizer packets and gloves that reach all the way to your armpits!

 

There were coordinate written on the gloves that led you to an outhouse. Where you would find the final that was a micro.

You're a sick puppy ironman!! :)

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I did a cache this weekend and found an AOL cd.

I can't think of many things less interesting than an AOL cd. They are of zero (or less) intrinsic value. If I really wanted one, they are free for the taking in much more accessable places.

And, it still had the mailing label on it, complete with name and address.

:blink:

I'll tell you what is worse...

 

Finding a 3.5" floppy with AOL 2.5 on it. Now that is WORSE!!!!!

 

I wish bad karma on those traders. :tired:

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stuff about wounds and feminite products

My brother-in-law who returned from active duty in Kuwait a year ago said that they always had tampons in their first-aid kits. For the obvious reason, and because they were great for bullet wounds.

Yeah! Let’s push a foreign object into a hole another foreign object just flailed open, pushing that objects shards deeper into the body. YEP! That makes perfect sense.

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