Welcome to the final post in our blog series all about camping, hiking and other outdoor adventures. Here, we invite you to consider what might happen if you were to choke while on a solo trip in the wilderness. It’s a scary thought, but we believe preparedness is the key for peace of mind, and we have a feeling you may agree if you’re the kind of person who would set out into the wild alone.

In Part 2 of this series, we talked about hiking in particular, and how being in a remote location puts people at a higher risk of a fatal choking emergency because they are a long way from help. If you have set out on a solo adventure trip, be it hiking, camping, boating or any other activity, you are at a heightened risk, as well. Not only are you probably a long way from first responders, but you also don’t even have a friend or loved one around to perform first aid.

That’s where The Dechoker comes in. Did you know that our innovative choking first-aid device was actually invented because of a similar fear of choking while alone? In 2009, Dechoker inventor and experienced boater Alan Carver was taking a course to get his 200-ton captain’s license, and he began to worry about being out at sea alone and experiencing a choking emergency. He designed The Dechoker with that in mind, his goal to create a first-aid device that was so simple that most people could use it on themselves.

The Dechoker consists of a face mask attached to a suction plunger. If you are on your own and you choke, you can apply the face mask over your mouth and nose, and pull back on the plunger multiple times until the object blocking your airway is dislodged. This often works within seconds.

You can also attempt to perform the Heimlich maneuver on yourself, although this typically involves thrusting your abdomen against a chair or other similar stationary object, which might be hard to come by while camping or hiking. The other standard first-aid treatment for choking is back slaps and there is no way to perform that method on yourself.

We believe The Dechoker is an excellent alternative for people who are alone in the wilderness and who can’t find success with standard first-aid treatments. It’s also extremely lightweight and completely portable, making it easy to pack among your adventure gear.

If you are the kind of person who has the wherewithal and knack for savvy planning that it takes to set out on a solo wilderness adventure, we’re betting you are also someone who likes to be prepared. We invite you to explore our website to learn more about why you should add The Dechoker to your gear list.

Thank you for reading our three-part great outdoors series. If you missed our other posts, click here for Part 1 on family camping and here for Part 2 on hiking. Be sure to let us know what you thought of this series by leaving us a comment below!