Does a Snake Bite Kit Really Help When a Person Has Been Bit by a Venomous Snake?

snakebite kit

When you’re heading into the desert for a nice long hike on your vacation – what all do you bring along? Water, extra food, sun protection? Emergency tools and first aid kits? Those are all good things to have in your backpack. But do you bring along a snake bite kit as well?

Snake bite kits are sold all over the place. They might bring peace of mind to those that occasionally hike it snake territory from time to time, but do they actually work?

There is an estimate of tens of thousands of snakebites each year, but only a portion of those bites are venomous. And it turns out that the snakebite kit might not be able to do much concerning assisting those unfortunate enough to get bit by a venomous snake.

So, do snake bite kits work – or not? Let’s see what the experts have to say on the subject after the break.

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6 Comments

  1. Les Coulter said:

    They’re about as helpfull after a bite as freaking out and running around in circles.

  2. Ryan Childress said:

    I have one but don’t think I will get a chance to use it. The reaction of my animals that have been bitten has been so quick I don’t see it being useful. I do make a small cut in the middle of the bite if I get a chance. The bite tends to bust open in the middle anyway and the ones I cut tend to heal better, quicker. Don’t think I would do that to a person other than myself. I do believe I would use it in a wilderness environment in combination with a compression bandage. Swelling is immediate from my experience. We have a lot of big copperheads. My German Shepherd and I have been lucky, though we have stepped on a few.

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