Sawyer SAM Splint - Regular
Helpful for minor backcountry injuries, the Sawyer SAM Splint uses soft aluminum alloy surrounded by foam to securely and comfortably immobilize an injured limb.
- Aluminum alloy core sandwiched between 2 layers of closed-cell foam provides comfortable support; splint affixes with athletic tape or wrap
- Measuring 36 x 4.5 in., the Sawyer SAM Splint can be used on nearly any bone while folding up small enough to fit in most first aid kits
- Splint wipes clean and is reusable
Made in USA.
View all Sawyer First-Aid Supplies| Best Use | Multisport |
|---|---|
| Material(s) | Aluminum/closed cell foam |
| Dimensions | 36 x 4.5 inches |
| Weight | 4.5 ounces |
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Must have
I received a couple of these when I got WFR certified. I've carried one in my pack for every single hike, even for day hikes, for the last 3 years. Sometimes I've felt a little ridiculous. Well, halfway through a 30 mile loop through the white mountains my friend twisted her ankle badly enough that she was concerned it broke. With about as many miles ahead of us as behind us, it was a bit of a panic. I was able to splint her ankle with this and an ACE wrap. After a few miles the piece running across the bottom of her foot snapped off (it's not meant for a *lot* of repetitive back and forth bending), I used it to reinforce the most painful side of her ankle. She was able to hike nearly without pain with that set-up, while walking around the campsite at night without it was nearly impossible. It's lightweight. It's versatile. It could mean the difference between a tough day and a worst-case-scenario nightmare. I am so happy REI sells these, I'll be buying them when they need replacing for the rest of my life.
Great for emergency splints
I run EMS and we carry these splints on our ambulances. I ended up buying one for my medkit seeing them on our units. If you know how to use it then the SAM splint one of, if not the ultimate splint you could carry. Lightweight foam covering a conforming aluminum plate. When in storage you can roll it up and it is the size of a balled up fist. Best option I could think of for hikers.
A fracture deep in the backcountry of the BWCA
I don’t go into the backcountry without a Sam splint in my pack. It came in handy last summer! I was on the fifth day of a nine day adventure maybe 30miles into the backcountry of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness with five of my best buddies. While portaging, one friend turned to pick up a dropped paddle. With his foot stuck in a mess of large river rocks, he heard a crack as he turned. He broke his fibula! Yikes! Just that fast. With cold water, pain medicine, the sam splint wrapped with an ace bandage and that very paddle as a crutch, the six of us were able to safely finish our adventure without a rescue. Never mind the double portages to help my ailing friend out. We had about 30 miles of paddling and 1000 rod to get done over the next 4 days. Everything else went off without a hitch. What an amazing adventure and, lucky for us, we had a Sam splint that truly saved the trip! When he returned to Portland, he saw a doc right away. We did just what the doctor ordered. No change in treatment...a splint, ace wrap, pain medicine, and crutches.
Very compact.
Purchased to add to my first aid kit. Compact size fit nicely in my Adventure Medical Kit Mountain Weekender kit. Have not used it yet and hopefully won't need to either on myself or others.
Hope I never need to use it
Giving this five starts even though I haven’t used it and hope I never need to. I did use one during WFA training and knew I wanted to have one in my pack
A must have first aid item
It was a great product, and I’d recommend it to friends.
Light and good for emergencies
This is the recommended product in wilderness first aid classes for use in splinting bone breaks. It's very easy to use. It's light and easy to put in your pack and forget about, but there if you ever need it.
What I needed
Haven't had to use it but it is easy to form yet holds shape well. It is exactly what multiple medical professionals have recommended I carry for my outings.
Gold standard splint
This is the splint we talk about in Wilderness First Aid training so I bought one to keep in my car. It's a little large and heavy to pack in a first aid kit however. I had to buy the much more compact version which doesn't have the integral foam padding in order to save space & weight for packing. This is basically a strip of aluminum expanded metal to which you can pad with clothing or sit pad. I wish REI would carry the more backpackable version of this splint.