The Big bend area is one of the most remote places in the US. Though I have never been to the park specifically I have herped to the east of there, between big bend and Del Rio. On that stretch of land cell phones were useless. No service what so ever. I cant imagine Big bend being any better but I cant say for cretin. That being said a satellite phone would probably be the best bet instead of a cell phone.



As for treating snake bite, the reason no one has said how to is because you can not treat snake envenomations outside of a hospital. Anti venom is the only cure, period. If there were highly neurotoxic snakes in TX then I would could recommend the pressure bandage method but this is not advised for venoms that destroy tissue as their primary function or so I was always been led to believe.



What he can do is get an epipen in case he were to have an allergic reaction. That is probably the only first aid worth performing and the only thing that would kill him quickly if bitten.



The best thing your friend can do is notify a park ranger as to where he will be hiking so if he doesn't report back in after a specified time they can send somone out looking for him. If he were bitten by a rattlesnake the best advice would be to sit down, remain calm and wait till somone rescued him. Generally speaking rattlesnakes bites wont kill you, well period and definately not very fast. If one were to die it is usually a result of massive eternal bleeding, renal failure etc. Of course there are so many variables which can dictate the severity of a bite that are impossible to predict before hand.



Im sorry we could not give you magical cure all for snake bite but unfortunately none exist. Just tell him to watch his hand and feet placement and there shouldn't be a problem. Rattlesnake wont be hunting him down. They will try everything in their power to avoid interaction. I dont know how far off the beaten trail he plans on going but my advice would be to stya on a path if at all possible.

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