Series on Medical Gear

Nobody Special

Adventurist
Ciao all! This in the introduction to a 3 post follow on series from our Overlanding First Aid class from DRV.

(First off, I'll start off with a few disclaimers. This post will contain general information about medical conditions, treatments, and equipment. The information should not be treated as definitive medical advice. This post is not a substitute for hands-on first aid training by an accredited training provider. I encourage anyone interested to sign up for courses offered by the American Red Cross, NOLS, or others sources. Please contact me if you would like more information on these classes. I did not receive any form of compensation for the following material. All thoughts and opinions expressed herein are my own and not influenced by the products or companies featured.)

Frankly most first aid kits on the market are sub-par. I have seen many products advertised as hiking kits that offer no more than bandaids and Tylenol. These will in no way save your life in an emergency. The need for more in depth education on medical gear was clear as we finished up our class as DRV. Many people had concerns about the gear that we were using in the class. "What should we carry" and "where can we find it" were a few of the most popular concerns.

I'd like to give a little direction about options when building a medical kit for your adventures. I will touch on 3 broad classes of injuries, and how to build the appropriate kit to combat each. Stay tuned for the series!
 
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Just to chime in quick... Highly recommend the SOLO WFR and WFA courses if you're on the east coast. Did my training with them (long since expired, sadly) and it was top quality and very hands on. I'd say more general adventurers would be fine with a WFA (Wilderness First Aid) level class. Only reason to jump to a WFR (Wilderness First Responder) is if you find yourself in a leadership/guide roll and are responsible for a group. WEMT (Wilderness Emergency Medical Technician) is most likely overkill for most non-professionals since most states require seat time with a professional/volunteer EMS group.

A formal WFA class is also a great way to flesh out a basic first aid kit. I know when I took mine they encouraged you to bring your kit with you and you could use it during the hands-on scenarios. Got to know the kit very well, where things were, what it had, and what it needed.

That said, very interested to see this series since I need a refresher myself and need to redo my kits before I hit the road this season.
 
Just to chime in quick... Highly recommend the SOLO WFR and WFA courses if you're on the east coast. Did my training with them (long since expired, sadly) and it was top quality and very hands on.

Concur. I just did this earlier this month. Doesn't matter how much prior training you've had in the past you still need to refresh those skills.
 
Another SOLO WFA graduate here.
I just spent last weekend ordering various components to outfit three different kits, one for our camper to be used as our base of operation, another to take on hikes and other short trips and a third to keep in the truck for whatever.
 
^Very cool info! I know that REI also sponsors training through NOLS around the SoCal area as well.

I'm just about finished with the first part of the series and I hope to have it up by the end of the week.
 
^Very cool info! I know that REI also sponsors training through NOLS around the SoCal area as well.

I'm just about finished with the first part of the series and I hope to have it up by the end of the week.

Looking forward to your report. Most of my supplies have arrived and I hope to spend a few hours putting my kits together later today...
 
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