The First Aid Kit Thread

Dave said:
Great post brother :coffee

A caveat:

Sutures - if you close a wound in a non-sterile environment, chances are you trapped bacteria in the wound. You'll need antibiotics as well IMHO. Seek out a medical provider ASAP.
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I constantly have to remind my Marines about this when they want to play Dr. Self with the crazy glue.
 
We always carry a few braces in with our hiking kit. This includes ankle and knee braces. There's been more than once someone in the family has turned an ankle or knee while scrambling a rock pile. My daughter was especially known for this.
 
I've pieced together a couple of kits but I'm at the point now that I need to improve my skill level. Fortunately there is a SOLO Wilderness First Aid course being offered in a couple of weeks and hopefully I can update our various kits with some additional knowledge as well.

We hiked Flat Top Mt. Here in VA yesterday and there was hardly a soul around. Cell service was nill and we were discussing what we'd do if an emergency happened. Of course we left out kit at home ....piss poor planning.

I think that many of us could find ourselves out of cell phone service and because of that I just picked up the DeLorrme InReach and plan to take that in all our future adventures
 
Dave said:
TRAINING is key. You can have a million dollar kit with all the widgets and still be clueless. Start with a basic first aid class and CPR and go from there.
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I would agree and further argue that training is the most important aspect of the whole thought process. Someone with training can do more with nothing than an untrained person who has everything.

People never rise to the occasion in a high stress environment or critical incident, they will fall to their highest level of proficiency acquired through proper training. There are many studies that speak to this idea, I'm sure no one cares, but to make a short story long I would say that training is even more important than kit.
 
Got back last week from getting my WFA certification and the SOLO instructors were extremely qualified (CG rescue diver, Air Force PJ's with 8 years down range etc.) and I think it was the best $180 I've ever spent in terms of personal growth.
In discussing a FAK it of course depends on your trip, who's going with you, how long and how far from services you'll be to mention a few factors.

So this weekend I spent a considerable amount of time developing 3 different FAK's. One for our pop up camper which serves as our base of operations and will have just about everything we could need. A second one that I will carry with me in whatever vehicle I'll be driving and a third one that I will take when I'm out in the woods/camping or hiking etc.

The one we will take with us on hikes is this one:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B008CZZVB8/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o06_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
And I will be adding a SAM splint and several other items but for a base to build off of it comes pretty close..
 
Here is the smaller of my two kits:

belt%2Bbag.jpg


https://www.firstaidsuppliesonline....dical-first-responder-kit-fanny-pack-2-detail

(1) 1/2 oz. Betadine Solution
(1) 1/2" X 5 yds. Adhesive Tape
(1) 3" X 5 yds. Elastic Bandage with clips
(1) 3" X 4.1 yds. Sterile Rolled Gauze Bandage
(1) 4" X 4.1 yds. Sterile Rolled Gauze Banage
(1) 4.5" Plastic Forcep
(1) 8" X 10" Sterile ABD Pad
(2) Wound Seal Stop Bleeding Powder Intro Packs
(1) Bloodblocker Compress
(1) First Aid Guide with CPR and AED Guidelines
(1) Laerdal CPR Face Shield
(1) Pair Sterile Eye Pads
(1) Para Medic Shears 5.5"
(1) Triangle Bandage with pins
(10) .5 gram Triple Antibiotic Ointment
(10) .9 gram Hydrocortisone Cream
(10) 1/8th oz. Hand Sanitizer Gel
(10) Acetaminophen Tablets, 2 per pack
(10) Aspirin Tablets, 2 per pack
(10) Ibuprofen Tablets, 2 per pack
(10) Antiseptic Wipes
(16) 1" X 3" Heavy Duty Woven Adhesive Strip Bandages
(5) 2" X 3" Heavy Duty Woven Adhesive Patch Bandages
(5) Heavy Duty Woven Knuckle Banages
(5) Heavy Duty Large Fingertip Bandages
(2) 5" X 9" Sterile ABD Pads
(2) Large Instant Ice Packs
(2) Pair Nitrile Exam Gloves
(4) 4" X 4" Sterile Gauze Sponge 2 per pack
(4) Sooth-A-Sting Swabs
(6) Pain Relieving Burn Gel, 18th oz.​

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I have a larger first responder kit as well, but it's been overkill for most of the stuff I've dealt with lately. Still a nice kit to have for when things get real bad or I'm out with a larger group. I just know it needs a serious rework before I take it out again.

To both kits I've added a lot more gauze, triangle bandages, and extra splits. I've found immobilizing an injury for transport is usually the bulk of what I need once the patient is stable. Luckily I'm a cautious cat and haven't had to deal with too many major things. More often naught it's sprained/strained joints, minor cuts and abrasions, minor burns, and insect bites. Dealt with some nastier stuff during my outdoor ed days mainly because of klutzy kids and overconfident jocks.
 
My .02 for this stuff.
Have something that can work as a suction device. A Toomey syringe and large diameter tubing works, as one example. Airway suction saves lives.
Don't do sutures in the field. Period.
Don't panic about expired drugs, like aspirin and pain killers, NSAIDS, etc. They don't "Go bad", they just slowly lose efficacy. Especially in, for example, an AMI or anaphylactic situation. Don't withhold a lifesaving med because of a date stamped on the side.
Have a SAM splint. They work great and can be cut to size for fingers too.
Silvidine cream is AWESOME for burns. Expensive, but awesome.
Pack a headlamp, knife and a Sharpie in your kit.
Don't forget tweezers and moleskin.
Of course taking training and learning is great, kinda goes without saying.
Anyhow, just my .02 cents. Been around this stuff a long time. Cheers, and be safe!
 
bob91yj said:
I've seen the staple style suture things available, what are your opinions on those? Bacteria will still be an issue. I've super glued one of my dogs back together after she got in a scrap with another dog.
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Staples are typically used in an emergency room setting on scalp lacerations (less concern there for scarring). Quick and efficient in "sterile" environment such as an ER, anyone can use a stapler. Usually backed up by antibiotics.

They work in the field too but as stated earlier about sutures in the field, I don't recommend it.

If someone is cut up bad enough to need 'em, it's probably time to go to the ER. If you're on a remote trip well, you have some decisions to make.
 
Dave said:
?....... If you're on a remote trip well, you have some decisions to make.
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Isn't that what we're all concerned about?
If you're in cell phone range and less than an hour from an ER/EMT's than your role as a citizen is to call 911 and do what you can to stabilize the victim(s). This is what our instructors referred to as Front Country. When we aren't within an hour of professional services or within cell service then things can get serious in a heart beat. This is where proper training and a decent medical kit can mean the difference between life and death.
One thing that was brought up in our training is that unless you're an EMT and have a full kit with you (which most of us aren't) having some way to get help in the Back Country if things are real bad is as important as anything else in your kit. They reccomended either a Sat Phone (expensive) or an InReach which I recently got.
 
Even when communication with emergency services is an option, help can be hours away. I've been involved in a couple of rescues over the years, one of them was fairly serious, took us almost two hours before we got life flight to the scene.
 
I've been carrying a couple of IFAK's with some minor upgrades. Although I need something a bit bigger and some training even more. Wilderness first responders course sounds good. Is that something a untrained person could do, or is that more advanced? This is a book I've kept with my emergency road kit.
IMG_0323.JPG
 
treefireguy said:
My .02 for this stuff.
Have something that can work as a suction device. A Toomey syringe and large diameter tubing works, as one example. Airway suction saves lives.
Don't do sutures in the field. Period.
Don't panic about expired drugs, like aspirin and pain killers, NSAIDS, etc. They don't "Go bad", they just slowly lose efficacy. Especially in, for example, an AMI or anaphylactic situation. Don't withhold a lifesaving med because of a date stamped on the side.
Have a SAM splint. They work great and can be cut to size for fingers too.
Silvidine cream is AWESOME for burns. Expensive, but awesome.
Pack a headlamp, knife and a Sharpie in your kit.
Don't forget tweezers and moleskin.
Of course taking training and learning is great, kinda goes without saying.
Anyhow, just my .02 cents. Been around this stuff a long time. Cheers, and be safe!
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Lots of truth to this.

But lord, let me tell you. Don't ever give expired Syrup of Ipecac. That stuff gets more potent as it gets older.
 
Was going through my own kit and realized a lot of supplies are expired and some are used up. Whoops.

So thanks to the good feedback from @Dave here, and being that I wanted something before we leave for Moab on Thursday, I ordered the MYFAK from MyMedic last week. :clang

18161165_413594055669495_811980532429619200_n.jpg
 
my wife Sally has been in the medical field for over 42 yrs. She built ours, I guess you can call it advanced First Aid \ Trauma Kit.

I feel hibiclens is a must in any first aid kit.
 
In my experience and looking at offroad and gun forums, most folks seem to carry way more than they need- and way more than they are trained to use. That equipment compensating for lack of experience thing. For some unknown reason everyone thinks they need to carry suture materials, then they'll ask about using it. If you have to ask questions, guess what? It's not rocket science and there are a few cases where it may be appropriate, but, unless you know wht you're doing and you have actually practiced it, you can make things worse.

Several tips just because: if you're going to carry a bunch of stuff, especially stuff with expiration dates, it's easy enough to make a spreadsheet with the contents including expiration dates. Sure, open your kit and visually inspect stuff every now and then, especially if you use anything, but generally it's a whole lot easier to pop the top and glance at the expiration dates to see if anything needs replacing. You can even set it up to send yourself a reminder when something is nearing experation.
Zipolcs are great. Easy to see the contents, very dirt and water resistant, can be ripped open in a hurry, etc. It keeps the stuff in them clean when you have messy hands and they work well to put trash in too.
Put your gloves in the top so you remember to put them on.

Have a boo-boo kit in the cab or close at hand. Mine's a small Toyota FJCruiser 1st aid kit that I was given. Near worthless from Toyota, but it looks kinda cool so I put commonly used things in it like bandaids (because who wants to bleed on your food, your stereo, etc), Tylenol, splinter forceps, etc. This keeps you from having to dig out and dig through your primary kit for the most likely to be used items.

If you go shooting, have a blow out kit and know how to use it. I keep mine attached to my main 1st aid kit.
 
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