First aid kits

Shotgun

Shotgun

Joined
Feb 3, 2006
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I was wondering if we could start a first aid kit thread. I'd like you to include your whole fak strategy and not just specific first aid items. For instance I plan to use a bandana and duct tape instead of gauze and 4x4's so I'll include it in my list. Mine is pretty bare bones but the hiking I do is generally a few miles on well traveled trails and the camping is car camping. Looking to do a little more remote trips so need ideas on how to bulk up the kit.


Mine:
Immodium x3
Bandaids x3 (Nexcare, best bandaids out there IMO)
Duct tape (for blister control as well)
Bandana
Alcohol pads x5-10
Edit: Tknife reminded me of other things I have that can be first aid-y
Needle
Tweezers
Scissors
 
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Mine is based on blisters, small cuts/abrasions, stings, splinters. Some other stuff you might want to add:

Neosporin
Tweezers/needle
Benadryl and Sting eze (Lots of bees and scorpions where I'm at)
Advil
Gauze pads and small roll of gauze
Burn gel (maybe I'm unlucky, but I have gotten minor burns on a few trips and they can turn ugly)
 
tknife said:
Mine is based on blisters, small cuts/abrasions, stings, splinters. Some other stuff you might want to add:

Neosporin
Tweezers/needle
Benadryl and Sting eze (Lots of bees and scorpions where I'm at)
Advil
Gauze pads and small roll of gauze
Burn gel (maybe I'm unlucky, but I have gotten minor burns on a few trips and they can turn ugly)
Click to expand...

So what's your full list?

Advil doesn't seem to do anything for me. In fact with most over the counter meds I don't notice any pain relief what so ever. Burn gel I've thought about. Never needed it though. I'll put it down as maybe.
 
I'm a competitive shooter and have a blow out kit that clips to my 3gun cart

SF tourniquet
Israeli bandage
Quick Clot bag
Kerlix gauze
Kerlix roll
burn gel
petroleum gauze (sucking chest wound)
Telfa non adherent pads
4x4s
self adhering stretch tape
nasal pharangeal airway
small bottle Betadine
EMT shears
nitrile gloves
irrigation syringe
small hand sanitizer
chem light
LED minimag light

outside pouch has cloth knuckle bandaids, neosporin, aspirin (heart attack stroke), tylenol,ibuprofen, alcohol and iodine wipes

car kit has 1liter of sterile saline and syringe, larger betadine, additional gauze-tape-bandaids,triangular bandage, N95 masks, larger hand sanitizer, Israeli bandage with slider (for through and through)

I had an occasion where I was the first responder to a riccochet that lacerated the head of an acquaintance... I set him down, and applied pressure to the profusely bleeding head wound with my handkerchief... by the time I got him to hold the hankerchief, was up to my wrists in blood... asked him straight out.."is there any chance you have AIDS or Hepatitus C?" the answer was not no or hell no, but "I don't think so" which was not the answer I wanted to hear...washed my hands with water, and when I went to the range office looking for some Clorox, there wasn't any... was a learning experience
 
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I dunno, that would probably be time consuming to list out. But it's pretty basic. I used to carry a very large first aid kit, but pared it down over the years. Now it has things specific to my area and to the types of injuries I or others with me have gotten. Main things are stopping blood flow, wound cleaning and protection, insect bites/stings.
 
Definitely add something for stabilizing a sprained joint or broken limb. I mention this a lot, because most of the first aid stuff people say they carry is about useless, IMO. I don't know what a bandaid is going to help me survive.
Athletic tape will cover anything a bandaid or moleskin will, and along with ACE bandages and other pre-fashioned supports, will go a long way to making injuries more manageable.
Trekking poles will be the best thing that ever happened to you if screw up your ankle or leg, too.

Took a fall scrambling on boulders in a creek bed Monday, and thought my ankle was broken. Couldn't move my foot, or bear to touch the ankle, which immediately looked like someone stuck an egg on the outside under the skin at the joint. Fortunately, I was just a little over a mile from a trailhead on a popular trail. I walked out with some other people who caught up, and even kept up with them on the way out-it just hurt a lot.
On a couple of backcountry hikes last week, this could have easily turned into a survival or rescue situation if I was unprepared, but I went from being nauseated and unable to stand to walking out under my own power in a matter of minutes after wrapping it with an ACE bandage.

Here is my first aid, fire, signal mirror, and backup water purification stuff, with a fresh ACE bandage replacing the one I'm wearing(thankfully the swelling has mostly gone to my foot!):
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I usually stick a military trauma dressing, a few individually packed wipes, and seasonally, things like tubes of sunscreen or moisturizer, decongestant medicine or whatever behind it in that pocket. I carry an Atwood whistle and Vnox Classic on my keys, otherwise a compact whistle and a Classic or LM Micra would probably be in there, too.
 
Very good point Owen. I do carry an ACE bandage as well, though I have been fortunate to not get a bad sprain.

Another thing that I forgot is I carry a small tube of eye wash and some eye drops. Getting gunk in your eye can be a real pain and can get serious.
 
I use a two level system that is based on time period out, risk rating of activity and number of folks with me. This is my Altoids FAK, that is a part of my day gear, and I have an identical one as part of my weekly EDC.
P2130025.JPG

- anapestic towelettes
- wet naps
- burn pad
- eye patch
- various band-aids
- larger gauze pads
- butterfly's and steri-strips aka field stitches
- iodine ointment
- and under the tape, razor blade, needles, safety pins.

My larger kit, is a heavily modified off the shelf Personal kit, updated to suite my needs. I will post again tonight with its contents.

And always remember, the kits posted on this thread should be 2nd aid kits. Your brain and hands are your first aid kit, especially away from emergency services and you need to improvise. With out knowledge and maybe even some training, the tools in the kits can be useless.
 
tknife said:
...though I have been fortunate to not get a bad sprain.
Click to expand...
It's awesome! After they saw me hobble in with a trekking pole for a cane, I got wheeled around the airport in a wheelchair, pre-boarded, and someone even came and took me to the baggage claim when I got home:D
 
agreed- most of my "repair kit" items cross over to first aid- needle/fishing line, crazy glue, duct tape, safety pins

my fak includes a couple of tegaderm bandages, small roll of gauze, tweezers, small scissors, couple of steri-strips, couple of triple antibiotics, couple of celox packs and one item I feel is very important to carry a small irrigator, several papers point to the importance of pressurized water in cleansing wounds

for blisters I've gone to Leukotape/benzoin

meds- a few immodiums, a few benadryls, tylenol and advil

my fak weighs ~ 2.5 oz (repair kit ~ 1.5 oz)

firstaidcontents.jpg
 
Here is mine.

Disinfectant pads
Panodils
Antihistamines
Assorted dressings, swabs, bandages and gauze
Plasters
Scissors
Tweezers
Tick remover/magnifying glass
Disposable Nitrile gloves
Tape
Safety pins

Missing from the pic: Syringe for flushing wounds, Compeed blister plasters, extra lenses.

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In addition i carry a 50 gram QuickClot sponge.

adventure-medical-kits-quick-clot-sport-g-first-aid-sponge_1.jpg
 
ace bandage
gauze pads
a few band aids
duct tape
a few aleve pills
bandanna

and it is the most used part of my kit besides food and water
 
I should mention also the reason I bring both Tylenol and Advil is they each work a little differently, but also very complimentary I've found (ymmv). Advil for the "body", Tylenol for the "head"- the aches and pains of a grueling hike are often remedied by taking two Advil and one Tylenol (as well as the ensuing good sleep that follows :))
 
mtwarden said:
I should mention also the reason I bring both Tylenol and Advil is they each work a little differently, but also very complimentary I've found (ymmv). Advil for the "body", Tylenol for the "head"- the aches and pains of a grueling hike are often remedied by taking two Advil and one Tylenol (as well as the ensuing good sleep that follows :))
Click to expand...

Agreed. I keep Tylenol (acetaminophen) for fever/ headache, Advil (ibuprofen) for soreness/ mild pain.

I've also started keeping at least a small amount of aspirin in my FAK, home, car, office, and briefcase as well. A while back there was a women in my building who was having symptoms of a heart attack. Building manager came in asking if anyone had aspirin and I only had Tylenol. 100ct bottle cost me $0.99 at the grocery store -- may never need it, but I've wasted $1 on far worse things.
 
How many folks carry something with them for burns? I've got something in our home kit, but haven't figured out what to carry camping. Any suggestions?

So far, I've only gotten singed on my fingertips *knock on wood*, but if you accidentally got your hand or foot into the coals or on a rock or skewer... could be bad news.


edit: Something else I didn't see yet (might have missed it)... I usually carry some antacid tablets (tums/rolaids/etc). Camp food sneaks up on me sometimes.
 
burns- nothing very fancy for me

minor burns- cold compress- ibuprofen/tylenol for pain
more severe burns- irrigate thoroughly, pat dry, dry relatively loose bandage- ibuprofen/tylenol for pain
 
OwenM said:
You hurt yourself every day?
Click to expand...

I do a lot of mountain biking with my son and his friends. We do some crazy black diamond trails.

I or someone falls off and gets hurt often. At least every other or third week
 
Just struck me funny that it was your "most used" gear :D
Careful out there!
 
I carry the Adventure Medical .5 kit, plus I've added a few things:
Ibuprofen
Triple Antibiotic Ointment
Pepto Chewables
Benadryl
Oral Re-hydration Salts
Replaced folding scissors with Leatherman Micra
Burn Gel / Blister Gel
Ace Bandage
Small BIC lighter (cauterizing wounds, j/k :eek: )

Never had to use most of the items on myself but have helped quite a few others, including a mountain biker that fell off a thin obstacle and face planted over the handle bars. Sunglasses shattered right into his eye lids. Good thing we were very close to the trail head. Also helped with a few cuts, blisters, burns in mine or others groups...

Bigger than most peoples I've seen but I'm happy with the size and I'm sure those I've helped are as well :) ...
 
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