ultra light first aid

RescueRiley

RescueRiley

Joined
Mar 22, 2006
Messages
5,944
Seems the 2 things that take up the most room in my pack are food and my fak...the more I try to go minimalist the more things I'm able to leave behind.. but as an ems provider I'm constantly plagued by the what if,,not even for my self but if I should stumble across a fellow woods dweller in need of help...I know some cats just go out with a few bandaids..and I think that's a little optimistic (akin to going out with tevas and a box cutter... and hoping everything will be ok) was just wondering what sort of minimal fak gear you all carry..
I was thinking something like this

1) 2 bandannas (slingning and bandaging)
2) asst badaids
3) butterfly strips
4) maxipads..(son't laught they're easily optainable and superabsorbant and
relatively compact)
5) latex gloves (should be part of any kit as they are also handy when
cleaning game)
6) bacitracin or wound disinfectant..(iodine could also be used for water
purification)
7) benadyl cream
8) motrin
9) pepto tabs
10) tweezers
11) razor blade
12) purel
13 maybe emt shears but they are big...

even this seems like to much stuff I'm goin to put it all together and see how compact I can get it... all feedback and ideas are welcome..
 
I'd have to say superglue or the new modern versions made for sealing wounds. I seal up most wounds that would send people to the emergency room with superglue. The big benefit in the field is it keeps the wound closed and keeps the air out.

Maybe a syringe or something for wound irrigation.
 
I've crazy glued some deep cuts on myself in the past but am always a little reluctant to do so.. I feel like it's a great way to seal in bacteria..Also I know some folks pack anitbioitcs in thier bags but I think that self medicating with antibiotics is a big mistake.. that just my opinion though.
 
I have 2 kits.

1 is a army buttpack stuffed full of enough stuff to handle anything from boo-boos to GSWs to sucking chest wounds and everything in between. Its my group camp/hike/ truck bag.

2 is a tac tailor pouch with coban, kerlex, sterile 4x4s, saline lock syrynge, trauma shears and tape. It also has some bennadryl and excederin in it. I figure I can do almost anything with that setup.

The tac tailor pouch is a single mag pouch for an AR so its very packable, and lightweight.

I also have a small orange bag with a 10drop, saline, and various caths. I pack it when its super hot, and im goin on an extended trip.
 
ilbruche said:
I'd have to say superglue or the new modern versions made for sealing wounds. I seal up most wounds that would send people to the emergency room with superglue. The big benefit in the field is it keeps the wound closed and keeps the air out.

Maybe a syringe or something for wound irrigation.
Click to expand...

great suggestions B...:thumbup: i have both of those in my kits... the small syringe's work great for irrigating crap out of deep wounds....
 
I went with two different Adventure medical kits,1st is the Hunter/fisherman FAK I keep in my Maxpedition Pygamy Falcon II and 2nd. is the ultra light hiker kit,I keep with a SOL PSK with a BK 7 and I add personal items to enhance the kit to fit my family or myself
 
Super Glue no doubt. I also carry a small bottle of Visine. Not just for my allergies but helps if I get irritating crud in my eyes.
 
I have never used super glue on a lasceration ... how do you apply it ?? I am guessing you just clean the wound, fill with glue and hold closed? Blood doesn't stop it from sticking?
 
Backpacker magazine had an interesting article many years ago about a well-stocked first aid kit. It went so far as to suggest that you get some prescription painkillers from your doc which could raise a few eyebrows in this day and age, but it also included stuff like temporary fillings which can often be found in better-stocked grocery/convenient stores.

I usually stuff a variety of bandages, gauze and tape in my pack, along with purell, tweezers, anti-diarrhea meds, painkillers and other things mentioned earlier in this thread. A buddy who takes a few more risks than I do takes superglue, gauze and tape to make up his own custom-sized bandages.

Interesting thread.
 
dartanyon said:
I have never used super glue on a lasceration ... how do you apply it ?? I am guessing you just clean the wound, fill with glue and hold closed? Blood doesn't stop it from sticking?
Click to expand...

I have always had trouble with larger cuts, but it works fine if applied to them if the bleeding can be stopped momentarily. I usually apply it a little at a time, allowing the glue to bond between coats, only takes a few seconds to bond.
 
When cut neatly and the edge is clean enough, I think super glue is not bad.
In my case, it is more applicable at home rather than out in the field.
 
my basic first aid kit that i always have with me is a tube of krazy glue (the kind with the tube inside the plastic tube)

it sits in my left front pocket among a few other things. but it is small and light and therefore always there when i need it (such as when i had a FAK in my bag back at camp or up by the house etc). also very handy for closing other people's small cuts up if they don't mind me doing it my way. i always have a large roll of cloth medical tape in my bag though, good for wear points, blisters, and for cuts that don't need superglue but get rubbed the wrong way.

both of these items also double as repair equipment for my gear, but i rarely use it for such.

the tube of superglue has come in handy so many times i can't even think of half of them. off hand, i can think of when i walked by a big electrical box and brushed my hand on it, cutting my finger on a piece of sheet metal that was loose. when i slipped and dug my finger into the corner of the stone on my bench grinder. when i tapped the front of my toe with my axe by accident (before i really knew how to use an axe safely). when i nicked my knuckle with a knife point.

most of my injuries are annoying small cuts and scrapes, occasionally a larger cut. superglue handles it all.

i also find it hard to organize a larger kit without a purpose driven case. something with lots of pouches or compartments is easy to keep organized, but when i tried to carry a more complete kit packed in a large camera case, i found it impossible to get into and get what i needed when i needed it. i like large and simple.
 
First aid kit should be enough to patch up small injuries and let you keep going, hold things together and let you get back to the trail head, or stabilize serious injuries until an evacuation team arrives.

For the first one, bandaids, soap, antibiotic ointment and the like are a good idea, as are blister care and basic meds - pepto, immodium, pain killer. For the last two, I think you can improvise lots of stuff. These are situations where you're primary goal is to make it back to the trailhead and a real hospital. You can sacrifice gear, if necessary - cutting up a shirt for improvised bandages, tying up a splint, etc. You're probably not going to administer serious care - the hospital has the equipment to clean you up well, and deal with the consequences (e.g. breaking a clot loose and re-starting bleeding, putting guts back on the right side of your skin, etc. etc.). Of course, that's assuming you're within a few hours of a road - true for most of the lower 48, but not Alaska, expeditions, and some remote hide-aways.

Duct tape might be good for improvising major bandages or holding on major flaps of skin. Does double duty for blister prevention, if your skin isn't sensitive to the adhesive. Definitely include a blister treatment that works for you. I prefer waterproof tape, but I don't blister easily. Moleskin or molefoam for people who have more serious blister problems. You can get small EMT shears - about 3/4 size of the regular models. Epi pen and antihistamine are essential if anyone has severe allergies. Soap towlettes or poison-ivy soap would be a good idea if you have lots of poison ivy in your area - washing off the oils ASAP will save you a world of discomfort later. Switch out the maxi pad for a mini. The thin pads are still better wound dressings than an average gauze pad. +1 on the super glue - often it doesn't hold my cuts closed, but does provide a barrier to prevent bleeding/infection and the cuts heal faster. Petroleum-jelly based triple antibiotic ointment - if you can clean and disinfect the cut well, this will promote healing and keep things in good shape for a multi-day trip. Also treats chapped lips and chafing. Can be used as a fire-starting aid if you're really hurting (rub on something cotton, like the bandana, and light). I usually keep extra matches and a lighter in my first aid kit - backup for my main fire starters, in case I forget something or the primary has a problem.

Can you ditch one or both of the bandanas in the first aid kit, and incorporate other bandanas into your gear? I usually have one in my pocket for nose-blowing, hand wiping, and other general tasks. It's not sterile, but a sling or wrap doesn't need to be. I also keep the purell (or soap) with my toilet paper. I don't feel the need to double up on this item.

Two other items that aren't really supplies - an injury evaluation form, in case you have to send help for a patient that can't be moved, and a supply checklist. With a minimal kit, you don't need to carry 100 band aids, but you might need to restock after one or two uses. The supply list makes sure everything that should be there actually is.

Sorry if this is a bit incoherent - long day.
 
Instead of those large EMT shears, you could just use your knife.

Some of those simple tylenol or advil two packs would be useful to have. I woke up once with a killer wisdom tooth and the only thing that made it feel better was two tylenols and a pint of water.

Do you have a snake bite kit in there too? You never know where you're stepping.

I also have these: Certi-Lyte tablets, basically a supplement pill when you are feeling fatigued, muscle cramps, and if the heat is getting to you. So if you are sweating exceedingly, these are supposed to help you, assuming you don't have food to snack on.

I have these towlettes that are the size of a dime and you add water to them and they magically turn into 1'x1' squares. They are completely reusable but of course they can't get back down to their original size.

If tape isn't in there that would be another important thing to pack. Either medical tape or duct tape. Duct tape would prove itself to be more useful than anything (just my opinion).

Good luck with the pack, J.

Edit: Don't forget Mole Skin, that stuff has saved my feet countless times.
 
batosai117 said:
Do you have a snake bite kit in there too? You never know where you're stepping.
Click to expand...
Snake bit kits are no longer recommended. Study's are showing that they do not help extract the venom and or adequate amounts of the venom, and that they can damage your skin tissue. Try to stay calm, keep what ever is bitten bellow the heart, and get to a hospital asap.

One thing I would add is a small irrigation syringe like this one: http://www.nols.edu/store/product.php?productid=16249&cat=0&bestseller They can be improvised, but they don't work nearly as well, and they are so cheap small that its really worth having around.

The same site sells some small EMT sheers if your interested http://www.nols.edu/store/product.php?productid=16257&cat=266&page=2
 
Last edited:
I'm probably woefully unprepared but i take bandaids, aspirin, polysporin, sewing needles and thread (and a bit of fishing line), few of those disposable flat razorblades, some gauze, small roll of that medical cloth for wrapping, and a SAK either a Huntsman or a Classic.
I carry it in a nalgene bottle with a few feet of duct tape wrapped around the outside.

I also have fire/survival related stuff (peanut lighter/ matches/ferro-rod/survival blanket/plastic-poncho/mirror/Gerber Clutch/stubby candle/film cannister of cotton-balls and PJ / film cannister of hooks/sinkers / a few feet of fishing line / a small led light and a combo whistle-compass-magnifyer-thermometer in another small nalgene.
 
RescueRiley said:
1) 2 bandannas (slingning and bandaging)
2) asst badaids
3) butterfly strips
4) maxipads..(son't laught they're easily optainable and superabsorbant and
relatively compact)
5) latex gloves (should be part of any kit as they are also handy when
cleaning game)
6) bacitracin or wound disinfectant..(iodine could also be used for water
purification)
7) benadyl cream
8) motrin
9) pepto tabs
10) tweezers
11) razor blade
12) purel
13 maybe emt shears but they are big...
Click to expand...

benadryl cream is a bit high volume although I understand if you are highly sensitive to poison ivy. How about substituting this for allergy pills like clariton or singulair.

I think you are missing Imodium. Dehydration is a killer in the woods and sanitary conditions make food poisoning more likely out there.

Add moleskin - little weight and works great for blisters- 2nd common ailment

Shears - do you need them assuming razor blades and a SAK or other blade is with you?

Surgical tape - this stuff is just awesome!

Lastely - I always like to add in water purification pills (the chlorine dioxide ones). They are small and a nice insurance just in case the water looks ify and your stove is bumming on you. Plus they take hardly any room or weight.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top