What type bag/case for car First Aid Kit?

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Jan 13, 2007
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I'm looking to build a first aid kit for the car and house.

I only have basic first aid skills. I have taken some red cross basic courses.

I want it to be my "base" kit that I use on trips or major outing and will be kept in the house when not on the move.

I'm thinking about something roughly the size of a range bag, but with lots of small pockets etc.

Any suggestions on what to use? Pictures are appreciated.

Thanks
 
I just bought a couple of these and they are very organized and all the parts to your kit are visible.

vehicle4.jpg


http://originalsoegear.com/vehiclemedbag.html
 
I have plenty of room in the Explorer so carry my FAK in a Sears tool box....I carry a full bottle of sterile saline for irrigation/ burns and large bottle of betadine... they take up room... my blow out kit is similar to BushcraftBrainTrust's, and clips to my 3gun cart
 
Ammo can with rubber gasket to make it waterproof. Paint it red with white cross on it for others not familiar with your gear should you need first aid.. It would be big enough for CPR mask, arm sling, maybe even a sealed saline IV bag to rinse wound or eyes out.
 
Les, that is a stock photo from SOEs site, but my build is very similar. Quikclot gauze, Quikclot sponge, Israeli bandages, Ace wrap, Simple Saline (good call on carrying a wound wash), "H" bandages, Neosporin, TK-4 Tourni-Kwik, nasopharyngeal airway, duct tape, assorted gauze and bandages, and assorted medicine. I also keep a few Ziplocks with a set of gloves, individual use Neosporin, and a few assorted bandages to give to people with minor cuts/scraps (most people don't have even a simple FAK with them).


I looking forward to seeing what other people carry and the bags they use.
 
If you're at the basic level, then analyse your lifestyle...if you're into shooting then take a gunshot wound related First Aid course, if you're into camping/hiking/wilderness then a NOLS-WMI course. Highly recommended. Then you can build an even more effective bag.

My daily bag that goes with me everywhere is divided into three sections. One section is everyday stuff, tweezers, bandaids, Advil, Prescription meds, etc. The other two sections are specifically built for the two most likely areas I"m going to need based upon my lifestyle. This bag never, and I mean, NEVER leaves my side. No matter where I go it goes with me - not negotiable. You come over to my house and pick me up in your car and we drive to a sportsman's show, this bag is with me. However, it typically doesn't accompany me in the wilderness because I have two other kits specifically designed for those mission profiles which are different than everyday here in rural/urban America.

I keep another more specific kit in my vehicle specifically targeting vehicular related accidents and not a one-size fits all kit.

For camping I take a substantially larger kit, with everything I need to sustain a person or two for several days - it stays in my car or at our campsite if we're not hiking very far. In the woods or camping, I also have an IFAK that goes onto a thigh rig that goes with me in the field. Much like my EDC bag, this IFAK never leaves my side. It is a tear away design so if I get into trouble a buddy can remove it easily and use my kit on me. If he is in trouble I use his kit on him (same IFAK kit, design, style, and contents - same/same). We train together, we have similar equipment.

However, nothing stops you from doing it now with what you already know or think you'll need based upon your lifestyle. I mean, your welcome to get "gear ideas" from us but honestly the procurement of items and its organization is a very individual, mission specific, thing driven by two things - your skill level and your mission (what you do or plan on doing or what you can reasonable expect).

My theory is to build a mission specific med kit depending upon what it is I'm doing. I've found in my experience a "one-size-fits-all" bag just crammed with stuff with no organization doesn't work well for novices who build the kit, and then 18 months later open it for the first time to deal with a catastrophic medical emergency! So think in terms of building your kit and organizing it in modules - one module for broken bones, one for gun shot wounds, one for serious bleeding, one for burns, etc. If you organize it then you don't have to rifle through a bunch of stuff to find stuff.

Training, continuous training, simulated practice, and living in your kit (working with it once or twice monthly) is the only way you'll be able to respond to an emergency with confidence and competence. FWIW.

Honestly, superb training and simulated realistic practice is much more important than just having a bag full of assorted med stuff.
 
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BBT, I like the looks of this kit bag, I guess you could add small lock and locks to put small stuff.

Les, didn't think about a tool box, I will check them out.

Arrow, I'm not trined for the IV, I have a few ammo cans, but I think they would be too open for what I want. I want things to be more compartmentalized.

Quirt, yes I am due for more training so that's good advice. I also like the module idea, but I want all the modules to be in one bag. I have smaller kits for the back pack and gun bags.
thanks for the feedback so far.
 
For a basic car kit, you're really ok going with one of the pre-made kits that you can buy. Just choose a good brand. Adventure Medical Kits are good quality, well-organized, and easy to find. All are good things in a jump kit. :)
 
I bought one of the Adventure Medical Kits and loaded with all the extra stuff I wanted it to have. It came in its own labeled and organized bag. For a car though, you could probably just put it in a big plastic container and slide it under the seat.
 
BBT... I put my blowout kit together after reading "Blackhawk Down" and was introduced to Kerlix gauze and bandage, picked up a Blackhawk bag off a prize table, was given an SF tourniquet, added some home made petrolatum gauze for chest wounds, couple pairs of gloves, scissors, light stick, Israeli bandage, small Quickclot bag, syringe for irrigation, small squeeze bottle Betadine, cling elastic wrap, looking into a nasalpharangeal tube...outside pocket for boo boos
 
One bag you can grow into and for the car huh? Go with the Statpacks. I have one for my business and my car. Your going to spend some bucks but as your skills and supply increases you'll have room to grow.

I'm not one to recommend a store bought pre assembled kit. No one ever tears them apart and become familiar with them. And then when there is an emergency they don't know what they have, where it is located, and sometimes what it is for.

But if you build it yourself and organize it you will know what and where you have it!
 
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I prefer that whatever is used that it have straps to 'backpack' it if necessary.
 
BBT, I like the looks of this kit bag, I guess you could add small lock and locks to put small stuff.

Les, didn't think about a tool box, I will check them out.

Arrow, I'm not trined for the IV, I have a few ammo cans, but I think they would be too open for what I want. I want things to be more compartmentalized.

Quirt, yes I am due for more training so that's good advice. I also like the module idea, but I want all the modules to be in one bag. I have smaller kits for the back pack and gun bags.
thanks for the feedback so far.
I V bag with saline in it. You can squeeze it hard to flush wounds or eyes out. Sort the different items in plastic see through bags to keep things divided. The can could also contain a small camera pouch used as a small first aid bag to carry some of the items in the bush with you for a quick walk about.
 
here's my FAK

i started with the pouch, deciding I was prepared to dedicate that much space for a belt-carry FAK.

I took the pouch to my local Ambulance station, discussed my needs with one of teh paramedics and left it with them to fill up with first aid gear.

it's tailored to my needs, unlike an off-the-shelf FAK and it was a LOT cheaper than buying pre-packaged FAKs. mine set me back on the order of $60.

i'm considering a much larger and more comprehensive kit for the car.
 
ohski, they look like nice kits, but I'm looking to build it myself. where I work I can get a lot of the supplies very cheap. I also like the advice from quirt that if you build it yourself you know it better.

Random Ayes, I remember seeing "Emergency" and they used the big tackle box. good idea.

Powernoodle and GW, I want what ever it is to be "compartmentalized" so a bag without compartments or a plastic tub won't make me happy for long.

Les, thanks for the content suggestions.

quirt - great idea, I like the looks of the statpacks. Which models do you use?

Loose Arrow, now I understand and will look for saline packs. I have some heavy plastic bags so that will work.

sambo, thanks for the link. good stuff
 
I use the nylon toiletry bags for my home/vehicle kits. They come in various sizes, and offer separate compartments for organizing gear.
 
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