First Aid Kits-Post them up!

Discussion in 'Wilderness and Tactical Healthcare Management' started by Outlander, Sep 9, 2016.

  1. Odinborn

    Odinborn Member

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    Just a simple-ish med kit I threw together for a weekend in the bush coming up. I use a small pouch to hold it all, and I'm pretty surprised it all fits.

    Just the normal stuff you'd expect to see, I don't usually treat smaller issues I have unless it's just keeping it clean and dry. I mostly focus on burns and controlling bug bites and cuts.
    IMG_20170711_005834.jpg

    The old camel tin holds Benadryl, Tylenol, and some medication I need. And yes, that's Merthiolate. I know there's better options but it works well for me and I also carry a triple antibiotic and iodine wipes.
     
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  2. Hammer

    Hammer Member

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    I'm doing my annual review of my various 1st aid kits, and I thought it would be worth laying them out and sharing. My kits continue to evolve slightly over the years, and by no means are they meant to deal with every conceivable scenario - just the most likely ones, based on a lifetime outdoors, the fact that I live in a place where it is pretty easy to be remote and far from help, 13 years as a senior instructor for a wilderness-based school and a certified Wilderness First Responder. But I'm always open to critique and suggestions, so don't be shy if you have thoughts to share.

    This one is my smallest kit. It's primarily for day hikes, mountain bike rides, etc. Most common foreseeable scenarios are various soft tissue injuries, blisters, maybe a bee sting reaction.

    Contents:
    • Various band-aids, Steri strips
    • Small and large gauze pads
    • Moleskin
    • Antiseptic ointment
    • Antiseptic wipes
    • Benadryl
    • Ibuprofen
    • Glacier Gel (for burns)
    • Surgical tape
    • Coban wrap
    • Tweezer
    • Safety pin
    • Latex gloves

    [​IMG]

    Packed up, with a SAK Farmer for scale:

    [​IMG]
     
  3. Hammer

    Hammer Member

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    My mid-size kit. For multi-day backcountry trips, mostly likely either carrying on my back or on a bike. Still assuming that soft tissue/athletic injuries are the primary concern, and that things like splints and slings can almost always be improvised with other things we would be carrying (like aluminum backpack stays, etc). Trying to strike a balance between adequate preparedness and reasonable space/weight limitations.

    • Large/small gauze pads
    • Various band-aids, Steri strips
    • Roller gauze
    • Kinesio tape
    • Chito SAM (hemostatic dressing)
    • Roll of 1/2" tape, roll of 1" tape
    • Moleskin/padding
    • Antiseptic ointment and wipes
    • Coban
    • Latex gloves
    • Tweezers
    • Sciccors
    • Safety pins
    • Pepto bismol
    • Afterbite sting treatment
    • Benadry
    • Ibuprofen
    • Acetameniphen
    • Sharpie
    Two things I realized I'm missing from this kit and need to replace: thermometer and Glacier Gel (or 2nd Skin)

    [​IMG]

    Packed up for scale:

    [​IMG]

    Next up will be my larger Basecamp kit, when I get around to it...
     
    Last edited: Mar 18, 2018
  4. Delkancott

    Delkancott Member

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    Thanks for bumping the topic. I need to build a small kit for day hikes/kit bag and build some for the vehicles.

    Not specific to the items, what are the injuries/situations y’all prepare for?
     
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  5. Hammer

    Hammer Member

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    I no longer work professionally in the outdoors, and my trips are recreational in nature, with maybe my wife and/or a couple other people. All of whom have a generally high level of outdoor experience, safety and awareness (and most of them have wilderness-specific 1st aid training as well), which I mention only as a consideration, versus being responsible for a bunch of novices. Most of these trips are either hiking or mountain biking (we do a lot of multi-day, backcountry bike trips). I live at high altitude in the Greater Yellowstone area, where it is pretty easy to get fairly remote.

    So, with that context in mind, I consider (and plan for) athletic injuries as the most common possibility. Sprains, strains, maybe some sort of soft tissue injury like a cut, abrasion, or minor burn. I also carry a few things to deal with a larger soft tissue injury that may involve more significant bleeding. Bites and stings that may cause a minor systemic reaction can usually be dealt with by administering an antihistamine, like Benadryl. I generally assume that if anyone is prone to serious anaphylaxis, they already are aware of it and carry their own epi-pen (this was not the case when I worked professionally - we always carried an epi-pen, just in case). Outdoor injuries always carry a high possibility of infection, so I make sure I have ways to clean wounds aggressively and frequently, if needed. Ibuprofen for minor pain lives in all my kits.

    In the event of a fracture, there are lots of ways to improvise a splint. Though the SAM Splints that are available commercially pack flat, are light and easy to carry. You can generally slide one in along the backsheet/stays of your backpack and not even know it's there until you need it (you can also just use your backsheet/stays to make a splint as well). With a fracture, they are either still mobile, or they are not. In the case of the former, stabilize and walk them out. If it's the latter, stabilize and initiate an evac plan.

    Longer trips are still largely focused on the same scenarios as the above, I just carry more of the same stuff. I also carry some minor meds for things like diarrhea, fever, etc. on longer trips, as well as a stronger, prescription painkiller in the event of a more serious accident that may take time to get the person out.

    As I mentioned in another post - unless you're a medical professional, you're generally not going to be "fixing" a lot of injuries in the backcountry, unless they are pretty minor. Most wilderness first aid, in the event of more serious injuries/illnesses, is a matter of stabilizing and evacuating to get them real help in the front country.
     
    Last edited: Mar 19, 2018
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  6. Strigidae

    Strigidae Administrator Staff Member

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    Just ordered some H bandages and chest seals to make my wifes car ifak kit complete.
     
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  7. Zeek

    Zeek Member

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    Sooo... I'm at the weekly travel soccer game with my family yesterday and one of the girls on our team gets injured bad enough that she had to be carried off the field. It may be a torn ACL pending results from an ultrasound today. Anyway... I was shocked to learn that no-one at the game had ice or a cold pack. :confused:
     
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  8. Zeek

    Zeek Member

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    Bump
     

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