First Aid Kits and Supplies

[3930dave]

I found elastic vet wrap works great to wrap almost any booboo. And it sticks to itself even when wet.

Now, that's an interesting point. I've never had occasion to see vet wrap used.... but it stands to reason that it would have to be a pretty bulletproof solution - few animals with mobility will respect the bandage much - though the wife might say the same for me !

Does someplace like Petsmart carry that, or is it Vet/industrial distributors only that do ?

Rgds, D.

 

[KubotaToy]

Now, that's an interesting point. I've never had occasion to see vet wrap used.... but it stands to reason that it would have to be a pretty bulletproof solution - few animals with mobility will respect the bandage much - though the wife might say the same for me !

Does someplace like Petsmart carry that, or is it Vet/industrial distributors only that do ?

Rgds, D.

I get vet wrap at the local TSC if in a hurry but keep a supply ordered from a vet supply for my horses, goats and me.

 

[tcartwri]

I like Hydrogen Peroxide for general use on small cuts. Seems to do the trick for us, w/o the YOWWCCCHHHH factor you get into with alcohol based product. The one point I've come across lately was that peroxide can be a bit too aggressive in terms of oxidizing action - I need to research that issue a bit more, esp. re. larger wounds.

Peroxide is a no-no in open wounds. It's good for cleaning around a wound when you're doing dressing changes, but that's it. It will damage the cells and cause all kinds of problems if you then close up the wound and bandage it. Clean water only for rinsing debris out.

 

[3930dave]

I get vet wrap at the local TSC if in a hurry but keep a supply ordered from a vet supply for my horses, goats and me.

TSC, that makes sense, thanks.

Rgds, D.

 

[3930dave]

Peroxide is a no-no in open wounds. It's good for cleaning around a wound when you're doing dressing changes, but that's it. It will damage the cells and cause all kinds of problems if you then close up the wound and bandage it. Clean water only for rinsing debris out.

Thanks Tim. I've never used it on a large wound, and don't plan to now that I know better.

What I'm after is a product to disinfect something like a minor cut from rusty metal, or a small bite from an unknown animal - not a major wound opening, but you have motivation to quickly disinfect it if you can. Water alone probably won't deal with the bugs like that, and while I can grit my teeth and use alcohol on my own cuts, the wife or other people won't thank me for that move when they have the cuts themselves.

IF peroxide is used, I have to learn more about how long it has to be flushed with water immediately after.

Rgds, D.

 

[Looking4new]

3939dave.....quick clot is available in Canada. Pricey.
Adventure Medical Tactical Trauma Kit with QuikClot - Outdoor Pursuits Canada

 

[tcartwri]

Thanks Tim. I've never used it on a large wound, and don't plan to now that I know better.

What I'm after is a product to disinfect something like a minor cut from rusty metal, or a small bite from an unknown animal - not a major wound opening, but you have motivation to quickly disinfect it if you can. Water alone probably won't deal with the bugs like that, and while I can grit my teeth and use alcohol on my own cuts, the wife or other people won't thank me for that move when they have the cuts themselves.

IF peroxide is used, I have to learn more about how long it has to be flushed with water immediately after.

Rgds, D.

Well, anything that's going to require stitches should just be rinsed out with clear water, and left open. Pack the wound with dressing to control the bleeding and take them to the ER. Applying anything else will just cause complications. Now if we are talking days of travel time to get out of the bush, then the game changes a little.

I have to take wilderness first aid every two years as part of my job. It's a three day course. Not saying I'm an expert or anything....

The worst bites you can get btw are Humans and Cats in terms of infection.

 

[Panik]

Dave, you mentioned needing a case that would stand up to abuse. I would recommend getting one of the smaller pelican cases. When I started back mountain biking I put together my own FA kit because I wasn't really happy with the options immediately available to me and used one of pelican's micro-cases. They come in a couple handy sizes so you can pick one to suit your needs.

One of the neat things I found at TSC aside from the vetwrap already mentioned is that they have a large supply of needles for animal immunizations. I picked up a small box of 18ga needles and keep one in my first aid kit and couple around the house. They are awesome for teasing out splinters, and I've found come in handy for a multitude of other random tasks.

I noticed a couple of people mentioned keeping super glue for first aid. Just my two cents but if you are going to go that route go ahead and spend the 17.00 to 20.00 and order some vetbond online. Superglue, vetbond and dermabond generally speaking are a related family of cyanoacrylates. The variants found in over the counter super glues tend to be comprised of cyanoacrylates that are tissue irritants, present some toxicity issues that can impact wound healing, and can produce an uncomfortable amount of heat curing in a wet environment.

I'm not saying that regular superglue can't be used in a first aid situation, nor am I saying it hasn't been used without ill effects. Just wanted to throw out a slightly healthier option.

 

[forgeblast]

If you looking for kits look at Chinook medical They have many different kits from burn, trauma, puncture etc.
I have a few of theirs and I also bought a tourniquet and two different size neck immobilizers. My daughter who is 6 knows how to put the neck brace on me and where we keep the kits so if I ask for it she will get it for me. I worry about being so far away from medical help that every minuet counts.
I also tried to think about what would most likely happen, burn (yes fuel spill etc), puncture sure fall on something or archery season, trauma same, neck easy to happen.

 

[3930dave]

3939dave.....quick clot is available in Canada. Pricey.
Adventure Medical Tactical Trauma Kit with QuikClot - Outdoor Pursuits Canada

Thanks for the link. I bumped that old Stiptic Powder thread, and got more good feedback there.... so I'll buy a vial of Stiptic powder, and see what pricing I can track down for Quick Clot - that format would be a fast compress for a large wound, the Stiptic sounds like the product to start with for a small leaky cut.

Rgds, D.