First aid kit requirements

[gsganzer]

The topic came up on another forum and I thought I'd post it here too. I cut myself pretty bad a few months ago and fortunately had a Molle pack first aid kit I had put together in my truck. But that experience made me completely revamp what I had in that kit. It seems most kits focus on a lot of non-emergency type items. I ended up revamping my kit with more wound treatment items such as clotting gauze, medical tape, wraps, larger dressings as well as scissors, tweezers, betadine, antibiotic cream, burn dressing. I still have smaller things like small bandaids, aspirin etc, just not a 10 day supply of them. I still need to add a space blanket, splint, tourniquet, eye wash/dressing and maybe a suture kit or liquid wound closure stuff.

Anyone have a kit they recommend? Or maybe a list of items that should be in a kit? I understand needs vary, but what would you put in a basic kit that would stay in a vehicle, hunting camp, home?

I'm trying to define what would/should be in a typical kit first aid kit, rather than stuff that might be better kept in your home medicine cabinet.

 

[Beeenvenue]

Yes, most of the ones you find in department stores are really overpriced versions of stuff for really minor problems. I make my own. If you look online, you probably should look for trauma kits rather than first aid kits.

4x4 gauze pads
Blood stop
Medical shears
Medical tape
Tweezers (not critical but great for pulling bee stingers and splinters/thorns)
Generic Benadryl (for any stings, etc)
Burn gel
Eye pad
Chemical ice pack with ace bandage
4oz alcohol
Sterile gloves
Butterfly strips
Strap for tourniquet (belt, etc)


You can add more for larger trauma or if you think you might need this to help others, or if someone might be coming to help you. Most of the other stuff in preprepared kits are for minor booboos that you can go back to the house for.
If you WANT to then sure have some individual packs of ibuprofen, alcohol prep pads, regular band aids, etc but again you could get most of that in household sizes and put them in snack size ziplocks for far cheaper.

 

[jeff9366]

I do considerable chainsaw work, alone, in the woods. Have been sawing this way without incident for 35 years or more.

I keep several 8 X 10" "wound dressings" and velcro straps, in addition to a standard first aid kit, on my utility vehicle, which carries my saws.

Wound dressing are available at most large drug stores.

 

[denchen]

As a retired 30 year front line Fire Officer, throw in a roll of `cling film` or what ever you guys call it and a small bottle of isopropanol. The clingfilm will cover burns with all the crap. Once covered and the oxygen deleted, the pain will be much less. then cool under cold water to take the heat away, and if the worst happens in a really bad cut, it will hold everything in until you get to some help. The isopropanol will kill all the bugs, it`ll hurt like ****, but you could live to call me all the names under the sun.

 

[Jstpssng]

Tampons are actually the last thing that you want in a first aid kit. They are made to absorb blood, what you really want is to clot it. (Which was pointed out at my last first aid course) I carry a tourniquet in the pocket of my chaps along with some blood clotting powder. My truck has a blood clotting sponge, another tourniquet, low dose aspirin (good in case of heart attacks) Benedryl (helpful if somebody suddenly discovers they're allergic to bee stings)
Gauze, bandaids, triple antibiotic ointment, and surgical tape. Eye wash, ice compress, tweezers and scissors. Also a sharpie marker, note book, eye protection, mouth barrier, several of the proverbial dust masks, and I can't remember what else. I carry it in a Craftsman soft sided tool bag. Carrying it is one thing; knowing how to use it isn't as easy. We take a CPR/first aid course every 2 years.

 

[bunyip]

Aware of snakes and take a restrictive bandage that has little rectangles printed on it, when the tension is right they become squares, very clever little invention, I hope when you mention tourniquet you mean restrictive bandage so as not to completely stop the blood flow and kill the limb.
Buy Snake & Funnel-web Bite Bandage - Survival Emergency Solutions

 

[Tree Hugger]

I use a chain saw frequently alone also. I started carrying one I built. tourniquet, clotting sponge, clotting powder, gauze, tape, sissors and bandaids. lots of thorns and stickers so the bandaids come in handy.

 

[NorTracNY]

I'll agree with Jstpssng. You want to stop the bleeding, not absorb it. You want the blood clotting bandages, but also include Israeli compression bandages. They work great. Of course include a tourniquet. For these items, buy an extra one and make sure you know how to use it. An emergency were someone, maybe you, are bleeding out is not the time to read instructions.