Well, since someone asked about first aid kits….
This is the first aid kit I normally carry around day-to-day in my Tactical Tailor bag. Its housed in an Outdoor Research organizer, size M. I happened across the organizer at a camping supply store and thought it would be a good choice and Ive been pleased. Lotsa pockets and it folds out nicely for access. Dimensions? Approximately 7x12x2.
It has a wraparound zipper, a couple loops of nylon at either end and some belt slots. No ALICE/PAL webbing but thats easily fixed with a needle and thread. Open it up and:
The actual contents? Geez, where to start….
Bandage tape, 2×2 pads, 4×4 pads, combat dressing, compress bandages, 2″ rolled gauze, 3″ rolled gauze, antibiotic cream, saline eye wash (also used for flushing out wounds), assorted band aids, larger dressing, alcohol wipes, bactine wipes, aspirin, ibuprofin, butterfly bandages, acetominophin, vaseline gauze, burn gel, non-latex gloves, etc, etc, etc. Heres the image of everything:
Theres a few other things that arent in the picture like tweezers, EMT shears, etc, etc. but it all fits in the zippered pouch. I originally went with a hard plastic container but it wouldnt ‘stuff’ into tight spaces and it made noise with things rattling around. Im much more pleased with the current setup.
The contents handle the usual everyday injuries of cuts, scrapes, burns and whatnot…but, really, that sort of Mickey Mouse crap is so niggling theres no real need for a first aid kit. No, I wanted something with a little more zip for when I go flying off my bike and into a pile of broken pallets or something. So I went a little heavy on the tape and 4x4s. I can always butterfly bandage my way out of the larger cuts until I can find someone to stitch me up. The kit I keep at my shop is about twice the size and much more intense. Best one is the one I keep at the house…its got everything above and more….ice packs, sterile water, hydrogen peroxide, betadine, etc, etc. But that kit is pretty big and usually stays at home although I sometimes toss it in the truck for long roadtrips.
The kit illustrated above handles most of the things I usually run into. And theres always more stuff to add………….
Thanks for the “tour”!
the usual everyday injuries of cuts, scrapes, burns and whatnot…but, really, that sort of Mickey Mouse crap is so niggling theres no real need for a first aid kit.
Yeah, that’s always been my problem when I’ve tried to assemble first aid kits. The scenarios I think of tend to fall into either “not worth lugging the kit” or “probably can’t get back to the car by myself no matter what I had been lugging”. :-/
One thing I did include is one of these. Costs almost nothing in terms of weight and space. However, difficult for the injured person to use. What do you think?
nice kit
however do include a dental emergency kit, along with proscribed pain killers (ask your dentist for prescription) in case of missing filing or cracked tooth. on the other hand, take care as you travel will minimize use of the kit. Wildflower
I dont see much of a need for a triangular bandage in my scheme of things. (Your free to pack/not pack whatever youd like, of course.) Using a triangular bandage as a sling is about the only use I can see and I can meet that need with other things. Its not much use as a bandage since Ive already got trauma dressings and compress bandages.
One little product I am curious about, however, is this stuff: http://www.simplerlife.com/quikclot.html
Sling is the only use I’d thought of, too. Tyvek isn’t what I’d choose first for other bandaging needs.
Mmmm, QuikClot does look interesting!
There was a good article in American Survival Guide years ago on dental first aid. It was written by a dentist who got interested in the subject after a companion knocked out a tooth (or two) on a camping trip. The dentist did what he could then and then later though about the subject more, put together a dental kit and wrote the article. If I ever find it again I’ll summarize it.
The reports I’ve seen give Quick Clot mixed reviews. In some cases the blood effectively washes the Quick Clot out of the wound and direct pressure is still needed. Other users have reported greater success. Personally, if it’s not too expensive, I’d try it, on the theory that it might help and isn’t likely to hurt. The only danger would be if you rely on it exclusively and don’t apply any pressure and then the clot breaks.