Originally published at Notes from the bunker…. You can comment here or there.
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 7×12×2.
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 4×4s. 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………….
