Backcountry Med Kit

[bearclaw]

One last thing I forgot to add is a few of the well sealed alcohol wipes. I rarely ever use these but can clean up cuts if needed, but are an amazing fire starter! Two of those and some tinder and a wet miserable night isn't so bad...

 

[Molon Labe]

I'll add my 2 cents as someone with more medical training than backcountry success. There's a difference between "first aid" and "trauma" or life-saving equipment and some of that has been mentioned above. I carry Leukotape wrapped around a piece of a straw for hot spots and its many tape uses, a couple misc bandaids and assorted meds (ibuprofen, imodium, benadryl). Just a few doses of each. Also an extra chapstick because it fits best in there.

Trauma stuff is where people get all worked up. I carry a CAT tourniquet and 1 Israeli style compressed bandage/dressing. I've been trained in their use (if you're not a good youtube video is better than nothing) and am willing to bear the minute weight penalty. You can makeshift a lot of things out of other gear, but a tourniquet isn't one you want to do that with IMO. Or a pressure bandage. Most people live in a fantasy world about "I'll just use my X".

Concerning tourniquets, there is always some new one on the market. Giant zip tie, giant rubber band, whatever. There's a reason the CAT and the SOFT T are the 2 leading tourniquets out there for people who sadly have to use them often: they work. A good windlass tourniquet is the way to go.

Hemostatic gauze or the old powder isn't useless for sure, but I think you'd find more injuries are solved with the other 2 items.

All of my med stuff weighs 8 oz. I'm happy to carry that weight.

My entire med kit is for stuff that may kill me or end the hunt. So I carry a Israeli bandage, Quikclot sponge and a SWAT T tourniquet. 4 alcohol wipes, suture needle/thread, two of those little fake skin things, moleskin patch, two gauze packets, and small tube of super glue. Also have pills: benydryl, antidiuretic, diuretic, and ibuprofen.
I also keep my extra lighter, tenacious tape, SPF chapstick and sunblock in there as well.

My total kit weight is 13.6oz but it is worth it for me.

Practice the Israeli bandage and tourniquet applications at home with one arm both left and right. Also practice (one handed) making a splint, suturing (on a thawed out chicken), etc. Better to have been through this practice then have a major injury and everything that goes with it coursing through your system. Just remain calm and revert to your training.

 

[KayLee]

Anyone carry or have had to use a ZipStitch? Was thinking of buying one or two for my first aid kit. They're expensive, but would be nice to have in the extreme situation that I, or someone else, has an accident worse than a surface scratch.

 

[Whiskey_Fish]

I’ve used the zips before on job sites. If you have the means to get things very clean and dry and the cut is smooth they work well. But if not, it’s hard to get good adhesion. I don’t think it would work for a puncture or anything besides a nice knife slice.


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[KayLee]

I’ve used the zips before on job sites. If you have the means to get things very clean and dry and the cut is smooth they work well. But if not, it’s hard to get good adhesion. I don’t think it would work for a puncture or anything besides a nice knife slice.

That's a good point. I usually just carry gauze and some tape, which has worked when I've needed it. Most of my stupid slip-ups are on my hands while I'm cleaning my kill. Being miles away from a road makes me think of the worst case scenario though.

 

[Alexander]

I had to use my medkit this season and was very happy to have it.'

My friend/mentor cut is hand something like 4 times while dressing this MASSIVE bull elk (25X25) if you're counting.

Had the camelbak raised up on a tree so flushing/washing the wound with providone iodine was pretty straightforward. Then used gauze and athletic tape to keep it clean...doctor said I did a damn good job keeping it clean for the next 48hrs so I will forever and always bring a beefy medkit whenever I go out


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[omegafoo]

If you're in cactus country and don't have a multi-tool with pliers on you (mine was in the truck), a small set of tweezers would be very handy for that morning when you kick a cactus in the grey light while walking without a head lamp. Ask me how I know...

 

[Marmots]

If I'm in large group or hunting out of a canoe I carry a dictionary sized medical kit full with airways tools, SAM splints, epinephrine, etc. When it's just me mountain hunting I go a lot lighter:

For cuts I carry a couple gauze rolls and a folded section of tape because it's more versatile than Band-Aids and I can pack a wound of necessary. I also carry a couple steri strips because they weigh a couple grams and are almost as good as stitches.

I carry a 1oz nalgene full of Neosporin. That and the gauze can double as an emergency firestarter. Most of my Neosporin always ends up being donated to a friend who is chafing. It can also quiet pack frame squeaks.

If I'm going to be out for an extended while or working with something nasty I carry a 50ml syringe. I use this to irrigate deep wounds. It can also be used to backflush Sawyer water filters. Sometimes I'll also carry another 1oz nalgene full of povidone iodine that can be used as a disinfectant in the flushing solution and also as a back up water treatment method.

I carry a couple ibuprofen and some diphenhydramine. The diphenhydramine is just in case of some anaphylaxis crisis but also works to knock me out when I'm too excited to sleep.

I carry a patch of moleskin.

I usually carry my Leatherman Surge with me but if I'm being a real weight weenie I'll leave it at home and take a small pair of tweezers instead for splinters.

There's some vetwrap around the stock of my rifle to elevate the comb. If I ever needed to wrap a knee or ankle I will cannabilize that. During archery season I have some very fashionable camo vet wrap covering the yellow wiffle ball bat section that I use as a bugle tube.