My Evolving First Aid Kit

[Valkyrie]

I’ve always had some first aid stuff with me whenever I have been out in the woods. Even on a day trip or a couple hours in a tree after work I have something. Band Aids or tape anything. But as i started doing backpack camping with my nephews and their scout troop I started with a dedicated kit. And my kit is continuously evolving.

I keep various bandages, Leuko tape, moleskin, benzoine swabs, various wound cleaning wipes, quick clot, a scalpel blade, a suture kit, Benadryl tablets for allergies and to help sleep, ibuprofen, neosporin, tweezers, small scissors, and a first aid blanket and a bic lighter. This is what I have now in a small kit that weighs about a pound.

I am thinking it might be overkill but everything I’ve added to now has been from experience either directly or indirectly. At some point I have seen these items needed.

what say you?

 

[Gunnersdad49]

A tube of super glue and some steri-strips or butterfly closures is a lot easier to use than sutures. You might consider a tourniquet.
The beauty of Boy Scouts is they are supposed to be prepared. Make them carry stuff to compliment your kit.

 

[Valkyrie]

A tube of super glue and some steri-strips or butterfly closures is a lot easier to use than sutures. You might consider a tourniquet.
The beauty of Boy Scouts is they are supposed to be prepared. Make them carry stuff to compliment your kit.

I have the butterfly closures also. And the super glue I keep in my bow maintenance kit which is just that, an Allen wrench kit and little bit of serving and some wax.

 

[justinspicher]

I went the opposite and really downsized my med kit. I carry a small container so I can only actually fit so much in it. I did put “packing list” in it so I could switch out items that expire and have a count on what needs replaced.

 

[SkunkCabbage]

CAT tourniquet, packing gauze, quick clot sponge, Israeli bandage. Be able to handle a bad bleed

 

[reaperukon]

This will be overkill to most of you I know.
I end up being the backcountry medic in our little group. Mine has the following:

- [ ] Bandaid, Adhesive, Fabric, 1" x 3" #3
- [ ] Bandaid, Adhesive, Fabric, Knuckle #2
- [ ] Dressing, Gauze, Sterile, 4" x 4" #4
- [ ] Tegaderm 4”
- [ ] Moleskin pads
- [ ] Electrical Tape, 2" x 50"
- [ ] Handkerchief aka sling (usually part of my daily wear)
- [ ] lidocaine injxn 10ml
- [ ] Benadryl 25 mg #15
- [ ] Aspirin (325 mg #8
- [ ] Tums roll, Pepcid 20mg #15
- [ ] Unisom #10
- [ ] Ibuprofen 800mg #15
- [ ] Naproxen 200mg #20
- [ ] hydrocodone #10
- [ ] Caffeine pills #10
- [ ]. Sudafed 30mg #10
- [. ] Allegra #10
- [ ] alcohol wipes #5
- [ ] qtips #4
- [ ] gold bond small 2 oz container
- [ ] 2x3”notecard/sharpie
- [ ] 5" x 8" Ziplock Baggie x3
- [ ] Povidone Iodine soln w/ cap. (This can be used multiple times and beats carrying swabs)
- [ ] dermabond aka superglue
- [ ] Syringe, Irrigation, 5ml #2
- [ ] 24 Gauge needle #2
- [ ] sutures 3-0 polypropylene suture #2, 3-0 cicely suture if it is really deep #1
- [ ] neosporin small tear packets #3
- [ ] Wound Closure Strips, 1/4" x 4", Pkg of 10
- Mastisol wound adhesive
- [ ] QuikClot Combat gauze 12x12” 2.6oz
- [ ] Trauma Pad, 5" x 9" #1 1.3oz
- [ ] Trauma Pad, 8" x 10" #1 2.3oz
- [ ]. Israeli tourniquet 4” 5 oz
- [. ] Scalpel 11 blade
- [ ] Nasopharyngeal airway (2 adult sizes)
- [ ] Safety Pins #3 attached to moleskin
- [ ] Hemostat 0.99 oz
- [ ] Petroleum jelly usually on some cotton swabs as part of fire kit
- [ ] Baby wipes for daily use.
- [ ] Hand sanitizer 2 oz bottle
- [ ] Tenacious tape 10’

All meds are in a tiny pouch. Ziplocks hold most related items together.

Daily meds are always one per day in supply. As needed meds are less, but I end up giving some away every trip so I carry a bit more. This all adds up to a little over a pound not counting the baby wipes and other stuff that goes in daily use. It all fits in a medium kifaru slick sack.

I’ve encountered enough backcountry to know that this covers 90% of what could happen. That other 10% is usually catastrophic. I had a buddy who slipped and fell one year. Hit his head as he fell and was unconscious as he rolled down the hillside. He finally impaled his chest on a sharp stick 3” as he fell. If he hadn’t passed out he probably would have been fine as he rolled a bit before hitting the downfall. Luckily no brain issues, but we put in a chest tube using our water filtration lines.
I’ve stitched up multiple wounds. Superglue is great for little things, but who wants to go home when stitches could solve it and keep you hunting.

Good luck on your kit.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Wassid82]

I work in healthcare and have always kept an emergency kit with me that was overkill but I never knew when I might need it in the backcountry so I carried it with me anyways. I had a stupid heavy syringe with needles and lidocaine etc. then I decided I needed to research and find ways to overlap my first aid kit with other purposes. I found this and think it will be the way I suture in the future. This would be way less gear and save mucho ounces:

 

[Chipz]

Carrying with me in the pack:
Quickclot
CAT tourniquet
tape
gauze
assorted sizes of bandaids and butterfly closures
Ibuprofin
alcohol wipes
antiseptic ointment
Tweezers
hydration salts
superglue

 

[Jordan1292]

A tourniquet, roll of gaz, green cap gorilla glue, 1" thick gorilla tap and some quick clot will fix most things and stay in my bino harness.

 

[Desk Jockey]

+1 on the CAT tourniquet and the glue. Both very helpful for different levels of bleeds. A few quick clot sponges too.

I plussed up my meds. some salt pills to handle cramps. Also, had a few episodes in the last few years that left me wanting more than 4-6 advil or stomach medicines. Added small ziplocks with 20-30 pills in them. Weight is next to nothing and it makes sure you have a good supply in case you get a prolonged headache or a bout of the bad stomach issues.

 

[Rich M]

My kit is similar to yours. Ace bandage, superglue, safety pins seems to be the main diff.

 

[Quackhead]

The tourniquet and Ace Bandage are great recommendations. For back country use, I’d look into a Sam splint as well- many uses. Your more likely to sprain an ankle then get shot / punctured