Put Some Thought into your first aid kit

[Pdzoller]

I just did a re-stock and upgrade on my first aid kits. My number one priority is prevention. I always have and use a pair of cut resistant gloves when doing anything that could cause injury.

My wife is a veterinary student and taylor made my kits. So needless to say, I might be over prepared.

When I was doing an inventory and trying to think of things to upgrade or add. I ran countless scenarios through my head. I decided to pick up a really light set of needle nose, a small laceration kit, a tweezer kit, superglue and an emergency pack for the dog.

 

[rideold]

I think a hugely overlooked item is a bottle of betadine. Getting a cut to stop bleeding with quick clot or a tourniquet is great, but getting the wound clean is hugely beneficial.

There was a good Meat Eater podcast with an ER doc a while back and he said any potable water is more than sufficient for irrigating a wound in the field. I've never thought of carrying betadine but I do carry an irrigation syringe.

 

[Johnny Tyndall]

There was a good Meat Eater podcast with an ER doc a while back and he said any potable water is more than sufficient for irrigating a wound in the field. I've never thought of carrying betadine but I do carry an irrigation syringe.

That's good to hear. I've always heard poke a hole in a glove or a bag with a safety pin for eye & small cut irrigation.

 

[ozyclint]

I recently got a treble hook deep in my finger. It was a 'quit fishing, drive home and cut it out job'.

Luckily I had a syringe, needle and local anesthetic in my home 1st aid kit. I was able to cut it out no problem.

 

[northernalpine]

Glad the OP made it out ok, everyone earns an experience like that or worse if you keep at it long enough.

Not to be overlooked…wound packing gauze.


Also not to be overlooked…common sense knife handling: keep it out of the triangle between your “plumbing” and knees.


Things get real in a hurry out there

 

[DmrbigEshotT]

I don’t have any experience with actually using these, but seem like a good fix for moderate cuts in the short term. Added some to my kit a couple days ago.

Zip Stitches

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0BM9S3MBD/ref=ya_aw_od_pi?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[drdrop]

There's a lot of emphasis on gear on this thread. The best thought I've ever put into my first aid kit is from having purchased Wilderness First Responder and Wilderness First Aid (WFA) courses. The shorter, weekend-duration WFA course is excellent for going through how to build/improvise an effective first aid kit. However the real value is knowing how to approach/assess a first aid response situation and make appropriate decisions far from 'second aid' as was previously brought up.

 

[Fdh]

Just ordered quick clot and Israeli bandage, I have to order right away otherwuse for some reason it never gets in the truck or backpack

 

[BowBaboon]

There's a lot of emphasis on gear on this thread. The best thought I've ever put into my first aid kit is from having purchased Wilderness First Responder and Wilderness First Aid (WFA) courses. The shorter, weekend-duration WFA course is excellent for going through how to build/improvise an effective first aid kit. However the real value is knowing how to approach/assess a first aid response situation and make appropriate decisions far from 'second aid' as was previously brought up.

I don't think this can be emphasized enough. I've spent a good amount of time guiding in backcountry scenarios and have seen my fair share of accidents. Without my training, I can think of at least one situation where someone wouldn't have made it out alive, and it didn't come down to a tourniquet or any amount of gauze.

 

[fwafwow]

I don't think this can be emphasized enough. I've spent a good amount of time guiding in backcountry scenarios and have seen my fair share of accidents. Without my training, I can think of at least one situation where someone wouldn't have made it out alive, and it didn't come down to a tourniquet or any amount of gauze.

I think they go hand in hand. Training is critical. And in some situations the gear can be too, but having amazing gear won’t make up for not having the knowledge of when and how to use it.

 

[Benchleg Hunter]

Thanks for the post. It's helpful to hear these stories to remind me that stuff can happen anytime, anywhere and to have a plan for when it does. Because something WILL eventually happen if you spend enough time in the outdoors.

 

[Okhotnik]

I had an accident force me to leave after packing in a bunch of water on a hunt in AZ. I jumped into some tall grass off a dead fall and landed on a large dead branch, it flipped up and smacked me upside the head like if you were to jump onto a shovel.

About knocked me out, a minute or two later I felt the blood running down my neck, had to use my phone to assess the damage and had basically split the top of my ear in half.

I had zero first aid with me! STUPID!

Had to dump out the 3 gallons of water I just specifically humped in 5 miles, pack my gear and hump it back to my Jeep where I had a "kit".

Fortunately nothing major with the ear, just more ego damage than anything.

Once home and bought a couple kits to combine things so I have a solid kit in the jeep and the packs!

I learned years ago to walk over deadfalls, large rocks carefully. I never jump off or over objects unless I absolutely have to. I will typically walk around deadfalls if I can especially with a heavy pack. screwed my knees up too many times. lol. always carry eye wash, isreaili bandages, big roll of gauze, anti biotic ointment, lots of vet wrap, , tweezers, tourniquet, medical staple kit. if you end up cutting yourself or if your buddy does put heavy pressure on the wound. its going to hurt . And of course when cutting , always always move knife away from any body part no matter how awkward.

 

[Benchleg Hunter]

and it didn't come down to a tourniquet or any amount of gauze.

Mind sharing what it did come down to??

 

[cricket1974]

i do carry a suture kit i can sew up someone and also crazy glue if it’s not super deep and butterfly stitches work well on deep cuts also

 

[Lilian]

I have used my outdoor EVA first aid box for two years. I usually put band-aids, various bandages, eye drops, painkillers, alcohol wipes, tweezers, scissors, etc. in it. I am wondering if I should also put some other medicines in it.

 

[Dave_S]

Great reminder to carry first aid all the time. I'm definitely guilty of leaving it behind too often.

 

[Jherek]

There is so much knowledge in this group! I hope others appreciate as much as I do. I've learned alot over the years from you guy's!

So thank you.

I'm glad the OP is okay, scary situation.

I started rethinking my kit this yr,
Things that I added,

Isreal bandage,

Zip strip wound closures

And Midol.
And yes I'm a guy lol.
I've never read about Midol anywhere. But I work at a underground hard rock mine, I hurt my back this year at work. Really bad muscle spasms and cramps.
We have a 24 hour medic on site and our safety manager, both said Midol it's a miners best friend's, it works wonders on that kinda stuff. Anything to do with muscle cramps, and muscle pain.