First Aid Kits

[Caribou]

I keep a tourniquet on the passenger visor of each vehicle where I can reach it from the driver seat. On the passenger headrest I keep my trauma bag, again where I can reach it from the drivers seat incase I'm in a wreck. It doesn't get buried in the back seat.

My trauma kit is a fair sized leather fanny pack. There is a strap on the end that is made to tighten the bag the it isn't totally full. I keep 4 to 6 rolls of various medical tapes there on the outside where it is readily available. I have a sharp knife with about a 2 1/2" blade that I use as a zipper pull, again out where it is readily available. Inside I have Kerlex, lots of 4X4's, a battle dressing, scissors, occlusive dressing, stethoscope, BP cuff, bandaids, Quick Clot, gloves, triangle bandage, sam splint, 16 Ga needle to decompress a chest, one way valve for CPR, Oropharyngeal airways, and probably a few things I'm not remembering off the top of my head.

I designed this kit when I was working on the ambulance so If I got there before the ambulance I could do my work till the cavalry arrived. We had large tackle boxes on the ambulance with all the above and more. I like wearing the fanny pack on a run as I could swing it around to my front and have most of what I needed to work with right in front of me. It was very handy. With multiple patients I could work out of my fanny pack and other could work out of the tackle box.

 

[CalicoKatie]

Lot of good info in this thread. I'm trying to expand my medical preps and Patriot Nurse is a good source. She gives good information on basic care and preparation as well as supplies you can stock up from dollar stores.

ThePatriotNurse - YouTube

 

[Morgan101]

I agree. I think Patriot Nurse is excellent. I have always enjoyed her You Tube channel. Good info and like-minded.

 

[backlash]

On Monday I burned my hand with hot oil while cooking.
I immediately ran cold water over the burned area.
It was hurting pretty bad so I grabbed my burn ointment and put some on. The pain was greatly reduced within a few minutes and completely gone within about an hour. There was no redness.
I can highly recommend this stuff. It works. You will have to search for it because I still can't post links to amazon. Sorry for the inconvenience but I can't seem to get this problem corrected.
Ching Wan Hung Soothing Herbal Balm for Burns & Itching
It's manufactured in the USA. It should be in everyone's FAK.

 

[Spikedriver]

Mine "on the go" kit is pretty basic. Various Band-Aids, first aid tape, ibuprofen, Tylenol, fingernail clippers. I try to keep it as small as possible because I have a lot of other stuff in my pack. I don't keep gauze. I figure if it's serious enough to use gauze, I'll tear off a piece of sleeve or cut the top off a sock and tape it down. I do need to replace the sterile wipes, they got used up or dried out and I just kind of forgot about them...

Oh yeah, I forgot hand sanitizer. Gotta have that...

 

[Pearl]

Lot of good info in this thread. I'm trying to expand my medical preps and Patriot Nurse is a good source. She gives good information on basic care and preparation as well as supplies you can stock up from dollar stores.

ThePatriotNurse - YouTube

Will be checking her out, thanks for the info!

 

[Spikedriver]

On Monday I burned my hand with hot oil while cooking.
I immediately ran cold water over the burned area.
It was hurting pretty bad so I grabbed my burn ointment and put some on. The pain was greatly reduced within a few minutes and completely gone within about an hour. There was no redness.
I can highly recommend this stuff. It works. You will have to search for it because I still can't post links to amazon. Sorry for the inconvenience but I can't seem to get this problem corrected.
Ching Wan Hung Soothing Herbal Balm for Burns & Itching
It's manufactured in the USA. It should be in everyone's FAK.

That's interesting. My employer provides a small kit mounted on each piece of equipment at work. Those are supposed to always have burn ointment, stinger ointment, and poison ivy ointment in them. I've used the burn gel once. It worked ok, but the stuff you're describing sounds a lot better...

 

[Grimm]

Lot of good info in this thread. I'm trying to expand my medical preps and Patriot Nurse is a good source. She gives good information on basic care and preparation as well as supplies you can stock up from dollar stores.

ThePatriotNurse - YouTube

Did you see her video last week on sleep? Good info.

 

[CalicoKatie]

Did you see her video last week on sleep? Good info.

I just went back and watched it. I think a lot of us are sleep deprived and she does have a lot of good info there.

 

[Cabin Fever]

FWIW, I have the kit below because I was once an EMT. I have purchased the same kit for all of my kids families.

https://www.practicaltrauma.com/trauma.shtml

 

[Hardcalibres]

From a survivalists perspective, there is actually a good case for making a distinction between first aid and medical care.

In normal times, people can apply first aid to some injured person and then hand them over to a medical professional (most likely an EMT) usually minutes later and at most a couple of hours later. Most first aid kits are well designed to provide the gear to fulfill that function.

But where there may be no cavalry coming to take the injured off your hands, the list of supplies required to provide on going care for the injured suddenly gets a lot longer (and requires much larger quantities of many of the things that first aid kits have one or two of).

For that type of preparedness, you need a medical kit - that has supplies for treatment through to recovery.

If you add in the probability that you will have to treat sick people as well as those with injuries, then the list of supplies grows very long indeed.

Being prepared with stuff like that, is part of being really prepared for very severe crises.

We have a doctor (and some medics) in our group - making sure they have the supplies to effectively use their knowledge, is an important part of improving survival prospects.

 

[Neb]

From a survivalists perspective, there is actually a good case for making a distinction between first aid and medical care.

...

We have a doctor (and some medics) in our group - making sure they have the supplies to effectively use their knowledge, is an important part of improving survival prospects.

What can your doctor buddy share with us to how to deal with no drug stores etc being open?

That has long been a quandary for me.

There may be a chance for me to figure out how to cook up nitrous oxide to be used for dental work, but beyond that I am stymied

How exactly does one determine blood type?

Best I can do is maybe 1850 medicine?

Curious,

Ben

 

[backlash]

OOPS! Sorry

 

[Hardcalibres]

What can your doctor buddy share with us to how to deal with no drug stores etc being open?

That has long been a quandary for me.

There may be a chance for me to figure out how to cook up nitrous oxide to be used for dental work, but beyond that I am stymied

How exactly does one determine blood type?

Best I can do is maybe 1850 medicine?

Curious,

Ben

You can't really replace a hospital - and most doctors are not skilled and practiced at all types of medicine.

But you can do a lot with local anaesthetics, basic antibiotics, basic medical tools, OTC medicines and public accessible medical supplies.

If you look at medical care even 70 years ago, there was almost no reliance upon machines that go "ping" - but even still, a lot of people who got hurt/sick, were treated and made pretty good recoveries.

 

[Bluetick21]

I keep two full first aid kits on in the hunting truck and one at home. I keep a lot for dogs too. And use both quite a bit but I have three kids as well someone is always cutting up knees and elbows

 

[poltiregist]

The folks at the hardware store thought it was hilarious when I told them I was buying the surgical bullet removing probe for removing bullets . They were selling them as fish hook removers but were Indeed made for human surgery . Whether they will do any good , I really don't know as most of todays bullets would mushroom , and likely pass all the way through and exit human flesh . I simply had rather have it and not need it than to need it and have to go cowboy and dig a bullet out with a knife .

 

[poltiregist]

It will not quite fit into my emergency medical kit , but something we have on occasion used is a osage orange tree / horse apple / bodac tree to treat a tooth ache . Cut the bark and a white sap will flow out . Take a finger and dab it on the painful area . It will deaden your mouth about as well as a dentist could do . This for some unknow reason sometimes doesn't seem to work and other times it works so well that it is scary . There is a guy in my area that cuts up and dries the fruit and sells it on the black market for pain relief . I know a lady that is one of his customers and eats that stuff for back pain . Personally I would be scared to eat this stuff , because whatever chemical that is naturally in this tree it is indeed powerful . This I have been told is an old Native American medicine .

 

[Pearl]

It will not quite fit into my emergency medical kit , but something we have on occasion used is a osage orange tree / horse apple / bodac tree to treat a tooth ache . Cut the bark and a white sap will flow out . Take a finger and dab it on the painful area . It will deaden your mouth about as well as a dentist could do . This for some unknow reason sometimes doesn't seem to work and other times it works so well that it is scary . There is a guy in my area that cuts up and dries the fruit and sells it on the black market for pain relief . I know a lady that is one of his customers and eats that stuff for back pain . Personally I would be scared to eat this stuff , because whatever chemical that is naturally in this tree it is indeed powerful . This I have been told is an old Native American medicine .

That's really good info, thanks. Have a lot bois d'arcs in Tx.

 

[backlash]

I know this is an old thread but I wanted to add this as a reminder to check your kits.
I found a FAK, that I didn't know she had, in my wife's get home backpack in her car. There is a FAK in her car as well.
I inventoried everything and found ALL the supplies way past their expiration date.
There were OTC meds that expired in 2006. There is a water packet that's old but no expiration date so I'll keep it.
I tossed everything that was out dated and anything that was questionable.
I am in the process of updating all my FAK and my trauma kit I carry to the range.
It's also time to switch survival kits from a winter kit to a summer kit. Different conditions require different supplies. Some things stay in both seasons. Don't need all the cold weather clothing and stuff to stay warm. I do need shade, water, and sun block. I keep a sealed tote in the garage with both seasons supplies so it's easy to change.

 

[Pearl]

I know this is an old thread but I wanted to add this as a reminder to check your kits.
I found a FAK, that I didn't know she had, in my wife's get home backpack in her car. There is a FAK in her car as well.
I inventoried everything and found ALL the supplies way past their expiration date.
There were OTC meds that expired in 2006. There is a water packet that's old but no expiration date so I'll keep it.
I tossed everything that was out dated and anything that was questionable.
I am in the process of updating all my FAK and my trauma kit I carry to the range.
It's also time to switch survival kits from a winter kit to a summer kit. Different conditions require different supplies. Some things stay in both seasons. Don't need all the cold weather clothing and stuff to stay warm. I do need shade, water, and sun block. I keep a sealed tote in the garage with both seasons supplies so it's easy to change.

I keep ALL seasons of necessities in my truck, just in case. I can live in my truck easily for two weeks, if I have to push it..........one month! I still don't think that's enough, bit I won't have gas available to drive it so......??

 

[backlash]

I keep ALL seasons of necessities in my truck, just in case. I can live in my truck easily for two weeks, if I have to push it..........one month! I still don't think that's enough, bit I won't have gas available to drive it so......??

If my wife's Toyota had the room I would leave everything in t year round.

 

[SoJer]

..For discussion / illumination, later this Eve (back to the hamster wheel, for now

jd

 

[Morgan101]

..For discussion / illumination, later this Eve (back to the hamster wheel, for now

jd

Holy Cow!! That isn't a first aid kit. It is a MASH unit. Very impressive.

 

[SoJer]

Holy Cow!! That isn't a first aid kit. It is a MASH unit. Very impressive.

Heh, it Better be! (was in an outpatient Surgical-clinic I used to service-call. fixing their surgical Laser That was thier 'crash cart', I simply snapped a shot (and will discuss, later this Eve or tomorrow, when time allows..) for Reference / understanding, and, where-appropriate, 'inspiration' (ie: Some of that stuff, I 'know what to Do with' - Other stuff - definitely Not without more Training, but..

...'Preparation for what we Don't know - but either might Learn, and/or someone Else in the 'group' / hood, etc might know' - just seems like a 'good investment' / insurance.. (vs 'just stash more cash'..)

jd

 

[angie_nrs]

I thought we had a 'car first aid kit' thread here somewhere but I can't find it.

I just added Narcan to my kit. You can get it free from a county building, fire dept., or health department depending upon where you live. I thought it would be a good addition to my car kit and to my regular supplies at home. You just never know.... And, it's free, so why not?

I think I mentioned somewhere too that I have an automatic BP monitor in my car kit b/c if in a situation where it is loud due to traffic or whatever, it'd be difficult to obtain a BP. It's also more difficult to get a good reading in a trauma situation using a stethescope and cuff, especially if you aren't used to getting BP's this way. In an emotional situation, especially one that may involve a family member, an automatic cuff would be preferred. Just make sure the batteries are good.

In a normal situation, I prefer the old way of getting a BP, but in a trauma type situation, I'd prefer to get the BP with the automatic cuff and use my stethescope to listen for lung sounds. So, in addition to providing some vital information, it can also save time, which may be critical.

This reminds me to go through my vehicle kit and make sure all is well, fresh, and where it should be.

 

[Bacpacker]

Good thought on the Auto BP machine. I have one I use 3 times a day at home. Gonna get one to keep at work when I go back. Hadn't given a thought to keeping one in the vehicles

 

[Peanut]

I think I mentioned somewhere too that I have an automatic BP monitor in my car kit b/c if in a situation where it is loud due to traffic or whatever, it'd be difficult to obtain a BP.

Good thought on the Auto BP machine. I have one I use 3 times a day at home. Gonna get one to keep at work when I go back. Hadn't given a thought to keeping one in the vehicles

Brand or model recommendations? It's something I've thought about, even shopped for but had no clue what I was looking at.

 

[Bacpacker]

Brand or model recommendations? It's something I've thought about, even shopped for but had no clue what I was looking at.

Mine is just one from Walgreens. Had it for years. It is pretty accurate. I am gonna look around for other ones.

I'd like to see what Angie suggest