First Aid Kit Suggestion Needed

S

spclPatrolGroup

New member
So before this hunting season officially hits high gear, I would like to put together a first aid kit to keep in my truck, having little to no first aid experiance (unless watching old episodes of MASH counts) What kind of things should I stock? I was thinking of getting a basic one that contains all the regualar bandages, and adding to it. Pleae give me some suggestions, keeping in mind my experiance, thanks.
 
I'll post what we use for Scouts for a patrol kit tomorrow (a patrol is a group of about 5 to 6) but a good start is a good first aid kit (bigger than personal, Menards has good ones for about $10) and then add to it tape, some larger gauss pads (like 3x3's), band-aids & alcohol wipes (there are never enough of these), and a tube of triple anti-biotic ointment.

And you probably want to add some tylenol and/or asprin (I keep both).
 
As much as the kit itself, I recommend some training - a number of organisations such as the Red Cross offer basic first aid instruction.

If you envisage the possibility of a serious blood-loss injury, eg a gunshot accident, products like Quikclot which stop heavy bleeding rapidly may prove to be a lifesaver!

These days, surgical gloves (latex or non-latex) are important for the safety of the first-aider.
 
Good topic, wrong board.

Our focus is firearms, not medical kits.

Closed.

I got a PM from an active member that this topic is often discussed in the Hunt and asked might it be moved there.

Here we go ... reopened.
 
Take an EMT course at your local college.
I thik it should be required, youll use it for the rest of your life.
Some of the things people recommend like a blood clotting agent could get you sued!
ed
Paramedic for 36 years.
 
+1 Training

Better off with a poor kit and good knowledge,
than a good kit and no knowledge.
Take a first aid course.
 
Get in touch with your local Volunteer Fire Department and start volunteering.

1. You will be trained as a first responder; basic (and possibly advanced) first aid, CPR/AED, and you'll learn a bit about fires too.;)

2. You'll be providing a much-needed service to your community, especially if you live in a rural community.

3. You'll gain the experience needed to accurately gauge what you will/won't need in your personal first aid kit.
 
I carry a small, waterproof kit with me in the field.
+1 to a quick clot for really big emergency issues in the field. I don't but upon reflection, I probably should.

I keep a full-blown first aid kit back in camp. At the end of the day, I always scrub, apply peroxide/anti-bacterial ointment/bandaids immediately to whatever cuts/nicks, etc I get in the field on any day. I keep the meds on the cuts until healed No sense ruining a trip over an infected X. Most of my daily dings are small enough to not need attention in the field.
 
Once upon a time...
I had more first aid training no first aid training,but I found myself 200 Yukon River miles from the Haul road north out of Fairbanks,along the pipeline.
We put in the river where the old derilict hovercraft to cross the river,the little trailer cafe,and the bridge are.
It occurred that a bear outside our tent put his paws on top of my sleeping wife and took a bite.We had a large laceration and some puntures on her butt to deal with.
My wife and I went to AK with two backpacks and a shotgun case.I did not have a major first aid kit.
I did take a very basic kit.I had a small nalgene bottle of Betadyne,a gauze roller,and a few compresses.We had boiled some water in a coffee pot the night before.
The other handy thing I had was my brother.He was a Special Forces Medic in an A camp in VN in 66-67.
When I got back ,I took an EMT class.Knowledge of what to do/not do is far more important than stuff.
One of the small prepared first aid kits will take care of little cuts,poke,an aspirin,etc.
I personally carry two GI combat battle dressings in the pouch on my little orange hunting backpack.And a little bottle of Betadyne.
 
Plan for the worst.

Then the little crises will turn out to be tolerable. You will do well to plan for the most obvious: tripping into a branch or other puncture-delivery mechanism, gun-shot wounds (also possibly deep punctures), and possibly major scrapes and major cuts/abrasions. Betadine equivalent is available @ WalMart at ½ the price, also Quick-Klot, aka SWIFT-STAT® at ½ the price. Not to save $$$, but to ensure that each man's pack has its own supply. Spray-antiseptics with pain-reliever, CarraKlenz®, all available on line, scissors, Kotex® minipads will soak up a lot of blood, hold in place with Camo-form® or other non-sticky cling wrap, needle and thread ( and a bullet to bite on ), police-whistle, mini bungee-cord as tourniquet and black marker to note when the tourniquet was applied, eye-cup and sterile water (a 2-liter jug of water is sterile enough to use on eyes, wounds and to drink), Jack Daniels to calm your nerves when its over. A good idea is to keep your goods in separate packs -- up to three -- and not everything in one pouch, unless you are a party of just two. Any, ANY ready-made 1st aid kit will cost you at least twice what a self-packed, customized kit will cost.
 
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Well, first thing of what the most common hunting injuries are.

Small
Cuts, bee stings, small broken bones
- Carry antibiotics, some 550 paracord (you can use a stick to make a small splint for a broken finger or for a limb), bandaids, painkiller

Large broken bones from a fall, large open woulds from a fall or gunshot or animal attack
- Flexible splint (military style), tourneqet (to stop major limb bleeding), quickclot, and bandages/wraps.

What are some extreme examples of injuries? Falls where people had to survive for days; hikers that had their limbs caught under a rock etc. and had to saw their limb off, etc.

For any day outing, I would carry a bag for staying out overnight for at least a couple nights, just in case. Consider the weather; maybe a small blanket or layer of clothing. Maybe a two way radio.

Above all else, carry a mobile phone, map, multitool, knife, water, flashlight, reflective vest of some sort (for rescue) and signal device. Also, tell someone and/or leave a note telling where you went and your plan for return.
 
toilet paper!!!

I carry several old but washed t-shirts, a roll of electrical tape, betadine, peroxcide, and some water in a back sack for hog huntin' nights.

Hope it is the dogs needing wrapped but am ready to wrap my own self if needed...

Brent
 
Just about every pharmacy I have ever asked could get me some OTC powdered styptic. 'Comes in a small jar with a shaker top under the lid.
 
super glue or the medical equivalent
MOLESKIN
Ace bandage
splint
space blanket
gauze
tape
tweezers

more stuff than I can remember at the moment
 
there was a post a couple years ago offering ready to go kits. i'm a physician and bought two of 'em for the truck and cabin. i'm guessing you could use the search function here to find the post.
 
Using Super-Glue a suture alternative. Emergency repair, only.

The Real Scoop on the Use of Tissue Adhesive for Wound Closure
For several years there has been increasing interest in the medical community regarding the use of commonly available "Super Glue" types of adhesives for wound closure. The cyanoacrylate glue (Super Glue) sold over-the-counter and medical cyanoacrylate glues are apparently identical in composition and rumored to the be same as the tissue adhesive used extensively during the Vietnam War. Even some midwives have used over-the-counter Super Glue (Krazy Glue) successfully in lieu of suture to close the perineum. (I hope your application won't be as involved as this !!) Be sure to use latex gloves.

In the 5th edition of "Healing Passage", the care and repair of the tissues involved in birth, this important issue is addressed.
 
If one cannot improvise you will need a wheelbarrow to carry everthing you might need.
Extra medications and good communication systems are top of the list(in my day pack) for me.
Then it also depends on how long one will be out in the bush. When I hunt Elk we are in a tent camp for 8-10 days. That means lots of soup meals and some MRE's.
 
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