Hiking & Backpacking First Aid Kit

Discussion in 'Survival Medicine' started by melbo, Jun 4, 2010.


  1. melbo

    melbo Hunter Gatherer Administrator Founding Member

    So if your like me you have some sort of a first aid kit in your pack, and probably only look in it when you are on the trail and need something, then discover you used your last one (of whatever it is your looking for) on your last trip. Tomorrow I’m flying to Denver for a wedding and following the wedding will be doing some backpacking in the Rocky Mountains. Since I have to check my backpack on the plane, I figured I better look what’s in the first aid kit and make sure it is OK to bring on the plane. It’s good opportunity to refill it and replace any old stuff anyway. I sometime leave out a few of these things to reduce the weight. If I’m hiking with a group, I can sometime bring much less. Solo or with my children, I feel comfortable with this.

    So here is what I have in mine:

    Medications:

    Ibuprofen tables (Motrin)
    Acetaminophen (Tylenol)
    Nasal decongestant (Sudafed)
    Diphenhydramine HCI (Benadryl)
    Tylenol Cold
    Zantac 75
    Pepcid
    Gas X
    Cough drops
    Burn gel (1 blister pack)
    Chloraseptic strips
    Anbesol Toothache pain killer
    Basic Care & Wounds:

    Sunscreen lotion (2 blister packs)
    Neosporin (3 blister packs)
    Benzoin Tincture
    Antiseptic Towelettes
    Moleskin
    Blister bandages
    Sting Relief Pad (Benzocaine)
    Ace Bandage
    Medical tape
    Small magnifying glass
    Dental floss
    Tweezers
    Safety pins (2)
    Contact lenses
    Aquamira water purification tabs
    BreatheRight stips
    Assorted bandages

    YouTube - Hiking, Camping and Backpacking First Aid Kit

    BackpackBaseCamp Blog: Hiking & Backpacking First Aid Kit
     
  2. ghrit

    ghrit Bad company Administrator Founding Member

    An epi pen would be a good, small, lightweight addition.
     
  3. Tango3

    Tango3 Aimless wanderer

    roll of good strong/stretchy electrical tape( bandages/compreses) and/or duct tape for splinting, duct tapefor cobvering hot spots on feet.
     
  4. Seawolf1090

    Seawolf1090 Retired Curmudgeonly IT Monkey Founding Member

    I see a lot of duplication......

    Good basic list though.
     
  5. Hispeedal2

    Hispeedal2 Nay Sayer

    Not a fan of backpacking FAKs. I don't know. It seems like most are for such minor issues that I wouldn't use any of it anyways. I don't have a whole lost use for band aids or ace bandages.

    About the minimum medical kit I think is useful is the CLS bag. Of course, it is so heavy, no one will want to carry it. Here are the contents:
    BAG,TC3,COMBAT CASUALTY CARE
    ATROPINE INJECTION AQUEOUS TYPE 0.7ML SYRINGE WITH NEEDLE
    DIAZEPAM INJECTION USP 5MG/ML 2ML SYRINGE-NEEDLE UNIT AUTO INJ
    ADAPTER CATHETER TO LUER SYRINGE SHORT LOCKING 5S
    ADHESIVE TAPE SURGICAL POROUS WOVEN 3 INCHES BY 10 YARDS 4S
    AIRWAY NASOPHARYNGEAL 9MM ID 12MM OD KINK RES SMOOTH RD EDGES10S
    BANDAGE MUSLIN COMPRESSED OLIVE DRAB37X37X52" TRIANG W/SFTY PINS
    BANDAGE ELASTIC FLESH ROLLED NONSTERILE 6"X 4.5 YDS 12S
    BANDAGE GAUZE COTTON 6 PLY WHITE 4.5" WIDE 4.1 YDS LONG
    BANDAGE KIT ELASTIC
    BANDAGE ADH.75X3" FLESH/CLEAR STER DRESS AFFIXED TO PLAS ADH100S
    CATHETER IV INTROCAN SAFETY 18GAX1-1/4"LG WINGED NDL TEFLON 200S
    CATHETER-NDL UNIT IV 14GAX3.25" LUER HUB AND NDL GUARD RADPQ 50S
    DRESSING FIRST AID FIELD CAMOUFLAGED 11.5-12"W 11.5-12"LG ABS
    DRESSING OCCLUSIVE ADHESIVE CLEAR 4.75X4" 5S
    GLOVE PATIENT EXAMINING & TREATMENT SZ 10LG PURPLE 4.3MIL 100S
    HETASTARCH IN LACTATED ELECTROLYTE INJECTION, 500ML
    ADMINISTRATION SET INFUSION PUMP VENTED/UNVENTED
    LUBRICANT SURGICAL 5 GRAM 144S
    ORAL REHYDRATION SALTS USP 27.9GM FOIL PACKET 125 PER PACKAGE
    PAD ISOPROPYL ALCOHOL IMPREGNATED NONWVN COTTON/RAYON WHITE 200S
    PAD POVIDONE-IODINE IMPRE STER COTTON/RAYON 2X1.375" BROWN 100S
    SCISSORS BANDAGE 7.25" LG ANG TO HDL 1.50" CUT LG BLUNT PTS CRS
    SPLINT UNIVERSAL ALUM 36"O/A LG 4.25"W GRAY & OLIVE DRAB REUSE
    SYRINGE AND NEEDLE HYPODERMIC SAFETY 3ML 23GA STER DISP 25S
    TOURNIQUET NONPNEUMATIC ADULT 14X1" BLD TAKING DSGN RUBBER O/A
    TOURNIQUET COMBAT APPLICATION ONE-HANDED
    TUBE DRAINAGE SURGICAL PENROSE 1"X18" RUBBER RADIOPAGUE STER 6S

    Now, to use it you need basic IV and needle decompression training.

    If it doesn't cover the ABCs (Airway, Breathing, Circulation), it won't be helpful in a medical emergency. If it isn't an ABC issue... it's not really a medical emergency. All these nice Adventure Medical FAKs are really cool looking. Only problem is they only cover the things your medicine cabinet would. Not really anything an emergency would require. I know that every "list" ever developed for backpacking or outdoors lists a FAK. With that sort of guidance I have to wonder how soft we really are and how it is that we are even here..... hell, my father and his father should have died in the woods before the invention of the "lists".

    JMHO
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Jan 26, 2015
  6. sharpeblades

    sharpeblades Monkey+

    first aid kit

    I have two one i keep in the truck and another that i carry with me.The one in the truck was put together for me by my doctor .I will dig it out and list the items in it
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Jan 26, 2015
  7. Seawolf1090

    Seawolf1090 Retired Curmudgeonly IT Monkey Founding Member

    I have used my FAK a couple times - the bandaids came in handy for minor dings at the range - though I have used a cleaning patch and some duct tape for the same thing too. [winkthumb]
     
  8. falcon2057

    falcon2057 Monkey++

    Can someone tell me where they get their suture supplies. I'm looking at vet supplies as a means but not sure if there is an easier route.
     
  9. Byte

    Byte Monkey+++

    Here are some through Emergency Essentials. I buy lots of different things through them but haven't bought any of these yet. Nobody wants me sewing on them... I have them on my list though. It's so damn long though.

    Surgical Sutures

    An Amazon partner here. 12pk of 30" for $20.

    http://www.amazon.com/dp/B002ETHPJO/?tag=survivalmonke-20


    I'm sure vet supplied stuff works just fine and might even be cheaper.

    Byte
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Jan 26, 2015
  10. Hispeedal2

    Hispeedal2 Nay Sayer

    Check gunshows. Sometimes I see mil-surp type tables with old medical supplies. They can be out of date. That really means nothing. Just a way for medical supply places to sell emergency supplies at a faster rate than they are normally used. As long as the packaging is intact, you should be good to go.

    Don't fear the old needle and thread. They still work in a pinch- just sterilize before use.
     
  11. Kels

    Kels Monkey+

    Thanks for the link on suture supplies. They are increasingly difficult to find sometimes
     
  12. bnmb

    bnmb On Hiatus Banned

    Huh...If I'm going backpacking, I'm not going to carry an entire hospital with me...If anything happens, the most dangerous thing is bleeding or maybe bee or wasp sting...we have here another nasty insect, but I don't know its name in English...It's like a HUGE wasp...like 3 times bigger and its sting is more dangerous than snake bite. We have only 2 poisonous snakes here, but death from them is extremely rare...Most I carry is bandage and military gauze to stop bleeding...Then my swiss army knife and one small tube of superglue...
     
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