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