Personal BO Medical Kit List?

Discussion in 'Survival Medicine' started by TailorMadeHell, Dec 28, 2006.


  1. TailorMadeHell

    TailorMadeHell Lurking Shadow Creature

    Okay, I will state for the record that there is a whole lot of medic information here. Great job guys and gals and keep up the good work.

    Now, I see a lot of lists that say 'alcohol prep pads', 'ointment' and the like. There is no mention however of how many of which that you would have in a personal kit. If I am missing it, someone thump in the melon and point the way.

    I had a guy tell me that I'll need 4x4 bandages. Though how many? The bottom line is that I want to put together a good kit and would like to know what is feasible in one. I found a lot of base kits for after you have reached your 'compounds' though I cannot find ones that say to carry this with you.

    So anyone got a good list that they can bring to the table? I have no formal training, so I'd have to get a book to go along with it.

    And to give a scenario to help out.... Maybe meeting a total of four people on the way to my place that need minor attention and the possibility of myself needing minor attention. So five people kit carried on one person for lacerations, burns, or such things.
     
  2. phishi

    phishi Psy-Ops Moderator Emeritus Founding Member

    End of the world kit or is some form of higher medical care available? These people you have met, are they friends that you will have to care for on the way to your place, or are they folks you've stumbled across whom you will treat and move on? What training are you thinking about taking? How indepth do you want these books to be? Finally, how big of a bag are you putting this in?

    phishi
     
  3. TailorMadeHell

    TailorMadeHell Lurking Shadow Creature

    EOTW or what?

    Well, I see maybe small easily fixable wounds that do not require me to do anything more than maybe stop minor bleeding, simple burns and stave off infections. I would want a kit that covers most any disaster on a layman's knowledge.

    Friends or what?

    Maybe meeting someone along the way that needed help. I'd like to help and move on. Though you can never tell if someone might be good for joining you, or wish to join you.

    Training?

    I am going to try and get as much field medic training as a non-medic can. I am also thinking of enrolling in an EMT course. Don't know much about it though I don't think I'd be surgeon material. Stabalization might be handy also.

    Books?

    Something that covers tasks that are commonly seen around paramedics or such. Nothing that requires long term care or immediate surgery. In a SHTF situation, I could see something as simple as a snakebite killing you, though I'm going to get me some leg guards. Haha.

    Bag?

    I'll most likely be carrying it in a pack the size of those mountain hiker backpacks. Big enough for some good gear though nothing I can fit a RV in. I'm going to get a bag that is bigger than the GI packs, though not much bigger. I could see having the kit strapped to the outside of the pack though and if so, maybe the size of one of those medium metal first-aid kits you see in workplaces.



    I hope this helps you understand what I am going for. I just want to be able to help myself, and help some people that I may run across with minor injuries. Maybe a through and through gunshot, stab that missed the organs and has no bleeders (if that's possible), small shrapnel removal and the like. I don't want a bee-sting kit. I just want to be prepared for medical happenings that I could do something about. Ya know?

    Thanks for helping me figure this out Phishi.
     
  4. Infidel

    Infidel Guest

    I just take showers.

    My BO never gets so bad that it requires medical attention
     
  5. ghrit

    ghrit Bad company Administrator Founding Member

    You might be short of showers, in the event of teotwawki, but you can make soap from wood ash and a touch of some certain other ingredients. You might look that up and post what you find, useful info.[pop][banghead]
     
  6. monkeyman

    monkeyman Monkey+++ Moderator Emeritus Founding Member

    Well, my own thoughts on it are not the defineing begin all end all by any means but here is what I would consider to be a good basic kit for the type of things it sounds like you want to cover.

    10-20 feminen hygene pads to be used as bandages on larger wounds

    10-20' of 4" rolled gauze to make your own 4x4s or what ever size is needed

    1 roll duct tape to hold pads in place better than medical or other tape as well as splints and such

    1 bottle ibeuprophen for swelling, fever and minor aches and pains

    1 bottle of imodium AD for diareah likely from tainted water and less than perfect food and such

    1 can bag balm- great for burns, minor cuts and scrapes and such also good for fire starter on some cotton, gauze or a pad

    1 bottle alcohol for anticeptic and can also be used to aid stuborn fires

    2 ace wraps for twisted ankles and such

    2-3 razor blades and needles for removeing splinters and such

    1 bottle acidophilous- dose a good job in treating food poisoning

    That would give you a good basic kit for minor to moderate wounds that you would be likely to be able to treat and also some ability to deal with even a few of the more serious wounds. You could add more to it as you want but I would say that would be a good minimum.
     
  7. RightHand

    RightHand Been There, Done That RIP 4/15/21 Moderator Moderator Emeritus Founding Member

    I'd add a dozen tea bags - the tannin in the tea helps stop bleeding from cuts, nosebleeds, etc.
     
  8. stg58

    stg58 Monkey+++ Founding Member

    I would suggest a topical antibiotic.
    Examples include Neosporin, Bactroban, Garamycin or the store brands.

    Infection is bad.
     
  9. TailorMadeHell

    TailorMadeHell Lurking Shadow Creature

    Thank you all for the information. I will definitely add this stuff to my kit. I know that even though the world will have gone to pot, I'd still help people and even be prepared for when I stub my own toe. Haha.
     
  10. monkeyman

    monkeyman Monkey+++ Moderator Emeritus Founding Member

    The bag balm also works aas the topical antibiotic. I guess they also make a medicated formula that might be even better for that but I know the normal stuff in the green can (from the critter store) works wonders on critters and people alike. I got second and third degree steam burns all across the back of my hand a year or 2 ago and thats all I used on it and it was healed within about 5-6 weeks and now you can barely see any scaring at all even with close inspection, also avoided any infections and it was burned RIGHT before I started working on 'The Big Build' where we built the replica of Fort Clatsop out in KS for the History channel, so it wasnt exactly kept steril. lol
     
  11. TailorMadeHell

    TailorMadeHell Lurking Shadow Creature

    Glad to hear MM. Good to know you didn't suffer more permanent stuff. Be careful out there. Also good to know about the balm. I like product reports like that. Helps you know what actually works and what is just good for a mouthpiece to promote.
     
  12. phishi

    phishi Psy-Ops Moderator Emeritus Founding Member

    TMH: There are some good ideas listed here. As monkeyman has the most complete listing, and some great ideas, lets start there:

    FH pads are a good, small source for a bandage. They can be pressed into service with an ACE wrap as an improvised field dressing and will hold a lot of blood. Stay away from the scented ones as they may irritate the wound causing further problems.

    Rolled gauze is not as effective as 4x4s for cuts and punctures. They are great however for burns. Wrapped loosely with some burn cream underneath they will keep the area dry and free from debris that may cause infection. I would pack some for this use as well as for covering 4x4s and for splinting material.

    Duct tape is a great dual use device. Not only can it be used as monkeyman suggested, but it also can be pressed into service for gear repair. Take care that it does not irritate the skin, and make sure that you do not completely wrap it around an arm or leg. This could lead to problems with circulation.

    Advil (or generic) is great for inflammation, but Tylenol (or generic) is better for fevers. I personally pack both and use each for its strengths. Additionally, a fever can be more life threatening than pain. If you use up all your Tylenol treating a sprained wrist, and then have to treat a fever.....well, you can see where I'm going with this.

    Immodium (or generic), I'm not a big fan of stopping a patient up. If you are fighting a stomach bug, one of the ways that your body gets rid of it is to make you sit on the pot for long periods of time. Stopping this just gives the bug a fighting chance. That being said, there are times when clogging the pipes is a better choice (needing to cover ground rather than squating in a bush, dehydration issues, ect.). I would include some Pepto (or generic) and some oral rehydration packets, keeping the Immodium for last resort.

    Bag balm, nice choice. Neosporin (or generic) is another fine choice, as mentioned by stg58. Get some, or both, to use as topical antibiodic. Follow the instructions and get on with what you need to do.

    Bottle of alcohol is currently contraindicated for the cleaning of wounds. Current literature states that clean H2O with a source of pressure is all that is needed to clean a wound. (I would get a small needleless syringe, 5-10 cc/ml, or in a pinch a ziplock with a pin hole in one corner, to blast out any debris in the wound. You will need to blast the wound repeatedly in order to make it clean.) The alcohol is a great choice however to clean any instruments before they are used to get out stubborn debris in the wound. Bottles are heavy however, the little pads might be a better choice if you are carrying your world on your back.

    ACE wraps, another good choice. Get 2-3.

    Instruments, I would add tweezers, a small pair of scissors, and a set of trauma shears if you have the room. Magnifying glass and a light source would come in handy also.

    Acidophilous, I have no experience with this product. If monkeyman, or anyone else, would like to share any info on this in another post, I would be interested in learning more.

    Teabags, as mentioned by righthand, are another good option for slowing bleeding. I believe that you boil yourself a cup and then apply the wram bag like a poltrice and wrap with some cloth. (If I am incorrect in saying this, would someone please correct me.). Gives you something to drink while you apply pressure to the site.

    Finally, I would add a SAM splint or two, some 4x4s, some band aids, some gloves, and some form of hand sanitizer (soap or alcohol based gel).

    You asked about how many of each item to have on hand, the short answer is "How much can you carry?". Your first aid kit must be balanced with the rest of the gear that you feel you need to carry. From what you have said concerning your pack, I would pick a mid sized pocket and find a container that fits inside. (Hard containers are going to be more water resistant, soft will pack better, your choice). That is the size of your first aid kit. Take the list above and see what you can fit inside. That is how you determine what you will have with you. The rest is training and improvisation.

    For training, I would start with a Red Cross first aid & CPR course. This will be more useful in today's world than post SHTF, but its a start and a CPR card is needed for most other first responder training. Next I would find a Wilderness First Responder Course. They are not cheap and they are time consuming ($750.00 and 10 days time), but they are worth it. This is the highest level I would go unless you are going to be pursueing this as a career. It will teach you a lot of info including how to think and be resourceful. I look forward to taking it again after I'm done with school.

    Hope this helps,
    phishi
     
  13. RightHand

    RightHand Been There, Done That RIP 4/15/21 Moderator Moderator Emeritus Founding Member

    I'll add one old home remedy for itching from bites, poison ivy/oak. Add tobacco to a small amount of hot water and let sit several hours. Strain and use the brown water on the itch.
     
  14. TailorMadeHell

    TailorMadeHell Lurking Shadow Creature

    Thanks for all the info. I am currently looking into taking two trainings. One is to become a HAM operator and the other is to become NERT certified. They are free as far as I can tell though it will add some stuff to my knowledge base. Then when time and money permits, I will look into more training. Maybe that can be what I barter with. Ability to help people will be good at least for feeding me. Who knows? My kit is coming along. I bought three diffrent small first-aid kits and I'm going to put them all into one. It's not complete yet, though it will be in time.

    I also didn't know the different uses for tylenol or advil. I thought one did both. Little did I know. Haha. I hope others who didn't know this will know it now. Thanks Phishi. Good luck with school.
     
  15. monkeyman

    monkeyman Monkey+++ Moderator Emeritus Founding Member

    Phishi had some good ideas to add on there. Another thought is a couple of tubes of superglue, it can be used in place of stitches for moderate wounds in a pinch.

    As far as the acidophilous, it is a suplement/herbal that you can get at most any drug store or Walmart. While it isnt the perfect, instant fix, it dose a LOT to help with some types of food poisoning. As I understand it, basicly common food poisoning kills off ensymes in the stomach and this stuff replaces them.

    A couple other things you could consider for the kit would be that, since some of the Docs now say alcohol or peroxide is not good to use on wounds (I still like the peroxide becauseit helps to 'boil' out debries and sterilize the wound but I also carry SEVERAL scars from the wounds I have had that might have healed better if treated other ways) you might add betadine. I know they still use it on wounds in the ERs and last time I went in they just had me soak in it for 10 minutes then sent me home. The other thing I didnt mention was gatoraid. Dehydration can be a killer and gatoraid powder added to the water will help it absorb quicker as well as helping with electrolyte imbalances.
     
  16. GoatLady

    GoatLady Lock and load

    [​IMG]Acidophilus is beneficial bacteria. They are very good for all things gut. diahrea will clean you out, acidophilus would repopulate the good buggies. It helps food poisoning by killing the bad bugs. [​IMG]
     
  17. TailorMadeHell

    TailorMadeHell Lurking Shadow Creature

    Did a search for it and this is a small something that I came up with.

    ACIDOPHILUS


    This is a powder form of the normal, friendly bacteria that live in our intestines (called flora). Our intestinal flora helps regulate our digestion and stool patterns. Yeast also lives in our intestines. The yeast and the bacterial flora are constantly competing for space, and generally they keep each other in check. Sometimes, however, our bacterial flora can get depleted, such as when taking antibiotics. This allows the yeast to overgrow, which can then lead to a variety of problems:
    Taking acidophilus replenishes our bacterial flora and reduces overgrow of yeast.
    Dr. Sears suggests: Culturelle, one capsule daily. HOW TO TAKE IT
    Acidophilus is available at most health food and nutrition stores. It comes in two forms –- capsules and powder.
    • Adults – take the capsules as directed on the bottle.
    • children – capsules are ok if able to swallow, otherwise give 1 teaspoon of the powder once a day in milk, juice, or food.
    • Infants – make a paste using water or breastmilk and rub this once a day in baby’s mouth, or put 1 teaspoon of the powder in formula once a day if bottlefeeding.
    WHEN TO TAKE IT
    We suggest you begin acidophilus at the start of any of the above problems, as well as when taking antibiotics. Continue taking it for one week after the problem or antibiotic is finished.
     
  18. FalconDance

    FalconDance Neighborhood Witch

    Something I have in our first aid kits is activated charcoal tablets. Good for excess flatulence and generalized upset tummies, very helpful for excessive diarrhea and great for food poisoning (or other types of poisoning short of nuclear), it doesn't spoil like acidoph. can (since acidoph. is a live organism, it tends to be a little more fragile).
     
  19. Paradoc

    Paradoc Retired Combat Medic

    my kit is broke down into "compartments"
    general first aid- bandaids, insect sting wipes, triple antibiotic cream, hydrocortisone, ibuprofen, antihistimines, etc.
    bandage and splinting- SAM splint, kerlex rolls, ace bandages, tape, battle dressings, qwik clot, tournequit.
    trauma pack- IV catheters (for needle decompressions), burn kit, space blanket, etc.
    airway management- nasal and oral airways, cpr mask, tape, surgilube.
    instrument pack- GI surgical instrument set, suture kit, extra hemostats, bandage scissors, and clamps.

    All of this is loaded into a GI M17 aid bag, I change the configuration based on my anticipated need.

    A note on the electrolyte solutions (gatorade etc.) for the most benefits you dilute it 50%, since you just pee out the extra concentrates if it is full strength.
     
  20. Blackjack

    Blackjack Monkey+++

    Didn't know that... but will use it. I keep about a dozen bags in the stockpile.


    Hey.... Tailor started this thread and I haven't seen him pokin' around for a long time. Hope he's doin ok.
     
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