First Aid Kits

[jim65wagon]

We've been travelling and camping (uh, overlanding) for several years now. We've always carried a small first aid kit but it was essentially band-aids and ibuprofen.

We travel alone, we travel with our teenagers, we travel with other people. We do enough travelling that we decided last year to not tempt fate and build a real First Aid Kit, not one of those small, yet surprisingly expensive ones you find in the Mall. This one was going to be expensive, yes, but also comprehensive.

My wife, being a Veterinarian has a large knowledge base on medicines, medical conditions and surgery....hey, if it works for dogs, cats and cows, it's going to be similar in humans.

She started by making a list of everything she wanted in a kit.
Elizabeths First Aid Kit
General items:
First aid manual
Instant cold pack
Tick remover (Ticked off)
Pen light
Small flashlight
Extra batteries
6 pair exam gloves
CPR mouth shield
Mole Skin
Wrist support wrap
Ankle support wrap
Arm sling
Heat Therapy Patch x2
Ear Plugs
Purell Hand Sanitizer
Thermometer
Chapstick
Eye Care:
Eye patch
Eye Wash
Eye wash Cup
Visine drops
Saline eye drops
Dental Care:
Oral pain reliever gel
Dental floss
Dental wax
Bandage Materials:
Bandage scissors
3” Gauze Squares x40
2” vet wrap x2
3” gauze roll
2” Ace Bandage
4” Ace Bandage
Non- adherent wound dressing
Band-aids
Sam splint
Finger splints
　
Case:
Pelican 1500 EMS case with dividers
Surgical Supplies:
Chlorhexidine surgical scrub
Quickclot sport
2% Lidocaine
Sterile skin closure strips
Sterile saline wound wash
Various Syringes and hypodermic needles
Various Suture materials with needles
Sterile surgical Gloves x2
Auto stapler
Staple remover
Surgical instruments:
Mosquito hemostats x2
Curved Kelly hemostat
Scalpel blade holder
Mayo scissor
Small Metzenbaum scissor
Probe
Tissue forceps 3x4 teeth
Tissue forceps 1x2 teeth
Olsen-hegar needle holders with scissors
Suture removal scissors
　
Medications:
Cough drops
Panolog ointment
Triple antibiotic ointment
Hydrocortisone cream
Cough syrup
Cephalexin 500mg
Ciprofloxacin 500mg
Ditrim
Metronidazole
Aspirin
Extra strength Tylenol
Excedrin
Naproxen
Ibuprofen
Tylenol sinus
Imodium
Tums
Pepcid AC
Prednisone 20 mg
Benadryl
Decongestant
Phillips MOM
BNP eye ointment
Ear Drops
Dramamine
Caffeine tablets


We then spent time shopping and acquiring the necessities. It turned out quite nice. She'll be able to patch up most issues that crop up and I'll be able to patch her up if need be, albeit not as nicely nor precisely. I can't suture worth a darn, but I can use a staple gun!

 

[jim65wagon]

I know some of you have nice kits, so let's see 'em!

 

[bobcat charlie]

Jim65....
That is an impressive First Aid Kit! Having a Vet as part of the package is outstanding! The only thing I would add would be some QuikClot pad/bandages to stop bleeding.

Nice job...I'm working on mine.

 

[Token]

The only thing I would add would be some QuikClot pad/bandages to stop bleeding.

When I first saw those I thought they were pretty damn neat.. After I spoke with a FD Medic I changed my mind.. The quick clot stops bleeding, but it also seals in contaminates that will cause infection.

The first thing they do when you hit an ER and they see the quick clot stuff..?? Remove it and clean the wound..

Same thing with that burn gel..

Neither of those products is especially water soluble.. This means scrubbing is likely to be involved..

 

[Stumpalump]

I keep quick clot and real pain killers in my kit for worst case senerio like compound fractures.

 

[sdecker]

Nice Kit. I agree with the other's suggestions to add quick clot and a tourniquet. If you get quick clot I'd recommend the gauze impregnated version. I’ve used both the CAT tourniquet and the SWAT-T. The SWAT-T is more versatile in that it can be used as a pressure bandage too. You also might want to add some sort of occlusive dressing for puncture wounds in the chest area. Maybe also some oragel topical pain relief for mouth/teeth problems?

 

[Deleted member 9101]

Nice Kit. I agree with the other's suggestions to add quick clot and a tourniquet. If you get quick clot I'd recommend the gauze impregnated version. I’ve used both the CAT tourniquet and the SWAT-T. The SWAT-T is more versatile in that it can be used as a pressure bandage too. You also might want to add some sort of occlusive dressing for puncture wounds in the chest area. Maybe also some oragel topical pain relief for mouth/teeth problems?

X-2 on the Quick Clot Gauze... its a great product that won't piss off the Doc's in the Er like the granules.

 

[jim65wagon]

The cold pack is there for those times we are out in the truck and not near camp. Near camp we will have the cooler and ice and plastic bags available. When we roam away from camp we don't always have ice with us.

There is quick clot in the kit, it's listed under surgical supplies....

Field surgery, if something is that necessary, becomes a matter of clean versus sterile. The Chlorhexadine scrubs and sterile wash go a long way to keep the local area clean. Through the years I've helped her out on farm calls to Dairy barns, and I can not imagine a situation in the field (camping....er, overlanding) that would come close to be as non-sterile as a cow barn. Of course, to be fair, some of her patients have ended up in the food supply chain.

Sterilizing the instruments in the field? boiling water, good enough to do the job.

Veterinarians, tend to rely on other Veterinarians to suture up their lacerations and wounds, so they all have some experience with working on humans.

The reality is, the surgery kit will likely never be used. What will get used is all items to fix the minor injuries and illnesses that make your camping trip less fun. Diarrhea, sprained ankles, sunburn, headaches, insect bites, UTI's, menstrual cramps, boo-boos, and what-nots....

The tourniquet is a good idea......

Thanks guys!

 

[KenB1010]

Nice discussion on first aid kits. The only thing I can think to add to this is a course of broad spectrum antibiotics. Amoxicillin 500mg is a good one that many doctors are willing to prescribe if you explain your back country travel lifestyle.

 

[Deleted member 9101]

When I first saw those I thought they were pretty damn neat.. After I spoke with a FD Medic I changed my mind.. The quick clot stops bleeding, but it also seals in contaminates that will cause infection.

The first thing they do when you hit an ER and they see the quick clot stuff..?? Remove it and clean the wound..

Same thing with that burn gel..

Neither of those products is especially water soluble.. This means scrubbing is likely to be involved..

Who cares?... it does a superb job stopping bleeding with minimal effort. Its not meant to be a long term solution.. its just there to get the person to the next level of care. "FD Medics" are good... nothing but respect for them... but they are some what spoiled in they work in an environment where transport is always an option, they have a fully stocked vehicle(or two) and more help is near by. You lack those luxuries when you are out in the wilderness.

As for the infection.. the area is already contaminated... no matter what you do in the field it will be contaminated. Leave that stuff to the Doc's in the ER.. focus on stopping hemorrhage and transporting. They won't die or loose a limb from quick clot sealing anything in. If you doubt me.. look at Iraq and Afghanistan.

Just my .02