Medical Kit Containers: Bag vs Hard Case

[cdthiker]

A few words on first aid kits.
Coming from a decade of EMS work and several seasons as a WEMT in the back country, and finally after teaching for WMI of NOLS ( WFA, WFR, WAFA, WEMT) for 4 years.

When you are thinking about the kit, think about a few things.

1. There is no such thing as a perfect kit. What you carry will depend on how long you are out, where you are, who you are with and how you are moving through the back country. For an ex: the kit with the AED, the Sat phone and a 50 cal ammo can tramma kit is awesome on the raft, not as burely as what I respond with in the front country when I come packing with my ambulance and way over kill if I am backpacking.
2. Carry Multi Use items IE: I don't care a mini tool kit for repairs, trauma shears, a can opener and a pocket knife in the back country, I bring one Multi Tool that can serve all these functions.
3. Think about things that you can not improvise in the back country. Tape, Meds, Gloves, irrigation needle almost everything else you can make or improvise with what you have in a day pack.
4. Re pack your kit. Nothing is worse then going out on a trip only to realize that all of the diphen got used on the last outing, or you have no more gloves. This seems simple but is often over looked


Because of all of this I tend to use soft bags.
At home I have a crate with smaller boxes of supplies in it. I have a few sizes of " mostly H20 proof eagle creek zippered bags" I pack up ziploc bags inside of that with what I need. its quick, clean, and easy to use. It is cheap and modular, and it is light weight.

As has been mentioned....

Get training. The WFR is a great class, the WEMT is over kill unless you want to do this professionaly, the WFA is a great place to start as an awareness sort of deal.

The best tool you have is the training and systems in place. That is how you know you dont really need to carry a Sam split because you can make a better option out of your therm a rest, how you dont need to go drop money on a Chest seal for a super rare back country sucking chest wound when Tape an a ziplock bag works just as well when properly applied.

Finally play this game when you are packing.

If you could only have 3-5 things in your first aid kid what would it be and build from there.
For me...
1. Gloves
2. Tape
3. Multi Tool
4. Personal Meds
5. Wound Irrigation needle.

Check out NOLS Wilderness Medicine, WMA, SOLO or AAIRE they all offer fantastic programing.

 

[patoz]

Weird, let me try re uploading them. I'm not sure why they aren't showing up. I used the upload tool on the post box. Good job and the pro and con list of hard vs/soft

I can see the pictures you reposted, and thanks for the comment on my post.

Your kit looks pretty good, but now if we can just come up with a simple, professional looking, way to label soft things, we would be in good shape.

 

[Deleted member 9101]

Use a tackle box. Plenty of space, easy to organize, and affordable.

 

[patoz]

Use a tackle box. Plenty of space, easy to organize, and affordable.

When I first started out as an EMT, that's what we all used, because there were no commercially available kits for ambulances.

This was the first kit I ever owned, and I would buy another one if they were still available. It's made by Plano, and is the Model 8600. Unfortunately, their replacement model is a cheap piece of junk.

 

[Pacific Northwest yetti]

Tackle type boxes are still used. I worked a few places where that was the normal.

Thanks, i spent a lot of time thinking through it. But depending on what i'm doing, it's easy to switch or change around. I thought about getting velcro name tags embroidered with the pouch names, but it was going to be expensive. The tape tags, have worked remarkably well, are simple, and easy to replace/change.

 

[robert]

I personally would not use a tackle box style- knock it over while it's closed and stuff gets rearranged, knock it over while it's open and well, it's just a mess. It's amazing how often a bag or box will get tripped over on scene.

We used Craftsman toolboxes like this https://www.craftsman.com/products/craftsman-21-steel-cantilever-red-includes-free-shipping?taxon_id=2234 at one of the counties I used to work for and they were OK for use on the trucks but not really practical for any other use in my opinion.

 

[patoz]

That is why I liked the Plano Model 8600 (post #19) so much. If you look closely, you'll see that each foldout tray also acts as the lid to the one below it when the box is closed up. Also, if you look at the lip on the two haves, you'll see they interlock forming a water tight (rain) seal when it's closed.

I used that box for 30 years, in every kind of environment possible in Florida, and not once did I ever have anything 'spill out of it, or have it become disarranged due to being knocked over. But like I said, Plano cut so many corners on it's replacement that I wouldn't even use it as a tackle box, much less as a Jump Kit!

 

[robert]

Yeah I've seen the old ones and they're definitely better than the newer models- heck, my freshwater tacklebox is almost as old as I am and I still use it because it's better quality than most of the newer, softer plastic versions out there today. I can't remember who it was but there was also a company that made a version of the medical boxes that had flip up lids on the tray compartments.

 

[patoz]

Plano also now has a whole medical box line, such as this one, but it's way to flimsy and no where near water tight around the door.

https://www.fernoems.com/en/product...x?ec_trk=followlist&ec_trk_data=medical-boxes

 

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Thanks for posting that! I am looking for organizer bags like those.

Plano also now has a whole medical box line, such as this one, but it's way to flimsy and no where near water tight around the door.

https://www.fernoems.com/en/product...x?ec_trk=followlist&ec_trk_data=medical-boxes

Yeah I was looking at medical specific boxes, but the dimensions didnt work for my application. Im thinking I may still go with the hardcase idea, I just need to make sure I have the space in the cab.

 

[Pacific Northwest yetti]

Thanks for posting that! I am looking for organizer bags like those.




Yeah I was looking at medical specific boxes, but the dimensions didnt work for my application. Im thinking I may still go with the hardcase idea, I just need to make sure I have the space in the cab.

Whichever you go with, we would enjoy seeing it.

 

[robert]

Thanks for posting that! I am looking for organizer bags like those.




Yeah I was looking at medical specific boxes, but the dimensions didnt work for my application. Im thinking I may still go with the hardcase idea, I just need to make sure I have the space in the cab.

The boxes like that tend to be for carrying drugs, for the average person they're generally not that useful. The average 1st aid kits tends to be lacking in dressings, often woefully so. Dressings tend to be the bulkiest and least glamorous items in first aid but probably the most needed. Yeah, you can improvise but who wants to ruin their shirt and clothing is clumsier and harder to secure.

 

[Peneumbra2]

I prefer the backpack-style EMS soft pack - it's a lot easier to put on your back and carry to the patient than it is carrying a hard case.

Mine is bright red, MOLLE straps everywhere, with about 60 compartments inside. The O2 bottle lives in a separate bag that you can attach to the jump bag, and other items (intubation kit, etc.) also have their own bags.

Maybe the most important thing to consider in putting these medical kits together is to KNOW WHERE EVERYTHING IS!, so you don't have to fumble around when fumbling can have dire results.

 

[s.e.charles]

years ago Garret Wade sold an aluminum cantilever style toolbox which, after substantial digging, was found to be originally intended for veterinarians.

anyone have a current source?

 

[Tswhit15]

I'm wondering what the purpose of carrying BP cuffs/O2 monitors and the like are for some? If you're in the wilderness far away from help/EMS/hospital what good with diagnostic equipment do with nothing to treat with?