Hey, first off, we seriously need to get a first aid section!

Now, I found a source for kerlix type guaze at only 89 cents and was wondering if it is any good, as it is in my kit right now. Is there a reason why it is so much cheaper that I just don't get?

HELP!!!

Hi Climberslacker,

New guy here but I think I can answer your question. I'm an EMT and use a fair amount of Kerlix and non-branded gauze wrap. The only difference I've seen is the price. Something that a lot of people forget is that first aid supplies are only meant to be used as a first reponse item, they're not meant to last like a hospital dressing would. Not to mention, that if you use it in a truly emergent situation, when your patient gets to the ER, they're gonna tear all that bandaging right off anyway.

I work as a set medic on film and television sets and buy all of my own supplies, I find a lot of stuff at the .99 cent store works just fine.

Other stuff that I use from there, vet wrap, that's the stuff that works like an elastic bandage that sticks to itself. Elastic bandages, can't beat it for the price. Lip balm, sunscreen, hand lotion, etc. I always check the expiration dates and the contents of any medical stuff, so far I haven't any problems with any of the things I get there.

John E.

Yeah, that is the site that I got 95% of the stuff for my troops FAK (a scout is thrifty) and it seems to be great! Like ace wraps for 85 cents or something like that!

Welcome Newguy! I love to have EMT's and other people who are well trained and experienced! I hope to learn a lot from you and that you learn a lot from us!

Thanks for the welcome. I expect I'll be reading a lot more than I'll be writing but I like to share info when I can.

I've become quite interested in the whole psychology behind the idea of survival planning, I think it has to do with man's need to be in control over what seems like an increasingly chaotic world.

I hope to explore that side of things as I learn more about how to better prepare myself in the more practical means of survival and maybe get back into doing some camping and backpacking, which I've wandered away from over the past years.

John E.

Welcome to the forum!

JohnE, welcome! I look forward to your "control" analysis.

My take so far is that most of our survival planning is based on an acknowledgement that any sense of conrol is an illusion. We assume that our well-ordered lives could be upset by events beyond our control, and chose to consider how best to be prepared to deal with a range of out-of-contol eventualities.

A EDC. BOB, bug-in stash, survival retreat, etc. are each like parachutes - they just give us more chance to survive (and no guarantee) if the plane cannot land.

CS, you're looking at gauze rolls, not Kerlix there. Gauze rolls are thin - imagine unfolding a 4x4 so that it's only 1 layer thick, instead of the padded bandage it normally is. That's what a gauze roll is. Kerlix is a fluffier roll of gauze, whereas your budget rolls are "one-ply." Both work to hold bandages on just fine, but kerlix is more absorbant.

No, the link that I gave you guys, I have that stuff currently in my kit, and it is definatly not like the guaze rolls in the kit, it seems like it may be thicker and is much bigger!

Kerlix is a Kendall proprietary product, sort of a premium product. Used when you expect a lot of drainage, or want to put some pressure on the wound. Might be on sale cuz they have a new, improved version that is impregnated with an antiseptic, which prevents bacterial colonization of the bandage. Might be a wonderful improvement, might be a marketing ploy. Usually the dressing is changed a couple times a day, and the wound cleansed, so bugs on the bandages isn't a real big deal. Probably be a good thing to wrap the salmonella tomatoes in, tho.

Yeah - they started putting balconium cloride (I think that's it) in the bandage. I typically get 2-3 days before bandage changes