I just got back from a two week cross country drive for Christmas. I had a great one and I hope all of you did as well. I learned a very valuable lesson on this trip. Having been stranded in North Texas twice in the same storm I packed my truck with al kinds of emergency stuff from chains to an esbit stove and MRE's. The one thing I did not count on was getting sick. It started with the sniffles and by the time I got to Tulsa OK, I had full blown flu (and yes I have had my shot). Of all the things I had in my truck for me and my wife, I had no cold and flu medicine. So I spent the next four days laid up at the inlaws, full of nite-quil liquicaps, sleeping or in some sort of drugged state.

I was glad that nothing happened to us on our trip, but I got to thinking, what would I have done if I got stranded. Most of the roads I used were heavily travelled, but I know that the days of helping your fellow man are long gone. If I was sick and had to walk to the next exit, it would have been very difficult. So for my FAK that is in my truck and in my camelbak for the field, I have added cold and flu medicine. In the field, it really is difficult to get cold and flu meds becuase my corpsman usually don't carry it.

I have looked a couple of other forumite FAK's and I dont see any cold medicine. Does anyone else carry any? If so what types? I am just curious and I am looking for some suggestions on what to put in my FAK's!!

Thanks,

Garrett

Garrett: I carry four Sudafed tablets in my PSK. It's a decongestant that works well for me. I'd prefer some nice TheraFlu, but that's too bulky.

Bear

I learned a lesson many years ago that has stayed with me.

While attending some trade school courses in the city limits, I had to get to school with one transfer of buses. If you got out of school quickly, and caught the bus, the transfer wait time was about 45 minutes. I had always done that except for this one particularly cold night in winter (These things never seem to happen in nice weather.). At the transfer point, I stood in the cold for over an hour. My upper body was well insulated as were my hands, but I had regular pants on with no long johns underneath. The cold affected my upper legs and thighs more so than any other part of my legs. Even my feet which were in casual shoes did not get as cold as my upper legs.

I could not leave the bus stop to warm up at a gas station that was across the street from the bus stop as I would have missed any bus that did happen to come by. I am a big heavy set individual that looks like a stock villain in a lot of the movies, so thumbing a ride was not likely to produce results. Fortunately, I happened to see a friend of mine pull into the gas station to fill up his car and managed to hail him for a ride home.

My thighs felt cold and gave me sharp pains for about a month after that incident even though there was no apparent skin damage or peeling.

The next time I went to class, I had my GI style duffel bag with me that had snowpants, long johns, heavy socks, snowmobilers gloves, scarves, knit hat, and rubber rain boots that would fit over my regular shoes.

I got a lot of strange looks from others even when I explained the reasoning, but to this day, when the temperature is expected to be anywhere below 60 degrees F, that duffel bag is in my car or if the car is not running, it will be carried with me.

With my physical characteristics and in todays enviroment, I will probably have to open that bag a lot, but I am never, never going to allow myself to get that cold again.

Bountyhunter

I just had the flu a couple weeks ago. I never really thought about "what ifs" for getting sick... but now I am going to go get some cold/flu medicine and add it to my kit. Thanks for the great suggestion!

I carry four packages of Alka Seltzer Plus Cold Medicine in my backpack that goes everywhere with me. I find nothing else that clears up my sinuses faster. In my travel kit I keep those and some motrin sinus as well.

My FAK & PSK both contain
1. Paracetamol 500mg 6 tabs (for Pain, fever)
2. Piriton 4mg or Polatamine SR 6mg x 4 tabs(antihistamines)
3. Lomotil (antidiarrhoreal) x 4 tabs
4. Mefenemic acid 250mg x 4 caps (stronger analgesic)

I usually pack some Sudafed in a blister pack.I also take along some laxitives for when the MRE's stop you up.I know this isn't as much a problem with MRE's but it still happens to team mates.You tell them to drink plenty of water but do they listen... I also take some Benadryl with me as well as an Epipen because of finding out the hard way I was allergic to bees
BOATMAN

"It aint broke.It just lacks duct tape" <img src="images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> <img src="images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

Excellent points, garrett. We should all take note.

I learned the same lesson the hard way years ago. Ironically enough it was during a 2-day basic survival course. During the overnight I came down with a wicked head cold. The congestion and sneezing kept me up all night and made the next day much more miserable than it had to be. But I learned...

I keep 2 types of cold/flu meds in my kits: daytime meds (no drowsiness) and nighttime meds (maximum drowsiness). The nighttime cold meds also serve as ad-hoc sleeping aids.

I explained my frequent outdoor/isolated activities to my doctor and got him to prescribe me a cycle of Zithromax and some narcotic pain meds good for about 3 days. I also carry an adrenaline injector since my wife is allergic to insect stings.

For their awesome benefit-to-weight ratio, I feel that appropriate meds are a must for every FAK, whether for survival or general travel use. Consider testing over-the-counter meds ahead of time in benign conditions to ensure personal effectiveness.

Yep - Benydryl, Sudafed (which I'm not supposed to take), Allegra, Immodium, Advil. And that's just what is in my Mini kits (2 is one....) The bigger kit in the pack has more, and the car/truck more than that

>>Consider testing over-the-counter meds ahead of time in benign conditions to ensure personal effectiveness.

I'm not sure this is something I'd consider. What are you going to do, deliberately catch a cold to see if your OTC cold medications actually work? Or take medicine you don't need to take, just to see - what? If you have an allergic reaction to it?

I'm not sure what this "testing" would consist of, or what it would prove, but IMNSHO taking unnecessary medication just to see what it does is not something I would recommend.