BTW, you can see the sissors that are in my first aid kit here. Note that overall kit pictures are outdated. I'll redo when I get things settled down.

So I assume you think the risk is enough that I should try to find some blunt ones? I'll have to look around and see what I can find.

-john

I still dont understand what you guys want to expose... If the wound is so serious, mechanism of injury and protocols will suggest other stuff to worry about than wound exposure (airway, c-spine)... Plus what are you going to do with 3 sterile pads after you expose a deep wound? I'm just saying old medical motto "Do no harm". Shears have a place in your hiking, wildlife, car or home FAK...

Plus of course the size. Shears are pretty big. Want soemthing small? Try Benchmade rescue hook.

Matt

Aardwolfe--

You're right about the paramedic shears, though at a considerable space penalty. The BM Rescue Hook is better, space-wise, but not as versatile. There's been considerable discussion in this forum re: shears vs. blade. Paramedics of my acquaintance tend to use blades for clothing removal, & shears for other things. But, the shears do get the job done safely; that's why a pair is in my vehicle kit, which BTW, is in an orange Pelican 1150 case (lunch-box sized).

However, I don't think the shears will fit in the Pelican MicroCase that JohnN is using as a FAK container. If they will, they'll be even bigger than the ones he's using now, taking up more space. Remember, this is basically a pocket-sized FAK.

JohnN, having now viewed the photo of some of your gear & having read your responses & reasonings, I'd suggest placing a medium or small SAK in the kit. It would take up less room, offer the same "grab & go" completeness, and offer more blades, too.

But, you've still got the pointy scissors. Personally, I don't find that to be much of a problem, nor using a bare blade to do the same. I've removed clothing with the scissors on a Vic Classic, and also with a locking folder. Both took a bit of care on my part, but were done in complete safety with no harm.

If just cutting away clothes is the issue, perhaps one of those X-Acto blade based letter openers would be a viable, low-use alternative. It'll be dull after a pair of blue jeans, but would work!

Bandage, or Lister, scissors might be a compromise. I've got full-sized ones in the FAK at home, & a smaller pair handy in a bedroom drawer. REI sells an even smaller pair (less than 5" long) that might work for you, too. They'd certainly fit your container.

Thanks for starting this; it's making me think about what I've got, & how I've got it distributed.

David

For example,the kit I make for my parents will vary a LOT from my "General "FAK. Based on expected useage and training/ability. I have a kit specifically for shooting that is designed for treating gunshots and there is a full on Trauma Bag in my commute vehicle. Niether of these kits has any bandaids. If you really need what's in these kits, you are well past the band aid stage. There is a general FAK in the vehicle for lesser routine problems. For day hikes, the kit has Ace wraps and a SAM splint.Even when you finally get it all "perfect" you will find a way to "improve" it.

In reply to:
"There's been considerable discussion in this forum re: shears vs. blade. Paramedics of my acquaintance tend to use blades for clothing removal, & shears for other things. But, the shears do get the job done safely; that's why a pair is in my vehicle kit, which BTW, is in an orange Pelican 1150 case (lunch-box sized). "

Just to throw my 2 cents in:

I use shears almost exclusively, for clothing, seatbelts, etc. The primary purpose to expose or remove clothing is to allow proper examination of the body (for signs of injury i.e. bruising) after, as Matt has pointed out, the care of the ABC’s. The secondary purpose to expose or remove clothing is to clean and treat wounds and/or injuries. The third reason to remove clothing is to allow for proper immobilization of the injured or suspect body part. The cutting away of clothing vs. traditional removal is to prevent further injury to the body and to minimize pain in doing so. It has been my experience shears allow me to remove clothing, etc. with minimal movement to the body. While I have used a variety of blades, I still prefer a pair of blunt tipped shears. I have found the ones at the dollar store work just as well as many of the “EMT/Trauma” shears. Also, keep in mind there are times when it is best to leave clothing (i.e. shoes/boots) in place, as they provide a degree of immobilization. Just my opinion - Pete

Hi, Pete!

At the risk of helping this thread wander further afield...

Searching all posts for "shears" will find the discussions. The one I remembered best was Matt's description of the BM Rescue Hook.

Re: Shears vs. Blades
I wonder if there is a regional, local, or institutional bias toward one or the other? As I noted above, most of the Paramedics, EMTs & firefighers I know (and I'm not one, BTW) use & prefer blades over shears. My observation is that use of shears is a decided minority around here (middle Tennessee).

Might it have something to do with an emphasis in training? or rules/regulations in departments/agencies?

Just curious. Thoughts, anyone?

David

Hi David, thanks for the comments.



Have you found any other source for the ampules other than your opthamologist? They sound perfect.

Thanks,

-john

I'm planning something pretty similar. I already ordered a Maxpedition M2 and wear it on my belt (EDC). I purchased a couple of malice clips so that I can attach it to the Fatboy as desired. Right now I haven't completely decided what goes in the M2 vs my pockets but the idea is I have that flexibility. I'm actually kind of leaning towards most of my EDC in my pockets with my PDA and phone in the M2, but I do like the flexibility this provides.

BTW, this Maxpedition stuff is pretty cool. I can't wait to get my Fatboy. I'm already pondering the backpacks...

-john

This gets me thinking. Maybe I could get some sort of pouch and adhere it to the outside of the kit and put the gloves in there. Makes them easier to get before you even dive into the kit and if you just stuffed them in there it might actually deal with the bulk and stuff. Hmm.



Hmm. Part of the reason I picked the hard case was to make it so I didn't have to deal with waterproofing and wearproofing the various items. Previously I had just stuffed things into a double bagged ziplock, but then I put the meds in little bottles, and stuff in other bags and stuff and I was still worried about crushing it in my pack (I'm not delicate with it). On the other hand, I can see where these cases are not optimal. The weight is a big one, and the other problem I run into is that the lid portion is not just a lid, but also part of the sides. That means you kind of have to "pile" stuff up to use the whole space. Obviously a bit of a problem. I do think most soft cases don't have this problem.



Yah, I've been working to get as much stuff as possible with little single use packets so they contain instructions on them. However that doesn't apply to everything, but there isn't much in there and nothing too exotic.



Agreed. Considering I try to think about being a bit of an island, I do pack some stuff that fits into the comfort catagory. Nothing worse than being stuck in an airport or something and feeling sick and not being able to do anything about it. I'm willing to deal with a bit of the weight and bulk penalty this implies, but I do need to make sure I don't get too carried away in this respect.




I'll lose the butterfly closures. I'm still waiting for someone to beat some sense into me before I lose the steri-strips! :-)



After the discussion here, I'm just going to lose it all together. Good idea tho.



Yes, the ideas are great. Thanks!

-john

I went to their web site and didn't see this. Does it go by another name?



Isn't that pretty big? My .5 oz is about as big as I'd want to carry around...



Great idea! I think I'm going to lose the gauze, but I have been impressed how well vacuum packing works in regard to bulk. The only down side is that it might slow you down a little bit getting it out.

-john