What do you add or improve when you get a commercial kit?

Here is what I've added

- Name brand band aids(tm)
- Exam gloves
- button light
- waterproof or dust proof case
- Large bleed pads

There is already a thread on how I took an off-the-shelf kit and modified it. The links are what I added to it.

MEDICAL INFORMATION / TRIAGE
(1) Wilderness & Travel Medicine
(1) Tactical Combat Casualty Reference Card
(4) Tactical Combat Casualty Care Card
(1) Fresnel Lens

PERSONAL PROTECTION
(1) Biohazard Waste Bag
(1) Rescue Mask, Soft Case
(6) Personal Antimicrobial Wipe
(2) Emergency/Survival Blanket
(2) Respirator Mask
(6) Bear Claw Glove Kit
(1) Crews Safety Glass - BearKat

BLEEDING
(2) Combat Application Tourniquet, Rescue Orange
(1) QuikClot, 25 g
(2) Trauma Bandage, 4"
(4) Compressed Gauze

AIRWAY
(2) Bolin Chest Seal
(1) Hyfin Vent Chest Seal Twin Pack
(2) Nasopharyngeal Airway w/ Lube, 28 Fr
(2) ARS Decompression Needle, 10 g x 3.25"

WOUND / BLISTER / BURN
(3) Burn Jel, 3.5 g
(1) 30 Band-Aid, 6 Knuckle, 6 Moleskin
(1) Durapore Tape, 1"
(1) Stretch Gauze, 3" x 12 yds.
(1) Wound Closure Strips, 0.25" x 4"
(2) Non-Adherent Dressing, 3" x 4"
(5) Sterile Gauze Pad, 3" x 3"
(6) Povidone-Iodine Prep Pad

IMMOBILIZATION
(1) Elastic Bandage Wrap, 3" x 4.5 yds.
(1) Splint, Orange, 4.25" x 36"
(2) Cravat Triangular Bandage

MEDICATION
(1) Eye Wash, 4 oz.
(2) Glucose, 15 g
(6) Aspirin, 2/pk (Analgesic)
(6) Diamode, 1/pk (Anti-diarrheal)
(6) Diotame, 2/pk (Stomach)
(6) Diphen, 1/pk (Antihistamine)
(6) Hydrocortisone 1% Creme, 1.5 g
(6) Ibuprofen, 2/pk (Anti-inflammatory)
(6) Triple Antibiotic Ointment, 0.9 g
(2) Hydration Powder
(1) Insect Bite Treatment
(1) Activated Charcoal

INSTRUMENTS
(1) Catheter Tip, 18G
(1) Digital Thermometer
(1) EMT Shears, 7.25"
(1) Irrigation Syringe, 20 mL, Luer Lock Tip
(1) Scalpel, Sterile, #11
(1) Tweezers
(3) Safety Pins, 2"
(1) Blood Pressure Kit
(1) Disposable Penlight
(1) Stethoscope, Sprague
(1) Flat Duct Tape, 1.89" x 2 yds.
(1) Hemostat, Kelly Forceps Straight, 5.5"

LIGHTS
(1) SYNC 200

Jeanette Isabelle

JI: Good kit mods. Well equipped, without going overboard. If I may, based on my past experience as an EMT in a busy urban area in the. NY-NJ Metro Area. ,U are woefully short of 3”x3” or better yet ,4”x4” sterile gauze pads. For a kit the size of yours , I would suggest 15-20. In a relal trauma situation, u will use up individual gauze pads rapidly ,for multiple purposes.

Likewise u need more Kling type guuze rolls or equivalent. My kit, about the size of yours, has 2x3”” kling guaze rolls and 2-3 , 3” self adhering stretch bandage. Vet wrap is cheap and perfect. To save space, I take it of the cardboard roll and make either flat rolls or round rolls ,without a center piece.

In meds, u need 8-16 , 81mg. chewable children’s Aspirin, to be given if someone is experiencing heart attack symptoms. The faster the administrated the better. Look-up dosages per use.

Latest studies indicate and the FDA has approved and confirmed that you can get pain killing power approaching opiates, from the correct mix of Tylenol and Advil. Check out the internet for correct mix. There re lnow commercial mixes in tablet form, available OTC. I also add to my kit pseudofedrine tablets and caffeine tablets . The pseudo. for nasal congestion and in combo with caffine tablets,, for an emergency boost. This I not my idea. I read about its in the Cody Lundin,book, i“98.6 The art of Keeping Your Ass Alve, ( Alternative Recipe at the end of the book). Use assumes no medical contraindications. Check with your doctor as to safety fro you. You assume your own risk of use. I’m not a doctor or a medical professional. Last, if legal in your jurisdiction , give consideration to 1or 2 Naxolene inhalers to counter opiate and some other drug overdoses. Note , I myself have not taken the step to add Naxolene. I’m still considering it.

Finally, add a small headlamp and a small powerful pea- less whistle. ( check ou the whistle test on this Nd other sites.If you have to give first-aid t at night ,in the wood or car week,etc. It will always be dark/ windy/ raining and you will be working off- trail or road. Tyoull need light ,bothhnds free Nd n easy way to let in-coming rescuers know where you are, I.e. blow the whirle in short bursts of three blows.... pause and repeat , as necessary.

Agreed with Acropolis. Also, consider adding more BZK wipes. If Dr. Bones and Nurse Amy (https://www.doomandbloom.net/) come to your neck of the woods, I would strongly recommend their class on wound closure in austere conditions (no affiliation).

The space in the WOUND / BLISTER / BURN pocket is limited. I had to replace the included 4" x 4" with 3" x 3" to get everything into one pocket.


I have that in my EDC bag.


Space is limited in the MEDICATION pocket as it is.


I have a headlamp listed under LIGHTS and I have a Fox 40 as part of my EDC.

Jeanette Isabelle

I have Personal Antimicrobial Wipes and Povidone-Iodine Prep Pads in their respective pockets. Space is limited in those pockets as it is.

Jeanette Isabelle

Also, far too many commercial kits think 2-6 ibuprofen is enough.
I like a bottle of 30.

Jeanette, et al,

My latest IFAK is much more of a trauma kit than a boo boo kit so have been adding chest vents, CAT TQs, Izzy bandages, Celox and the like. While researching I see many people carry the following as you do.

(2) Nasopharyngeal Airway w/ Lube, 28 Fr
(2) ARS Decompression Needle, 10 g x 3.25"

My question:
1. What situations are these used?
2. Does one need serious medical training to use? Or are there some video-training guides you recommend?

Training is absolutely essential. It is more important than the gizmos in the FAK. For one thing diagnosis, recognition of the condition, is the first step in rendering aid. If you don't recognize the problem, how are you going to treat it? A good course will provide you with a systematic, relatively thorough process so that you consider all the possibilities.

In many major trauma situations, you will face the decision to more or not to move the victim. This can be very tricky - there is an obvious injury, but also a more subtle injury which can be aggravated by improper handling. You often should delay movement until proper resources are available.

If I should be the victim, I would rather be treated by a trained, knowledgeable person without a FAK than an untrained person with a complete assortment of goodies. Of course, the best situation is training plus good, appropriate gear.

I'm not certified to use a decompression needle, but to answer your second question, high-level training is needed. You can't get it by watching a video. I have those needles in the event I'm on a scene in which a person has the training but not the tools with them. Lower-level training is needed for the nasal airway.

To answer your second question, a nasal airway is a tube-like device inserted through a nostril to open up a blocked or collapsed airway. A decompression needle releases trapped air in the chest cavity. Trapped air in the chest cavity is a life-threatening situation. It prevents the lungs from expanding, thereby the patient has difficulty or is unable to breathe.

Jeanette Isabelle