extensive thoughts on First Aid Kit contents

Some deep thinking on what goes into a kit:

What you should carry in a FAK

A long while back someone here recommended taking a first aid course and use that knowledge to determine what to put in an FAK. I agree with that recommendation. I took the NOLS Wilderness First Aid course -- highly recommended.

I don't understand stocking 2x2's in a small kit. Four 2x2's can be made from a 4x4 -- carry more 4x4's.

Russ's comment says it all - training first, then gear.

The article does eventually get around to recommending training, after some very questionable statements.

training, yes.

what you carry is dependent upon your circumstances.

as a hiker i do carry a few things, certainly a lot less - my pack isn't much bigger than his first aid kit - than a trunk fak.

4 x 4s + roll gauze (kerlix) can solve the life threatening bleeding.

imho anything else is icing.

I concur; Good "Wilderness First Aid Training" will training you in what you need to carry and why!

As with everything, it will depend on your situation and the scope of your planning.

I live in a decent sized city and typically don't need to worry about medium term self care, although that might be something to consider if you're in a remote area where help is some time away.

For what I am most likely to encounter, I normally carry items to treat things that either don't require assistance (minor cuts and abrasions), or things that can be life threatening even in the time it takes an ambulance to arrive, such as car accidents, shootings / stabbings, and so on.

For the first consideration, a typical booboo kit you can find at any store will suffice. PPE (gloves), Bandaids, antiseptic/antibiotic, OTC pain reliever, that sort of thing.

For trauma though, I carry an israeli bandage, combat gauze, CAT tourniquet, and HALO seals in a cargo pocket, which can buy time until help arrives. Sometimes I wear jeans and don't carry everything, but in those cases I still at least carry nitrile gloves at a minimum and the other items are in my cars glove compartment nearby.

If my situation changes and I'm going venturing out into the woods (for a dayhike for example) I would carry additional items depending on how long I would be gone. Most of these items are hygiene related -- bug spray, sunscreen, lip balm, gold bond powder, bordeaux butt paste, anti-chafing stick, TP, and wet wipes for a field bath. First aid items would include items for situations I'm most likely to encounter, like an ace wrap for wrapping an ankle, instant ice packs, anti diarrheal, etc.

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Training is important and as others have said you should strive to improve your skill set, but by all means learn all you can even if you don't have the money for something like a first responder course.

One of our EMS guys mentioned that almost 90 people showed up for a free CPR/AED course that was held at the local university. He said the impact to the community was even greater than those who showed up though, because many of those people will go home and tell their friends and families about it and show them what they learned. No the others won't get a card in the mail saying they're CPR/AED certified, but they still gained enough knowledge that they may be able to save a life.

I'm not saying go play doctor because you saw an emergency cric on MASH or grey's anatomy, and there is no substitute to learning from a professional, but a lot of the first aid stuff can be learned on your own even if you can't afford to take a class.

This is a timely subject for me

I am playing with first aid kits these days; actually emptying a first aid kit and using the container for a "personal medical care kit" focused on the exact problem that I have.

Among the stuff that was in the original FAK was a few wipes like :

Alcohol wipes
Providine/Iodine wipes
Triple antibiotic (if I recall)

My question is:

Is there any donloadable pdf file online that can teach me where to use each one of these first aid items. For example, where is it recomnmended to use the alcohol wipes versus the Providine/iodine wipe? Same about small iodine bottle versus small bottle of saline water ( about 20 ml maybe for eye irrigation ) and so on.

Any help is appreciated.

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Edited to add reminder
I am NOT in the U.S. and do not know where to take a first aid course

I have taken a few hours of first aid lectures but nothing that really relates to wilderness or even close. Just an hour about CPR or bleeding ..etc. And that was AFTER one employee had a stroke and died at work.

Don't use alcohol wipes on broken skin. In medical settings they're used on intact skin in preparation of a needle stick to reduce the chance of infection. In a FAK where you're not using needles, they can be used to clean your hands before a treatment. Povidone/iodine wipes can be used on scrapes and small cuts.

I prefer BZK wipes for both purposes; I think they work better.

I am not any kind of medical professional and I don't play one on the Internet.

Paging Dr. Chaos!

Thanks Chaos
Could you please spell BZK for me ?
What does it stand for ?

Thanks

BZK is a common way of saying benzalkonium. In the US, a box of 100 wipes costs about $5 from Amazon.

Thanks , I have some of these in my FAKs. Just didn't know what each was used for

Last few days I had a knee problem (again) and had to empty a FAK box to use for medical care kit and took a few items from each box to assemble this one ( scissors , tape , gauze , ..etc. ) plus a tool box ( don't laugh please ) for the bulkier items like muscle ointment and fish oil capsule box ..etc.

So, while I was playing with the contents I saw some interesting stuff like BZK wipes and few others

Thanks again.

Oh, and if there is a good pdf file on first aid material , I will really appreciate. Most pdf stuff I have seen so far was ads for selling FAKs.

Perhaps the best free resource I've found for first aid information and material comes from Where There Is No Doctor, which you can download from http://hesperian.org/books-and-resources/#.

What is the difference between it and betadine?

I'm not an expert. Betadine (aka povidone-iodine) leaves a reddish residue. I've read that the residue provides some lingering antiseptic value. I've also read that it's not flammable, which would explain why they like it so much in operating rooms. Finally, I've read that it isn't appropriate for long-term wound care as it may inhibit clotting. You can also use it to disinfect water.

BZK doesn't leave a residue, which might be better or worse for you. It's at least somewhat flammable, and I wouldn't try to use it to disinfect water.

I'm European and we primarily use Chlorhexidine or Betadine. This what i was taught:

Chlorhexidine stings, but is clear and does not cause issues with people sensitive to iodine.

Betadine doesn't sting, but stains. So we are taught not to use betadine when you need to go a doctor to get the wound looked at. The staining makes it harder to identify what is what.

Is there an easy way to EDC exam gloves? Hard case preferred as they don't get used for a year or more

I put a set in a zip-lock bag along with an N95. Stored the zip-lock in an inside pocket of my EDC backpack. There are identical zip-lock bags in each of my FAK's -- first thing you see when you open the kit.

I put mine in a small ziploc baggie. Several of these are doing just fine after two or more years.

I buy really good (NAR Black Talon, no affiliation) exam gloves, and they last a long time in my FAKs.

On my last FA renewal course, they handed out small EDC kits with 1pr of gloves and 1 facemask. It is wrapped in a baggie and then stuffed into a small nylon pouch perfect for adding to my keychain.

IMHO There is no 'real' way to long term carry gloves that aren't climate controlled. I regularly switch out gloves. The 2 pair I carry daily get swapped out (used) so they don't degrade. Excessive heat in FL though so they degrade more than in a cold northern climate...lol.

If you ever need a pair or two... I've never seen a medic turn down someone's request for 1 or 2 pair to 'restock their FAK.

I'm adding a tweezers, 1oz of camp soap and/ or hand sanitizer to my FAK's