Good Article on FA Kits

https://www.webmd.com/first-aid/first-aid-kits-treatment#1


I ran across this article and i think it is worth reading - basically a basic kit for home and general use and others for specialized situations. The authors point out that you can assemble a good kit quite economically..

It has been my experience that first aid bags and cases work best because they are compartmentalized for specific items.

In my opinion, for those who are putting one together for the first time, it is best to buy an off-the-shelf kit and modify it for your situation. What you start out with does matter. Therefore, start with a good brand like TRI or Johnson & Johnson.

Jeanette Isabelle

What appealed to me, and what has been true in my experience, is that components are available singly at much better prices than offered in the pre-assembled kits. Starting with the generalized home kit, they then discuss its for more specific situations.

I was struck by their specific inclusion of a lighter for "wilderness" situations, where lighting a fire for signalling and other uses could be critical.

The article seems to be trending toward a FAKASK (first aid kit and survival kit) which rings true in my experience. Once you have tended the fractures, etc. you have to keep everyone in as comfortable condition as possible, until transport to definitive care... Believe me, this can involve everything you have in your pack and then some. Not an issue in urban areas, where the ER is just around the corner.

I have several 'kits' that are first-aid in nature but they vary quite a bit. I've been an EMT, dumb kid, street cop, CO, office dweller and am currently a cubical / keyboard old-fart commando in our state Corrections training shop. Computers, rookies, bureaucrats & paper have become my life...

Anyway, I have discovered over time and different jobs that the kit I carry or have at-hand will depend on what/where I am doing things. Work - way different than what is in the car as it is geared for what can happen in an urban office environment and/or if I'm working at a prison site and/or 'on the street' in the field doing training and it has something for GSW (gun shot wound) for example. The car kit is built around vehicle accident concerns and there are not specific GSW supplies there. The Get Home/ready Bag FA kit is a lot more generalized and has more "stuff" in it as well.

Sure, there is a lot of cross-over between them but as I've built them they have evolved to meet more specific situations. As I am usually in a city or very close to substantial medical help I also tend to have stocked things to respond to immediate need and don't have resources for long-term support. If I am going out hunting in the boondocks with my buddy - that kit gets built for the trip and is a unique combination of all the others and has included materials for longer term support until help arrives.

Just thinking out-loud... folks need to start from a baseline of general needs and then flesh it out with what is best for their environment, needs and expected conditions. So, a pre-built kit may be a great starting point but it is just that, a start and should be customized to meet your expected needs and skill set.

Paul -

It has been my experience that if I try to go cheap, I'll either end up spending more money or get something inferior. The exception to that is if I have put a similar item together before or I have a model to copy.

Jeanette Isabelle

It´s not neccessarily going cheap. Sometimes it is possible to get the items assembled in the kit for a better price. When buying in bulk (e. g. for assembling several FAKs) the price can be significantly better.
In some cases buying the kit can be the better choice. In Germany it is required to have a standardized FAK (DIN 13164) in the vehicle. Typically the kit can be bought around 9€. The items in the kit usually are of good quality. I recently ditch my vehicle kit as the sterile items expired. The adhesives where still good despite of sitting in the car for 5 years.

In the past, when I attempted to build something from the ground up to save money, I end up spending more money than what I saved. But, once I correctly make one unit, I can then make as many as I want for the price of the components.

Jeanette Isabelle

Yes I've added a small lighter, photon type flashlight, tweezers, OTC meds, 2" folding knife and exam gloves to my wilderness kit.

We often get the German DIN 13164 standard car first aid kits here in the UK in ALDI's (a german company) for around £6.

They are top notch and make super presents. Well made, durable and no stinting. Worth every penny.

Just being curious: Those kits come with an inventory list and a first aid manual. Do you get it printed in English?

The kit has the advantage that the content is made to survive the punishing environment in a car for several years. I think that adds some extra value even for EDC and wilderness kits.

There is also a kit DIN 13167 for motorcycles. The are as well made as the standard vehicle kit but come in a smaller zipper pouch with a little less content. I tossed one in my rifle bag.

Yes all in English. This is what I have:

German first aid kit http://www.bellanda.net/x02prod01.html

Note that the EU medical symbol is white cross on green. The Red Cross got iffy over the red cross on a white background.

For the curious (like me) here's what DIN 13164 calls for:

DIN 13164 component requirements

Seems easy to find in Europe, harder in North America (Amazon didn't seem to have any w/o expensive addons).

However, Ebay has a few - here's one (just as an example - I have no experience with this vendor or product:

DIN 13164 kit on US Ebay
Backup link, if above link doesn't work

I always recommend storing your FAK in a labeled, dustproof/waterproof kit