First Aid Kits

Well, most here talk about how ATGATT is the only way to go, ride like they are out to kill you, and other less than desireable outcomes. Is there a first aid kit in that plan?

I am due a new first aid kit, my current one has some age and could use some upgrading and refreshing. Main contents are around 10 years old now...maybe not as pristine and sterile as once was.

Who actually carries a kit and what do you have?
Have carried one from my early years after picking many a bud out of the ditches or gravel...and yes, a few band-aids or ointment for me. I went through my big travel kit that has supplied sting kill swabs to butterfly bandages to a benadryl for a bud with insect reactions.


I guess I get some use out of mine regularly enough to try and get a decent kit.Not an EMT level by any means, but after many first aid classes in my former career and real time first on the scene situations has me wanting to always be prepared, hoping not to need it as my glass is always on the half full side.

I carry one but like your kit the years are starting to show.

Mine doubles as a backpacking and rock climbing kit. It can cover basic stuff from scrapes and diarrhea but also includes a suture kit. Thankfully I have never need to use that.

If nothing else thanks for the reminder. I should probably update the contents of mine.


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I usually have a number of them rolling in and out of service. It's good to keep them fresh.
Off the top of my head-

Name brand cloth band aids
Neosporin ointment
tweezers
space blanket
full size and or "lite" Kotex
triangle sling
"Quick Klot"
Ace bandage
toilet paper
alcohol swabs or wipes
Advil- anti inflammatory RX dose is 800mg
rubber gloves
a couple of zip-lock bags
if you don't carry tape....tape

These supplies have multiple uses.....Stop the bleeding......immobilize the injury......Keep the victim warm and slow down any shock.
Much of this will pack nicely in a plastic large sized peanut butter jar (which can be used as a cup).
OM

Omega Man said:

I usually have a number of them rolling in and out of service. It's good to keep them fresh.
Off the top of my head-

Name brand cloth band aids
Neosporin ointment
tweezers
space blanket
full size and or "lite" Kotex
triangle sling
"Quick Klot"
Ace bandage
toilet paper
alcohol swabs or wipes
Advil- anti inflammatory RX dose is 800mg
rubber gloves
a couple of zip-lock bags
if you don't carry tape....tape

These supplies have multiple uses.....Stop the bleeding......immobilize the injury......Keep the victim warm and slow down any shock.
Much of this will pack nicely in a plastic large sized peanut butter jar (which can be used as a cup).
OM

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That's a good list. Two minor comments: in the ER (I was an EMT-DM and ER-Tech for 11 years), we NEVER used Neosporin - actually promoted bacterial growth. Only use Polysporin.

Secondly, carry some "Liquid Band-Aid." Great for stopping bleeding on avulsions, common when exiting a motorcycle unintentionally or tearing up your knuckles fixing a problem out on the road.

greenwald said:

That's a good list. Two minor comments: in the ER (I was an EMT-DM and ER-Tech for 11 years), we NEVER used Neosporin - actually promoted bacterial growth. Only use Polysporin.

Secondly, carry some "Liquid Band-Aid." Great for stopping bleeding on avulsions, common when exiting a motorcycle unintentionally or tearing up your knuckles fixing a problem out on the road.

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Thanks Kevin-
I don't have any experience with Polysporin but do know those that use it with good results.
As for the "liquid Band-Aid", I haven't had good luck with few times I've used it. I do use Super Glue to close wounds......especially cracked skin on my old hands when the weather turns cold (drier).

We carry IFAK kits with several added items, aspirin, benadryl, quikclot
Complete kit can be purchased on Amazon for about $50

Been using cayenne pepper for years on road rash, mostly mountain biking. Stops bleeding instantly. No it doesn't sting, nerve endings are already dead. Finely ground from the spice isle in grocery store

These are great gifts and have room to add more stuff https://www.walmart.com/ip/Justin-Case-Family-First-Aid-Kit/30253160

The only knock on some of the kits offered on a couple of familiar M/C sites is a low number of items per type.
1 Tylenol, 2- 2x2 gauze pads, 2 -1" band aids...well, you get my drift. For a day trip that's OK. I'm used to having a bigger count so not having to remember to re-stock so often.

I'll look at the IFAK offerings.

My current kit is about the size of a canvas bank bag.

Reading about the cayenne pepper reminded me of always having some Adolf's Meat Tenderizer in a glove box, tackle box or in the large FA kit on my boat to handle jellyfish stings ...used to get a lot of questionable looks having it in my Jeep

SHAG said:

These are great gifts and have room to add more stuff https://www.walmart.com/ip/Justin-Case-Family-First-Aid-Kit/30253160

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I like the pouch, it's a decent assortment of supplies, but I'll pass. The name is cute, fine for marketing, but the actual case should clearly state "First Aid", preferably with a cross. If someone is sent to my car to grab the First Aid kit, they are likely to pass that by, thinking it is Bieber CDs, or a poncho or emergency tampons, or somesuch. There is no time for confusion in an emergency.

lkraus said:

I like the pouch, it's a decent assortment of supplies, but I'll pass. The name is cute, fine for marketing, but the actual case should clearly state "First Aid", preferably with a cross. If someone is sent to my car to grab the First Aid kit, they are likely to pass that by, thinking it is Bieber CDs, or a poncho or emergency tampons, or somesuch. There is no time for confusion in an emergency.

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I disagree.

Should your 'kit' be mistaken for Justin Bieber CD's, the mere thought of that could produce necessary vomiting, should you have ingested a deadly substance!

greenwald said:

I disagree.

Should your 'kit' be mistaken for Justin Bieber CD's, the mere thought of that could produce necessary vomiting, should you have ingested a deadly substance!

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I am pretty sure I would not WANT anybody offering me first aid assistance who couldn't distinguish a Justin Bieber CD from a first aid kit !! It's not that hard....one contains band aids, the other badly needs band aid.


Friedle

Friedle said:

I am pretty sure I would not WANT anybody offering me first aid assistance who couldn't distinguish a Justin Bieber CD from a first aid kit !! It's not that hard....one contains band aids, the other badly needs band aid.


Friedle

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Clever humor!

I love it!

Omega Man said:

I usually have a number of them rolling in and out of service. It's good to keep them fresh.
Off the top of my head-

Name brand cloth band aids
Neosporin ointment
tweezers
space blanket
full size and or "lite" Kotex
triangle sling
"Quick Klot"
Ace bandage
toilet paper
alcohol swabs or wipes
Advil- anti inflammatory RX dose is 800mg
rubber gloves
a couple of zip-lock bags
if you don't carry tape....tape

These supplies have multiple uses.....Stop the bleeding......immobilize the injury......Keep the victim warm and slow down any shock.
Much of this will pack nicely in a plastic large sized peanut butter jar (which can be used as a cup).
OM

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My kit contains most of the above, plus a blood clotting trauma kit:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003BS2PW4/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o03_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Hope I never have to use it...

Some good ideas, thanks.
Kind of thinking not many of us carry anything...except that phone and credit card approach
Maybe it will make some at least think about it.

My current set up has a blue cover, but does say what it is...and I am usually the one grabbing it and responding so not worried about a Bieb moment.
Our metal cased ones on our fleet vehicles were white and only had a logo on them...most of us put a red cross on them thru the years and tried to put them in a common location...a big peeve of mine when I was a supervisor and did a safety check. Digging it out from under a pile of crud behind the seat was not acceptable.

I am about due for a refresher course as well, been a few years since last formal class. A good club event this time of year

henzilla said:

I am about due for a refresher course as well, been a few years since last formal class. A good club event this time of year

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It's nice to have a refresher course or a course in general.
For books I can recommend the "Where There Is No Doctor" series available on Amazon along with it's assorted volumes.
Wilderness Medicine- Beyond First Aid by William W. Forgey MD. Usually available at better outfitters like REI.

And because I've been around When you take a CPR course (great for anyone to have this basic knowledge) if you ever have to use it-
Make sure you go to the hospital with the person you used it on There is a reason the person "went down", you really need to know why.
OM

lkraus said:

I like the pouch, it's a decent assortment of supplies, but I'll pass. The name is cute, fine for marketing, but the actual case should clearly state "First Aid", preferably with a cross. If someone is sent to my car to grab the First Aid kit, they are likely to pass that by, thinking it is Bieber CD.

Click to expand...

Maybe you can catch a Beiber concert and have him put the cross on it for you. He may also be able to spell First Aid. Take a sharpie

Our club had a scene management discussion at a local Fire/EMS station and donated some club funds as a token of thanks and support.

What the EMS techs explained in depth that was never really talked about in our Rescue Randy practices doing CPR was the fact you are going to hear or feel cracking bones more than not. Creeps a lot of non-prepared folks out they said.

When we lived in Fairbanks and did some back country snow machine rides I took a wilderness first responder course at the local hospital. It was taught by a trauma surgeon and some trauma nurses. They went into great detail in teaching wound assessment and how to suture wounds. We were provided a kit with a variety of sutures, saline, lidocaine, a stapler and an assortment of bandages. I remember very little of the suturing skills we were taught. I do remember that the doc explained how to make butterflies out of duct tape and expressed his opinion that irrigation is critical and that an inexperienced person could do a better job with the tape then with sutures, especially if the wound could be seen by doctor within 3 days.

henzilla said:

Our club had a scene management discussion at a local Fire/EMS station and donated some club funds as a token of thanks and support.

What the EMS techs explained in depth that was never really talked about in our Rescue Randy practices doing CPR was the fact you are going to hear or feel cracking bones more than not. Creeps a lot of non-prepared folks out they said.

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As someone who, as an EMT/ambulance attendant since 1976 and 11 years as an ER Tech at a medical center, has performed CPR over a hundred times, and has about a half-dozen documented 'saves*,' let me toss in a word or two about what to expect.

CPR is the controlled (proper depth of compressions/proper rate) crushing of the heart between the sternum and the thoracic spine, in order to coax blood to flow.

The sternum is not rigidly attached to the ribs (which would make breathing nearly impossible if that were the case). Instead, it's flexibly attached with intercostal cartilage and the 'breastplate' simply serves as a shield to protect the heart from daily external trauma, as well as an attachment point for most of the ribs up front.

As you perform compressions, you start severing that connection between sternum and cartilage and that is the 'snapping' sound you hear. The older the victim, the more aged (fragile) the cartilage and you may even completely 'flail' the chest - all cartilage-connections are broken and the sternum is essentially 'floating' within the victim's chest cavity. The event is painful and takes a bit of time to heal.

If you have a successful revival, the victim's chest is stabilized until the cartilage and sternum reattach. Once conscious, they will often complain of "a truck having ridden over their chest."

*I defined 'save' as CPR in the field that revived a pulseless, non-breathing victim. Many other patients were revived in an ER setting with drug and defibrillation intervention throughout my career.