What's in your first aid kit?

[jjaje]

Who keeps a first aid kit at home? What about when camping?

I bought a fishing tackle box and made one for home, that I grab and take on vacations and Scout campouts. It has assorted bandages, butterfly closures, large pads, swabs, gloves, burn ointment, sudafed, ibuprofen, imodium AD, Benedryl, ace bandage, Quik Clot, A&D Ointment, alcohol wipes, hand sanitizer, tweezers, scissors, safety pins and some other things I'll eventually remember.

For backpacking, I carry a lot of the same stuff, just fewer quantities. Always have a few packets of burn ointment and one Quik Clot. I always have anti-histamines and pain killers. I always have Imodium AD (nothing like that kind of problem ruining a weekend). Also when backpacking, I always have moleskin.

So, what's in your first aid kit(s)?

[Abbax8]

Similar to yours. In our big kit we also have triangular bandages for slings and making splints. We have a eyepad for eye injuries. I didn't see antibiotic ointment on your list, I stock that. Also a notepad and pen/marker in case we need it. And a mirror to signal for help.

Dennis

[David Craik]

We got a big commercial first aid kit for the house including many of the things you list. On the trail I have band-aids, large bandages and gauze, iodine or merthiolate, scalpel, Goody's headache powders, a snake bite kit, a small instant-activating ice pack, scissors, safety pins, and benedryl. In a very cold environment those "hot hands" handwarmer packs are great for keeping frostbite at bay or for warming sore muscles.

It is good practice to inventory and inspect your items regularly to ensure that nothing is expired. Be also careful of storing soap near oral medicines or food in the kit unless they are in blister packs or factory sealed in bottles. I have been amazed in the past of how the taste of soap can get into everything, even when kept in sealed ziplock bags. It probably doesn't hamper the effectivity, but heavens it tastes nasty.

[Ramirez]

I have a Red Cross kit , both a full size and smaller travel one, Dave has just reminded me that I need to look over the kit and make sure everything is still in working order.

[Michael J. Bray]

Of course I don't carry this camping, but I used this list as a reference base to build my home/emergency med kit: A good source for these items is: www.chinookmed.com.

Item Name Quantity

Massive Hemorrhage
Tourniquet, SOT-T 1
Tourniquet, NATO 1
Cinch Tight Bandage 2
Gauze, "Z" Fold, (NARP) 4
Combat Gauze (Hemostatic Agent) 2
ACE Bandage, 6" 1
Cravat, OD Green 2

Airway
NPA, Nasopharyngeal Airway, 28 Fr 2

(Surgical Airway Kit) 1
ET Tube, 7 mm 1
Syringe, 10cc, For ET Tube Inflation 1
Disposable Scalpel, #7 1
Tie Down Cord, 2 Feet, 550 Sheathing 1
Trach Hook, NARP 1
IV Needle/Catheter, 14ga, 2" 1

King LT, Size 4, Adult, w /60cc Syringe 1
60 cc Syringe for Ling LT, NG Tube, Wound Irrigation 1
KY Jelly Packet for King LT and NPA 1
Foley Catheter, For Airway Suction 1

Respiration
IV Catheter, 14ga, 3.25" 1
Syringe, 10cc, Filled w/ Sterile Saline 1
HALO Seals 2

Circulation
Nasogastric Tube, 14 Fr 1
Oral Rehydration Salt Packets, 4 Liters Worth 4

IV Prep Kit (NARP) 1
IV Constriction Band (Raptor) 1
Alcohol Pad 2
IV Catheter, 18ga, 1.25" 1
Saline Lock 1
Needle, Hypodermic, 16ga, 1.5" 1
Syringe, 1cc 1

Boa Band (NARP) 1
IV Catheter, 18ga, 2" 2

IV Solution, Normal Saline, 500 mL 1
IV Solution, Hespan, 500mL 1

Hypothermia
Space Blanket, Mylar 2
Watch Cap, Wool 1

Wound Care
Gauze Squares, 4"x4", Sterile 11
Splint, SAM, Folded, OD 1
Thermazene Cream, 1.75 Oz 1
Plastic/ Saran Wrap, 8" long roll 1

Meds
Various

Surgical Kit
Large Bandage Scissors 1
Small Iris Scissors 1
Large Needle Driver 1
Flat Tip Tweezers (Revlon) 1
Tissue Forceps (tweezers with teeth) 1
Scalpel Handle 1
Large Straight Kelly's 1
Small Straight Kelly's 1
Large Curved Kelly's 1
Small Metsembaum Scissors 1
Large Metsembaum Scissors 1
Wound Probe
Surgical Blade (For Scalpel Handle) # 10 6
Surgical Blade (For Scalpel Handle) # 15 3
Surgical Blade (For Scalpel Handle) # 20 2

Sutures
2-0 Absorbable, Plain Gut 1
3-0 Non-Absorbable, Black Monofilament 1
5-0 Absorbable, Synthetic 1
5-0 Non-Absorbable, Black Monofilament 2
6-0 Non-Absorbable, Blue Monofilament 1

Lighter 1
Steri-Strip, 1/2 inch x 2 inch 1
Steri-Strip, 1/2 inch x 4 inch 2

[Mark Jordan]

You've pretty much mentioned everything. Except for one. It has been my habit to check the hospitals in the vicinity where I'm camping and get the phone numbers and put them in the first aid kit.

[nirgle]

I've attached a picture of my first aid compartment, in the hope that a .jpg is worth 1,024 words This is the main shelf of my home-based supplies. I can take one or both of the two smaller kits with me when I'm away from the house, which isn't too often. Below this shelf on the right are two ammo boxes (typical 200 x 7.62mm NATO) filled with various bandages and gauze pads for "grab and dash" emergencies.

First aid awareness is something that I seem to go through in phases throughout my life, even since I was really young. (Now I'm just moderately young.) First aid certification, although not a requirement in my martial arts club, was something I personally required myself to do as a condition of testing for black belt. That process was the last main phase of interest I went through for first aid. I took the St John Ambulance first aid / CPR course here in town, and shortly after I bought most of the supplies shown in the attached picture.

The gauze pads and adhesive bandages come in handy every year or so when the cyst on my back becomes infected and I take care of draining it and cleaning it myself, so far experiencing no infections from the procedure. But other than that, I rarely have any true emergencies and tend to slowly draw down these supplies for other reasons. Random attacks from my ninja cat that draw blood; gloves for a wide range of health-conscious things, mostly cleaning tasks; tensor bandage to temporarily secure ice to different parts of my body, etc.

I live in a moderately- to densely-populated residential area, in an apartment building, and a stone's through from a secondary school. The supplies here are probably a little on the over-prepared side for a bachelor with no children, but I like to be ready for broader local emergencies as well.

[jjaje]

You've pretty much mentioned everything. Except for one. It has been my habit to check the hospitals in the vicinity where I'm camping and get the phone numbers and put them in the first aid kit.

Great idea!

[ride57]

Hi, mine is not as detailed as Mr Bray's, but I am getting there. I recently went through and removed the gloves and replaced them. I am allergic to Carba mix and Thiuram mix, so that means nitrile and almost all of the non latex gloves. I have one for the car(dyna Med)and one that can fit in a cargo pocket (Pro Med Kits)

Doug
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