After having to actually use the small first aid kit we had hanging in the kitchen, I have decided we would be better served with building a kit that would meet the need of most household emergencies. I would also like to build a bigger kit to keep in my vehicle, maybe even geared for the outdoors as we enjoy camping, fishing and hiking.

Those of you who have built your own kit, if you were so inclined, would you share what you put in your kit, and maybe even why?

Thank you

John

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with wings as eagles

Mine is geared to outdoors and shooting sports.

Along with the basic supplies you get in every first aid kit, such as bandages, gauze, triangular bandage, safety pins, bandaids, and trauma shears, I have added quite a few things that may or may not be right for others.

If I am in a vehicle I will have 3-5 liters of sterile normal saline, if packing I will have a couple of 500ml bottles of sterile NS. These can be used for wound or eye flushes.

I also have large occlusive dressings, large can always be cut down to smaller, hard to stretch the small to large.

I have added a couple of QuikClot ACS+ Trauma kits with a cinch bandage.

I have a lot of other stuff that may come in handy, but as an RN with lots of trauma experience I am comfortable using it.

When you build a first aid kit, look at your abilities and what you are comfortable doing. Don't go overboard with things you may not be able to use properly.

If going into the back country where cell reception may be spotty or non-existant you may want to buy (or rent) a Spot GPS tracker ( Spot GPS Satellite Tracker - Your Perfect Companion ). This may provide much more piece of mind when away from civilization that having a fully equipped ambulance following you.

bob

The one I keep in the truck has what most consider the basics. Aspirin, bandages, band-aids, butterfly closures, tweezers, a razor blade or two, Neosporin, some bite and sting ointment, and a CPR fluid barrier. For heavy bleeding, I've got some Quick-Clot and a one-handed tourniquet. They are probably expired now (I need to check), but I have a strip of water purification tabs and some emergency water bladders (un-lubricated condoms) as well.

Chubbs

The kit I keep in the truck has most everything that I am comfortable using in the field. I’m not real savvy on first aid, so nothing too complicated is carried. Typically anything that I have ever needed at least once in the field or thought prudent is what I carry. Everything handily fits in the typical USGI ammo can:

First aid book
Aspirin
Tylenol
Tick twister
Tweezers
Single edge razor blades
Band aids
Large antiseptic pads
Feminine napkins for badly bleeding wounds
Neosporin
Isopropyl alcohol
Antiseptic wipes
Iodine
Alka Seltzer
Anti-diarrheal meds
Laxative
Ace bandage
Rolaids
Hydrogen peroxide
First aid tape
Suture kit
Benadryl
Gauze
Eye drops
Nasal spray
Ammonia capsules

And a lot of similar items that I don’t remember at the moment. I update the kit with new meds roughly every three years.

I normally just pack a commercial kit with a few addons.

Probly the most used addition is one of those folding magnifier/precision tweezer combos. I'm a bit of a klutz & pick up lots of splinters/thorns. I also carry extra bandaids & Neosporin.

This is a quick run down of my vehicle bag. Obviously the bag will reflect the purpose, this is built with the assumption that advanced medical assistance is on the way.

Interesting note - thanks to rapid results in testing in iraq and afganistan the bleeding protocols have changed.

Old protocol - Direct pressure, elevation, pressure point, tourniquet

New protocol - Direct pressure, if bleeding is not stopped go directly to tourniquet. Limb is good for up to 6 hrs. Don't need to completely stop bleeding, just the arterial spurting then control with direct pressure.





Fire Dept ID
Bag
4 pr. L non latex gloves
Gerber window breaker (center punch) and rescue knife (any knife with rounded point)
Fisher space pen / write anywhere notebook
pupil light

BACK POCKET - Medical
Stethoscope
blood pressure cuff
FLASHLIGHT
hand sanitizer wipes
nitro (sublingual)
glucose

FRONT POCKET - trauma
pocket mask
trauma shears
space blanket
hand sanitizer gel
2 cravats
steri strips
4x4 gauze (6)
face mask/eye protector (2)
thermometer
tape
roll gauze (6)
bandaids (6)
ace wrap (2)

Nothing in my first aid kit that I am not trained to use.

Whiskey
Crazy Clue
Duct Tape

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Regards,
Guy-Harold Smith II

I bought a kit from the Red Cross for about $30 that seems to have most everything in it that I would be able to use. I added a couple of sizes of Ace bandage, a few sanitary napkins which, in conjunction with the Ace bandages will hopefully stop the bleeding enough to get to a professional, and some Super Glue. Quick clotting agent is something else I need to add.

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Insert short witty words here

Look into putting a SAM splint in your kit. I made sure to get one before heading to Philmont with my son's crew.

My kit comes in two boxes. The first box contains a 5th of snakebite medicine.


The other box has a snake...........

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Dean
SWCA #680 SWHF #446

For camping and such........
Neosporne tube
Medium Size Vasoline jar
4 sheets of 2x3 heavy duty tin foil
Sports tape, two rolls
Several triangular bandages (I'm old school)
Sugar Pills
Honey
Small Red Blinking LED Thingy
Compas
Several Razor Blades
needle or three
knife

For all those reccomending QuikClot +1000. I was able to obtain some before it became available on the open market. Being on a blood thinner for over 15 years - it can be a life saver. I highly reccomend it for any and all First Aid Kits.

About 5 years ago I realized first aid kits were a real necessity. A guy I knew said "when are you gonna do something with that bump on your neck?" I had a bump. I thought nobody saw it. Silly me, it was obvious. So I had few beers, took my dremel with the cutting disk and looked in the bat room mirror. Fired up the dremel, made a lateral cut on the bump, nothing. Had anudder beer, made a longitudinal cut. Uh oh. Blood came out, like a lot. So I go to the closet for band aides, they won't stick. So using my beer scout training, I put a washcloth on my neck and wrapped electrical tape around it and my neck about 10 times. Went back downstairs and watched TV with anudder beer. Something warm on my jeans, yep, blood. So I go to Walgreens to get bandages. They have what I want, I get some and stand in line. People are giving me a wide birth as I'm still bleeding pretty good. (like they never saw a guy bleeding thru a wash rag held on his neck with electrical tape) Just my luck..Walgreens had quit selling beer. So after a trip to the liquor store I go home. Can't stop the bleeding. But wait, I found the container of powdered stiptic that you use when you cut the dogs nails too short. Poured it on my neck and wallah! The blood stops I wrap up my neck in $10.75 worth of bandages. And all is well. I vots stiptic in any kit.

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SOS USA

Betadine Solution (not the scrub) is a good addition, just don't let it freeze.

Same here, except I also have a 4"X 4" piece of leather.

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Doesn't hasta call me Johnson

A combat bandage-first thing. I have come up on two terrible accidents when people (one a child) were bleeding to death-

I add Moleskin, Ibprofin and no-doze.

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Front sight and squeeze

I have two fairly comprehensive commercial kits, one resident in the truck, one in my day pack. I guess I need to add a Quick Clot thingy, and have already added a trash bag, to close off a sucking chest wound. Oh, and Sawyer "Extractor" snakebite kits.

Johnson * Johnson's old top kits. Augmented by Jack Daniels and Old Log Cabin.

If you have the knowledge and ability - good, if you don't but are willing and/or able to carry the supplies and equipment so that someone who knows what he/she is doing is priceless. About 20 years ago, a physician I worked with was going on a bird watching trip in South America. Naturally, his group tasked him with all of the medical/first aid duty. He asked me for help in putting together a good first aid packet and freaked out at some of my suggestions such as sanitary napkins, 6" ace wrap bandages, 1 weeks worth of: a broad spectrum antibiotic; analgesics (pain killer - Percodan was my choice); anti-inflammatory/analgesic (aspirin and ibuprofen) all supplied in enough quantity for 2 people. I explained that sanitary napkins and ace wraps make excellent pressure dressings, and the ace wraps could supply enough direct pressure to keep your hands free for other work temporarily (things go fast in shock/trauma - time is rarely your friend). As far as the meds, my feeling was that if you couldn't get someone that was seriously ill/injured to a health care facility in 7-10 days, you might as well plan on calling a priest. Turns out they had a retired SEAL on the trip who was cross trained as a corpsman. He evidently packed a lot of, you guessed it: ace wraps, sanitary napkins, etc. That was over 20 years ago, so the new quick clot products weren't even dreamed of. I'd definitely include some of those products in my aid bag now.

Best regards, and luck,

Dave

I carry a band-aid in my wallet.

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Living a dream - S&WCA #2364