Adventure Medical Kits - Anyone?

[Barney]

Do you use this first aid kit brand? I find their waterproof kits to be pretty well suited for me, especially 0.5 for solo and 0.7 when going with others.

 

[Refrigerator]

I like them and add some items to meet my needs.

 

[Navigator]

Either of the choices you mention are good, I'd add a CPR face shield and a 4"x36" SAM splint.
A great investment would be a Wilderness First Aid course and CPR.

 

[IndianaHiker]

Never looked at those before. Price is very good as it is cheaper than I can but one together myself.

 

[Barney]

First aid kit is the most customized piece of equipment in my pack and I think it should be in everyone's too. No kit can satisfy needs of all people.

 

[Grandpa]

My solution, hike with doctors and nurses. Let them carry the heavy stuff. (yes, I carry one too)

 

[FastTrack]

I bought a kit long ago and have kept replacing stuff since, so it uses the same case but nothing in it is original now. Kit contents expire so I use up what I can when I can.

 

[mccallum]

THe kit I carry is from my EMT days with the stuff I can not legally use removed or at least deep in the bag (One never knows when one may find a EMS person who was not taught to be a "boy scout"). My problem is that I do not carry it with me on hikes like I should!

 

[FastTrack]

That's a shame. It sounds like you are exactly the kind of person that I would like to come across in the field if I needed help!

 

[Michael]

I use one of these kits. I picked up the Adventure 1. I was a little surprised that it didn't come with nitrile gloves, but I added two pairs, so that's okay. Of course, I personalized the crap out of it, but you sort of expect that with such things.

 

[Qweetzy]

I always carry a first aid kit with a lot of extras. Glucose tabs come in handy if you are traveling with a diabetic, along with beef jerky for after the glucose tablets. I also carry gloves, a CPR shield, folded up bandages and a couple of ace bandages. I have a lot of other stuff but it's not all that heavy.

 

[Newanderthal]

built my kit out of a school pencil pouch. The reinforced grommet hole is perfect for a carabiner and it's bright red. A ziploc bag inside keeps it all dry.

 

[JollyRogers]

They have some of the more realistic and functional inexpensive first aid kits I have seen. Some stuff can be trimmed down as many things I carry are multi-purpose.

Tape and non adherent dressings make custom sized band-aids, and mole-skin. I pack only large gauze and non-adherent dressings and cut to required size with a good pair of shears. If you only have 1 size dressing then you won't be fumbling through your kit looking for the right one. Having large dressings available also work better for applying pressure to wounds.
Wound-closure strips and Tincture of Benzoin are a very handy combination. But without the Tincture the closure strips are almost worthless since they will peel off easily.

I carry forceps as part of my fishing gear and so they are usually readily available in web gear or in a pocket.

I will stock a small tube of anti-biotic ointment in my kit as well. This way you can change dressings as needed and not worry about infection. 1 or 2 little single use packets just doesn't cut it.

I also include medications such as Tylenol, Motrin and Immodium in all my kits.
For splints and bandages, I have yet to be anywhere that I have not had sticks and spare cloth for making these.

A good pair of medical shears can come in handy. Sometimes a knife just won't do.

Also I always carry extra Ziploc bags to store stuff in. These can be used to waterproof your kit, storing cut bandages, or as an occlusive bandage.

Gloves are pretty much worthless. If you are worried about getting your hands dirty or if you have open bleeding cuts on your hands and plan on getting wrist deep in someone's fluids then by all means bring them. I guess you could try to make an occlusive dressing out of them. Also infectious disease is less of a concern as most times you will be applying first aid to yourself or people you know.

A CPR shield is nice as it keeps people from throwing up in your mouth, but then if you have performed CPR before you are probably aware of this side-effect and can avoid it without the shield. Everyone's mouth is a nasty place, it is rare that anything can survive there. But then if you think you are going to need to give CPR to someone with an active outbreak of herpes, bring it along.:tinysmile_twink_t2:

Tongue depressors or popsicle sticks are actually pretty useful for splinting fingers, making bite blocks and emergency kindling.

Aloe/burn creams are standard in my kit as well. Burns and sunburn can debilitate someone just as easily as an open wound. Take something to treat burns. Even if it is just a film cannister worth.

Another item I carry is a cautery. Essentially a battery powered cauterizing pen. They are relatively inexpensive and the batteries will last a very long time. If you smash a toenail or fingernail or get sliver up under a nail this will burn right through the nail like butter and relieve the pressure or make a hole so you can get to the sliver. You could try to cauterize wounds but you are more likely to just cause more damage.

Tweezers are good. Especially for pulling splinters or cactus spines.

An irrigation syringe can be handy for cleaning wounds or as an expedient eyewash. (Careful!)

Alcohol swabs are pretty useless, but a small squeeze bottle full of alcohol can be handy. Same goes for hydrogen peroxide for wound care. I don't usually carry these unless I am going to be out for more than a couple of days.

I know there are other things I am forgetting. If I remember anything else, I'l post it later.

 

[OptimO]

I never really thought about bringing a first aid kit on my camping trips before.

 

[Grandpa]

Being prepared doesn't mean you have to be ready for an open heart transplant. If you are that concerned about a medical emergency, invite your doctor to come with. Better yet, invite his nurse.