What's in your emergency first aid kit

[rlmmarine]

As I'm getting my stuff together for the upcoming hunting season I'm wondering what you're all carrying In your pack, for first aid on fly in hunts. My first aid kit contains the usual
ace bandage
large bandages
small bandages
Neosporin

Perscription medicines for:
diarrhea
Nausea
pain killers
antibiotics

as well as
water treatment pills
pepto
ibuprofen
Emergency blanket


there are a couple duplicates
latex gloves
A Havalon blade

the last thing I want to do, is be on a 7 Day fly in hunt, and be down with an ailment
so I'm curious as to what the rest of you all are carrying and how much it weighs

 

[ColeyG]

I define "emergency" as an immediate threat to life. limb, or eyesight.

As such, my "emergency" first aid kid is essentially an IFAK kit. Those with prior military experience are probably familiar the the concept of a Individual First Aid Kit. Some years ago the Dept. of Defense took an in-depth look at what people were actually dying from in combat and then starting pushing these IFAK kits to address those immediate, life threatening injuries. The majority of combat related deaths were identified to be a result of essentially two things, uncontrolled bleeding and an inability to breath due to pneumo/hemo thorax conditions. The military designed and then began issuing IFAKs to troops combined with training on how to use the contents. Combat deaths dropped dramatically as a result. The idea behind an IFAK kit is that it is for you to treat you.

The contents are fairly simple and again are aimed at dealing with the most immediate threats to life, i.e. supplies to control bleeding, alleviate a pneumothorax, and establish+maintain an airway. A basic IFAK typically includes, at a minimum, the following:

-Chest seal x2
-Tourniquet x1
-Hemostatic pressure bandage x1
-Hemostatic gauze x2
-trauma shears x1
-nitrile gloves x1
-chest decompression needle x2
-cpr mask (numask preferred)
-NP airway x2

Combined with training, these supplies should allow you to address the most immediate life threats, that is to control life threatening bleeding and establish and maintain an airway. My IFAK kits goes with me on a daily basis whether in the car or out for a day hike. Some stronger pain meds would be a nice addition if you have that option. Although not a lifesaving intervention, they do a long way with regard to patient care and comfort should you or a buddy get badly injured. This kit can be ultra compact. Mine weighs about 10oz and fits in a 6x6 pouch.

For remote backpack or fly-in hunts where definitive care is more than an hour away, the discussion is more about short to long-term care as opposed to "emergency management" in my opinion. The IFAK supplies deal with the "emergency" and the rest of the kit manages short or long-term care as you and your team move towards a higher standard of care.

If I am more than an hour from help and/or on a remote backpack or fly-in hunt, the basic stuff described above stays, but I consider adding the following:

-More wound management stuff like bandages, gauze, butterfly closures, skin glue, etc.
-Consider injured joints and limbs and add things like ace wraps, SAM splints, sling and swathe materials, etc.
-Blister and burn management supplies
-basic meds like ibu, Imodium, and infection prevention/antibiotic ointment, etc.

I used to carry custom first aid kits based on my personal preferences, training and experience, but lately I've been using the kits by Adventure Medical. They have a variety of offerings from basic and pretty sparse to super comprehensive. I usually add a few things to these kits to set them up just as I want.

Far more important than any piece of med kit you bring along is the knowledge, training, and experience that should go with the proper application of that piece of gear. At a minimum a three-day Wilderness First Aid type course should be considered, if not a week to ten-day Wilderness First Responder course. I would prefer to have a partner with more training as opposed to a partner with a bigger first aid kit any day of the week.

Good luck!

 

[KSP277]

Dirt and a tourniquet

 

[rlmmarine]

Thanks Coley some good info in there and I totally agree knowledge is no 1
Ksp227 that's sounds pretty consolidated

 

[Desk Jockey]

I have a booboo kit that is similar to hat you describe. I have some medical grade super glue. A bunch of luekotape and some spirofoam for foot care. Feet are the most likely source of a problem. Don’t be shy about meds if you are ina a remote area. Explosive shits are no fun on a long trips.

I have some trauma gear - an iz bandage, some wound clotting and a tourniquet. I don’t take a full ifac though. If you are thinking about trauma gear then make sure you or someone in your party can use it. Airways, a chest seal or a a needle decomp kit are not all that heavy but aren’t going to do anyone any good if nobody is trained on them. If you have a sucking chest wound or a tension pneumothorax in a remote area you are probably going to die without a quick evac so why die tired from hauling alll that crap?

My solo stuff is about 16 - 20oz all in. The nice thing is not everyone needs to carry that much so one person call haul all the gear you need for 2-3 people and it won’t weigh much more.

 

[Huntindog45]

View attachment 75588

 

[rlmmarine]

View attachment 75588

Sorry but it didn't come through

 

[DenverCountryBoy]

If you are flying in to a moist environment, an antifungal lotion could be a good addition.

 

[seldomseensmith]

Benadryl


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[GraveyardNRSE]

I have several different medical kits

Basic first aid--Gauze, bandaid, antibiotic ointment, tape. Meds--Tylenol, ibuprofen, ASA 325, Benadryl, zyrtec, Claritin, eye drops, allergy nasal spray, stool softener, anti diarrheal

MI First aid kit--500 NS, 4 18-20 gauge IV's, IV tubing. Epipen, nitro.

Everything as stated above by ColeyG I use as well. If I could bring as defibrilator in the field I would as well.

 

[KSP277]

Thanks Coley some good info in there and I totally agree knowledge is no 1
Ksp227 that's sounds pretty consolidated

If it’s not bad enough for tourniquet, rub dirt on it. If it’s too bad for tourniquet, weren’t gonna make it 4 miles back to truck anyway.

But seriously, lotta stuff does double duty, tape and sandwich bag are a sucking chest wound bandage, game bags are gauze, trek poles and arrows are splints, couple folds of duct tape almost as good as sutures, and worse case scenario socks and pockets Are toilet paper.

 

[Beendare]

No wound cleaner? Either Betadine wipes or Hibiclens?
The reality is most injuries are minor...and preventing infection is easy with an ounce of prevention.

I have a blister kit...and good bandages inc a Celox or Quick Clot Bandage. Visine, A roll of athletic tape is a must, IMHO.

Bacitracin ointment, Advil of course...and a suture pack. Alcohol Hand wipes.

I always have Benadryl....I've had elk down with hundreds of yellow jackets on it....a must for me.

I started packing Prilosec...never had an issue with Mtn house until recently....

And tweezers, always....too many cacti out west.

Probably forgetting something on my list.....

You can get most of this stuff in those little foil packs which is nice....REI has some...as does Amazon.

 

[ffparamedic]

Check out this article I wrote a while back. I’d be happy to help you with anything you need!
Backcountry First Aid Kit - Rokslide

 

[go4thegusto]

I define "emergency" as an immediate threat to life. limb, or eyesight.

As such, my "emergency" first aid kid is essentially an IFAK kit. Those with prior military experience are probably familiar the the concept of a Individual First Aid Kit. Some years ago the Dept. of Defense took an in-depth look at what people were actually dying from in combat and then starting pushing these IFAK kits to address those immediate, life threatening injuries. The majority of combat related deaths were identified to be a result of essentially two things, uncontrolled bleeding and an inability to breath due to pneumo/hemo thorax conditions. The military designed and then began issuing IFAKs to troops combined with training on how to use the contents. Combat deaths dropped dramatically as a result. The idea behind an IFAK kit is that it is for you to treat you.

The contents are fairly simple and again are aimed at dealing with the most immediate threats to life, i.e. supplies to control bleeding, alleviate a pneumothorax, and establish+maintain an airway. A basic IFAK typically includes, at a minimum, the following:

-Chest seal x2
-Tourniquet x1
-Hemostatic pressure bandage x1
-Hemostatic gauze x2
-trauma shears x1
-nitrile gloves x1
-chest decompression needle x2
-cpr mask (numask preferred)
-NP airway x2

Combined with training, these supplies should allow you to address the most immediate life threats, that is to control life threatening bleeding and establish and maintain an airway. My IFAK kits goes with me on a daily basis whether in the car or out for a day hike. Some stronger pain meds would be a nice addition if you have that option. Although not a lifesaving intervention, they do a long way with regard to patient care and comfort should you or a buddy get badly injured. This kit can be ultra compact. Mine weighs about 10oz and fits in a 6x6 pouch.

For remote backpack or fly-in hunts where definitive care is more than an hour away, the discussion is more about short to long-term care as opposed to "emergency management" in my opinion. The IFAK supplies deal with the "emergency" and the rest of the kit manages short or long-term care as you and your team move towards a higher standard of care.

If I am more than an hour from help and/or on a remote backpack or fly-in hunt, the basic stuff described above stays, but I consider adding the following:

-More wound management stuff like bandages, gauze, butterfly closures, skin glue, etc.
-Consider injured joints and limbs and add things like ace wraps, SAM splints, sling and swathe materials, etc.
-Blister and burn management supplies
-basic meds like ibu, Imodium, and infection prevention/antibiotic ointment, etc.

I used to carry custom first aid kits based on my personal preferences, training and experience, but lately I've been using the kits by Adventure Medical. They have a variety of offerings from basic and pretty sparse to super comprehensive. I usually add a few things to these kits to set them up just as I want.

Far more important than any piece of med kit you bring along is the knowledge, training, and experience that should go with the proper application of that piece of gear. At a minimum a three-day Wilderness First Aid type course should be considered, if not a week to ten-day Wilderness First Responder course. I would prefer to have a partner with more training as opposed to a partner with a bigger first aid kit any day of the week.

Good luck!

Obviously a lot of knowledge here. I carry an Epi-Pen since bee allergic. Also Clot-Stop.....is that stuff worth the bulk and weight? Thanks

 

[ColeyG]

Benadryl is a key "emergency" intervention and should absolutely be along for the ride even if you don't have any known allergies. For those with known allergies, epi is a must. Be wary of the expiration dates on your epi pens. Epi in vials has a longer shelf life but isn't quite as user friendly.

I am not familiar with Clot Stop. Are you referring to an anticoagulant, or a hemostatic (procoagulant) blood stopper type product like Quick Clot? If the former, I don't see much of a need for an anticoagulant in a basic, backcountry first aid kit. The primary application of such a product would be to bust a clot following a stroke or suspected embolism, etc. but there are some significant concerns for such situations in the backcountry and such products probably should be used by laypersons.

 

[ColeyG]

Check out this article I wrote a while back. I’d be happy to help you with anything you need!
Backcountry First Aid Kit - Rokslide

Awesome article!

 

[ChrisS]

Benadryl is a key "emergency" intervention and should absolutely be along for the ride even if you don't have any known allergies.

Always carry it close by or on my person. A few years ago, we were getting ready to canoe into a spot for some fishing and camping. We get the boat loaded up and are getting in when my friend gets punched right in the lip by a something. He said it felt like he got shot by a bb gun. His lips and a localized area of his cheek started swelling. We figured a bee or a hornet, and he wasn't allergic, but I had benadryl right there. He took a couple of caplets and the swelling eased off shortly thereafter. Lol, his face was still a little disfigured for the rest of the trip and he had a little trouble with some beer leaking out of the corner of his mouth whenever he took a swig for the next day or two, but he didn't die and we had a pretty good trip.

 

[Dexter Grayson]

Since I mostly do back pack hunts I go pretty light.

#1 duck tape (multiple purposes)
Meds (norco, keflex, Imodium, ASA, Benadryl, antacids)
Leukotape
Mole skin
Sutures
Skin glue
Gauze
AD ointment for chafing (save my a** literally several times)


Speaking of tourniquets though, do any of y'all run the RATS tourniquet?

 

[Kootenay Hunter]

I always have one of the Adventure Medical /kits Clotting Sponges when I'm doing stuff that can result in a good punctures, wounds etc. like using the chainsaw, hunting, hiking, etc. They now come in a vacuum pack, don't weigh much, easy to include in a minimalist kit. A piece of duct tape over top and you're set. I bring gear tape (tenacious tape), that stuff will stick to anything and fix tents, jackets, sleeping bags, etc.

 

[Downeaster]

As a side note, that A and D ointment is freaking amazing for burns. Cant count the number of burns ive put that on. Absolutely amazing stuff and the old tube ive been using forever doesnt even list burns as one of its uses.