Med Kit

Unckebob

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Aug 21, 2022
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What kind of med kit do you carry in your pack? I have a kit I put together for my daypack, but I want something light as I move into backpacking hunts,
 

Ron.C

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Jan 25, 2021
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Vancouver Island British Columbia
FWIW a parametic aquaintence of mine said every hunter over 40 who engages in remote activity should be carrying a couple 81mg asa aspirin in case of suspected heart attack (he speaks from experience).

My kit is very basic and compact:
2x 81mg asa aspirine,pain meds(old knees) /pepto pills/anti diarrhea pill/2xcold pills.
About 6" of bulk roll bandaid for minor cuts, sterilizer, chapstic, small peice of second skin, small pice of leuko tape.
In my kill kit, I have a small compression bandage and small one use pack of steriizer in case I ever gut myself bad while dressing an animal.

From my past experience, getting the diarrhea, or waking up with a snotting nose and a cold on a backpack hunt sucks. And dealing with minor pains, inuries, cuts can keep you in the back country. At the end of the day, carry what you think you need.
 
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positivepete!

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Feb 16, 2018
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Northern Colorado
I use a adventure med kit 7 I think. I have added some stuff like combat gause, sunscreen and some other stuff. I have also removed things I won't use like splinter pickers. The big thing is know what's in it and how to use those items and put it in a place you can get to it when needed. Its like bear spray in my opinion......dosent do much good in the bottom of your pack when you need it.
 

taskswap

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Oct 6, 2021
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I have a Kifaru "pullout" that I keep my kit in. I have a lot of the same stuff others posted above, but I found a few "nice fit" products y'all may like:

1. I picked up some packs of single-use hydrocortisone and antibiotic. I carry like 4ea of those. I get crazy reactions to bug bites and some plants, and the cortisone helps a lot with that, and the antibiotic is obvious but also double use, it's petroleum jelly based so it can help start fires in an emergency.

2. I got some of those mini "pill bags", they're basically tiny ziplocs. I've got caffeine, aspirin, ibuprofen, benadryl, phenylephrine, and some gas drops. One bad experience with some Mountain House can ruin your morning :)

3. "Horse leg wrap". Funny story, the CPW guy who led my safety training years ago put me onto this. You can patch a sprained or even broken ankle with this stuff and it's cheaper than the stuff sold for "humans" but just as good.
 

Shane802

FNG
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Oct 2, 2022
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This is a really good first aid kit if you want to buy one instead of making one.
 

tony

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Nov 13, 2015
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WV
I've been playing paramedic and critical care nurse for 30 years now.
Being around death and destruction people are shocked I keep a few pair of rubber gloves in my truck and no medical gear.
A lot of these pre built kits should have everything you need. Adventure medical kits, that one posted above looks good. Hell, Wal Mart is carrying a decent kit I noticed.
If your miles away from anyone and help, your going to be screwed either way. I would invest in one of those in reach type devices as well.
I read posts on various sites and guys are carrying IV's, intubation gear, oxygen, one guy bought a damn heart monitor/defibrillator. Granted these were prepper sites.
I'd say, take your prescription meds,
OTC meds - Motrin, Imodium, etc.
Various wound dressings- band aids, gauze.
Tweezers are small and light.
Some sort of good tape can do a lot of things.
Lot of good ideas above.
 

Marbles

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Take a wilderness first aid class, or better yet a wilderness first responder class. Then decided what you want to carry based on your knowledge and skills.

What I carry is listed in a couple different threads on the same topic already.
 
Joined
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Colorado
I usually carry an adventure medical kit, it think its a .3? It’s relatively small and stays out of the way. I just try to not do dumb shit that will get me hurt, which is sometimes a challenge.
 

Fatcamp

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May 31, 2017
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Sodak
Not much. TQ, vet wrap, Quikclot, gauze pads, duct tape around a lighter. Maybe a bit more but that's the stuff that's life or death and is within my scope of practice.

I carry a Zoleo per my wife's request. Honestly, probably the one that matters.
 

atmat

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Jun 10, 2022
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I think most things folks carry in their med kits are more for inconvenience (band aids, blisters, sore muscles) than true medical emergencies.

It’s really worth having zip-stitch, quick clot gauze, tourniquet, and 81 mg aspirin in every med kit. Those items can legitimately save you from more serious injuries.
 
Joined
Sep 10, 2018
Messages
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I got this for Christmas this year. https://www.narescue.com/out-pak-kit-coy.html
Quite compact, fits nicely on my hip belt of my pack for easy access. The kit includes a CAT tourniquet. Uncontrolled bleeding even 100 yards from the truck and 5 miles from medical facility could be deadly. I also invested in the Inreach for future trips. I have realized the few bandaids and ibuprofen I carry previously was very inadequate for true emergencies. I also have a SAM splint and some wraps


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

tony

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Nov 13, 2015
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I got thinking, there are tons of lists and videos on items to carry.
Thing is, finding a decent bag/pouch to put it in.
Maxpedition and Condor and Vanquest make decent cheap pouches and if you notice most these "custom" kit makers are using a version or knock off of the above.
 

sconnieVLP

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Oct 11, 2022
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VA
I got thinking, there are tons of lists and videos on items to carry.
Thing is, finding a decent bag/pouch to put it in.
Maxpedition and Condor and Vanquest make decent cheap pouches and if you notice most these "custom" kit makers are using a version or knock off of the above.
I’m a tactical gear nerd because I use that stuff at work, but there are a million good options for pouches out there. Anything from LBT, Eagle Industries, Tactical Tailor, HSGI, Tyr, First Spear, the list goes on.

That being said, Condor nylon is generally trash and are the knockoffs you speak of. Realistically they are probably fine to shove some med items in and ride around in your pack, just wouldn’t be my personal choice.

I can’t remember what pouch I have my kit in (I have boxes full of that stuff), but it’s just a simple zip top pouch that I have broken into plastic bags for different types of injuries (bleed, airway, etc). I keep a CAT TQ on the hip belt of my pack in a purpose-built TQ pouch.
 

Poser

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Dec 27, 2013
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Durango CO
I’ve been adding a good bit to my kit steadily over recent years. I do a lot of sketchy shit, especially backcountry skiing, but elk hunting is no joke on the potential for injury front.

SAM Split
Tourniquet + scissors
Large Trauma pad
Cohesive bandage
Roll of gauze
Butterfly closure strips
Smaller trauma pads
Various sizes bandaids
Alcohol wipes
Duct tape
Medical tape
Ibuprofen
Emergency blanket

I also added a fairly extensive advanced trauma kit to my truck. Plan being to have more advanced supplies to deal with an injury if I can get back to the truck.
 

sconnieVLP

Lil-Rokslider
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Oct 11, 2022
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VA
One more thing to add - go find quality training on using the stuff in your med kit. You wouldn’t head out without ever having shot your rifle/bow, but so many will go out without having any medical training.

There’s no such thing as rising to the occasion, you fall to the level of your training.
 
Joined
Dec 30, 2022
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Stop the bleed classes will run you through basic severe trauma first aid.

The Prehospital Trauma Life Support book/class would be much more through geared more towards paramedics, but it has lots of good info. Although if you’re not in healthcare much of it could go above your head.

If you have a local ski patrol you could see if they would allow non patrollers to sit in or take Outdoor Emergency Care which is basically an EMT Basic course geared more towards a backcountry or outdoors setting.
 
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