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First Aid Kit?

Don't use a tourniquet unless you know what the hell you are doing.
Ie: These are strictly used when the decision is literally "life-or-limb". Just apply pressure to the wound.

Kudos to those that carry first-aid kits... better yet go take a first-responder class.

Jeep on
 
Bubba Dolphin said:
cklaus said:


I agree 100%. I had a MSgt that caught HepC from pulling a lady out of a buring car. He was on the donor list for a liver, when I saw him last.

They make a CPR oral shield, it's a piece of latex(?) . I also agree with having super glue on hand.
x3 on the gloves
x2 on the oral shield they have a 1 way valve that way if the person vomits or has an open wound on in or around there mouth you dont get there blood where you dont want it. it also gives you a better seal when performing CPR
http://www.galls.com/style.html?assort=general_catalog&style=RO007

i dont agree with the glue... it can be done but you should be prepared with bandages even applying pressure to the wound is better then glueing it. cough up your t-shirt if you have to
 
Sunscreen. . .

Look at the First Aid Kits at Galls.com as they list the components in the different kits.

Our club Safety Officer is a Fire Fighter / EMT. We got together with him, offering a basic first aid and CPR class to "members and friends" at a significant discount. Then the club did a group buy (club paid for shipping) last year on First Aid and CPR Kits (Oral Devices & Latex Gloves) for the members. Plus the club bought 2 large BLS bags to back up the individual kits in case of a disaster (1 stays in the meeting area, and the other goes with the extreme group).

I've found it cheaper and easier to buy a kit every few years, and add in the extras. Prior to Galls, I was just buying from Walmart.
 
Bottle of iodine or merthiolate (or tincture of green soap - they all work well.)

Small dropper bottle of chlorine bleach (for purifying water - about two drops to the quart, shake well, and let it work for about 15 minutes.)

"tourniquet." You can really use just about anything - I keep a couple of issue BDU belts (with the "tri-glide" buckle) around for heavy pressure bandages or tourniquets. Easier to handle than rope, and easier to release (if you have to use a tourniquet, you need to release it once every 10-15 minutes for about 30 seconds to keep the tissue alive. A tourniquet is usually considered a 'drastic' measure, and should only be actually removed by a surgeon.)

CA glue (cyanoacrylate ester) works well for minor cuts and scrapes - that's what it was actually invented for. As I recall, there ain't a germ that can handle the stuff - and it sticks through blood. Check yourself for an allergy by putting a small drop on the inside skin of your elbow and watch it for 48-72 hours. Watch for a reaction - if you have one, do not put it in your kit! (Slight redness can be considered normal, but any rashes, inflammation, or turning bright red is a "reaction.") Check your regular companions as well. It's no replacement for a bandage or pressure on deep cuts, but it works well for all the little cuts you tend to get on your hands.

Ditto on the maxis - they're great for bloodstoppers.

If you plan to carry a well-stocked kit, make sure you know how to use it! Take a course in First Aid (you can take it by itself or with a basic CPR course.) If you want to expand past that, take the next course up - there are a series of First Aid courses (not very many - I think it goes First Aid, Basic Life Support, Advanced Life Support, First Responder.) There are also variations on the CPR course (Basic, Infant/Child, Elderly. I don't think they teach "two-rescuer" CPR anymore.)

Check around - both Gall's and various industrial supply outfits (that cater to construction workers) should have sunscreen in the form of the little wet towels like you get at KFC - much easier to handle in the field. Some alcohol prep pads are also useful - you can use them directly to disinfect minor cuts, and I've used them as a first layer (under the gauze) on heavier cuts to keep them sterile.

Water. You'll need it - it can help to replace blood volume in some cases (keeping the fluids up.) Carry some salt as well - if you spend time in the desert and get dried out, drinking just plain water won't help you as much as water with a little salt will.

A "burn gel" pad won't go awry - sooner or later, someone is going to get themselves burned somehow. Might as well be ready.

Keep it all in a rigid case! My kit is housed in a Swedish military vehicle first aid kit box - it's not only rigid (and really tough!) it's also compartmented for organisation. Two luggage latches, and it flops open. There it is!

Keep a couple of road flares around for starting fires. Shock makes you cold - you'll need to keep their heat up. Also, they can be used for signalling, or for starting signal fires (if you're really up the creek...)

And again, having the gear isn't a guarantee that you'll handle emergencies. It's a heavy part mindset, and a heavy part training (equipment can be improvised, if you know what you're about.) Take a course or three! If you're taught well and you pay attention, you'll need less gear to handle an emergency, and you won't panic (panicking often gets people killed. Remember that...)
 
Some sort of food? Maybe whey protein powder. :p Granola bars. If you are stranded somwhere your going to get hungry and if its freezing out, the water and animals wont be easy to find.
 
Forgot about that - lifeboat bars work well (I've been keeping them so long I've forgotten about them.) They're a little bland, but they'll keep you going and have enough calories in them to keep you warm. Throw a couple of MREs in your kit to vary things a bit.

Know how to set traps and snares, and have a small sharp knife in your kit (you don't need a huge blade for skinning.) Lifeboat bars aren't bad, but fresh food helps your diet.
 
Where can you get some stuff like that? MRE's and lifeboat bars sounds like a good addition.
 
OverTheHillsATTW said:
Where can you get some stuff like that? MRE's and lifeboat bars sounds like a good addition.

Check your local Army/Navy store for lifeboat bars and MREs. Failing that, you can always check online (Ranger Joe's has a good selection of gear. Ford's More Than Military does a lot of "survival" stuff. There are also quite a few others that I just don't recall offhand - if you're looking for something more specific, I can probably dig up a link for you. But, MRE's are easy to find - just Google <MRE> or <"Meal, Ready to Eat">. You can also Google <military surplus> or any of them names I've given you, since I can't recall their URLs offhand.)
 
the only other thing i could suggest is Kurlex. You can get it in a variety of colors, its that self sticking stuff you can use over gauze bandages. One of the best places to get it actually is like from a farm outlet store. horseman use it all the time to wrap horses legs before trips. I know from personal experience that even if you get it utterly soaking wet, it stays put.


all the other stuff is a great idea, just watch your acetaminophen and stuff for the exp. dates, and replace as needed.

watch out for iodine, if someone is allergic to shellfish they can be allergic to iodine.

gloves are a definite.

another thing to take along is a sharpie, or some sort of permanent marker. that way if something bad happens, bad break, snake bite, etc. .. you can use it annotate time (use the 2400 scale) that way the docs have a way to monitor, same w/ the tourniquet.

only other thing i can think of is an epi pen if you can get em? (i dunno)
 
Children's Benadryl works wonders. Faster-acting for those who are allergic to bee stings and such, and no pills to swallow (my wife has a rough time with the tablet form)

Other than that, I've got a basic first aid kit, packed into an old ammo can. Gauze, clean shop rags, band-aids, duct tape/med. tape, and alcohol. Those are the main items. I've also got a few BDU belts, some small sections of pipe/rebar (both to be used as splints if necessary), and a bunch of other goodies that can be MacGuyver'ed into keeping everyone alive.

*edit* Forgot that a sharp folding knife, or pair of surgical scissors are also a must.

<--Eagle Scout, Lifeguard, and First Responder. I've had about as much medical/first aid training as you can have, without actually going to school
 
ladywolf said:
only other thing i can think of is an epi pen if you can get em? (i dunno)

Epipens are prescription only, as they're injectable meds. I used to work outdoors with a guy who had a severe anaphylactic reaction to insect stings, and he had to carry an epipen kit. I was the first to take an interest in the matter - he had about two minutes to get the pen before he'd go into shock.

I'd like to be able to carry stuff like that, but I'd need more training. Injectable meds typically require an MD, RN, or EMT to get...
 
i don't know where you guys go jeeping that you're going to need half of the stuff that you guys mentioned, but I do have one thing to add to the list, NEVER GO JEEPING ALONE, ALWAYS BRING SOMEONE WITH ANOTHER VEHICLE SO YOU CAN GET OUT IF YOU NEED TO.
 
automechmx6 said:
i don't know where you guys go jeeping that you're going to need half of the stuff that you guys mentioned, but I do have one thing to add to the list, NEVER GO JEEPING ALONE, ALWAYS BRING SOMEONE WITH ANOTHER VEHICLE SO YOU CAN GET OUT IF YOU NEED TO.

I don't usually need it for me. I end up running across other people who need it. After all, I try to not exceed my limitations.

Unfortunately, many of the kids to-day don't realise they have limitations - until they've exceeded them by a wide margin. And, the "buddy rule" is always a sound idea! The best equipment you can have, in nearly any situation, is another person.
 
automechmx6 said:
i don't know where you guys go jeeping that you're going to need half of the stuff that you guys mentioned, but I do have one thing to add to the list, NEVER GO JEEPING ALONE, ALWAYS BRING SOMEONE WITH ANOTHER VEHICLE SO YOU CAN GET OUT IF YOU NEED TO.
bring it and hope you dont need it.
 
5-90 said:
Bottle of iodine or merthiolate (or tincture of green soap - they all work well.)
Water. You'll need it - it can help to replace blood volume in some cases (keeping the fluids up.) Carry some salt as well - if you spend time in the desert and get dried out, drinking just plain water won't help you as much as water with a little salt will.
first one ive seen say water but its definetly the most important anything you can make on the spot if need be they also sell salt mixes specifically for this.
ideal drinking would be 2 1l water bottles to every Gatorade or sports drink. if u can find a skill level 1 military book it will tell you most basic first aid maybe at a surplus most likely on rangerjoes.com including heat and cold injuries.
 
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Medical cling wrap. I'm a fireman and use this stuff every shift. Use a stick for a splint and wrap it up. I've used it to restrain paitents. some kits have triangular bandages, there for a sling for a broken arm, directions are usually included. check with the local EMS trainning school for a survival course. those save lives
 
redsxj85 said:
Medical cling wrap. I've used it to restrain paitents.

Arent there dominatrixes that charge for that???:laugh:

Seriously though, what is it and where do I buy?

When I shattered my ankle I had to make a splint out of an old cardboard windsheild sunshade and some electrical tape... Worked perfectly and the nurses at the ER were duely impressed!
 
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