First aid kit's

[NorthT]

Another thing to consider taking is vasoline coated gauze if your in a sitiation and cant sew yourself or a large cut. You have about a 6-8hr window to close a wound, after that the chance of infection doubles greater even with cleaning/disinfection of a wound. Sutures are fine unless its a animal/human bite-leave open after cleaning. Superglue and tape are great. If you have a large wound, clean, rinse and cover with vasoline gauze to keep wound moisture and apply pressure dressing as needed. The xeroform(vasoline gauze) also doubles as a great fire starter if in a jam or wet conditions. Another great suggestion is coban. Its is like a ace wrap except one side is sticky like tape however will compress a wound better that standard gauze, but does not take its place due to low ability to absorb body liquid. Another quick fix is steri-strips, which in more or less like small supersticky strips of tape, place across the wound and pull the wound closed. This is the best alternative to sutures especially with a nasty (dirty) wound. And if you have a really good friend working in the medical field the stapler is the quickest way and will not come off with a staple remover ha.

Alcohol/betadine are best choice disinfect agents. Both are cheap. Betadine comes in small individual packets. alcohol comes on wipes and easliy stored. The quick clot stuff works ok but realize that it has to come off at some point. For large amount of bleeding elevate, pressure and dressing are ideal. Your belt can serve as a great touriqet.

If in a jam and have no access to gauze, newspaper is next best thing. About the cleanest thing you can buy- most newspaper is steamed with a alcohol based dye some the inside is basically sterile.

 

[Sawfish]

Don, the cauterizing agent that I carry is called "Wound Seal". It is a dry powder in individual packs for small wounds. The material is similar to the wound packs issued to combat medics. We had a seminar at the gun range on how to use the large packs for gunshot wounds (God Forbid). My Wife picked this stuff up at (of all places) the .99 Cent Store, and it is actually made in the USA.

This thread reminded me of a great mini-emergency kit for pack, or coat pocket. It is called "Storm Kit", and is assembled by the Tacoma Mountain Rescue Unit. It contains matches, candle, sugar, salt, bullion, tea, wire, whistle, signal mirror, and plastic tube tarp, packed into an oversized Prince Albert can (tin can for you whippersnappers, who have never seen a PA can), which doubles as a vessel for boiling water. It has been a few years since I bought one, but it was under $10 at REI. We all carried these when we hunted Elk in Colorado, and had an ironclad pact that you never left camp without the storm kit, due to the nature of Colorado's weather.

 

[HuntWYODon]

Don, the cauterizing agent that I carry is called "Wound Seal". It is a dry powder in individual packs for small wounds. The material is similar to the wound packs issued to combat medics. We had a seminar at the gun range on how to use the large packs for gunshot wounds (God Forbid). My Wife picked this stuff up at (of all places) the .99 Cent Store, and it is actually made in the USA.

This thread reminded me of a great mini-emergency kit for pack, or coat pocket. It is called "Storm Kit", and is assembled by the Tacoma Mountain Rescue Unit. It contains matches, candle, sugar, salt, bullion, tea, wire, whistle, signal mirror, and plastic tube tarp, packed into an oversized Prince Albert can (tin can for you whippersnappers, who have never seen a PA can), which doubles as a vessel for boiling water. It has been a few years since I bought one, but it was under $10 at REI. We all carried these when we hunted Elk in Colorado, and had an ironclad pact that you never left camp without the storm kit, due to the nature of Colorado's weather.

I learn so much from the older gent's on here. I have never seen or heard on the PA storm kit. I'd like to find one ! The cauterizing agent I use is a gel in a tube. I think powder would work better. There is an REI not far from me but I doubt if their yuppie ass's would carry it. I'll check. I'm more interested in finding the would packs at the 99 cent store ! There's one right by me. I have a story about cauterizing powder. I know, not another one... My best friend of almost 40 yrs. has a ranch. Was his Grandpa's back when this happened. We were always shooting ground squirrels with our bows. He always used Ziwicky broadheads. I used judo pts beacuse I didn't like losing my arrows. One day he shot at a squirrel and the arrow richochet and cut across one of the black angus cow's stomach ! It was gushing blood ! He ran back to the barn to get some cauterizing powder. While I tried to chase the cow into the holding pen. I was having a hell of a time and didn't have time to go saddle a horse and go after it. We thought the cow was going to bleed out and die and his granpa would kill us. He came back with powder and we both managed to get the cow in the holding pen and pack it with powder. I stopped the bleeding after a bit. His grandpa never found out. We were about 18 yrs. old. He shot judo points after that...

 

[Sawfish]

The Storm Kit is in a Yellow tin with Black writing. I'll bet you can find one because it is unlikely there are more yuppies in San Diego, than in Tustin, which is where the OC REI has relocated! Right next to the Total Wines store. One stop shopping for all of your camping needs!

 

[HuntWYODon]

The Storm Kit is in a Yellow tin with Black writing. I'll bet you can find one because it is unlikely there are more yuppies in San Diego, than in Tustin, which is where the OC REI has relocated! Right next to the Total Wines store. One stop shopping for all of your camping needs!

Maybe the only reasoon less yuppies would be more military presence ???
NorthT above had some good ideas. He's an EMT I know

 

[HuntWYODon]

Another thing to consider taking is vasoline coated gauze if your in a sitiation and cant sew yourself or a large cut. You have about a 6-8hr window to close a wound, after that the chance of infection doubles greater even with cleaning/disinfection of a wound. Sutures are fine unless its a animal/human bite-leave open after cleaning. Superglue and tape are great. If you have a large wound, clean, rinse and cover with vasoline gauze to keep wound moisture and apply pressure dressing as needed. The xeroform(vasoline gauze) also doubles as a great fire starter if in a jam or wet conditions. Another great suggestion is coban. Its is like a ace wrap except one side is sticky like tape however will compress a wound better that standard gauze, but does not take its place due to low ability to absorb body liquid. Another quick fix is steri-strips, which in more or less like small supersticky strips of tape, place across the wound and pull the wound closed. This is the best alternative to sutures especially with a nasty (dirty) wound. And if you have a really good friend working in the medical field the stapler is the quickest way and will not come off with a staple remover ha.

Alcohol/betadine are best choice disinfect agents. Both are cheap. Betadine comes in small individual packets. alcohol comes on wipes and easliy stored. The quick clot stuff works ok but realize that it has to come off at some point. For large amount of bleeding elevate, pressure and dressing are ideal. Your belt can serve as a great touriqet.

If in a jam and have no access to gauze, newspaper is next best thing. About the cleanest thing you can buy- most newspaper is steamed with a alcohol based dye some the inside is basically sterile.

Hey North T !
I missed your post the first time. You sound like an EMT ! Some excellent advice and ideas. I always carry a bunch of alcohol wipes. I'd like to get my hands on some coban. I didn't have a problem sewing my knee up way back in 1993 but stapling would freak me out ! By the way, a week later when I got home from trip I took a shower and sat down and removed the stiches and the wound just popped right open like it was never sewn ! I think my X wife heard me scream, among other things. It never popped open once though while packing out two elk and falling down a lot. Fish line. I have fish hook needles now in case God forbid I fall of another cliff in the dark !

 

[Sawfish]

Don, sorry but I gave you a bum steer on the woundcare at the 99 Cent Store. My wife got the Woundcare at CVS. She had been to the 99 cent store on the same trip (along with a few other places!) and I probably was not paying close enough attention to the "Saga of Shopping". Looks like the Hurricane missed JA. Leaving tonight at 10:45. Regards

 

[hoshour]

I carry my first aid kit in the vehicle. The only thing I carrry with me for first aid is bandaids and sugerglue. Superglue will hold together a good cut. That's what it was originally made for.

I also carry survival items like fire starter, mirror, solar blanket, small diameter rope, waterproof matches and purification tablets.

I have thought many times of taking a small Israeli army bandage that stops heavy bleeding. They're pretty cheap, especially considering it's your life at stake if you cut an artery or happen to get shot.

 

[HuntWYODon]

Don, sorry but I gave you a bum steer on the woundcare at the 99 Cent Store. My wife got the Woundcare at CVS. She had been to the 99 cent store on the same trip (along with a few other places!) and I probably was not paying close enough attention to the "Saga of Shopping". Looks like the Hurricane missed JA. Leaving tonight at 10:45. Regards

Hey Saw,
No problem. CVS is right around the corner from me. Across from the 99cent store ! I'm in CVS about every other day. I'll look for it. Thanks! Good news about the hurricane ! knock the crap out of those lionfish and have fun ! Look forward to hear about it .

 

[mcseal2]

My full-time survival kit in my daypack has some medical items in it. Others like the fishing line and needle, bandana, etc can be used if needed. Anyway, here is my list.

Full-time daypack kit (1lb 11oz)
-stainless steel water bottle
-spare wool socks
-Adventure medical heatsheets bivy (the 3.8oz one)
-cheap mylar space blanket (mainly for a fire reflector)
-compass
-bandana (red for signal, pre-filter water etc)
-Mammut S-lite headlamp (1 AA lithium battery, 60hr life, 2oz) (this is part of the kit, and in addition to the bigger headlamp I count as hunting gear)
-Victorionox trekker knife (decent saw, 4" un-serrated blade, tools)
-whistle with thermometer & compass built in
-fire kit: firesteel, lighter, vaseline coated cotton balls, 4 wetfire cubes
-extra small firesteel
-50ft roll 2" duck tape
-small bottle superglue
-frontier water filter straw
-4 tabs potable aqua
-30yds 152lb bank line
-15yds 350lb bank line
-25ft bright yellow paracord
-blank CD (signalling)
-little bag with 12 45lb 18” leader snares & 30ft 25lb fishing line, 20ft 10lb fishing line, 12 hooks, repair/suture needle)
Medical: (stop bleeding, make splints)
-quick clot sponge
-1 roll hot pink vetwrap (bandaging with duck tape, marking trail, etc)
-small tube neosporin
-4 3"x3" gauze pads
-rubber glove
-6 pills immodium
-2 pills claritin
-1 packet sunscreen
-1 packet lip balm
-4 safety pins
-1 antiseptic towlette

 

[mcseal2]

I also carry the following kit in my vehicle whenever I go on any kind of a trip or know I'm going to be doing something pretty dangerous around the ranch. It has items to care for both people and horses/cattle. The truck also has a store bought kit that stays in it year round. I figure the temperature extremes wouldn't be good on this bigger kit to leave it in the vehicle year round.

First aid kit for truck

Front pocket
-thermometer
-disposable scalpels (6)
-large heavy plastic straw
-rubber tournaquiet
-surgical scissors
-hemostat
-surgical tweezers
-curved surgical tweezers
-space blanket
-butane lighter
-dryer lint

Main pocket
-wilderness athlete hydrate & recover powder
-aleve (large bottle)
-Ace bandage + 4 safety pins
-Gauze pads (3”x3” quantity 10)
-gauze sponges (4x4 quantity 4)
-first aid & wilderness survival mini-book
-Benzalkonium antiseptic towlettes (quantity 9)
-Iodine prep pads medium (quantity 4)
-alcohol prep pads medium (quantity 2)
-athletic tape (3 rolls one 1” and two 2”)
-Iodine water tablets ( 1 bottle up to 25qts)
-Needle & 15ft of 10lb fishing line
-Wrap 1 roll self adhesive bandage
-Amoxycillian 1 bottle 19 capsules)
-bandages (standard and butterfly assorted sizes)
-calf suture kit
-corona ointment
-20 rubber gloves
-instant cold pack
-laxatives
-dental floss
-theraflu cold strips
-first aid quick guide book
-q-tips (8)
-2 tampons (gunshot or other major puncture wounds)
-hydrogen peroxide 4oz
-syringe wound irrigation (quantity 2)
-saline solution for wound irrigation (1 bottle)
-surgical scrub brush
-vetbond wound sealer (like superglue)
-Vetwrap 1 roll
-latex gloves (quantity 12)
-corona ointment
-coldpack (single use)
-quickclot (2 of a 3.5”x3.5” pad)
-horse first aid book
-antihistimine (benedryl)
-immodium
-tinactin (antifungal)
-carmex

 

[HuntWYODon]

Holy crap mcseal2 ! Were your a medic in Seal Team 2 ???
I thought I carried a portible hospital ! I have everything your list in front pocket in my back pack kit except for thermometer, straw and dryer lint. I use other fire starter's, and a lot of your main pocket items. You gave me many ideas/items to add ...
Thanks for a xlnt post !

 

[Old Hunter]

Wow! I just carry a couple of band aids.

I wouldn't know what to do with half of that stuff.

 

[crumy]

I am terrible at this. I just carry gauze pads and wrap, emt shears, and superglue. The super glue works great on closing up wounds and you don't have to Rambo up to put stitches in yourself. The glue works nicely and does it leaves a nice clean scar as I can attest to as t cut y palm in Colorado hunting while sharpening a 150 snuffer. But I used to hunt with some sawyers (lumberjacks) and they had the food kits. Staplegun and a bunch of other stuff I guess that is one of those things I am gong to have to rethink after reading this thread.

 

[NorthT]

Huntwyodon its hard to close(and keep closed) areas like knees, elbows, fingers because of the high mobility of your joints and the skin is typically tougher. Usually cuts and wounds are 7-10 days. Tougher areas can take up to 10-15 days if the area has time to rest, which during a hunt is not the best time. The best suture material is ethilon or vicryl. The stapler sounds worse but it is so much faster. Click click click done. plus dont have to worry about having to redo it. Im a RN in a busy er so ive seen and done alot of wounds to say the least ha. Check local medical supply stores, the will have most of the things you need, if you really lucky walgreens. Might need a good buddy at a hospital to get a stapler though. Or a good vet! I usually give the used ones to friends that run dogs-not for people ha. When their dogs get cut up by hogs, click click they are back in action.

 

[mcseal2]

Holy crap mcseal2 ! Were your a medic in Seal Team 2 ???
I thought I carried a portible hospital ! I have everything your list in front pocket in my back pack kit except for thermometer, straw and dryer lint. I use other fire starter's, and a lot of your main pocket items. You gave me many ideas/items to add ...
Thanks for a xlnt post !

Thanks for the compliment.

Most of my hands on medical experience is from treating myself or animals around the ranch. My brother in law is a paramedic/emt as his civillian job, as well as in the national guard. I thought I had my kit pretty decent and then had him look it over and offer suggestions on what to add and teach me how to use it. He works 24hr shifts at his job and is often out at the ranch on days off, so chances are decent if the kit is needed he would be around to help use it. It can take 45 minutes to an hour for medical help to reach us IF they find us on the first try on our ranch so it is worth being prepared. As those of you who have bought pre-made first aid kits know they sound huge when you list them out like this. My postage scale shows my big truck kit weighing 4.5lbs and it fits in a bag about the size of a kids lunch box.

My kit for carrying on hunts isn't near as big. In my opinion bandaids are overrated as something to pack, you need alot of them to have the right size for the wound. Vet wrap weighs little and can be used to stop bleeding or make a makeshift splint with cut braces. On a mountain side heavy bleeding or a bad leg worry me most as far as injury. A roll of vet wrap 4" long by 5yds wide weights 1.4oz on my scale and it is available in bright colors like hot pink that can also be used for flagging/signaling if needed. I always carry a 2" wide by 50ft roll of duck tape that can be used with the vet wrap alone, or preferably with it and a gauze pad to bandage most wounds. My field kit sounds bigger than it is also, while typing this I weighed it. The medical part fits easily in a qt ziplock bag with lots of room to spare and weighs 4.9oz including the duck tape.

Might have to get one of those staplers, sounds like a good idea.

 

[Old Hunter]

I guess i'm lucky, or very careful. Not sure which?

60 years of hunting and a minimum of 200 days a year scouting, and i've never even needed the bandaids.

 

[wapiti66]

I keep my kit in a qt. sized ziplock also. Water purification tablets, a few different allergy and pain meds, ace wrap w/ velcro on one end for a sprain or to keep pressure on open wound or even to wrap around a splint. Space blanket, sanitary wipes for cleaning hands or wounds. I take my fletching glue to double as closing wounds and repairing vanes on my arrows both. Parachute chord, lighter, waterproof matches and a magnesium striker with a flint I picked up at a hunting expo in Denver for $10. I guess my biggest fear is cleaning my water and being able to start a fire no matter what to keep warm. My next priority is cleaning and closing up wounds to keep from infection. I should add the vaseline soaked cotton balls this year for sure.

 

[HuntWYODon]

Wasn't trying to play Rambo. LOL! When I sewed my knee up in 1993. I didn't have crazy glue with me but the size of the wound it would of never worked. After sewn it would of been great . The cut went all the way around the bottom of my knee cap to the bone from the rocks I landed on. Probably 3.5 in. Long. My friends dad who was there was an Air Force flight surgeon . I took his advice that it was best to sew up because we were packed in so far. I was only one who had needle and thread . He instructed me on correct way to suture while I did it. I couldn't even feel it because my knee and bone were so bruised and hurt more. Next day my knee was so swollen and stiff I couldn't bend it but I hobbled back up the mtn and shot my bull in the a.m.. Some people chuckle at some of the first aid some of us on here carry or use. Well, some of us have learned from experiance or want to be prepared for it .best to be rather than not and learn the hard way . I've had a few other incidents that I was glad that I had at least basic first aid with me. Some from hunting buddy's that carried nothing. Some learned after . Some never do.
MCseal2 and others. Great posts and xlnt info. I think my pack kit is going to get heavier , lol !

 

[HuntWYODon]

I guess i'm lucky, or very careful. Not sure which?

60 years of hunting and a minimum of 200 days a year scouting, and i've never even needed the bandaids.

Maybe both. I've never been that lucky but don't believe in luck. I try to be careful as possible especially when hunting alone. But accidents do and will happen. Hopefully when it does it's not serious to where you will need more than a bandsid. If it is and you are far from truck or help you could be fcked. To me, not worth the risk .