[Patouzorus]

Hey guys!
As the title states I'm starting a very small first aid/survival kit to carry around in my everyday backpack (going to university every day) and I have a few questions.

What are the essentials I should carry?

I currently have :
(General)
-Flashlight
-Magnesium Flint
-Small Folding Knife
-Condoms
-Pen/Pencil and paper pad
-Kleenexs
-Emergency Blanket
-Bar of Soap
-Q-tips (like 20~)
-Multi-tool

(Medicine + First Aid)
-8x alcohol swabs
-8x plasters
-13x Tylenol 3s (300mg + 30mg codeine) (leftover from a medical procedure I had)
-30 generic Ibuprofen (200mg)


I know I need stuff like gauze sponges, triangular bandages, tape, etc.

But I'm wondering what you guys recommend.

Also, can I use NON-STERILE gauze sponges on a wound if I disinfect the general area before or no? Thanks!

-P

 

[Patouzorus]

No one has an opinion? XD

 

[Savinkov]

Go buy a commercial one, then add stuff to it (Like "sting-kill" swabs for instance) as
you discover what you need to rescue your fellow Stoonts from somethingorother
(Great way to make friends with college girls if you've got what they need in there...).

2 or 3 sizes of bandaids (I carry bandaids in my *wallet*, ftm)

And because it's a college, a can of Liberal Repellant (Or Zyklon B for Marxist Professors)

 

[tmiller113]

As I have said in other emails regarding med kits, always, always, always add a tourniquet. Can even be a simple one. Best bet, get a CAT tourniquet. A lot of people overlook tourniquets, it is just as important as gauze or bandaids.

 

[Sig226]

QuikClot type product
Superglue (Called Dermabond in the ER)
Butterfly bandages
Small bottle of sterile saline solution for cleaning wounds / flushing eye
Feminine hygene towel things (great for temp wound dressing)
Israeli bandages are all the rage now I hear

So is this med kit for a BOB or a GHB or just to have on your every day commute?
If you expect paramedics to be on the scene reasonably quickly this will influence what you have in this kit.

 

[Sig226]

DUH....
I forgot about YOUR protection:
- disposable gloves
- mouth barrier in case you have to do CPR

 

[gejoat]

"Also, can I use NON-STERILE gauze sponges on a wound if I disinfect the general area before or no? Thanks!"
Ok would you clean it and then put a bunch of dirt on it? No, to both; that said, if some one is bleeding out I would use a used handkerchief if nothing else is available. But I would really rather have sterile gauze!!

 

[bilmac]

I would put as much water in there as you feel comfortable carrying. I also carry about a 16 oz pop bottle full of Wal-Marts Mtn trail mix. Many's the time when I was somewhere with no access to lunch. That much trail mix kept me satisfied till supper. You can't let your trail mix go too long without rotating it, the peanuts go bad.

 

[kahuna]

i'm not a big fan of band aids anymore. yeah they work ok, but i can custom make my own with emt shears, 4x4 gauze, and a wee bit of tape. i would rather have more 4x4 gauze than bandaids any day.

 

[SSG Tom]

First Aid Kit

P,

If you have sterile gauze that is great but the reality is that no wound is going to be sterile. Flush it out with copious amounts of water to get it as clean as possible and bandage it the best you can even if it means using a shirt. Sterile bandages will only stay sterile in a sterile environment.

-Tom

 

[Patouzorus]

DUH....
I forgot about YOUR protection:
- disposable gloves
- mouth barrier in case you have to do CPR

Hehe, forgot I had a pocket mask with nitrile gloves Thanks!

 

[WIMN]

I think there are some extras in your kit that could be trimmed out or made smaller. I personally would lose the survival blanket, change the flashlight to a headlamp (or ditch it altogether if I am not riding a bicycle), and also lose the fire starter. In the event of SHTF you're stuck in an urban area, these things will be available to scavenge. Condoms/tissues/paper pad/pencil are also good ideas to have on-hand, but I wouldn't consider them part of a survival or first aid kit. I would hate to see the look a woman gave me if I had to get out of bed, cross the room, pull out my first aid kit, and pull a condom out... That's what we have wallets or pockets for.

For an every day first aid kit you'll want things purely for CONVENIENCE. What can you have on-hand that will stop you from asking a stranger for a band-aid, asking an employee of the building you're in for access to a first aid kit, or from stopping at the drug store to buy an antibiotic ointment? I'd probably keep a few types of band-aids (normal, knuckle, fingertip, plus a few big boys in case you get road rash from your bicycle or whatever) on-hand along with an antibiotic ointment. I'd also keep an ace bandage or two in case of a sprain.

Ask yourself what occasional health issues you have that don't STOP you from going to school, work, or socializing... But that definitely make you have a bad day. What are these? Diarrhea, headache, gas, allergies, heartburn, dry eyes, sore throat, sniffles, etc. So, my recommendation here is to keep medications on hand that will help with these symptoms. Pepto bismol chewables, whatever flavor of antihistamine works for you (mine's generic Zyrtec), pain reliever (looks like you are covered with ibuprofen), Tums, eye drops, Cepacol throat lozenges (numb throat), cough drops, a decongestant. Pick up one of those 1 week or 10 day pill organizers or whatever, write in a Sharpie on top of each compartment, and put around 10 pills of each medicine in each. Voila, instant meds to help get you through the day. I'd also leave the T-3s at home...

Anything else, I would trust modern civilization to take into account. Most buildings have AEDs nowadays. Buses, hotels, gyms, grocery stores, offices, all have first aid kits with gloves and other disinfectants. I wouldn't worry about keeping those things on hand. If there's a wound that's giving off so much blood, you're bound to be near a place that will have gloves available in their first aid kit. Or you'll be waiting for an EMT and ambulance to show up. Remember, we are in civilization, where most people will stop what they're doing to help you if you are in dire need of medical assistance.

And I'd also ditch the pocket mask. Those things offer minimal protection, and as somebody who had one in his first aid kit for a looong time, I can tell you I have never had a circumstance that has made me even consider pulling it out and using it. In the event of a pandemic, your pocket mask isn't going to help you anyway. You need a fit-tested N-95 respirator (or better).

 

[Jtarpley131]

Ok maybe this is bc I'm a woman, or maybe I'm just not as savvy as you guys, but I have seen 2-3 people say they have condoms in their BOB or first aid kit. What are you going to use these for besides the obvious?

 

[WIMN]

I think condoms are just lumped into first aid kits because men don't have a convenient place to store them--I guess I have a personal concern about keeping one in my pocket or wallet all the time for fear of heat/friction damaging the condom. However, in my experience, men are also not as open about birth control as women are... And seeing as we have no purse to store our condoms in (ala women and their birth control), I think they just get lumped into the "personal health" category, which matches up best with a first aid kit. I think the best place to store them is in a dresser drawer!

 

[hollywoodcurt]

I think it would be weird to carry condoms in a first aid kit. If I'm about to get it in, I don't think it looks too smooth if I have to dig thru band aids, antiseptics, and various pills and creams to find a rubber. Dude, seriously just throw them in your pocket and call it a day.

 

[kahuna]

the condom is for a few different things. putting over the barrel of your rifle to keep water out. putting over the barrel of your "gun", and the unlubed ones are used as an emergency water bladder. multi use

 

[sachson]

Ok maybe this is bc I'm a woman, or maybe I'm just not as savvy as you guys, but I have seen 2-3 people say they have condoms in their BOB or first aid kit. What are you going to use these for besides the obvious?

Condoms can be used to carry water from the source to the camp. They hold about a quart, just have to be careful... They degrade in the heat, become fragile. Not the best way, especially for repeated use. I would recomend an Israeli pilot water bag or a camelback type insert for the pack itself for more durability. And a stainless water bottle, single wall, for boiling water and carrying water over long distances. Make it your regular waterbottle... Water is most important, and clean water is key.

Add iodine water tablets, bic lighters, swiss army knife with a saw for building shelter, LED flashlight or headlamp. I love the AAA battery LED Tikka zipka headlamp and the Fenix LED AAA mini flashlights. Few extra AAA batteries will last a long time with regular use. Food can be a lifeboat ration, durable 'brick' of hardtack, 3 days worth of meals @1200cal a day. Supplimented with jerky, trail mix, you will have a good headstart.

Space blanket or bivy bag. You can get a 2 man space blanket that makes great shelter, especially with a reflector fire. Extra jacket depending on season. Wool cap and socks. Sturdy shoes or hiking boots... Dressing for the wilderness, wool, poly fleece, gore tex, and hiking boots will solve alot of that storage space issue.

Good premade FAK is Adventure Medical Kits, add extra bandages, betadine pads, CAT tournequet, packet of Celox. Israeli bandage, celox and CAT you can handle any SERIOUS extremity wound rapidly and effectively.

With the Tylenol #3 bring a small copy of prescription, or use the prescription bottle- add regular tylenol, advil, naproxin to fill the empty space, pack with cotton balls. With a little triple antibiotic ointment, a good tinder to get a fire going fast. Otherwise you are carrying around contraband and could face charges...

 

[Patouzorus]

If my name and doctor it was issued from is on the bottle, am I all right? (Came like this from the pharmacy)