First Aid Kits

[Chappers]

I would like to sap some wisdom from some of you regarding first aid kits.
I started look around for a first aid kit to put in my hunting bag when i go out... problem is that they are so expensive over here, so it got me thinking what out of this list would i really need and what have they left out also most if this stuff i don’t know what it is... like Island Dressing i thought that that stuff you put on salads.
So if you guys can tell me in your opinion i would most likely need and what’s it for in this list and feel free to add other vital stuff that ill need (remember it just a first aid kit for hunting not a oh poo the local area has gone downhill first aid kit)

Hcb15 Heavy Creep Bandage
Hcb10 Heavy Creep Bandage x2
Pi7510 Porin Lite7.5 x 10cm
Cd1010 Combined 10 x 10cm
WD15 Wound Dressing
WD14 Wound Dressing
AP10PP Aero 10 Pack Plastic
PISWAB Povidine Swabs 4Pk
SODI15 Sodium Chloride 15Mil x5
Safety Pins
Sharp Blunt Scissors
First Aid Book (i know that i will need this)
TBCAL1 Triangular Bandage Calico x2
 Plastic Zip-lock Bags x6
Eye Pads Single Use Sterile x2
ID7505 Island Dressing 7.5 x 5cm
CD1020 Combined 10 x 20cm
BD 7075 Burn Dressing 70 x 75cm
Thermal Blanket Survival
 AP10FP Aero 10 Pack Fabric Plasters
TMP125 Paper Tape 1.25 x 9.1m
AWIPES Skin Swabs Alcohol 10Pk
GLLGPR Gloves Large x2
Tweezers stainless steel  12.5

[spruce]

Judging from the list I would say that is a kit more appropriate to carry in your vehicle, not on your person!

Here's what I usually carry in my hunting coat or vest pocket.

2 4"x4" square sterile gauze pads (about 7cm??)
3 or 4 bandaids
1 triangular bandage (or a large clean bandana) - either can be used for a sling or tourniquet, etc.
6 or 8 aspirin or tylenol
5 or 6 antacid tablets
small roll of tape
tube of antibiotic cream
smallest size Swiss Army knife (has tweezers, knife, file,  toothpick, and scissors)
small piece of soap for cleansing wounds

Put in a ziploc bag and fits in coat or shirt pocket.

If you require daily medications I would add two day supply of those.  Plus any allergy meds you require (such as being allergic to bee stings, etc).  Maybe an anti-venom kit if venomous snakes, spiders, etc are a concern where you hunt.
I do carry a larger kit in my vehicle with a more extensive selection of supplies, but I've found this small shirt pocket size works well for when I'm out and about.

Hope this gives you some ideas.

[burntmuch]

What I carry. 

6 ft or so of duct tape wrapped round a small pencil
suture kit
super glue
epi pen Im allergic to bees
couple band-aids
lipbalm
small bottle with motrin, benadril,.

As far as bandages for. A t-shirt or clean sock can be used. This kit has been in my daypack for 10 yrs or so.   

[Foggy]

only thing I would add to bruntmuch's list is pack it in a zip loc bag.. that can be used for a sucking chest wound.. When ther's guns and bows  there is a sucking chest wound wanting to have.

[teamnelson]

Triage pack, not a surgical pack:
- 2 Tourniquets. Yeah, belts and shoelaces work. GI tourniquest are designed to minimize tissue,nerve damage.
- Tampons, no applicator. About 9mm in diameter, holds a lot of blood.
- Glue is the right idea if you can hold the wound shut and bead it right, normally after a suture. Duct tape does the same thing when its slippery.
- +1 Suture needle and thread.
- Vaseline lipbalm in a tube for lots of applications.
- GI pressure dressing.
- +1 Meds in a waterproof bottle. Careful on blood thinners and diuretics.
- +1 on plastic bags for airway puncture.
- pneumo-thorax needle for collapsed lung*
- intubation kit*
(Leatherman already packed).

*Some of this stuff requires training, but is worth it for a bad day hunting.

[burntmuch]

Team Nelson alot of your list are above the knowledge of the average hunter.

[Chappers]

That kit was priced at $160 AU, was talking to my other half about it today and she was telling me that it work when they go bush they pack a small standard kit plus a snake bite kit (kit to try to contain the venom,  no ani-venom that is only stored at the hospital).

I got to say team nelson anyone that hunts with you will be well taken care of.

Also how do you stabilize someone with a bullet wound to maximize them surviving a 3hr trim to the hospital? (i know it would differ and where but what’s the general way) 

The extent of my (very small) medical knowledge helped seal up a deep gash on my leg with cotton wool, iodine (had a look in the chemist today and could not find it... have they taken it off the shelf?) and surgical tape. I was later told it should of needed stiches when i nurse asked about the hole like scar on my shin.

Thanks you for all the all the help so far, keep them going
Cheers

[teamnelson]

Stabilizing for a 3hr trip? You gotta worry about affects of blood loss, so IV or Gatorade but be careful if it's a gut wound.

I know it sounds like overkill to some but if you've dealt with trauma it's really not. We train under 2 minutes before a bleed out. Tourniquets save lives.

Figure if you can learn how to play with guns you should learn how to patch a bullet wound.

[burntmuch]

Ive been a paramedic for 15-16 years & have taught paramedic classes for 6. Nelson you are right tourniqeuts saves lives. People are so afraid of using them. even some emts & medics. As long as youre not using wire or small cord. your fine. belts, straps or something to that effect. not much you can do for gutshots. keep em flat & dont jostle them round too much. The problem with a hunter bleeding is hes probably already dehydrated. So he has few reserves

[Chappers]

Well i got around to getting a first aid kit.

So this is what’s in it for wound treatment:
2x pack of cotton tips
3x iodine swabs
4x sterile gauze swabs
1x normal saline 30ml
1x curved sterile syringe

Wound covering:
1x elastic gauze bandage (2 sizes)
10x flexible bandage strips
1x knuckle dressing
1x crepe bandage
1x triangular bandage
2x absorbent dressing

Blister and burn:
1x burn aid gel sachet
1x open weave adhesive dressing

Personal protection
2x protective gloves
4x antiseptic wipes

Essential equipment
1x Tweezers
2x safety pins
1x scissors

Is anything you guys would take out or add?
I notice that there are no meds in the kit, what are the basic meds that should go out with you?
Another thing is the only thing there to close a wound is the bandage strips would you recommend a suture needle and thread?
And why tampons are they better than gauze?

[res2cue]

Well i got around to getting a first aid kit.

So this is what’s in it for wound treatment:
2x pack of cotton tips
3x iodine swabs
4x sterile gauze swabs
1x normal saline 30ml
1x curved sterile syringe

Wound covering:
1x elastic gauze bandage (2 sizes)
10x flexible bandage strips
1x knuckle dressing
1x crepe bandage
1x triangular bandage
2x absorbent dressing

Blister and burn:
1x burn aid gel sachet
1x open weave adhesive dressing

Personal protection
2x protective gloves
4x antiseptic wipes

Essential equipment
1x Tweezers
2x safety pins
1x scissors

Is anything you guys would take out or add?
I notice that there are no meds in the kit, what are the basic meds that should go out with you?
Another thing is the only thing there to close a wound is the bandage strips would you recommend a suture needle and thread?
And why tampons are they better than gauze?

I too have been a paramedic for over 20 years, So I am able to have a pretty well stock first aid kit of my own. ie; IV set ups, sutures)
always remember the 3 steps to wound management, 1.direct pressure 2. pressure points 3. tourniquets. Never remove a blood soak bandage just add another bandage to the blood soaked one. If you remove the soaked one you could remove the clot and it will start bleeding again.
 For you I would add the following.
Vaseline (for a sucking chest wound, coat a 4x4 with as much as you can to saturated the cotton. then tape off 3 sides, when the person starts to have a hard time to breath lift it to ex pale the air as he inhales)
tampons (used in a puncture wound from a bullet or arrow to the extremity) (Remember to never remove an impaled object aka:arrow/stick/knife, cut object as close to body part clean sterile dressing packed around it, seek medical attention right away)
famine napkins (they adsorb a lot of blood better then a 4x4 gauze)
4" wide "Ace" bandage (makes for a great pressure dressing)for sprained or twisted wrist/ankle
triple antibiotic ointment
a roll of 3M"Coban" tape if you can find it. It sticks to itself real well, water proof and also helps holding pressure to wound area
a couple tablets each of aspirin, acetaminophen & ibuprofen
If you can find a suture kit and would not hurt. do some research on how to suture an open wound. Practice on a ham shoulder with the skin on it, then when you are done, cook it up for dinner after removing the sutures of course.
as for burns do not apply anything to it. If its superficial/1st deg, cool water running will help to relive some of the pain. 2nd-3rd deg Partial/full thickness burn dry sterile dressings. If the fingers/toes are involved, separate the digits with dry sterile gauze before wrapping everything.
Hope this helps you and pray you never have to use anything more then a band aid and a aspirin out of your kit!

[teamnelson]

Found a new thing I like in the kit: Endurolyte. Like a case of Gatorade in a pill. On the recommendation of some other distance runners in my unit, I tried it out on a half-marathon last week. Yeah, buddy - it works. I'll be packing a handful in the kit from now on for heat casualties.

[don heath]

I always carried far too much!!!! Now, small first aid kit in top of camelbak.

Things I use alot of!
Asprin
Voltaren tabs (50mg)
Tweezers
Plasters
6hr energy (buy a dozen small bottles every year in America)
antihistamine
tampons (you would be amaized how many American Women acompany their husbands hunting in Africa and in the middle of absolutely nowhere suddenly need one.) I have once used tampon to plug a bullet hole in my own leg.
Doxypol- take 2 with 6hr energy and client with sprained ankle will get up and walk on - a heck of alot easier than carying someone
Valium- Stops panic when you have spider bite, scorpion stings, even snake bite. Shock kills!
Morphine @ Stemitil - If something goes badly wrong...since getting back to the truck , getting truck to patient, getting patient and truck to hospital can easily be 6hrs...I use at least two ampules a year- the dangerous drugs license is a pain to get, but worth it. Pethidine or Oxycode better for field use than morphine (but not available where I am)
Sutures (probably put in a dozen a year) - give two doxypol while cleaning wound and then sew up...
Iodine
Golves
Imodium (stops clients "#%ting them selves to death after touching something they shouldn't)
Salt tablets (darolyite - a balanced rehydration salt tablet- most Americans do not eat enough salt for a hard days walk in the sun- despite what their doctors tell them!! I take 2-4 every day temp goes above 100F and clients often need more as they let salt levels drop too far before they belive me and start taking!)

[jrnsuz]

Hey res2cue: try "Vet wrap" from the local feed store to replace your Coban. Same stuff but cheaper and easier to find

[bilmac]

The GI battle dressing that every soldier carries could be a lifesaver for a gunshot

[burntmuch]

This is my kit. while doing backpack hunts. 
 
 Duct tape
 Motrin
 Epi pens
 benyadril
 suture kit.
 super glue
 10 or so Tagaderms.
 Size 7 ET tube
 Nitrogycerin. My brothers getting up in years
16 guage needle
Maybe some mole skin. but duct tape works

Any thing else needed will be improvized. Im not carrying a bunch of bandages, when a  sock or t-shirt will work. This is a very basic kit. This is carryied in my daypack.   

[Bigeasy]

Just a note - Aspirin is a blood thinner, and should not be used in bleeding situations.  Also, I don't see much mention of splints, something to consider, as you are much more likley to suffer a fractured arm/leg/ankle while in the bush then a gun shot wound.

Larry