whats in your first aid kit?

**Trail Dog** · 12-01-2003, 19:50

would you put somthing like this in it?

http://www.escape-co.com/Control_Bleeding.htm

its suppose to clot blood very fast and effectivly

**uphillklimber** · 12-01-2003, 19:56

Once again, it's all about tradeoffs. How much does it cost? How much does it weigh? How long will it last? Will it go bad if it freezes? I don't bleed profusely and feel a rag tied around the cut will probably do it. There are cuts so bad... but I don't carry a whole hospital either....

**Freezin'** · 12-01-2003, 21:23

I probably wouldn't take it - one more thing to take. Bandaids would suffice for me. Although, if I was taking blood thinner or asprin, I might reconsider.

**DebW** · 12-01-2003, 21:48

Good reason to carry instant mashed potatoes. Dual use item. But what if I'm bleeding the day after I eat my mashed potatoes?

**smokymtnsteve** · 12-01-2003, 22:11

interesting... I carry a strech "ACE" elastic bandage...along with a bandana as a pad you can stop and control some pretty bad bleeding..and both items have other uses too...

do you take a blood thinner or asprin daily??? if you do then ask your doc about TX to take with you....

**icemanat95** · 12-01-2003, 22:14

Depends upon which kit you are refering to. My car kits contain trauma packs complete with heavy duty bloodstopper gauze pads, vaccuum packed and sterilized hemostats, a couple retractors, stethoscope, a cervical collar, SAM splints, an intubation kit and all sorts of other stuff that would be useful for a first responder arriving at an auto accident (or a minor war). The kits were put together for me by an EMT friend of mine. I have sequestered the EMT grade tools in seperate pockets where I won't be tempted to try using them, but where they are available for qualified persons should they be necessary. I confine myself to the simple stuff that just about anyone would be able to use without screwing things up worse.

My backpacking first aid kit consists of a roll of gauze a roll of medical tape, some antibacterial ointment, a sheet of moleskin, a few bandaids, some antacids, ibuprofen, and good tweezers. My repair kit contains a needle, thread and super glue for multi-use. A small lighter rounds out the kit for sterilizing the needle or a knife blade. My Swiss Army Knife contains sharp scissors that cover a lot of ground as well. Swiss Army Knife tweezers are garbage and should be allowed to go missing without replacement. Go to a home-show somewhere. Most will have a booth with a wide variety of scissors, tweezers and other fine tools. Spend some money on a good set of tweezers and put those in your med kit. You'll have much finer control over splinters and such and be able to get at them with less damage. You simply cannot get tools that good at the corner drug store. In fact, get a couple sets, one for the medicine cabinet at home as well.

**smokymtnsteve** · 12-01-2003, 22:27

a small tube of hydrocortizone is good to have too...

you are right iceman about having the anti-acid... and immodium ....

**Virginian** · 12-01-2003, 22:33

I carried Advil, and duct tape.

**The Solemates** · 12-01-2003, 22:44

10 Ibuprofen and 12 inches of duct tape. Thats it.

**alpine** · 12-02-2003, 06:40

with drawn

**Trail Dog** · 12-02-2003, 08:37

i got a response to my inquiry email about the clotting agent. And personally i wouldn't use elmers glue, this clotting agent might be lighter, it is a powder

================================================== =======

Sorry, as far as I know this product is not available commercially. You
might try writing to Dr. Ereth, in care of the Mayo Clinic, for further
information on the product. Here is a bio sheet I found on him
http://mayoresearch.mayo.edu/mayo/re...f/ereth_mh.cfm
although I don't see an email link directly to him. I'm sure that any email
sent to Mayo asking for his attention would find him. Thanks!

Kim Brown, partner
The ESCAPE Co.
www.escape-co.com

**Peaks** · 12-02-2003, 09:24

Originally Posted by Trail Dog

would you put somthing like this in it?

http://www.escape-co.com/Control_Bleeding.htm

its suppose to clot blood very fast and effectivly

I wouldn't carry it. If it were necessary, then it would show up on the first aid list printed in the ATC guidebooks. Or it would already be in first aid kits sold at outfitters. And it would be covered in first aid classes such as SOLO's wilderness first aid.

As others have posted, the chances are very remote that you will need it. The common injuries are blisters, cuts, and scrapes. You really don't need much first aid along the AT.

However, if I was on a blood thinner or other medication, then I would reconsider.

**Blue Jay** · 12-02-2003, 10:06

The only thing that I feel is a requirement is something to stop large blood flow. Someone I was hiking with fell on a waterbar and needed both internal and external stitches in her knee. Stopping blood flow was all we thought about as we got out to a road. Seriously, I believe that this is required. A Kotex and an Ace bandage are my first aid kit.

**RagingHampster** · 12-02-2003, 11:26

I have a combination "First Aid/Repair/Emergency Kit" that weighs 5.25oz.

It includes...

- 1 Piece 2nd Skin
- 2 Pieces MoleSkin
- 1/2 width Roll of Duct Tape (6ft)
- 1 Box Water/Wind Proof Matches
- 3 FireStarters
- 1 Needle
- 1 Spool of Thread
- 3 Aleve Tablets
- 2 AlkaSeltzer Cold Plus Tablets
- 1 Sterile Gauze Bandage Roll
- 1 Bandaid
- 1 Packet of NeoSporin
- 1 Tube Anbesol
- 1 Tube Superglue
- 1 Safety Pin
- 1 Mini-Can of Lip Medex Menthol Lip Balm
- 1 Combination Whistle/Compass/Thermometer

Works for me

**icemanat95** · 12-02-2003, 12:06

Most thru-hikers gut their first aid kits pretty quickly on in teh search for lower weight. Some take it too far down, while others retain a certain amount of safety gear for those oddball emergencies (like someone tearing a deep gash in their body from an accidental fall on a waterbar). BlueJay may have good suggestion there. Your basic "sanitary pad" is designed to take up significant amounts of blood and fluid, and may make a good bloodstopping bandage. You probably will never need it, but if you ever do, it'd be a lot better than a dirty, wadded up t-shirt.

The blood clotting bandages refered to above are right now still considered experimental. They were rushed into military usage based on some promising lab trials, but field experience has been less promising. I did see one demonstration performed on a pig. They opened up the pig's femoral artery and poured in the blood clotting agent, which quickly stopped a life threatening "pumper." It was then quickly washed out again to allow surgeon's access to the wound for repairs (which were performed to demonstrate the efficacy of the treatment in supporting long-term survival.)

The stuff appears to be relatively easy to use, BUT it also appears to require you to get the stuff in large amounts to the actual wounded artery or vein so that it can clot up the blood at the actual site of origin. If you just dump it on the surface it may clot the blood there, but blood flowing from the injured blood vessel will continue to flow and eventually force the clot out of the wound.

The stuff will hit the commercial market eventually, but more field trials are certainly required. I'd expect to see it hit ambulances soon and then, after a few years, be included in commercially available supplies.

**MadAussieInLondon** · 12-02-2003, 18:15

whats in mine....

1x condom
3x sealed antiseptic cleansing wipes
1x fabric dressing
2x dioralyte sachets (electrolyte powders if you get the runs really really bad and cant keep anything up or down)
1 15g savlon antiseptic skin healing cream (burns/cuts etc)
1x small plain ole open woven bandage.
1 5cmx5cm melolin dressing
1 tiny pair of scissors

**Lilred** · 12-02-2003, 21:01

Ace bandage
band-aids
gauze pads
ibuprofen
antiseptic wipes
burn ointment
safety pins
smelling salts

**Connie** · 06-27-2004, 18:00

No one mentioned small butterfly bandanges, packet sterile water, Xeroform finger size burn bandages (and larger), small plastic bottle Calamine lotion, ampule bee sting relief, small folding sissors, non-stick gauze flats, regular gauze flats, non-stick surgical tape, single packet Tylenol, single packet Excederin, single packet aspirin, so I will mention these items here.

I purchase little first-aid kits, and proceed to build my own first aid kit.

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