Thread: Critique my First Aid Kit.

Here is a complete list of the FAK I carry on me. I was hoping some in the know would take time to critique it and let me know if I am missing anything or if there is something I should add.

I have thick skin and am a big boy, so fire away, it may save a life.


Item Name Number On Hand

Gold Bond Foot Powder 4 oz

Butterfly Closures 10 Medium

Restor Electrolyte Tabs 3

Isopropyl Alchohol 32 oz

Antihistamine (Diphenhydramine HCL) 24 capsules

Iodine Tincture 2 oz

Nexcare Heavy Duty Fabric Bandage 60 assorted size

Asprin 100 (325 mg ea)

Acetaminophen 100 (500 mg ea)

Ibuprofen 300 (200 mg ea)

Triple Antibiotic Ointment 1 oz

Hydrocortisone (anti-itch) 1 oz

Iodine Swabs 8

Alchohol Wipes 40

Cohesive Flexible Bandage 2 (5 yards long ea)

ACE Campression Wrap 1 (6 ft long)

Compression Bandage 4

Field Dressing 9

Gauze 50 squares

550 Cord 25 meters

Surgical Scissors 1

Tweezers 1

Surgical Tubing 6 feet

Tracheotomy Tubes 2

Sunscreen 4 oz

Bug Dope 4 oz

Carmex .5 oz

Quick Clot 0

Just some general thoughts that might help:
Cohesive Flexible Bandage 2 (5 yards long ea). Buy Vet Wrap, lots of vet wrap!
Fem Hygine pads as bandages
Bleach and vineigar
Dried Yarrow plant (also known as Staunch Plant and Soldiers Wort) to replace Quick Clot
Gorilla tape wrapped around a phone calling card
super glue
SPACE BLANKET
Betadine

The Cohesive Flexible Bandage is Vet Wrap.

I am not a woman, I don't need pads, I can afford to buy the real thing.

Bleach and Vinegar? Please explain how this benefit my first aid kit. I have them in my survival gear but this is just FA, maybe I am missing something.

I don't need a calling card or gorilla tape, unless I am missing something.

Super Glue - GOOD CALL!

Yarrow Plant - I will do some research here, thank you.

Betadine - I Have some Iodine already that is 2%. Betadine is 1% but I do plan on getting a bit when I expand my kit.

Space Blanket - I have one, just not in the FA pouch, it is in another pouch. Good call to put it on the list though.

That is a good start on a basic field/home kit. I do have some suggestions.
First thing to have is good, current medical training. Many people do the "buy it, forget it" attitude with material items including medical supplies. Get training, practice what you learned and be prepared to use your training. Build a kit around your level of training. Put it this way: In a crisis, having equipment, without training and practice can actually lead you into the mindset of HAVING to attempt a medical/surgical procedure that you shouldn't be doing with your level of training/experience. Waiting to use a life or death situation to justify the performance of a medical/surgical procedure is not doing yourself, the patient or anyone else involved any favors.

That said I think the items: "Tracheotomy Tubes 2" probably should be left out of your bag. I would think that either a barrier device or bag valve mask with maybe an oral pharyngeal and nasal pharyngeal airways would be a good basic level item to have. Again, know when and how to use and more importantly NOT USE a medical device or medication is critical to good patient outcomes.

I also don't like vet wrap, too many people don't know that Coban (vet wrap) actually tightens over time and I have far too many patients come to the ED with bandages that were tight to begin with that were then way too tight (think tourniquet).

To add to the list: Oral rehydration powder, glucose tablets,

Sorry for the rambling, good luck!

Tracheotomy Tubes 2.... Really??? Unless you have the drugs to stabilize the person your Trach'n why waste your time or resources. If you need the advice on a First Aid kit I doubt you have the skills to perform this job. Try to keep the kit with-in your abilities.

Water-sterile(bottled) More important than half your items.
Sterile dressings--4x4's, 8x10's
Non-sterile dressings--4x4's more
Coban
Benadryl

Carmex
bug dope
sunscreen
surgical tubing
Iodine swabs
Hydrocortisone
triple ointment
foot powder
butterfly closures.......................Keep them at home!

Blue Devil - Good words for sure.

Greenbaum - Thanks for the Sterile Water Suggestion. As for the rest...hahaha.

Originally Posted by Triplebuckshot

The Cohesive Flexible Bandage is Vet Wrap.

I am not a woman, I don't need pads, I can afford to buy the real thing.

Bleach and Vinegar? Please explain how this benefit my first aid kit. I have them in my survival gear but this is just FA, maybe I am missing something.

I don't need a calling card or gorilla tape, unless I am missing something.

Super Glue - GOOD CALL!

Yarrow Plant - I will do some research here, thank you.

Betadine - I Have some Iodine already that is 2%. Betadine is 1% but I do plan on getting a bit when I expand my kit.

Space Blanket - I have one, just not in the FA pouch, it is in another pouch. Good call to put it on the list though.

18 posts and your response to a request for info is adversarial, patronising and ill concidered.
It was NOT a pleasure to meet you. Your now on my ignore list

Non-iodized Salt. Mixed with water in saline washes for wounds, eyes, sInuses etc.

Topical tooth gel.

I didn't see gloves or a mask listed either.

Immodium.

Originally Posted by Tangent123123

Non-iodized Salt. Mixed with water in saline washes for wounds, eyes, sInuses etc.

Topical tooth gel.

I didn't see gloves or a mask listed either.

All Great Additions. Thank you.

Originally Posted by A.I.P.

18 posts and your response to a request for info is adversarial, patronising and ill concidered.
It was NOT a pleasure to meet you. Your now on my ignore list

Hahaha, I joined before you. If your post count is that important, I will happily spend some time on that ignore list.

Not real sure how my post was adversarial or patronising. I stated that I am not a woman so having hygiene pads double over for the bangages was not what I needed to do. What good is a phone card and gorrilla tape? Bleach and Vinegar? For a FAK I mean, I know what they are used for in the rest of the survival kit/prep. Toughen up, buttercup. I didn't attack anyone over anything.

Originally Posted by EZLivin

Immodium.

AWESOME! Thank you.

Silvadene (Silver Sulfadiazine) for burns

insta hot and insta cold pak 1 each

Tourniquets

Nitrile gloves
Eye protection
Olive oil and some focasia bread to go with the vinegar. ;4)

Originally Posted by ragermack

Silvadene (Silver Sulfadiazine) for burns

insta hot and insta cold pak 1 each

Thanks!

Originally Posted by receo

Nitrile gloves
Eye protection
Olive oil and some focasia bread to go with the vinegar. ;4)

Thanks!

Originally Posted by titsonritz

Tourniquets

Great addition, Thanks!

First Aid/CPR/AED training, its a 1 day class about 90.00. You can also take a wilderness first aid class that is good as well not sure on the price.

My 2 cents on this, guys. I have a LOT of first aid supplies, some geared for stuff around the house, some for the "bug out bag", one for an emergency responder and one as a field surgeon kit. Each one has their focus. If you try to just stock one up with everything, you will never find what you need when you need it and you might be out of it anyways since you are always in the kit for everything from fungal feet to major bleeding.

I'm more focused on SHTF scenarios, obviously, so this next advice is going to be a little biased...

*I think more focus should be on wound management and care than anything. It has been suggested to use feminine hygiene products (and I agree). However, I suggest the tampons over the pads (especially for gunshot wounds). More people died from infection and blood loss during the revolutionary and civil war than from the bullet, itself. Just ponder on that thought for a moment.

*You don't need ointments and band-aids. Thoroughly cleaning the wound area and slapping a strip of guerrilla tape with a folded strip from a paper towel on a wound will fix 99% of all your typical injuries. Super glue is great, especially if you don't have stitches.

*That space blanket is more important than you think. Hypothermia and shock will kill you just as quickly as rapid blood loss. Also, you can provide shade for a heat patient along with warming a cold patient with a space blanket. For just a few dollars, you will probably use this a million times more than you will ever use surgical tube.

*How about antibiotics? Just a thought. Cheap, USP Pharmacological-grade, pill forms of antibiotics can be found on amazon.com (look under "fish antibiotics"). Especially in a SHTF scenario where God know's when someone's last tet@nus shot was given you might want to consider antibiotics. Another thing that you shouldn't gawk at was the previously suggested Benadryl. It's antihistamine properties are counter allergenic, meaning that if you didn't know you were allergic to bee stings you might just save your own life by taking a simple pill rather than trying to drive to the hospital.