Got caught out yesterday.

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Short_edc

Tenderfoot
May 1, 2020
76
56
Cambs
I nearly took my thumb off with an axe when I was 17. Same complacency and about 20 seconds before shock set in.
luckily my dad was a firefighter and took the lead.
We have first aid kits in the cars and house but I also keep a couple of compression dressings in the bag I store my knives and axes in.
if you don’t have any decent dressings PM me your address and I’ll pop some in the post.
Thank you mate that’s very generous.
 

TeeDee

Full Member
Nov 6, 2008
10,447
3,652
50
Exeter
Hey woodsorrel, it’s more that I hadn’t shown my wife what to do in the event something happened, If I had she might have been able to get to the kit, but now

Quite right. I still think First Aid Classes should be mandatorily taught as part of the school curriculum.
 
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Short_edc

Tenderfoot
May 1, 2020
76
56
Cambs
Quite right. I still think First Aid Classes should be mandatorily taught as part of the school curriculum.
That They should be and ALL employees at all company’s should be first aid trained not just some, that complacency is the same if popping to the shops on your bike and not wearing your helmet, driving with no seatbelt (never done and never will) or carving a kuksa and making room for more blood.
 

Wildgoose

Full Member
May 15, 2012
776
429
Middlesex
The Israeli dressing has a elastic bandage and a bar designed to apply large pressure to a big muscle mass. They are very good.
on a wrist or lower arm they can be too much though.
31E889D9-7F35-42AD-99AD-271F84B08F25.png
these on the other hand have no bar and are good for smaller limbs or children
Great value too
 

grumit

Settler
Nov 5, 2003
816
11
guernsey
Carry first aid kits in all my vehicles and the work vehicles have them have one in my lunch bag one in the boat two in my sheds one in my bedroom one in kitchen and one in my fishing kit all very well stocked we all do a first aid at work plus annual refresher course learned how to apply a tourniquet last year for the first time as they are now allowed to be used hope I never need to use one have to get some for my main kits and work kits
 
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Short_edc

Tenderfoot
May 1, 2020
76
56
Cambs
Il get some of that sort ordered To, I’ve just orderd the ifds I spoke to My gp today regarding my loss of feeling in my thumb, and told him I am building some trauma kits and he said when I get my stitches out the nurse will have some hemostatic Gause and dressings for me, legend.
 
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TeeDee

Full Member
Nov 6, 2008
10,447
3,652
50
Exeter
Il get some of that sort ordered To, I’ve just orderd the ifds I spoke to My gp today regarding my loss of feeling in my thumb, and told him I am building some trauma kits and he said when I get my stitches out the nurse will have some hemostatic Gause and dressings for me, legend.


I had nerve damage on my little finger & Next Two fingers ( felt like Dead Mans hand ) - In the end they tracked it back to my elbow ( electrical impedance test ) where one of the Two nerves was " rubbing " over some bone - they opened me up and trimmed the bone back. Now - no problems.
 
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Wildgoose

Full Member
May 15, 2012
776
429
Middlesex
Il get some of that sort ordered To, I’ve just orderd the ifds I spoke to My gp today regarding my loss of feeling in my thumb, and told him I am building some trauma kits and he said when I get my stitches out the nurse will have some hemostatic Gause and dressings for me, legend.
Decent Dr that.
most importantly for everyone is to know your kit and how it works.
people buy special and expensive dressings and the first time they see it open is when they have a bleed to deal with.
I have particularly found this tourniquets where people are reluctant to “break the seal“

some places sell training dressings which are essentially non sterile but an out of date one is just as good for practice, and practice you must!
 

Short_edc

Tenderfoot
May 1, 2020
76
56
Cambs
I had nerve damage on my little finger & Next Two fingers ( felt like Dead Mans hand ) - In the end they tracked it back to my elbow ( electrical impedance test ) where one of the Two nerves was " rubbing " over some bone - they opened me up and trimmed the bone back. Now - no problems.
He said if it goes blue or cold or hurts to get down to a&e but the circulation is fine, I’ve had to send Him pictures of it, just a waiting game to see if it comes back or needs looking at I guess, the nurse thought I was weird for wanting a picture before she stiched it :nurse: glad they patched you up mate
 
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Short_edc

Tenderfoot
May 1, 2020
76
56
Cambs
Decent Dr that.
most importantly for everyone is to know your kit and how it works.
people buy special and expensive dressings and the first time they see it open is when they have a bleed to deal with.
I have particularly found this tourniquets where people are reluctant to “break the seal“

some places sell training dressings which are essentially non sterile but an out of date one is just as good for practice, and practice you must!
I know mate, I’m waiting on hearing back from camsar and hopefully will be joining them soon, so il be doing my sar full training, I’m a first aider through work but none of the big stuff, had a basic bleeds course many years ago when on the boning line.
 

Short_edc

Tenderfoot
May 1, 2020
76
56
Cambs
That’s great to hear, if I lived a little more rural I’d love to give SAR a try
(Working for, hopefully not needing them)
It’s surprising how many places still have teams mate, personally I’ve always found getting lost easier in a built up area lol You never know when there might be a major incident/weather event and people need help. And I’m just about to order from sps! So thank you
 

Van-Wild

Full Member
Feb 17, 2018
1,400
1,221
44
UK
There’s some good advice there mate, I appreciate the chat, I’m looking into a bleeds kit, I have always used lifesystems kits as a base for building on, so that’s what I’ve done, orderd some different sizes and will add gear to them depending on where the kit will live,
Best course I did a few years ago was a remote environments medical course. It was very comprehensive. A heavy subject was dealing with bleeds and I got taught a very simple way to remember what kit to use on what bleed, based on your own reaction.....

'Oh F***! There's blood spraying everywhere!' = TOURNIQUET

'Ouch that looks f***ing bad' = EMERGENCY CARE BANDAGE

'It won't stop leaking!' = HEMOSTATIC GAUZE, THEN ECB

'Oh you idiot' = PLASTER

worked for me real time quite a few times.....

Sent from my SM-G970F using Tapatalk
 

Paul_B

Bushcrafter through and through
Jul 14, 2008
6,152
1,546
Cumbria
I looked into SAR but I'm over 15 minutes from my nearest SAR HQ so they wouldn't consider me. Apparently I'm not even in their area too. They passed me details of the neighbouring SAR who covers where I live. Unfortunately it's probably the SAR in England that covers the largest area so I'm about an hour from their HQ. Left it at that then changed jobs so out of the question now.

A former MRT member I used to know had two old ice-cream tubs full of first aid kit that was always in his rucksack when out walking. You know the best square tubs. One was twice as high as the other. I'd guess 5 litres and 2.5 litres capacity. The smaller one was full of drugs with a few dressings but the larger one was basically full of various sized ambulance dressings of the sort carried by MRT medics and paramedics kit I believe he said.


So glad he was there when I had my accident! Two massive large ambulance dressings were used, one on the palm the other the knuckle. It was so full of blood the outer one that when MRT turned up the doctor took one look and shoved another over the top. I ended up reaching MRT HQ with a boxing glove on my hand!! Fortunately it had stopped bleeding and a fresh set of dressings allowed me to go home then off to a&e. It was funny in the bus home when a little old lady was very concerned and got her FAK out of her rucksack to help me with the small but of claret still showing. Her kit consisted of a couple of the unusable plasters that come in the box, triangular bandage and one latex glove. I realised that my lifesystems FAK wasn't really much better for large bleeds. They never come with large dressings. So when I was able to I got plenty of large dressings for my house and FAKs.
 
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I'm a former member of a SAR team and in fact I was the teams Training Officer for a time too. The level of training in FA we receive is upto Ambulance Technician level with an emphasis on advanced trauma care.

But for all the training in the world, it is very difficult to fix yourself when you are in a bad way.

For that reason, every one of my FAK with the exception of my outdoors kit has a Military FFD (First Field Fressing) strapped to the outside. They'll hold upto a pint of blood, can be used for 'packing' a deep wound and at a push can be used as a makeshift torniquet. I highly recommend them as a first port of call in any major trauma event.

You'll note I said with one exception - my outdoors kit. In my backpack my FAK sits at the bottom of a side pouch with big red cross on outside of pouch. Its at the bottom because I cant be arsed with getting it in and out all the time when I want something else from the pouch. The FFD on other hand is at the top, always.

I figure if I hit myself with the Hultafors or the Grizzly, I'll be good to undo that one buckle on the side and get that FFD out before shock starts to set in. If I can manage that part alone because I probably would be alone in the woods with no prospect of immediate assistance, then I'll likely have the inclination to be able to reach the rest of my kit too when I'm ready for it.



OLO
www.onelifeoverland.com
 

Short_edc

Tenderfoot
May 1, 2020
76
56
Cambs
Thank you all for the great advice and understanding believe me it’s all much appreciated.
the house is now covered once everything arrives, and the mrs will be familiar with everything inside the kit and trained as soon as possible,

I’m thinking for an Edc kit that will live on the shoulder of my backpack not to complicated or intricate and this won’t be my outdoor/bushcraft ifak it’s literally just to strap onto my Edc osprey hikelight 26. As a quick grab, oh **** kit.

1 x nars s gauze
1 x 6” Israeli bandage
1 x Celox z fold hemostatic gauze
1 x Trauma shears
1 x Cat t tourniquet
1 pair Disposable non latex gloves
2 x alcohol wipes
2 x iodine wipes
1 x elastic adhesive bandage tape
1 x acme thunder whistle
1x energy gel, quick release glucose gel pack

I’m still looking at pouches but I’m thinking the 5.11 3.6 med kit. Also Im very open to suggestions, ideas and criticisms.
 

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