Inside your fist aid kit

[Zammo]

What do people carry inside their first aid kits? I'm particularly interested in unusual items. I was thinking of adding some steri-strips and also came across these while browsing for them:

http://www.boots.com/shop/product_details.jsp?productid=1048707&classificationid=1046395&slmRefer=

My first aid kit at the moment is pretty bog standard it includes:

various bandages & dressings, surgical gloves, plasters, scissors, surgical tape, antiseptic wipes, safety pins, toothpicks, antibiotics, aspirin, colpermin & 'The essentials of fist aid' instruction sheet.

 

[Matt Weir]

I've got at least 4 FAKs .a tiny one in my coat pocket with bandage, pad, plasters and paracetamol, a general one in the car (I think I may have 2 in the car actually ). One in my backpack (or I may have two thinking about it ) and a general one in the house.

Jesus, I'm a FAKing freak!

 

[sxmolloy]

Jesus, I'm a FAKing freak!

LOL I have the usual in mine (as stated above) but added Tea Tree Oil, antisystamines (sp) and tweezers.

ATB....Stu

 

[Chainsaw]

LOL,

thank goodness I'm not the only FAKing freak, one in the house, one in the car, one in my ruck, one in the wifes car and looking in my desk drawer at work I have painkillers, anti squirts drug (I don't want to try and spell diarrhoea) some antiseptic cream, some plasters, wipes.....

Steristrips are pretty useful, especially for closing deepish cuts (if you can get it dry enough) If you happen to be amongst people playing with knives a lot then they're worth a couple of quid.

I just bought the one for my ruck as I didn't have a nice pouch for it and could be bothered buying/borrowing all the bits. It's a lifesystems off the shell fella, although you can ditch some of the stuff in it. Only thing I really added was some potassium permanganate for wound washing and some antiseptic cream.

Cheers,

Alan

 

[appletree_man]

Big one at home in a large biscuit tin, another one in my gear (in a 38p pencil case), and a few plasters, Asprin, and a couple of wipes in my wallet.
Nothing unusual, apart from Superglue in the gear one.

 

[Nat]

I have 2 exactly the same. One for my bergen and one in a jacket pocket (in case the bergen gets lost).

1 x Pair Latex Gloves
1 x 5cm x 5cm Plaster
4 x Antiseptic Wipes
1 x 7.5 x 5m Bandage
6 x paracetamol
6 x 7.5 x 7.5cm Sterile Gauze Swabs
1 x 4cm x 1m Dressing Strip
1 pair small Scissors
6 x Safety Pins various sizes
1 x Blue Dot 5cm x 4.5m Crepe bandage
Reel of Bandage Tape
Small tub of Sudacream
Tweezers

I did have one in the car but that got used a couple of years ago and i've not replenished it (naughty i know).

 

[crazyclimber]

same here - have a few FAKs scattered about, and seem have a reputation with a lot who know me for being the one to go to if they get hurt! Pretty bog standard contents I guess, varies with each. Less in my pocket one, far more in the car, house and rucksack.

In no particular order various bandages (normal and triangular), few field dressings, safety pins, rescuci aid (sp?), selection of plasters or a roll of plaster, rolls of micropore tape (can do wonders with that stuff), paracetamol / codeine (AC&C and need to be careful where you take it sometimes too), good scissors, gloves, superglue, savlon, alcohol wipes, compeed blister kits, tweezers, metal/plastic survival bag

Sure there're probably other things in some of them as well, but can't remember what off the top of my head!

 

[appletree_man]

I took the middle out of a roll of micropore, it flattens down nicely now to fit in a small kit.

 

[dwardo]

All the usuals plasters, triangular bandages, wrapping bandages, pain killers, antihistamines. A few more essential ones are:-

Sniper tape (3M) great for knife cuts where smaller plasters drop off and also helps to protect larger cuts in the later stages of healing,
Eye patch bandages as they also make great all on one finger dressings,
Antiseptic wipes and cream,
None stick gauze,
Saline eyes washes also good for deep cuts,
Tic removal tool,
Tweezers,
small very sharp knife,
needle and strong thread.

Also a small clean plastic bags just incase a digit becomes "un attached" (serves as a warning for sharps newbies )

 

[John Fenna]

I have loads of 'em!
Various contents, depending on what they are intended for - workshop, canoe, exped, daywalks, car etc - at least seven different ones kicking around......

 

[appletree_man]

needle and strong thread.

Also a small clean plastic bags just incase a digit becomes "un attached" (serves as a warning for sharps newbies )

 

[MikeS]

There is 1 other thing that is in my kit, can't remember what it is called but I got it from Boots, it effectively a soray on skin to stop bleeding so you can put on the plaster etc. If people don't know what its called I will look tonight.

Mike

 

[SimonM]

As well as all the usual stuff, my bergan FAK has a 12 hour chem light in it - I once left a casualty on a dark hill and struggled to find him as he got up a moved a few metres! Next time I will strap it to my casualty!

Simon

 

[basha]

I need to follow some of my own advice here; my only experience was as a Company ‘First Aider’, having that post for about five years. I went on two separate three day intensive British Red Cross courses during that time. My certificates have long since expired and my books are well out of date: A lot of the techniques and or information that I learnt has either been forgotten or may well have been updated since then. I need to retrain.
I’m not a Doctor or Paramedic, these are my personal views.

My lasting impression is that the most useful thing you can do is to go on a proper First Aid Course; learning what to do in an ‘event’ but also learning what not to do, that may inadvertently make things worse.
In my short experience, a First Aid kit was of little use for the most serious things I personally had to deal with during my time as First Aider. I must stress that is just what I encountered. I am not for one moment suggesting they should not be carried. However there are a lot of First Aid Kits out there, but I suspect there are far fewer people that would know what to do if they found themselves in a situation where they may be the only person around to help someone in a serious situation. It’s not a nice situation to be in, even if you have been trained. A lot of kits carry small guidance notes; finding a person unconscious and not breathing is not a good time to start swotting up on what to do next…..

It is very good that this matter has been brought up on this forum; anyone going away from civilisation and relatively quick professional help should things go wrong, would be well advised to have some First Aid knowledge as well as a kit. The appropriate response to situations where someone needs help may well vary to the location you are in. Along with the ability to light fires, sterilise water etc. you (and your ‘victim’) would no doubt be grateful of the knowledge and ability to deal with a serious wound or condition such as a heart attack if you were unable to get outside help in the next hour or more.

Interestingly when I was trained First Aider I was not allowed to stock or give out items such as Aspirin or paracetamol which are usually found in kits sold in the high street today. I do not know if this ruling remains the same.
I do have a few small standard first aid kits around. One thing I have normally carried since my training is a large triangular bandage (a head scarf or bandana etc. would also serve this purpose, although unsterile). This I remember as being a potentially useful and adaptable item (sling bandage etc.).

 

[Wayland]

I've got a few odds and sods in my kits but probably the most useful is a bottle of Germalene "New Skin" which is basically collodian SP? for coating small wounds and grazes.

It's fantastic for covering blisters and hot spots before they become blisters.

 

[moab]

Like many of you,I have a number of kits for different uses. Mine contain most of whats been posted and additionally I have several oral rehydration sachets/ some burn gel/ a Sam Splint/ and a sterile giving set (for a trained professional to use in case of insanitary conditions).

I'd definately agree that knowledge is the best weapon of all.

 

[MikeS]

I've got a few odds and sods in my kits but probably the most useful is a bottle of Germalene "New Skin" which is basically collodian SP? for coating small wounds and grazes.

It's fantastic for covering blisters and hot spots before they become blisters.

Thats the stuff I was talking about. TCP call it "spray on plaster"

 

[Black Sheep]

I have around 6 FAK's, I'm a qualified first aider covering both basic and advanced levels.

When I'm out and about I carry two FAK's both are in Lifesystems pouches but that's about all that's original.

The small one has the usual plus - Resus mask, single bladed SAK, non-latex gloves, steri strips, tweezers, serile needles, tape and a couple of large dressings.

The larger one as above but also - heavy duty scissors, glucose gel, alcohol hand gel, better resus mask, large field dressing, bandages, and blister plasters.

I also carry a very comprehesive FAK in my car gear up to deal with most situations, this kit containes the usual stuff plus - a foil blanket, Hi-Vis vest, eye wash, rescue knife, torch, large field dressings and resus mask etc...

I've added a few photo's

I work on the theory that I carry the kit and hope never to need to use it!

 

[commandocal]

I have the standard, red Lifesystems pocket first aid but i am going to get me a big gucci one for the mountains with all sorts of stuff

Current one has the basics plus
paracetomal
tea bag (best medicene about....)
looking to get some antiistamenes chemist wont let me get them since they think im gonna scratch an E into them and sell them for twice as much - lol
plaster tape

 

[spamel]

I had some of that synthi skin spray in a can stuff, and it worked brilliantly. I got it in Germany years ago. Of course, I hadn't been with the missus long and she really badly scraped her arm. We sprayed this stuff onto her, and she's a bit strange when it comes to medical treatment and she had a reaction to this stuff. The wound went all pussy and horrid!

I wouldn't mind finding some for my PFAK though, I know I am OK with it!