Over the counter first aid kit.

[Andy B]

Just wondering if any of you guys have ever bought a first aid kit complete, from Life systems from example?

I am wondering what kit to choose or maybe a list on what you include in your would be excellent, guidance is allwasy good.

Cheers

 

[Hawkram]

Hi Andy, I've got a Lifesystems " OUTDOOR " first aid kit. It's quite a comprehensive package. Comes in a red zipped case, contains what you would expect in an emergency kit, the usual plasters, bandages, tape, anti-septic wipes, scissors, tweezers and in case you have overindulged the night before a box of paracetamol. The shop I got mine from carried the full range, from the very basic kit up to a kit that I can only think would have to be bought by a paramedic.
I checked out most of them ( not the paramedic one ) and I reckon the Outdoor one is about the best of the bunch.
Hope this helps you.

John.

 

[Tumper]

I also have the life venture outdoors, and it's a very good kit Field and trek stock them,



I add syndol painkillers, micropore tape, glucose tablets, and a small plastic dropper bottle of TCP.

http://www.fieldandtrek.com/ft1/cat...&mscssid=F03SC41SHLM09HBKPR12X6FKQMVX70R5

 

[ChrisKavanaugh]

Look over our medical kit review @ www.equipped.org Every line has it's pros and cons; be it packaging, quantity etc. Sometimes buying a basic kit and adding your own additional essentials is a cheap route. As in everything, even a basic kit goes a long way when illness or injury comes. We have two MDs and many medical people at our forum. Do a search sometime. Their comments on several questions have been very insightfull.

 

[Andy]

a good thing about putting your own togeather is you know just what you have in it, which you might not in a genral first aid kit. you also know just where the items are so that you get to them faster when you need them.

 

[Pathos]

Hi all
I have the Lifesystems compact kit. Seemed good value and, er well, compact! I've added my own needs to it and replaced and taken out stuff not wanted.
Good idea to check contents every 6 months or so as pills go out of date, etc.

Paul

 

[dave750gixer]

The first aid and medical advice over at equipped.com is very good. I would recomend it to anyone to read. Just remember the American to English translations e.g adhesive dressing = plaster.

I have bought two of the Lifesystems kits. The pocket one for my jacket pocket and the Mountain Leader one. I have changed both of them out of all recognition over time but they do give a reasonable basis for a kit. Likewise the Boots kit I bought for my partners car. You can use them as is and over time remove anything you dont use and add more of the things you do. A complete listing of whats in my kits now (its amazing what you can cram in) is on the BritishBlades forums. No idea how to provide a link its in the what do you carry in an altoid tin thread. Be warned most people seemed to think my first aid kits were on the excessive side.

 

[Gary]

Stuarts the man to speak to re - first Aid - however I think you'll be hard pressed to find the perfect kit for you. All kits (and life systems are good ones) would benefit from tweaking.

By this I mean take out items you dont know how to use and include items you do. Further more create a kit that will work in the enviroment your going into.

For bushcraft you should have a small cuts kit you can have with you at all times and then a slightly bigger kit for you pack when your hiking. For small cuts I usually just carry a medium dressing and a few plasters and some antispetic.

 

[Ed]

I like gary carry a small cuts kit but I also carry a blister kit in my jacket pocket containing some mole skin foam and a couple of hydocollide dressings that are so... so soothing on burst blisters.


Ed

 

[ditchfield]

I carry the Coghlans FAKII. It is in a curved yellow telescoping container which fits perfectly in a pocket. Of course I have added to it but again, its a good basis.

 

[Stuart]

nomad also make some good first aid kits

I have yet to find a perfect first aid kit so I pack my own
there are some good ones out there but they will always need adding too

 

[FGYT]

I have never bought an of the shelf Jobby because they never seem to have the right stuff. its either pointless or usless

Thing to remeber is what DO you define as a First aid kit i.e what do you expect to go to it for
I think of it as an emergency kit ie only to be used when absolutly ness

Things like Headache tabs and Imodium etc are not something i carry as part of a First aid kit these are in my Travel kit for more every day use

I find also that 4-5 Good triangular Bandages serve better than the selection of naff bandages you get with most small Shop 1st aid kits


ATB

Duncan

 

[Adi007]

I'd say that as a minimum in the outdoors, carry a shell dressing because if you cut something important, you migt just need it! And don't trust some of the commercial dressing you find ... when I had my axe-ident I unwrapped one only to find the bandage wrapped around the reessing and having to unwrap it before use (and guess what, the dressing end hit the floor :roll: ).

Plasters and antiseptic wipes are handy too ...

 

[phaserrifle]

I'd say that as a minimum in the outdoors, carry a shell dressing because if you cut something important, you migt just need it! And don't trust some of the commercial dressing you find ... when I had my axe-ident I unwrapped one only to find the bandage wrapped around the reessing and having to unwrap it before use (and guess what, the dressing end hit the floor :roll: ).

same thing applies to the army issue ones in my experience.

 

[rik_uk3]

When you have done a first aid course, you can make up a FAK you are confident in using safely.

 

[leon-1]

same thing applies to the army issue ones in my experience.

FFD's are normally folded inside the paper wrapper, when you open them it exposes the inside of the dressing and the attached bandages should then concertina out.

Medic's always used to be taught to carry extra Crepe bandages to go over the top as sometimes the ones that come with the dressing itself aren't long enough.

 

[Tourist]

The new FFD, called the Israeli bandage by some, is pretty good. It has a non-adherant pad to go directly on the wound, plenty of stretcht bandage, a closure bar to increase the direct pressure and a closure bar to keep the completed dressing in place.

http://www.firstcareproducts.com/

As Leon said medics used to whang on a stretchy crepe bandage but this one is stretchy in itself. You can use a Coban self adherant elastic dressing over the FFD as extra support.

http://solutions.3m.co.uk/wps/porta...U5230GE3E02LECFTDQ0CJ3_command=AbcPageHandler

Both these items are used by military medics.

I have no association with either company.

 

[pothunter]

I have added a label to the outside of my FAK listing expiray dates of all contents (drugs and dressings) so that it can be updated as required. Not my idea but useful anyway.

Pothunter.

 

[verloc]

I have added a label to the outside of my FAK listing expiray dates of all contents (drugs and dressings) so that it can be updated as required. Not my idea but useful anyway.

Pothunter.

Thats a really sensible idea and I do it too - we have a similar system in place here in the surgery for the GP's grab bags and home visit bags, makes checking them quick and easy - as long as you trust the person to keep the list up-to-date (which in our case we do - a very good Health Care Assistant).

One other thing - and I know this sounds really basic but I'm gonna say it anyway, make sure it is clearly marked as a FAK so that other people can grab it quickly if they need too. The last thing you want is someone wasting time if an accident happens because they need to go through sharps/tool/brew etc etc ktis all in black or OG pouches.

Sorry - realised that I kinda skewed the topic a little there - and the answer ... I have always put my own FAK together, it makes a lot more sense to me if I have chosen and packed it myself.

 

[Minotaur]

Make my own up, to be honest.

A lot of stuff they put in them I have never used, and I also want different numbers of things.

My kit also expands as I become aware of different stuff, and do different courses.

I want to get to the point I can do the Wilderness EMT, which will change it again.

The big thing to consider is what is it for?

Is it for your own use?

Is it for first aid use, so to get you to second aid?

I have added a label to the outside of my FAK listing expiray dates of all contents (drugs and dressings) so that it can be updated as required. Not my idea but useful anyway.

Pothunter.

Going to nick that idea.