Post by: Loyalist Dave on May 24, 2012, 09:03:10 AM
I have had to put together several first aid kits both for myself, and a few for reenactment units. I call them "treatment kits" as I have found that small, commercially available, first aid kits come two ways..., those for cuts and burns, and military ones that are for plugging holes in folks. When I write "small" I mean in a container that is about 3" x 6" x 3" or so. Even medium sized kits of about 6" x 8" x 4" seem to be just larger versions of the smaller ones for cuts and burns. It's not until you get to the really large kits, the kind that alone would fill a haversack, that you find supplies for bee stings, bug bites, and blisters. In fact I just checked the one at my office, and it's just a big kit for all sorts of cuts.
Coupled with that is the fact the kits rarely have room for anything but what they have stocked from the manufacturer. So if you wanted to add a couple of small packets of burn cream, anti-biotic cream, or topical antiseptic, and some moleskin, you can't. Not to mention OTC meds.
Has anybody else found this problem?
So what I end up assembling, is a kit that can be used to treat cuts and burns, but also stings, bug bites, blisters, plus OTC meds such as aspirin, ibuprofen, antihistamine, and pepto bismal tablets. I mean I don't want to drive several hours, burn vacation time, just to turn around when I get there for symptoms of some "bug" or the green-apple-quickstep hit. Not to mention getting stung.
(OK so maybe I have bad Karma)
So the point of this thread..., have you needed to prepare a better all-around-kit as I have for trekking and living history, and do you as I do, wish you could buy a more well rounded kit that is better at supplying the needs of more than just cuts, scrapes, and burns? Perhaps, because of expiration dates, a kit not stocked with OTC meds, but how about extra room so the buyer can add what they feel is needed??
OR..., am I just looking in the wrong places, and can you suggest some kit provider that has a well rounded one with extra room?
LD
Post by: pathfinder on May 24, 2012, 11:31:59 AM
I put together a couple of kit's for myself. The one in my haversack for trekking fit's into the Ted Cash "Tobacco Tin". It has a small tube of triple anibiotic ointment,a couple of fabric band-aid's,and 2 day's of MY daily med's,and some surgicle tape. In my "Redezvouse" box,everything needed to do up to trach's is in it,it pretty big!
With most of my kit for trekking,the gear you have can serve for most but the most serious of injurie's. Plenty of fabric for binding wound's and plugging hole's,small diameter hemp rope for tieing off thing's that need tying off,ect.....
For me,the most important is a good triple antibiotic ointment is THE most important item. getting a small cut or srape infected due to not having this small easily carried and concealed item with you seem's dumb.
I suppose my reason for being rather obsesed with 3AO is the same as my being OCD about my fire kit's,(I have at least 2 on me at all times),is from my early reading of history. Most death's "back in the day"was from simple infection. The Bess ball entering your body,if it didnt hit anything important,would drag dirty cloth and dirt with it,along with the residue from the ball itself,and start growing all those dirty little bug's that will cause intense pain and a protracted death,eventually! (the fire kit's is from a story about a guy in the mid 1700's surviving over a month in the Rainey river country with nothing but his fire steel with him!). Even a stick from a Thornapple thorn can infect and cause a lot of distress,real fast. If treated with 3AO,I haven't had it get hot,not once!
Death by miss-adventure IS H/C=P/C! There are many many way's to hide your modern first aid stuff in a totally authentic way. No matter how you do it,DO IT!
Post by: rickevans on May 24, 2012, 02:12:39 PM
Post by: Ironhand on May 24, 2012, 11:09:32 PM
http://www.galls.com/style-FK718-genera ... st-aid-kit (http://www.galls.com/style-FK718-general_catalog-dyna-med-fanny-pack-first-aid-kit)
Ironhand
Post by: Sean McKown on May 24, 2012, 11:59:46 PM
the one that is always in my vehicle is in a big orange "ammo can" with a red cross painted on it. everything from a headache to multiple gunshot wounds is covered by this.
I pray it never happens, but we are almost always at a range of some sort, so that type of wound is roughly 25% of the kit.
unfortunatly its in a modern pouch(with a redcross patch sewn on it) is a smaller version of the above, with 2 army trauma dressings.
I also have 2 of those in pouches on my tac vest, 1 accesable from the front, the other in a pouch on the back that others may access.
Post by: Riley/MN on May 25, 2012, 09:11:50 AM
Post by: pathfinder on May 25, 2012, 09:50:22 AM
How and what do you all carry when Trekkin' or at rendezvous?
Holy cr**,I just learned how to use the color thing! LOOK OUT WORLD!!!!
Post by: rickevans on May 25, 2012, 02:06:24 PM
Post by: pathfinder on May 26, 2012, 08:50:01 AM
Post by: Ironhand on May 26, 2012, 11:40:50 AM
Post by: Rev on July 09, 2012, 02:22:21 PM
Post by: Riley/MN on July 09, 2012, 06:29:06 PM
Quote from: "Rev"
I have two. A large one in the truck that will handle just about anything, & a smaller one in camp that fits exactly in a haversack marked with a red cross. The contents inside are in a pair of watertight high impact plastic boxes & is left outside in plain view 24/7. Almost any smaller injury can be handled with it, more serious injuries require a run to the truck (drive back, it's quicker even if its not PC. An injury requiring the big kit means for the time being we quit pretending to be mountain men & take care of the injury.) So far we have been lucky enough not to need the big bag, but when you are miles from anywhere with no cell phone connection it pays to be prepared.
Post by: Gordon H.Kemp on July 10, 2012, 01:26:11 PM
All thing being equal , education is one of the most important items you can take in the wilds along with your kit . If you don,t feel secure in your abilitys . It would be best to carry your cell phone.
:USA
Post by: Auldgoat on May 15, 2014, 10:52:32 PM
Carry a yd of cotton for patches, cleaning, and bandage material/sling;
Cumin for indigestion;
Cloves for toothache;
Salt- make a paste for bites/stings;
- with warm water for sore throat and mouth burns;
- hot salt water for poison ivy;
- cleans teeth;
Sugar- sprinkle in wounds to aid with healing;
- fire starter;
Honey- to cover wounds, also aids in healing;
Cattail sap- for toothache; antiseptic;
Egg whites- to treat burns - first soak burned area in cold water, pat dry, then coat with egg whites repeatedly. (the collagen builds up repairing tissue;
Witchhazel- for sore muscles;
Basswood (Linden) flowers dried for tea - cures disorders of colds,fever,cough,migraine,diuretic,sedative, etc;
Sassafras- Tea is diuretic.
Willow bark (inner)- make a tea for headaches.
Privet berries- emetic;
Powdered charcoal- can reduce the effects of mild poisoning;
Baking Soda- relieves indigestion,toothpaste;
etc, etc.
As always, some of these are carcinogenic if used to excess. Use with caution. These I have used with no ill effects.
Will
Post by: snake eyes on May 16, 2014, 12:58:25 PM
Quote from: "Ironhand"
What ever you carry your kit in I would strongly suggest that it be on your person rather than in your bag or pack. A kit that is in your pack, back in camp, will do you no good when you tumble down a hill on the way to the stream for water. I carry my kit in a belt bag. That way it is always on me.
Ironhand,
Good suggestion! Something to put in those large pockets in my camo pants.
I have not seen it mentioned by name,but I always have peroxide
with me.
snake-eyes
Post by: LeeRoy on May 17, 2014, 08:46:58 AM
LeeRoy
Post by: huntinguy on May 18, 2014, 11:33:48 AM
Quote from: "Ironhand"
What ever you carry your kit in I would strongly suggest that it be on your person rather than in your bag or pack. A kit that is in your pack, back in camp, will do you no good when you tumble down a hill on the way to the stream for water. I carry my kit in a belt bag. That way it is always on me.
I have just engrained into myself NEVER to step away from the truck or camp without my survival kit (and my first-aid kit is part of that). I am allergic to bees and there is a strong possibility that just getting into the pack, let alone going to get it, might be all the time I have. But, that is very excellent advice.
contents:
antibiotic ointment, various band-aids, small micro cloth, meds, magnifier, mirror, matches (I have those every packed in everything -paranoid like Pathfinder), and when I hunt I add... a few "lady" things
. That's kinda the minimum I carry.
Post by: Loyalist Dave on October 29, 2014, 08:54:19 AM
Tube of 3AO
dressings/bandaids/butterfly closures
1 oz. Campho Phenique liquid (topical disinfectant. Good for burns & bites & poison ivy)
Small swiss army knife (has tweezers)
small tube of liquid tears
New skin liquid (good for blisters and odd scratches and cuts where normal bandaids don't work)
tin of antiseptic salve
Ibuprofen tablets (12 @ 200 mg ea.)
Anti-diarrhea pills (4)
Antihistamine pills (4) type that won't raise blood pressure. Good for stuffy nose and to buy time if a person gets an unexpected allergic reaction.
I used it last weekend for another living history person who had a sudden headache. Plus myself, as I found that I need to hike more and to get in shape before going on a jaunt through the woods. Didn't bother me so much when "jaunting"... the next morning though OUCH.
LD