• Happy Weed Appreciation Day! 🌱🌿🌻

first aid kit

depends on what I'm doing- I've got 4 different kits, one for family camping, one for canoeing, one for winter, and one for hiking plus car and home kits.
The canoeing kit contains all the basics (band-aids, tape, pads, etc.) plus a few specifics because medical aid could be days away, such as a surgical stapler, forceps, splint and padding (part of the pouch) waterproof wound dressings, burn gel, hand crème, iodine (can double as water treatment), neoprene gloves (to cover those bandages),antibiotics, painkillers, aspirin, anti-histamines, and muscle relaxants.
My hiking kit is a lot smaller and contains the basics, plus an air splint, extra knuckle bandages (good for toes, blisters, or anywhere a normal bandage won't stay),ace bandage moleskin, Betadine, muscle relaxants, pain killers, and tick tweezers.
The winter kit again contains all the basics, plus hand warmers, 2 space blankets, Vaseline (dry skin, chapped lips, fire starter) and a couple of high carb snacks and cup-a-soups (energy boost for mild hypothermia).
Every trip, the kit is modified to suit the expected activity and conditions; for instance in the north, with it's knife edged granite I add more bandaging materials than I'd carry in the great lakes region with it's smoother limestone, but I'd add tick tweezers in the south.
My kits may sound like overkill, but I do a lot of tripping with kids and inexperienced people who are more prone to injury, But the most important tool in the kit is TRAINING! without it you could bring a whole hospital's worth of stuff and it all would be useless.
 
Yes yes yes Training. You dont need to overdo things with kits. I take an ammo pouch sized kit with bandages and several drugs...Tylenol, cold pills, polysporin, alcohol wipes, afterbite. Look to treat more of the day to day small injuries since that is what you will get. Make sure you have sun screen and aloe.

Any really serious injuries are going to be a problem even if you have training. Stabilise, get help, let the professionals transport the casualty. Having a well thought out evac plan before you go will pay off in those situations.

Christy
 
can't understate training...the primary element in any preparation. might be worthwhile to look into wilderness first aid courses -- the focus on most first aid courses is stabilize for transport -- often in wilderness situations help is hours or days away and a more in-depth approach is required. in these days of spot, the long-term risks are diminished, but not eliminated.
 
I am putting back together my 'day bag' from having it scattered in all directions this summer by other needs and users. I mostly base camp and spend a better part of the day out on the water or trail.

Here is what I typicallly carry. First aid kit, fire starter, waterproof matches, small tarp and emergency bivy bag, bushcrafter type knife or small hatchet. Two water bottles plus a few tabs of aqua fixxer. Waterproof poncho, 200wt fleece vest, hat (obviously when I am out I am wearing additional gear like gloves, warm hat, etc when needed), 35'+ small line, sunblock for summer or winter, shades, snacks for the day +, LED flashlight and one extra battery, area map & compass, folding stick stove, cup and tea, HC or coffee and/or instant soup and a square of blue foam pad to sit on.

And then things get seasonally adjusted from there or activity adjusted... Sounds like alot to most of my friends, (many of whom day trip with almost nothing and have come to rely on my stashes... but it's all good and mostly gets used just day in and day out.

What better to stop and have a hot brew up on a cool, wet or windy day...? The hot drink or soup and extra candy or granola bar is the end of the day incentive to hang out and stay out another hour. The poncho and small tarp let me set up a quick shelter when a rain comes through that would send most of us back to camp and better shelter... More winter like temps will see me add in some handwarmers (or a Zippo style fuel heater), change the vest to a puffy jacket and double down on the drinks and soups. In summer, add in a small towel and a floppy hat for sun, maybe a water bottle cozy if I have ice in camp.

I'll generally also have a magazine or paperback along w MP3 and headphones to take my leisure at lunch or a stop. Compact binocs too.

Plus I have one of those little card books with what to do in this or that emergency (need to take a refresher CPR and first aid course...been 15 years or so).

Been thinking about a Spot or other device to have in that pack on every trip.

Am curious as to what others bring on their day adventures on water or on land?

(I have gone through several generations of space blankets, bivy saks, etc and while I have never used one for me...I have pulled them out on average every two years or so for others who have not planned so well or had an upset on the water and were not properly prepared.) Just sayin'.

Obligatory Story: Two summers ago, got shore bound for 6+ hours while sea kayaking in Homer AK. With wife. Anniversary too (big one, 25 years)...seas and wind were rough...decided to sit it out, could almost see our camp from this shore. Boring... but no matter, we had VHF radio, strobe, extra clothes in dry bag, full meal/snack and all of the other stuff that was needed to wait it out. The ride home was HAIRY and exhausting and I was worse for the physical effort and mental strain... even then, I should have just waited it out for another two hours or so, I think my ego got in the way. Wasn't dark until about 11pm.

But I was very reasonably prepared for conditions. I am humbled about other memories from this place.

DSCF8327.JPG
 
Back
Top