UL bare bones 1st aid kit...

[case]

I have a good sized, well thought out kit that I take hiking on longer trips and overnights.
Recently I've been trying to put together a very small kit for caving, running and quick hikes. Basically something I can grab on the spur of the moment and go.
A couple of friends, one a doctor and another a SAR veteran who spends most of his free time in the woods, have both recommended the following:

-OTC pain meds.
-duct tape
-med tape
-a few large gauze pads
-a standard gauze roll
-a Kerlix gauze roll
-mini-BIC lighter

They say that this will be enough stop bleeding or take care of a sprain. Wrapping the tape around the pill bottle I can make the kit fit in a very small container.

Are there any more "essentials" that I should add?

[adrenaline503]

A pair of medical scissors.
I like a bottle of sterile saline for flushing.

[Martyn]

I'd suggest QuickClot blood coagulant.

I use a Field Trauma Kit, I take it everywhere with me.

We have a video on it here http://www.adventuretrailers.com/accessories.html and list of it's contents here http://www.adventuretrailers.com/fieldtraumalist.html

It may give you some ideas of a few other essentials to bring along.

[SunTzuNephew]

How UL do you want to be? How much training do you have?

You can make saline for irrigation with a level teaspoon of table salt in a quart of water - it's remarkably close to 0.9% by weight, just like the real stuff. BTW, there isn't much evidence that saline flushing is better than plain (clean) water flushing...Or adding povidone-iodine (Betadine (tm)) helps much either.

The lighter is something you should be carrying anyway (firestarting aid, one of the 10 essentials). Scissors can be part of a SAK or multitool. Duct tape might be something you carry routinely as well.

I'd put some 'combat gauze' in, for difficult to stop bleeding. A modern design tourniquet wouldn't be a bad idea. For medical tape 1" athletic tape is pretty good, waterproof and durable. It can be used to tape sprains as well.

A couple of foil packs of antibiotic ointment? A chest seal? Plain old bandaids? A Spenco blister kit? Tiny bottle of hand sanitizer? Elastic (Ace) Bandage? A large metal paper clip, to trepan a mashed fingernail (heated with your lighter).

[TACODOC]

I'm a HUGE fan of Coban. Many uses ;)

[Jnich77]

I have a good sized, well thought out kit that I take hiking on longer trips and overnights.
Recently I've been trying to put together a very small kit for caving, running and quick hikes. Basically something I can grab on the spur of the moment and go.
A couple of friends, one a doctor and another a SAR veteran who spends most of his free time in the woods, have both recommended the following:

-OTC pain meds.
-duct tape
-med tape
-a few large gauze pads
-a standard gauze roll
-a Kerlix gauze roll
-mini-BIC lighter

They say that this will be enough stop bleeding or take care of a sprain. Wrapping the tape around the pill bottle I can make the kit fit in a very small container.

Are there any more "essentials" that I should add?

Ace bandage, to make a pressure dressing.

[Jnich77]

I'd put some 'combat gauze' in, for difficult to stop bleeding. A modern design tourniquet wouldn't be a bad idea. For medical tape 1" athletic tape is pretty good, waterproof and durable. It can be used to tape sprains as well.



CAT Tourniquet's go everywhere with me: http://www.combattourniquet.com/

As for "combat gauze", it's nice... but a roll of gauze and a ace bandage can do the same job in a pinch.

[Jnich77]

I'd suggest QuickClot blood coagulant.

I use a Field Trauma Kit, I take it everywhere with me.

We have a video on it here http://www.adventuretrailers.com/accessories.html and list of it's contents here http://www.adventuretrailers.com/fieldtraumalist.html

It may give you some ideas of a few other essentials to bring along.

What version of quick clot do you guys use?

[Martyn]

What version of quick clot do you guys use?

We use the QuikClot Sport in the Field Trauma Kit

[Jnich77]

We use the QuikClot Sport in the Field Trauma Kit

Lol... I kind of figured that one ;-). What generation of quik clot? Is it the powder, or the granules? If its the first generation I would not use it unless absolutely nothing else worked to stop arterial bleeding.

EDIT* never mind just googled it... its the "dummy proof version"...lol

[Martyn]

Lol... I kind of figured that one ;-). What generation of quik clot? Is it the powder, or the granules? If its the first generation I would not use it unless absolutely nothing else worked to stop arterial bleeding.

EDIT* never mind just googled it... its the "dummy proof version"...lol

We try to use 100% dummy proof products, the end results are much better :elkgrin:

[Jnich77]

We try to use 100% dummy proof products, the end results are much better :elkgrin:

Yeah.. I got a little scared when quikclot was brought up. Back when it first came out it was a powder and was a very last ditch effort to stop the bleeding due to the nasty side effects. I was going to crap my pants if the civilian world started using that version...lmao


The one you use is cool because you can either pack the wound and hold pressure, or you can tear it open and pour it in and get a better results. As long as you knwo how to use it, the new versions are great.

[SunTzuNephew]

What version of quick clot do you guys use?

The combat gauze version: http://www.z-medica.com/products/quikclot-combat-gauze.asp

Or the ACS: http://www.z-medica.com/products/quikclot_ACSplus.asp

[Jnich77]

The combat gauze version: http://www.z-medica.com/products/quikclot-combat-gauze.asp

Or the ACS: http://www.z-medica.com/products/quikclot_ACSplus.asp

I am a big fan of the gauze... not so much of the sponge. I do like how they have the gauze displayed improperly...lol. You put it in your arm pit and pull it from the inside and pack the wound... not the outside...lol.

[Hltoppr]

I use the WMI/NOLS restock kit if I'm going light...simple and cheap.
http://www.nols.edu/store/product.php?productid=16451&cat=282&page=1

Otherwise...duct tape and ibuprophen.

-H-

[Jnich77]

I use the WMI/NOLS restock kit if I'm going light...simple and cheap.
http://www.nols.edu/store/product.php?productid=16451&cat=282&page=1

Otherwise...duct tape and ibuprophen.

-H-


You forgot superglue...lol

[Spikepretorius]

I carry cling wrap in my kit. It can be very handy

[Jnich77]

I carry cling wrap in my kit. It can be very handy

...lol. Its one heck of an occlusive dressing.

[case]

I use the WMI/NOLS restock kit if I'm going light...simple and cheap.
http://www.nols.edu/store/product.php?productid=16451&cat=282&page=1

Otherwise...duct tape and ibuprophen.

-H-

How small is that package? I can't tell from the pics in the link.