If you don't have a first aid kit, get one

[brewer12345]

I got a panicky call from my sister this morning. She had slipped on the ice while walking the dog and hit her head on the pavement. She did not make a lot of sense on the phone but she did tell me she was bleeding. I raced over there as fast as I could (she lives 10 or 15 minutes away) with my hunting pack because I could grab it quickly, I knew it had a decent first aid kit and stuff to deal with serious bleeding, and I knew that my sister and brother-in-law have none of this. As it turned out, I got there 30 seconds ahead of the ambulance and the bleeding was not bad (probably does not even have a concussion). But had she been bleeding out they would have not had the ability to do much about it.

You can buy a decent first aid kit and a quick clot for under $35 on Amazon. Every home should have this stuff.

 

[Beer-man]

Direct pressure with a towel is nearly free and does the job just as well. I hope she is ok

 

[OldShooter]

Adventure Medical (https://www.adventuremedicalkits.com/) is a good source for kits. I have an overkill flying survival kit that I put together for flying northern Canada. A big AM kit is at the center and I added quick clot, gel burn bandages, and a SAM splint (https://www.sammedical.com/products/sam-splint).

I also have a much smaller kit for commercial/pleasure travel. Again AM stuff plus the SAM splint and an Ace bandage. I put it together after my wife broke her foot in India and thankfully we've never had to use it since.

 

[steelyman]

I didn’t have a good basic kit so this is a good kick in the a$$ to get one for home and car before I get a real kick.

Thanks!

 

[brewer12345]

Direct pressure with a towel is nearly free and does the job just as well. I hope she is ok

For garden variety stuff, sure. Gunshot or chainsaw accident might be a different story.

 

[W2R]

Direct pressure with a towel is nearly free and does the job just as well. I hope she is ok

+1 on both!

Here's an anecdote about how direct pressure with a towel helped me:

A week after moving into my present house, I was carrying a basket of laundry out to the car (since I didn't have my washer and dryer installed yet). I tripped on a stair that I didn't know was there, went sailing, and landed on my concrete driveway, hitting my head quite hard in the middle to outer part of my left eyebrow.

Like most scalp wounds, it bled like you wouldn't believe. I grabbed a brown towel that had fallen from the laundry basket and applied pressure immediately, as I lay on the driveway, before even sitting up.

Good thing I did. Despite stemming the flow ASAP, I left a 1x2 foot spot of blood on the driveway. My clothes were soaked with blood as well, so much so that I ended up throwing away my light pink blouse. Head wounds are like that; it is incredible how much blood they produce! But anyway, pressure with the towel got it stopped. Then F helped me to get up, and helped me back inside, and we applied an ice pack to it.

I saw my doctor, and he had an xray done that showed nothing broken, but that was really all that I needed for follow-up. I did not have a concussion although I felt a little shaky and unsure for a week or two. I still have a scar there but it is not visible due to my eyebrow.

 

[mystang52]

I frequently go on my bicycle solo, and once in a while drive to a bike path that is less crowded. On a given weekday morning those paths have very few people. I have a first aid kit that I put together myself, in event I have a bad fall, that includes one of those blood clotting "sponges" and a whistle. I keep a duplicate kit in my car.

 

[Ronstar]

Thanks for the reminder. I need one for my backpack when hiking in wild areas. To include a comb to dislodge cholla cactus from flesh. And I could use a first aid kit in my workshop. With tons of bandaids. Constantly getting small cuts while woodworking.

 

[ERD50]

Yes, good reminder. Our first aid kits are probably from when the kids were in scouts.

Stuff like this can end up being far more important than the 3rd decimal place is our SWR, or trying to maximize ROTH conversions over LTCG @ 0%.

Will hit up Amazon in the AM and get some on order.

-ERD50

 

[Dawg52]

One night a few years ago I walked into a partially closed door when going to the bathroom. Cut me over an eye and I was bleeding like a badly beaten boxer. I thought I was going to have to go to ER for a moment but found some liquid bandaid. That stuff worked like a charm. Be sure to have some of that in your first aid kit.

 

[Sarah in SC]

I’ll throw in a plug for CERT classes if available in your area.

These are community emergency response team programs done at the county level. Ours is one evening a week for 8 weeks, is free, and you learn about basic search and rescue, first aid and triage, and other useful disaster training.

You also get a nifty big backpack full of first aid supplies plus gloves, flashlights, and a hard hat. Well worth it for those who want to be able to help injured folks. I added to mine and keep it in the car at all times.

Feminine pads and tampons are great additions to your blood stopping kit, in addition to clotting sponges and compression bandages.

 

[mystang52]

Yes, good reminder. Our first aid kits are probably from when the kids were in scouts.

Stuff like this can end up being far more important than the 3rd decimal place is our SWR, or trying to maximize ROTH conversions over LTCG @ 0%.

Will hit up Amazon in the AM and get some on order.

-ERD50

Before you order...make sure that kit has what you think you'll need. When I first shopped for such kits I found them lacking for my anticipated need in event of a cycling accident. They had a bunch of band aids, some antibiotic ointment, and Tylenol. I made my own kit, bout a small zippered pouch, and had what I needed. Bonus was that it cost me less than any kit.

 

[HFWR]

...some liquid bandaid...

You mean “beer”?

 

[OldShooter]

Before you order...make sure that kit has what you think you'll need. When I first shopped for such kits I found them lacking for my anticipated need ...

Yes. Many of the consumer kits I have seen boast "110 pieces" -- 90 safety pins and 20 band-aids. That is why I mentioned Adventure Medical. The last time I looked at their products it was all solid stuff, no fluff and very few safety pins..

Another solid citizen is here: Doc Blue's Family Medical Kit | Aeromedix I have met Brent Blue and he is the real deal. While you may not want a $300 kit like he sells, reading the text discussing the kit is probably a good investment.

Regardless of the kit, you will probably want to augment it for particular purposes. I already mentioned the SAM splint and the Ace bandage. Don't tell the feds, but I also carry Tylenol #3, which has codeine. It's left over from a couple of injuries where I actually didn't need it and, from reading, it has a pretty long shelf life.

Edit: Forgot to mention: Add a couple of small tubes of super glue. I have a friend who is an ER doc and they use it all the time to close up wounds. He thinks the fancy stuff he uses is no different than the Home Depot variety except for the medical pedigree and cost. Or you can buy the medical type, too.

 

[Sarah in SC]

Old Shooter, the splint is a great addition, and I also include three kinds of pain relievers: aspirin, acetaminophen, and ibuprofen, as well as glucose tablets. Cheap and easy to keep on hand.

I’m also taking training with an opioid overdose group which offers free Narcan to those who complete the program. I have no idea if I’ll ever have to use it, but I think it will be a good thing to have.

 

[Teacher Terry]

When we used to hike in the mountains we always had a kit. Once my husband’s sweatshirt got caught in a saw and cut his wrist. I wrapped a towel around it and drove to urgent care. He didn’t need to wait.

 

[aja8888]

Good thread! Timely and informative.

Thirty years working in oilfield assignments (middle of nowhere) taught me to "Be Prepared". We have a decent first aid kit in each car, my pickup, and in the house.

 

[Scrapr]

When we used to hike in the mountains we always had a kit. Once my husband’s sweatshirt got caught in a saw and cut his wrist. I wrapped a towel around it and drove to urgent care. He didn’t need to wait.

You loosened the towel as you walked in right? They trend to get you right back when blood is dripping on the entrance desk

2 years ago I slipped on our short steepish driveway on some ice. It is an alley load without a lot of traffic. As I had hit my head I lay there thinking I might be out here for a while unless I can get up & in. I did after a few moments laying there. I slipped on it again this am @3:00 am too. This time I just slipped to my knees. Maybe I need Life Alert? I'll ask Pat Boone

 

[Sunset]

We have 4 kits, as needed to blow some FSA money at retirement.
They have turned out pretty handy, and while they are only lousy consumer grade ones, we added some extras like real medical tape, patches, syringes, cloth bandages, more alcohol wipes, Imodium, sea sick pills, etc.

My pet peeve with first aid kits is the plastic bandages that come off when you wash, I like the cloth bandages that stay on for days.

 

[jollystomper]

Thirty years working in oilfield assignments (middle of nowhere) taught me to "Be Prepared". We have a decent first aid kit in each car, my pickup, and in the house.

+1

We have them in each car and one on each floor in the house. I also have a smaller kit with me in the "great outdoors" - hiking, biking, playing golf, etc. Nothing major has happened, but even for cuts and scrapes it is very helpful to take care of them right away. Amazed at how others will look at you like a hero for being able to provide basic aid for those things.

 

[Philliefan33]

Sometimes a first aid kit comes in handy for repairs. Last year we used bandaids to secure a broken spoke on a bike ride.

I now carry a hank of duct tape in my first aid kit.

 

[brewer12345]

I keep a roll of blaze Orange duct tape in the truck. Works like the regular.stuff, plus I can mark the end of stuff that hangs over the end of the pickup bed when hauling. Have also slapped some on a hunting companion who forgot his vest.

 

[Nick12]

Add to your first aid or survival kit, ready to eat items. A guy and his dog survived on a few packets of Taco Bell hot sauce when their vehicle was stranded in the snow for several days.