What should be in the first aid kit?

[forestgnome]

What are the contents of an ideal hiker's first aid kit?

I'd especially like to hear from our SAR/med tech members.

Thanks

 

[1ADAM12]

This is mine

Bandaids
duct tape
pencil/pen
matches
emergency blanket
first aid cream
pen flashlight
mirror


I think that is all I have in mine. I cannot wait to hear some more responses so I can improve mine

Great Thread!!!!!!

 

[Sara]

Our First Aid Kit is a work in progress, but this is what it currently contains:

epi-pen (ADacKr is allergic to bees)
trail candy (Advil)
mole skin
small role of medical tape
packets of antibacterial goo
various sized bandages
antihystemines
couple tablets of immodium
tweezers
fingernail clippers

for long thru hikes we add a packet of emergency rehydration crystals

 

[Maddy]

"Blister" bandaids (I now use these for everything).
Moleskin foam and moleskin ( use this a fair amoun't).
ACE WRAP (this has been what I have used the most).
Vial of medical "superglue" (this can be used when you have a wound that needs to be sutured or you could use tape strips to approximate edges of wound).
1 kerlix roll to bandage a large wound
1 dog boot in the event pooch hurts pad
Betadine antiseptic swabs - very small tube neosporin ointment
Motrin or Naprosyn
Water purifying tablets (never thought I would use these but they came in really handy when we met up with a lost hiker who was suffering from hyperthermia. There was water nearby).
Windproof/waterproof matches.
Duct tape or special hospital tape (real sticky stuff)
Eye wash ( I have needed this several times for insect repellent that got in my eye and last summer for a foreign body).
Leatherman tool!
I carry all this in a ziploc bag so it doesn't get wet.

 

[Jaytrek57]

An "ideal" first aid kit would magically produced whatever you needed for any situation.

Well this is mine when I take the kids I work with on trips, usually a group of 8. FWIW, I am a WFR.

med forms
participants meds (if applicable)
pocket mask
4 pair latex gloves
assorted bandages, band-aids, gauze pads
2 pre-made cravats
2 pads moleskin
assorted alcohol wipes, hydrocortisone
small bottle of liquid soap
8-10 aspirin, ibuprofen, pepto, Tylenol (2 separate film canisters)
epi-pen
2 zip-locks (2 gallon)
trash bag

Items in my “utility” sack (small sack) compliment my first-aid kit. Duct tape, Swiss army knife, para-cord…etc. One thing you do learn is that most of what you carry can be used in emergency situations (splints, etc.).

Peace.

 

[percious]

Other things that are good:

Burn Cream.
Alcohol pads.
Bacitracin.
"Under" the counter Pain Killers for overnighters. (See your doctor)

Wally's sells a pretty good first aide kit for about $10.

Add some extra band-aides, an ace bandage and some extra mole-skin, and you have a pretty good kit.

-percious

 

[MEB]

In addition to what is already listed my first aid kit also has:

antibiotic ointment
butterfly band aids
big band aids
ace bandage
iodine swabs
alka seltzer
siccors
first aid handbook
tylenol & advil
gause
benadryle

I think there's more stuff but this is all I can think of right now.

-MEB

 

[Chip]

Our First Aid Kit is a work in progress, but this is what it currently contains:

epi-pen (ADacKr is allergic to bees)

Three years ago I took the Wilderness First Responder course. They spent some time reviewing Epipens. Last fall I had my first allergic reaction to a bee sting. I was home and got to the emergency room quickly. If I was in the woods this could have been fatal. I have "completed" the desensitization shots with an allergist, but will continue to carry Epipens, regardless. An unexpected allergic reaction is one of the easiest things in the woods to die from or "cure" if you are carrying Benedryl and Epipens.

 

[linehant]

Yeah. Yeah. Good thread.

Quick question before listing my kit(s)... what store sells the medical super glue? I've been looking for that stuff.

I have two med kits. The little one is always with me. The big one goes on longer trips in the back-country (not the Whites) as a supplement to the little one.

Little
- Various sizes of bandages
- Bandaid Blister Block (2 sizes)
- Ibuprofen
- Immodium
- Claritin, etc.
- Anti-nausea
- Anti-bacterial wipes
- Molefoam
- Small amount of duct tape
- Alcohol wipes
- Needle

Big
- Bandage roll
- Ace bandage
- Sam Splint
- Cravats (2)
- Nitrile gloves (3 pair)
- Oxycodone
- Abdominal pads (2)
- Molefoam
- Blister Block
- Space blanket type bag

The knife I always carry has scissors and tweezers. And there's always a headlamp in the pack.

 

[ripple]

Crazy glue is a must for med kits.

 

[Quack]

....piiillllllls are gooooooood.....

One thing I haven't seen above, that I carry, is a CPR face shield. Not the big ones that lifeguards use, but one of the collapsible ones that folds up on a key chain. I've done / seen enough rescue breathing and CPR to know that you really don't want to be face to face with a person after their first unassisted breath, without some sort of mask. Think exorcist....

 

[RGF1]

Three years ago I took the Wilderness First Responder course. They spent some time reviewing Epipens. Last fall I had my first allergic reaction to a bee sting. I was home and got to the emergency room quickly. If I was in the woods this could have been fatal. I have "completed" the desensitization shots with an allergist, but will continue to carry Epipens, regardless. An unexpected allergic reaction is one of the easiest things in the woods to die from or "cure" if you are carrying Benedryl and Epipens.

Good Point Chip also do not forget any of your perscibed medcations and a day or two extra just in case. . If like me you have a medical condtion it is a good idea to wear a medic alert tag on your neck or wrist. That way they are aware of your condtion and will be careful not ot give you a drug that can cuase a reaction with what ever you take .I have My MDs name and # on it along with other info in case of a emegrency . A Hiking partner might be to uspet to mention a condtion to the responders or not even think of it.

 

[Rick]

I generally keep 2 first aid kits that I take depending on the trip length and time of year, much in the way that Linehant does - In fact, very similar.

I now go through my first aid kit every spring and replace expired meds and older bandages (especially after a damp summer in a pack). When I first started backpacking, I bought a small kit that I kept for about 3 years and never opened. I was amazed at how old some of the stuff was the first time I decided to go through it - especially the old decrepit band-aids and the moleskin that lost it's stickiness.

I also keep a small bottle of visine to use as an irrigator for cuts - It is useful in forcing a jet stream of filtered water on a scrape to get dirt out.

I usually also keep 3-4 throat lozenges or butterscotch candies in the event of either brutal cold winter air or sore throat.

 

[Stan]

I carry my "basics" in three clear freezer bags. I do guide some trips and carry in anticipation of others' needs, including what I might come across on the trail, as well as my own.

One bag is for "meds" which I think has been pretty well listed above but I would add anti-acids and iodine tablets if they were aren't already covered.

Check the expiration dates on your "meds" ... some of which are seldom if ever used but if they are needed, they can save a trip (like the one time the immodium plus came in handy). Small containers, sample or travel size, save space and it's nice to have a variety of, say, aspirin and I carry ibuprofen, excedrin and bayer because some people may be sensitive to one or another.

I have a prescription for an epi-pen but would fill it only if I'm aware that someone I'm hiking with may need it and doesn't carry their own.

Another bag is for hard goods like bandaids, tape, etc.

The third bag is "survival" stuff: space blanket, candle, windproof matches, whistle, etc.

Oh, and I keep the TP in a plastic snack bag.

All this stuff and a few miscellaneous items like a fleece handband and gloves/liners fit nicely in the small pocket of my fanny pack.

Scrapes/cuts and sprained ankles account for most of the wilderness first aid needs so being prepared to deal with them is adviseable as a minimum.

 

[Grumpy]

Here’s what I’ve carried in my first aid kit, for years:

+ Assorted Bandaids
+ Assorted Gauze Pads
+ Gauze Roll
+ Bandage Tape
+ Antiseptic Creme
+ Burn Ointment
+ Moleskin Sheet
+ Analgesic Tabs (Ibuprofen)
+ Antacid Tabs
+ Scrip Meds (including painkillers)
+ Elastic (Ace) Bandage
+ Anti-Bacterial Hand Cleaner

In my hiking experience I’ve found use for every item in the kit, and never yet found it wanting.

The most used item has been burn ointment, especially when I did a lot of overnight and multi-day trips. (Always managed to get scorched fingers from something while fixing meals. Clumsy me.) Nowadays I’m mainly a dayhiker, and the burn threat seems to have diminished.

G.

 

[Waumbek]

In addition to much of the above, duct tape and an alcohol swab pad or two. If you swim and get water in the ear, squeeze some alcohol from the pad in the ear canal and drain it out. I carry the duct tape (2-2' sections) tightly wound around each hiking pole to save interior sapce. Moisture does not get in to the tape side although I do replace it every year. Duct tape is good for "hot spots" (unbroken skin) before they become blisters.

 

[Pucknuts61]

I seperate my first aid kit from my survival gear (maybe because I have too much in each). The fisrt aid kit is in a tupperware style container and then inside a ziploc.
One thing I haven't seen mentioned, but my hiking buddy carries, are sutures.
He got a small package of 4-5 all self contained and sterile from a doctor. I'm not sure how hard they are to acquire or even if it's "legal", but I do feel better knowing we can use those instead of my sewing kit!

 

[Trekkin]

Three years ago I took the Wilderness First Responder course. They spent some time reviewing Epipens. Last fall I had my first allergic reaction to a bee sting. I was home and got to the emergency room quickly. If I was in the woods this could have been fatal. I have "completed" the desensitization shots with an allergist, but will continue to carry Epipens, regardless. An unexpected allergic reaction is one of the easiest things in the woods to die from or "cure" if you are carrying Benedryl and Epipens.

A few yrs ago we were headed into the Great Gulf for an easy weekend backpack. One we'd set up camp we started walking to a close river to do some filtering. There were a few logs en route to the river, sorta half buried in the bank. As the SO stepped on one it collapsed. Turns out over half of this 6-8' log had been turned into a yellowjacket nest, and they were rather unhappy with her intrusion. Before either one of us realized what had happened she'd been stung 21 times, 13 on one arm. Within minutes the affected arm had swollen to almost 2x its normal size. I feared I was witnessing an allergic reaction in the making (she'd never been stung before). Being that we were 5miles +/- from the trailhead and dusk was rapidly approaching we tried to minimize any further swelling by submerging it in the river (which was quite effective, fortunately) and major Benadryl dosing (always in my med kit). The next day the swelling had subsided, although her arm was still very uncomfortable. I always always have an Epi-pen since then, as had her reaction been any worse I fear that would've been one of the few things that would've helped. It's also nice insurance in the event you encounter anyone in the midst of anaphylactic shock....

Sorry for the length. In my med kit, in addition to what's been mentioned....a whistle, a signal mirror, prescrip anti-inflammatories and pain meds, anti-diarrheal and antibiotic. I lead a 2 week backcountry trek in the Rockies yearly, and am more comfortable knowing I'm prepared for virtually anything. I've never had to dose anyone, but a torn ACL, broken molar, uncontrollable diarrhea can all be very dangerous when 7 days in and 50 miles from help. Oh yeah, I will also have a charged cell phone in a sealed plastic baggie in there for anything more disastrous. Good thread.

 

[SAR-EMT40]

I have to admit to a curiosity about all the people who are carrying epi pens. Who are you getting them from and for what intended purpose? I am pretty sure that all of you are not doctors. Are they supposed to be used on you or has your doctor OK’d you to use them on other people? Do you know what the reactions of the body from epi pen are? Do you know the key indicator when to give an epi pen is? Do you know how to keep the persons airway open? Do you know how long an epi pen lasts? Do you know what to do when the epi pen wears off in 5 to 10 minutes (answer to previous question) and that person is still suffering from anaphylaxis? Are you aware how sensitive epis are to heat and cold and the limited shelf life they have? The woofers out there. Who is your medical control to use the epi pen or do you have standing orders to use it on someone else? Is that person going to put their medical license on the line for your actions?

Obviously, we carry epi pens on the ambulance but it is carried as a controlled item. By controlled I don’t mean it is locked up but it’s use is controlled by our medical control officer (our doctor) and state and local protocols, as is all that we do. It is a prescription medication. If someone was having a suspected anaphylactic reaction we would also have a medic called to the scene to continue medical care if the 2 epis we carry aren’t enough. Now, I know that only 1-2 people out of 1000 (real statistic, not made up) will suffer an anaphylactic reaction to a bite or a sting. If you have a known problem and the doctor prescribes one for you that is one thing. To give your epi pen to another person (without medical control orders) you have taken on the role of doctor (giving medication without a license). That can open you up to some real legal problems.

Dermabond (Medical superglue) for wilderness medical use is still going through discussions. A new type is now available and it is being looked at. The greatest problem with the superglues is the propensity for people to try to close deep wounds without proper debridement in the backcountry where that proper cleaning of the wound cannot readily be done. The result is that they lock in tremendous infections into the wounds that cause very bad results. Using Sterie strips in the backcountry is the recommended way to close deep wounds after thorough wound irrigation is done.

Oxycodone. Holy crap. Is that prescribed to you or are you a doctor? If you are in that much pain that you are taking that strong a pain medication, what are you doing in the backcountry? If you plan on giving that to someone else don’t even tell me, I don’t want to know.

For those of you who have no medical training. Do you think you are covered under the good Samaritan laws? About forty-five states have Good Samaritan laws. They are all about the same in content. You are covered if you try to help a person and it doesn’t work provided you work only to the level of training you have received. That means that if you have no training at all then you can apply first aid only. If you have a CPR certification then you should be able to do that reasonably well but if you make a mistake you will not be prosecuted or have a winnable lawsuit brought against you. If you start giving the person medications and start whacking away at them with your Leatherman to do open heart surgery the law isn’t going to protect you which is probably a good thing.

For those of you that do have some medical training (doctors excluded) you need to understand the term “scope of practice”? As an EMT in CT. I cannot perform a needle cric or insert a combi tube or relieve a tension pneumothorax, even though I have practiced it many times. It is not in my “scope of practice”.

As I said, I am not a doctor, I am an EMT. As so, just like a nurse I need a medical control officer or standing orders to do what I do and I must follow local and state protocols or I will find myself facing a lawsuit with no one (least of all my Med control or Fire department) wanting to know who I am. As long as I stay within my scope of practice and follow local protocols, my doctor, my department and town will protect me from lawsuits. As an EMT we are held to a higher medical standard than the Good Samaritain law but not to the standard of a Doctor in the performance of our duty. If I stray from established protocols then I better be prepared for the s**t storm that follows.

Obviously, I probably wouldn’t have a medical control if I was in the woods of NH and came across someone hurt or injured. I would try to get in contact by radio with one if I could. In any event I would do the best I could for anyone I found hurt or injured based upon the protocols I have learned. As well as a state certified EMT who is working toward his EMS instructors certification I also keep my EMT national registry current with the hopes that between that and my up to date wilderness EMT certification (which I need to renew this fall) I would stand some chance of protecting myself if something happens if I followed those protocols to the best of my ability. So far I have been fortunate as I have assisted several times on rescues in the backcountry and have been first on scene at least once. However, I am not foolish enough to believe that I am totally legally protected.

I understand that some of you may have certifications that I know nothing about. If that is the case please mention it so that others know that you are not some lay person who plans on dispensing narcotics in the backcountry because of a bad headache. It would not be good for people to think that if someone is complaining about the pain from a broken leg from a 15 foot fall with a witnessed episode of LOC that shoving narcotics into him is a good thing to do (it really isn't) simply because you have it in your pack.

Just my $.02. Some little nuggets that I hope will be of interest.

witnessing an allergic reaction in the making (she'd never been stung before).

You cannot have a anaphylactic reaction to a sting the first time, at least thats what we have been told. You must have been exposed previous.

In any event what you saw by your description was not anaphylaxis but probably a normal reaction to multiple bee stings. Not pleasant but definetly not life threatning.

I realize others may have other opinions and welcome their reply. I also realize that not all of you said you would give any of your meds to others but it seemed like it was implied. At least to me.

All the standard disclaimers apply. I am not representing anyone but myself, yada, yada, yada and I hope this info is taken in the spirit that it was offered.

Keith
WEMT
CT EMT-D
PHTLS

 

[Chip]

Keith, I carry 2 Epipens prescribed to me in a bullet style thermos (to moderate temp extremes) along with the Benedryl. I also watch for cloudiness and replace them well before they expire. I understand your concerns. I would certainly use them on myself having been trained to do so and would use them on someone else if they were experiencing non-localized reactions and trouble breathing. Good Samaritan laws would not be my first thought. I believe 2 epipens would allow enough time to evacuate or call in a trained crew. The amount of time spent on using Epipens during the Wilderness First Repsonder course indicates to me it's better to have them and know how to use them, then not. This is a "first" aid kit, not a substitute for professional attention.