I have thought about getting a 1st aid kit for several years. I start looking in to it and it starts looking like an expensive way to buy band aids and aspirin. What are your recommendations?
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Best First Aid Kit
- Thread starter Leveraction44
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Build your own. You'll have 10X the stuff for half the cost.
This. After watching Nutnfancys video on FAKs and comparing what comes in the store brought kits its really no comparison. I recently took a spill on the bike and ended up with some road rash. When you have an injury like that a regular first aid kit ain't going to cut it. You need lots of gauze, bandages and something to wash the wound.
First aid is expensive too. I ended up spending $40 the first go round on just some guage pads, bandage wrap, neosporin and tylenol.
Just added to my DIY FAK. WalMart for gauze, sterile pads, compression bandages, large bandaids, tape, scissors (sewing section get good ones only $4.88 that cut clothing), betadine wound wash, eye wash, H2O2, antibiotic/pain relief creme, etc. Amazon for clothing gauze, sponges and tourniquets. Add a flash light too, small but bright. Benadryl caps, Ibuprofen, Aspirin, cold packs, etc. I keep ones or twos in the kit with spares at home. Maybe an airhorn or whistle for signalling.
You'll wind up with ten times the capability for a fraction of the cost of buying a pre-made kit. I've found them to be basically useless for anything serious.
You'll wind up with ten times the capability for a fraction of the cost of buying a pre-made kit. I've found them to be basically useless for anything serious.
Biggest issue I have with most kits is the contents going bad if you have any meds in them. Having a lot of cleaning and bandage supplies is a big thing, but also consider what your needs are for a kit. Are you building a kit for weekend camping and hiking trips? Lots of bandaids, second skin/moleskin, sting stuff, snake bite suction kit (Sawyer), etc. Motorcycle trip? road rash items (more cleaning supplies if you are further away from civilization) and pressure dressing/wound management/tourniquet stuff. Shooting weekend/SHTF? QuickClot bandages and packs. Extended time away from EMS add in things like SAM splints, water purification tablets, EPIPEN, etc.
Adventure Medical has kits for different uses. If you need something to stuff in your day pack for day hikes, or if you are leading a group of 15 kids in the wilderness for 2 weeks. SHTF would be very different, but some of the basics are there, and some of the kits can be very comprehensive. I have one of their smaller kits (ultralight .7) for my bags when I ride and one of the bigger kits for around the house or when we go camping for the weekend. I've added things like extra SAM splints, RATS tourniquet, an Epi-pen, and a few quick clot packs (the AM Trauma pack pro).
But the best thing is actual training on how to use the items you have. If you haven't had at least a wilderness first aid class, take one. I've done wilderness first responder courses a few times and learn something new each time as things change over the years (best practices, new medical info, new techniques, etc). But even the basic wilderness first aid has some great information vs. the standard "call 911 and wait for EMS to show up".
http://www.redcross.org/take-a-class/cpr-first-aid/wilderness-sports
The Nantahala Outdoor Center in NC hosts a lot of first aid classes. I've taken the Solo classes in the past and they are some of the best...
https://soloschools.com/sponsored-wilderness-first-aid-wfa/
Adventure Medical has kits for different uses. If you need something to stuff in your day pack for day hikes, or if you are leading a group of 15 kids in the wilderness for 2 weeks. SHTF would be very different, but some of the basics are there, and some of the kits can be very comprehensive. I have one of their smaller kits (ultralight .7) for my bags when I ride and one of the bigger kits for around the house or when we go camping for the weekend. I've added things like extra SAM splints, RATS tourniquet, an Epi-pen, and a few quick clot packs (the AM Trauma pack pro).
But the best thing is actual training on how to use the items you have. If you haven't had at least a wilderness first aid class, take one. I've done wilderness first responder courses a few times and learn something new each time as things change over the years (best practices, new medical info, new techniques, etc). But even the basic wilderness first aid has some great information vs. the standard "call 911 and wait for EMS to show up".
http://www.redcross.org/take-a-class/cpr-first-aid/wilderness-sports
The Nantahala Outdoor Center in NC hosts a lot of first aid classes. I've taken the Solo classes in the past and they are some of the best...
https://soloschools.com/sponsored-wilderness-first-aid-wfa/
I agree with this- have purchased many pre-made kits (which are ok), but way more bang for your buck if you build them
I agree to build your own kit, or multiple kits for different activities you do.
Something that is rarely put in a first aid kit is a head lamp. I have small cheap ones in my car kits and camping kit. yes a lot of us carry flash lights but in a pinch in the dark by yourself a head lamp would be better so you can use two hands. You can cheap ones on Amazon for 10 bucks.
Something that is rarely put in a first aid kit is a head lamp. I have small cheap ones in my car kits and camping kit. yes a lot of us carry flash lights but in a pinch in the dark by yourself a head lamp would be better so you can use two hands. You can cheap ones on Amazon for 10 bucks.
Hadn't thought about the headlamp. Thanks, I'll add that in. I keep li-ion batteries in there anyway.
