Back country first aid kit

[adamR]

What's in everyone's weight saving back country first aid kits?  Being a former medic I always feel like I over pack my first aid kits and I'm trying to shed some weight for some back country hunting.  What's on your first aid kit checklists?  I've looked around the forum but everything is a couple years old that I found so I wanted updated lists. 

[300rum]

Ibuprofen, a couple of bandaids, small roll of duck tape and a small sheet of moleskin.  Everything else I'll need can be re-purposed from something else.   

[jay.sharkbait]

Izzy bandage
RATS
Benadryl
NPA
gloves

[timberghost72]

Super glue. Weighs little and seals up cuts great.

[fishngamereaper]

Assorted Meds(Benadryl, Motrin etc)
Tourniquet
Quick Clot Gauze
Bandaids
Skinny roll Gorilla tape

[cvandervort]

Couple pain killers

Some sort of allergy med (not allergic, that I knoe of, but id hate to go out like that...)

Super glue

Small roll of duck tape

I used to pack a ton, and found that I never needed it (unless my kids were with me - band aids are magic to them!)

One thing I want to do differently this year is to pre tape with leuko tape. I don't usually get blisters, but that would make me feel better about not packing something for blisters.


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[ctwiggs1]

I'm in the same boat.  I pack a little more because I am also a former medic (army).  I've cut back a bit but I honestly just figure having a *little* more weight in first aid supplies probably isn't the worst thing considering the value we can bring to others around us by having said supplies.

All these look good but I can't emphasize enough that benadryl should be in every kit.  Even if you're not allergic to anything now, allergies have an incredible way of just showing themselves in without invitation.

I'm all for tourniquets, but I strongly recommend you practice with them.  When I was teaching CLS in the Army, even soldiers were constantly surprised at how much force it took to cut off the blood pressure.... and this was under classroom conditions.

Probably offering more than what was really wanted here but just thought I'd toss in my 

[Bean Counter]

Quick clot, IBDs, etc.
Epi and liquid Benadryl
325mg chewable asprin
550 cord

[mountainman]

Quick clot, ibu, benadryl.

[NRA4LIFE]

A styptic pencil is always in my pack.

[ctwiggs1]

Quick clot, IBDs, etc.
Epi and liquid Benadryl
325mg chewable asprin
550 cord

Just curious, why aspirin over ibuprofen?

[fowl smacker]

Super glue, quick clot, 18" rubber tubing, benadryl, bandaids

[Bean Counter]

Quick clot, IBDs, etc.
Epi and liquid Benadryl
325mg chewable asprin
550 cord

Just curious, why aspirin over ibuprofen?

I'm not yet of the age where aches from a day's hike have caught up with me so the analgesic properties are lesser and AMI treatment is greater.. Its more in case one of my buddies (or I) come down with chest pains. One of my likeminded buddies with four kids had a heart attack while hunting and met his demise. But he killed a good buck the last day he was alive. 

[Alpine Mojo]

A couple of band aids
Neosporin
Ace bandagge
Israel bandage

If you need anything beyond that, your time is better spent making peace with the world.

[SilkOnTheDrySide]

I'm shocked...people are finally learning they don't need to pack 28 lbs of first aid!




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[garrett89]

Superglue. Maybe a small antihistamine bottle/package.

[Rider]

Female pads - OB pads are preferred. - lacerations
Tampons - puncture wound
Duct tape - wound repair, blister aid, tent repair
Super glue - small wound repair, gear repair
Space blanket - shock, shelter, & signalling
Asprin - heart attack first aid
Tylenol/NSAID - minor aches and pains cause I'm getting old
Paracord - binding splint, stretcher construction, post-harvest field dressing
Glucose tabs - hypoglycemia first aid
Two days Rx

All fits into a 4" resealable bag.

[crabcreekhunter]

Super glue, leuko tape, benadryl, ibuprofen, needle and thread/fishing line, and antiseptic.

[Duckslayer89]

A couple of band aids
Neosporin
Ace bandagge
Israel bandage

If you need anything beyond that, your time is better spent making peace with the world.

  

[T-Dozzer]

Also an EMT.
I pack an Israeli bandage, few band aides and maybe quick clot. I have Leuko tape around a lighter. Chewable aspirin.

[Stein]

Super glue, blister needle, a band-aid and an EPIRB for anything I can't walk out with.

[SteelheadTed]

Don't put anything in a first aid kit you don't know how to use.  Lots of folks walk around with fancy kits but if push came to shove they wouldn't have a clue what to do in an actual emergency.  So, why carry it?

I found this "hunting utility kit" video pretty useful, not first aid exactly but there were a couple items I'll be adding to my kit that I couldn't believe I wasn't carrying and thankfully haven't needed before but certainly could run into in the future (adhesive target, goretex repair patch, fuel cubes) .

[yakimanoob]

+1 for the meateater videos.  They're full of great info.

My first aid kit is a little more extensive, but still pretty light at about 8oz

EpiPen (heaviest item by far)
surgical Pad
3-4 small nonstick gauze pads
a few assorted band-aids
neosporin
athletic tape
coban wrap
SUPER GLUE
ibuprofen
chlorpheniramine (antihistamine)
diphen (Benadryl)
moleskin

It doesn't live in my first aid kit but I also carry a SPOT PLB.

[DaveMonti]

Satellite phone with 911 on speed dial.   



What is that emoticon anyhow???

[pianoman9701]

I'm in the same boat.  I pack a little more because I am also a former medic (army).  I've cut back a bit but I honestly just figure having a *little* more weight in first aid supplies probably isn't the worst thing considering the value we can bring to others around us by having said supplies.

All these look good but I can't emphasize enough that benadryl should be in every kit.  Even if you're not allergic to anything now, allergies have an incredible way of just showing themselves in without invitation.

I'm all for tourniquets, but I strongly recommend you practice with them.  When I was teaching CLS in the Army, even soldiers were constantly surprised at how much force it took to cut off the blood pressure.... and this was under classroom conditions.

Probably offering more than what was really wanted here but just thought I'd toss in my 

I carry a bottle of liquid children's Benadryl to suck down in case I get into a nest, as I have before. Quick Clot should be in everyone's pack for any major bleeding. It makes it a little bit harder for doctors later on but if you're way out there, especially, it could be a life saver. Ditto on tourniquets practice. If you apply one, a "T" on the forehead of the patient with the time applied. a "Q" is suggested for application of Quick Clot bandage. Steri-strip wound closures will help with most smaller cuts. Don't get the generic because they suck and will open up.

Go Army medics. Change your socks and watch that pee color.

[Skyvalhunter]

 

[ctwiggs1]

I'm in the same boat.  I pack a little more because I am also a former medic (army).  I've cut back a bit but I honestly just figure having a *little* more weight in first aid supplies probably isn't the worst thing considering the value we can bring to others around us by having said supplies.

All these look good but I can't emphasize enough that benadryl should be in every kit.  Even if you're not allergic to anything now, allergies have an incredible way of just showing themselves in without invitation.

I'm all for tourniquets, but I strongly recommend you practice with them.  When I was teaching CLS in the Army, even soldiers were constantly surprised at how much force it took to cut off the blood pressure.... and this was under classroom conditions.

Probably offering more than what was really wanted here but just thought I'd toss in my 

I carry a bottle of liquid children's Benadryl to suck down in case I get into a nest, as I have before. Quick Clot should be in everyone's pack for any major bleeding. It makes it a little bit harder for doctors later on but if you're way out there, especially, it could be a life saver. Ditto on tourniquets practice. If you apply one, a "T" on the forehead of the patient with the time applied. a "Q" is suggested for application of Quick Clot bandage. Steri-strip wound closures will help with most smaller cuts. Don't get the generic because they suck and will open up.

Go Army medics. Change your socks and watch that pee color.

    

QuikClot isn't for every wound, but there are some wounds that have no better treatment.  Good stuff to have for sure. 

[trapp01]

Assorted pills (aspirin ibuprofen penicillin oxycodone Benadryl zyrtex)
Band-Aids
moleskin
vet wrap
ace bandage
Tampons
dentil floss and suture needle.
Electrical tape
Gauze pads
Abuterol
sissors
sun block
Burn Cream

[kselkhunter]

One thing I noticed recently is the pre-packaged first aid kits have gotten quite a bit lighter over the years.  I needed one last month for a quick backcountry trip, as I left mine in Oregon.  Went to REI to pick one up.  Much lighter than my usual first aid kit, that I bought many years ago.  Those Adventure brand kits are waterproof and quite light, ranging in weight from 3oz to 8oz.  I augment mine with extra Benadryl, as stepping on a yellow jacket nest is not pleasant (been there done that).  Also a basic survival kit, quick clot, and some extra ibuprofen get added in to mine (they never include enough in the base kits). 

[yakimanoob]

QuikClot isn't for every wound, but there are some wounds that have no better treatment.  Good stuff to have for sure.

Man.  I've got a pretty strong stomach and have never been anything but excited while dressing/butching game, but GAWD taking a scalpel to the femoral artery of a live animal is a savage thing to watch.

Funny to think: my wife is a Physician Assistant and during school she was working on a live pig just like this, when her professor casually walked by and sliced through the pig's aorta and told her to save the patient.  Which she did 

[ctwiggs1]

These pigs have helped save a lot of lives, that's for sure

[pianoman9701]

QuikClot isn't for every wound, but there are some wounds that have no better treatment.  Good stuff to have for sure.

Man.  I've got a pretty strong stomach and have never been anything but excited while dressing/butching game, but GAWD taking a scalpel to the femoral artery of a live animal is a savage thing to watch.

Funny to think: my wife is a Physician Assistant and during school she was working on a live pig just like this, when her professor casually walked by and sliced through the pig's aorta and told her to save the patient.  Which she did 

Did she save it in little vacuum sealed packages in the freezer?

[yakimanoob]

QuikClot isn't for every wound, but there are some wounds that have no better treatment.  Good stuff to have for sure.

Man.  I've got a pretty strong stomach and have never been anything but excited while dressing/butching game, but GAWD taking a scalpel to the femoral artery of a live animal is a savage thing to watch.

Funny to think: my wife is a Physician Assistant and during school she was working on a live pig just like this, when her professor casually walked by and sliced through the pig's aorta and told her to save the patient.  Which she did 

Did she save it in little vacuum sealed packages in the freezer?

I wish.  When you think about it, those little piggies save more human lives than you or I could ever hope to claim.  But the fact that they're cremated as "medical waste" still just makes it feel like a waste. 

On a lighter note: we did have a pig's foot in our freezer for YEARS.  It was suture practice before being forgotten.  But we got such a kick out of our friend's reactions to finding it occasionally that we let it stay there 

[Doublelunger]

This was a good thread worth reviving.

My backcountry first aid kit includes:

Tourniquet
Hemostatic agent
Benadryl
Epi-pen
A handful of asprin/ibuprofen
A few strips of leukotape.

First aid kit is always in the top most easily accessible pocket of my pack.

[SpicyTacos]

whisky

thanks in advance

[yakimanoob]

Worth reviving indeed.  Since my last post, my wife and I joined SAR and she has learned a boatload about wilderness medicine.  The main thing I've learned about first aid kits is what, as a not-medically-trained person, I could actually do for myself or a person I meet in the woods.

Basically, I just focus on stopping the bleeding and having some tape to fashion a split with a stick if needed, and being able to call for more capable help if the situation is dire. I know enough to know how much damage I could do if I mis-apply any kind of medicine or advanced treatment. Plus, of course, a few things for cuts and scrapes, blisters, etc. and some basic comfort meds (ibuprofen, antihistamine, and anti-diarheals)

My kit is, more or less:
cat tourniquet
nitrile gloves
a few gauze pads
a sugical gauze pack
some stop-clot power
a few bandaids
some Neosporin
medical tape
safety pin (super useful for a million things, including make-shift bandages/wraps)
tweezers
super glue
butterfly strips
a couple tegaderm patches
moleskin
ibuprofen
antihistamine
diphen
imodium

All of the above weighs in at ~ 7oz. 

Comms is not often added to the list of first aid, but imho it's a vital part of any first aid system.  For the past few years I've carried a Garmin InReach, which I highly recommend.  Since joining SAR I also got my ham license, and can't seem to find the courage to walk into the woods without my HT with me  .  Between my cell phone, ham radio, and satellite communicator, I should be able to call for help wherever I am. 

I wish my comms weighed ~ 7oz 

Some helpful resources via my wife and the rest of the CWMR medical committee:
https://wms.org/magazine/1044/Wilderness-Skills (tl;dr: you should be carrying a tourniquet and know how to use it)
https://wms.org/magazine/1176/WFR-Scope-Of-Practice
https://blog.nols.edu/2016/06/03/27-considerations-for-a-first-aid-kit

[KFhunter]

Tag

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[Stein]

I have beefed up my kit a bit after reading some stories and doing more thinking.  I still have a few ouchie comfort items as well as now carrying a hemostatic agent.  It all boiled down to the notion that hunting involves bullets and sharp things and bleeding out while waiting for help is a significant risk.  I still don't carry much, but more than I did before for sure, the hemostatic agent is probably 90% of the weight and volume of the kit.

[ctwiggs1]

Just going to drop that annual nudge to the tourniquet on here.

Carry one. 

Two thirds of "preventable" deaths in Vietnam were guys bleeding out from extremities.  Tourniquets are an easy solution.  Keep one in your truck, keep one in your bag. 

[KFhunter]

I carry paracord in my kill kit, easy tq

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[zwickeyman]

2 band aids
Super glue
Duct tape
Turnicate
Blood clot

[yakimanoob]

I carry paracord in my kill kit, easy tq

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Coming from you, I believe that.  But for most folks who don't practice, the time it takes to tie a proper tourniquet out of paracord could be a life-or-death issue. 

Whatever you carry to stop the bleeding, PRACTICE.  If you haven't used your tourniquet, then you don't know how to use your tourniquet.  And seconds matter when a broadhead goes through your leg.

[hunter399]

Are you guys saying ......
Cutting my shirt
Electric tape
Zip ties
Are not good enough...

I did watch the above video.....
Very interesting.

[xX Let ER Rip Xx]

Zip stitches!!! Quick clot x2, 550 cord, tampons, maxi pads, electrical tape, 2 things of superglue, aspirin, Benadryl and ibuprofen. And a lighter and needle and dental floss and some 8lb fishing line. Never know..... better to be prepared and have enough then not what may help you in a pinch, or help you help your buddy.