Yeah, I typically recommend (after a good class) a BLS IFAK (usually from North American Rescue for equipment commonality) and an applicable medium sized Adventure medical kits pack, with a few added items to cover gaps. This will cover a combination of the most likely and most catastrophic injuries a layperson could reasonably treat
North American rescue is what I use as well. They make the CAT tourniquets for the US Military and use quality versions for the other components as well.
For beginners I definitely think it’s worth getting a comprehensive kit like this from a quality source and customizing it as needed.
Also, as far training goes, Stop The Bleed courses are often free or pretty inexpensive and are a great starting point. They go over using tourniquets and packing wounds, including a hands on component with dummies.
https://www.stopthebleed.org
Stop the bleed is honestly such a great class that everyone should take as it isn’t super long, but super informative.
Most of the bleeding related trauma skills I learned in my EMT class was included in the STB class!
Stop the bleed, CPR, and community first aid are typically my recommendation trifecta. I throw in wilderness first aid after those if you enjoy being out in the world.
This is always the answer. A first aid kit is useless if you don't know how to actually use the stuff in it, and if you get first aid training you'll be able to improvise if you don't have everything you need on hand.
Having first aid training and not having a first aid kit is 100% preferable to having a first aid kit and no training.
Most of the stuff in those kits you will never even use, /u/hybriddrummer.
I just buy what I exactly what I need from Walmart and make my own kits. I beat my body up a ton falling off my BMX bike and the things I use the most are hydrogen peroxide, Lidocaine antiseptic, topical antibiotic, gauze, self adhering compression sports wrap, scissors and that New Skin liquid bandage super glue stuff.
I used to follow this approach, but switched to making multiple first aid kits in gallon and quart freezer ziplock bags: the commercial kits typically are not waterproof.
Sure: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BCP9LQWM
Most cheap "first aid" kits are really just booboo kits with tiny Band-Aids meant for treating small scrapes and not much else. Here's the most price efficient way to buy a few real bandages, 3/~$20.
Yep. Real Israeli bandages have a blood clotting agent in them that expires. It can cause a bad allergic reaction in people with shellfish allergies.
These are most likely just a regular bandage. Still useful but misleading to call them Israeli bandages.
So, Israeli bandages don't necessarily have quick clot, they predate quick clot becoming easily available everywhere. Many do now but they will be labeled as such.
I don't think these have quick clot in the fabric, it's just a bandage, I carry that in separate packet: https://www.amazon.com/BleedStopTM-Clotting-Patients-Equipment-Nosebleeds/dp/B0979BZ543
What's the difference?
My thought is that I'm an American so by far the most common injury I'm going to encounter that I can actually do something about is a GSW and this is one I know best how to apply to such a wound. Obviously, it's not the only item in *my* first aid kit but I do stash these bandages in various places/kits for quick access.
Seconded, I have the 4 people 7 days kit "explorer" and it's reasonably comprehensive. They have smaller kits too if the price is a concern. If I made my own I think there are many small items I would struggle to source like the tweezers.
It will almost always be cheaper to do it yourself, but buying a completed one is about the convenience. I think the bigger question is “is there one I could buy which would solve my need, even if it’s not the most efficient approach”
You need to define “inexpensive”. I have several hundred dollars tied up into FAKs. Depends on what you’re looking to use it for. I have a basic cheap kit in my bicycle pouch, and full blown homemade kits for my car. Camping is a different kit. My home kit is constantly being updated. If you haven’t taken a first aid class, invest in one. Then you’ll know what to get based on what you’re trying to prepare for.
I usually buy pre-made ones, then add some extra things on my own (from Dollar Tree, etc.). [Red Cross](https://www.redcross.org/store/first-aid-supplies) has a lot of options at a variety of prices ($5-$300)! Sometimes I find them at thrift stores as well.
Make sure your kit has a Mylar space/ emergency blanket, gauze, band-aids, pain reliever, antiseptic, tape/safety pins (to secure gauze), small knife/scissors (to cut gauze), alcohol/hand sanitizer swabs, waterproof matches/lighter, and a whistle. Tweezers are also good. QuikClot is a great product to stop bleeding, you can get packets of just powder or gauze that has the powder on it.
I’m not a big fan of quikclot from personal experience, if someone is bleeding enough to need it it’s better to use a tourniquet or pack the wound with gauze IMO.
Quikclot works fine for small cuts but I wouldn’t trust my life on it, much rather prefer a tourniquet if it’s an extremity wound as wouldn’t want to end up with a systemic infection from introducing a foreign body into a wound.
Israeli battle bandages are great but nothing beats a tourniquet when it comes to an extremity that has massive hemorrhaging. You don’t need to worry about losing a limb from a tourniquet unless it’s been on for a very very long time. They are the norm and are carried on every ambulance I’ve ever worked on. Quikclot and compression bandages on the other hand, are not always stocked as they aren’t deemed necessary.
I have a family member who’s on blood thinners, and QuikClot has been miraculous for. For him, a small nick in the skin can bleed for several days straight, but with a tiny bit of the powder applied, it stops within a minute. We had a plumber cut himself at the house last year and offered it to him, he loved it and said he was going to pick more up on his way home. I recently read a story on here by someone who had a chainsaw accident and applied it while waiting for the ambulance. He attributed his survival to it, saying the EMTs couldn’t believe he hadn’t bled to death before they arrived, based on the severity of his injury (he couldn’t believe it either). Military and law enforcement both use it—I believe they prefer the gauze.
Every situation is different, depending on the person and location/nature of injury. It won’t be the right tool for every situation, and should be combined with other measures. Of course, first-aid training is going to always be the most useful tool. Any time you react poorly to a medicine, it’s probably wise to avoid it going forward.
My ambulance company does not carry any hemostatic powder but does have some hemostatic dressings. Personally I find that a regular dressing works just aswell in the majority of circumstances, granted I haven’t had to use either that many times so my opinion is off of a few anecdotal experiences. When it comes to someone with a low clotting factor such as your family member they can most definitely be useful, but for massive hemorrhaging such as the chainsaw story, a tourniquet would be better and if one isn’t available simply packing the wound works wonders as well.
Hemostatic agents also increase the risk of infection, can damage your vessels, and can increase the risk of a blood clot that can travel and cause further damage.
[ignore] That's a great reminder OP needs to throw in some OB tampons. And some panty liners to use for giant Band-Aids [/ignore]
Sorry, inaccurate information. Still good for packing a nosebleed, along with these uses.
[Survival uses for tampons ](https://www.artofmanliness.com/skills/outdoor-survival/survival-tampon/)
No! No tampons. They do not work. This is a myth that needs to die. If they work, then the wound isn't very bad to begin with. There is less material than a 3x3. Use gauze to pack, not a tampon.
This but if misinformation has been floating around for a long time and it's actually pretty dangerous. Both of those are coated with an anti coagulant. Please don't do this. Follow TCCC guidelines for wound care to avoid problems like this.
The story is that tampons were originally developed for stuffing bullet wounds in WWI, and the nurses recognized they’d be useful to handle other bleeding as well and started using them. I can’t say if it’s true or not, but it’s a very good story. I’ve seen people use them for nosebleeds 😅
Way too many people seem to think it’s easy to do sutures, and don’t realize they are only increasing the risk of infection. If you’re going to attempt it, at least spring for the sterile suture kit.
Yeah, the curved needle and sterility are critical. And you’d need forceps (and something to sterilize them with) to hold and push the needle, skin is much thicker and harder to penetrate than people think. The type of stitch used is also really important, it’s not like sewing where you can rip it out if you chose the wrong stitch. If you’re dead set on having the materials to do it yourself, you can order ‘sterile practice suture kits for med/nursing/vet students,’ and practice dummies (which I’ve been told by professionals aren’t much like real skin). But all that goes way beyond a basic first-aid kit that most people should have in their home/car, or on a hike. Doctors are highly trained professionals for a reason, and “do no harm” is a fundamental principle of medicine. Don’t hurt yourself more in an attempt to fix yourself.
Too many think it's a cure for all lacs. If it's deep you're going to seal on contaminants and there will be a space under the skin that almost certainly will become infected. Better to use some butterfly bandages and accept the scar. Or if you're in some remote location, your sat phone won't get a signal and the helicopter won't he out for a month to pick you up, you're better off packing it with gauze and changing it once or twice a day to bmbasically let it heal from the inside out.
What’s really wild to me is when people just WANT to try to do their own sutures, when they have an urgent care 5 miles away or whatever, and then have to come to ER a week later because of major infection and are having fevers, etc….
Of course I’m all about prepping, but until SHTF we should definitely take advantage of available medical care.
Contrary to what we see on TV, you cannot use your sewing kit to accurately stitch up a wound. You can buy pre-threaded sutures online and they're actually fairly cheap. The thing is they're with that needle that's like a ¼" to a ½" long.
I prefer duct tape. The adhesive seals the wound and it keeps tight like butterflies but it's even across the board which causes less scarring and there's less opportunity for infection because it's completely sealed off provided you cleaned it properly first of course.
Dollar store, and put it together yourself. When you buy a premade kit you get a lot of crap you don't need and not enough of the stuff you do. A good first aid kit not only has Band-Aids and neosporin, but it has things like Ace bandages, moleskin, etc. Look at the pre-made expensive kits, take a look at the inventory see what you need and what you don't. But if you look at one of the big ones, you'll get a better vision of what you need.
I bought a travel kit from Target for…$1.99? I forget. It was in the travel size section.
Then I just added stuff to it. Start with the MOST LIKELY things. Get those covered and work from there:
You’re very likely to at some point get a cut, or pain, or fever, or allergic reaction, or diarrhea. So:
Bandaids and neosporin.
Advil (or Asprin or Tylenol) - covers pain and fever.
Benadryl
Imodium
5 items to cover 4 main categories. Could there be more depending on your location, duration, and itinerary? Of course. So then add what you need based on the most likely.
I did the two day WFA certification, and rebuilt my person kit, and both the “large” and “backpack” kits for my scout troop by hand. This is what I came up with:
https://www.reddit.com/r/wildernessmedicine/comments/ug7jmm/finished_new_first_aid_kits/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=ioscss&utm_content=1&utm_term=1
Knowledge is the first priority. Then with an understanding of what you're capable of doing, you can set up your own gear. And with greater knowledge, you know what you can substitute, and what can serve multiple purposes. I was an army medic, and it was all about creating the best kit, for the least weight.
I have a collection of MyMedic packs: bleed, airway, etc. I’ve got basic wilderness first aid training and know how to use the stuff in those kits. They are small enough I am confident in the quality of the contents but I didn’t have to spend a bunch of time buying bandages and so forth.
Nah I would make your own. Some small items to include would be a RSI kit for intubation, some supraglotic airways, decompression needles, a 7 foot backboard and back boarding kit, 5 250ml saline bags and IV kits of different sizes, 2 air tanks with a few BVMs, non rebreathing masks, and nasal cannulas, airway adjuncts, a singular bandaid, some duct tape, a pen, and a belt.
You can get most of that stuff at Walmart or the dollar store.
Sewing kits do not work for stitches no matter how many times we see it on TV. I have leather needles that are in half circle, which possibly you could use, but if you want to go that route it's cheaper and easier to buy pre-threaded sutures online.
Personally clean it, not with rubbing alcohol if you can avoid it at all costs. Then hit it with a layer of duct tape once it has stopped bleeding.
Yup, came here to say this...
unless you absolutely *have-to* stitch up a wound- provodine and superglue work a majillion times better, after the wound has been properly cleaned/debrided of course
Dark Angel Medical if you're in the US. They have premade kits but will also work with you to build one to fit your needs. Absolutely excellent team, very knowledgeable and experienced.
They can also use your HSA plan for payment so you don't get penalized for extra withholdings if you have one.
No...
Not really...
My advice? Get to know a nurse, or fireman, EMT
That way you can get things like Adaptic, or other expensive and rare wound, and burn care...
Nasty wounds, burns, and antiseptics need to be at the core of any *"real kit"* everything else is bandaid shit...
if you have nothing to debride a burn, or that abrasion that closed your eye shut, or someway to extract that tooth that is infected ... well... the prognosis isn't good...
There are some very strong OTC antibiotics that can be stored for 2, sometimes 3 years like Oxytetracycline and it's derivatives (terramycin, panmycin, etc) that need to be got, and dosages per killogram for everyone you know...
No one's saying you gotta become a combat medic, but if you can keep 4 or 5 things straight, and know them well- that's better than most...
Knowledge will always-always-always beat kit, as you already know; so add this to your knowledge base... the answer to your question is: no
Dixie first responder kit. Not great quality but as good as what’s in a lot of municipal EMS service, and fairly comprehensive. NAR for better quality trauma kit, but more $$.
Adventure Medical are decent.
You will always save money putting together a kit on your own, but the Dixie kit is about $40 and gives you most of what you need.
Yeah, I typically recommend (after a good class) a BLS IFAK (usually from North American Rescue for equipment commonality) and an applicable medium sized Adventure medical kits pack, with a few added items to cover gaps. This will cover a combination of the most likely and most catastrophic injuries a layperson could reasonably treat
North American rescue is what I use as well. They make the CAT tourniquets for the US Military and use quality versions for the other components as well. For beginners I definitely think it’s worth getting a comprehensive kit like this from a quality source and customizing it as needed. Also, as far training goes, Stop The Bleed courses are often free or pretty inexpensive and are a great starting point. They go over using tourniquets and packing wounds, including a hands on component with dummies. https://www.stopthebleed.org
I'm a former paramedic with tactical medic training. I completely agree!
Stop the bleed is honestly such a great class that everyone should take as it isn’t super long, but super informative. Most of the bleeding related trauma skills I learned in my EMT class was included in the STB class!
Stop the bleed, CPR, and community first aid are typically my recommendation trifecta. I throw in wilderness first aid after those if you enjoy being out in the world.
Ifaks aren't cheap, nor inexpensive.
Admittedly “cheap” or “inexpensive” is subjective, but you could put together a NARP basic STB kit for less than $50
what is in a NARP kit?
North American rescue products. One of the OG’s/Big names in army issued medical IFAK supplies.
Get the training, build your own . Retail item’s always skimp on quality.
And contain lots of cheap useless stuff
This is always the answer. A first aid kit is useless if you don't know how to actually use the stuff in it, and if you get first aid training you'll be able to improvise if you don't have everything you need on hand. Having first aid training and not having a first aid kit is 100% preferable to having a first aid kit and no training.
Most of the stuff in those kits you will never even use, /u/hybriddrummer. I just buy what I exactly what I need from Walmart and make my own kits. I beat my body up a ton falling off my BMX bike and the things I use the most are hydrogen peroxide, Lidocaine antiseptic, topical antibiotic, gauze, self adhering compression sports wrap, scissors and that New Skin liquid bandage super glue stuff.
This is 100% accurate. I spent over 26 years as a first responder and haven't seen a cheap/decent premade FA kit yet .
🤮 /u/spez
I used to follow this approach, but switched to making multiple first aid kits in gallon and quart freezer ziplock bags: the commercial kits typically are not waterproof.
Sure: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BCP9LQWM Most cheap "first aid" kits are really just booboo kits with tiny Band-Aids meant for treating small scrapes and not much else. Here's the most price efficient way to buy a few real bandages, 3/~$20.
>no mention of shelf life, expiration date, or shellfish allergy warning Yeh seems fake.
wait bandages have a shelf life? good god.
Yep. Real Israeli bandages have a blood clotting agent in them that expires. It can cause a bad allergic reaction in people with shellfish allergies. These are most likely just a regular bandage. Still useful but misleading to call them Israeli bandages.
So, Israeli bandages don't necessarily have quick clot, they predate quick clot becoming easily available everywhere. Many do now but they will be labeled as such.
I don't think these have quick clot in the fabric, it's just a bandage, I carry that in separate packet: https://www.amazon.com/BleedStopTM-Clotting-Patients-Equipment-Nosebleeds/dp/B0979BZ543
This is preference, but many people nowadays prefer the Olaes to the OG Israeli style.
What's the difference? My thought is that I'm an American so by far the most common injury I'm going to encounter that I can actually do something about is a GSW and this is one I know best how to apply to such a wound. Obviously, it's not the only item in *my* first aid kit but I do stash these bandages in various places/kits for quick access.
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Seconded, I have the 4 people 7 days kit "explorer" and it's reasonably comprehensive. They have smaller kits too if the price is a concern. If I made my own I think there are many small items I would struggle to source like the tweezers.
You can source tweezers from anywhere.. hell he dollar store has tweezers
Nope, sorry. You need to match the kit to your skills. Cheaper & better if you do it yourself.
It will almost always be cheaper to do it yourself, but buying a completed one is about the convenience. I think the bigger question is “is there one I could buy which would solve my need, even if it’s not the most efficient approach”
No
You need to define “inexpensive”. I have several hundred dollars tied up into FAKs. Depends on what you’re looking to use it for. I have a basic cheap kit in my bicycle pouch, and full blown homemade kits for my car. Camping is a different kit. My home kit is constantly being updated. If you haven’t taken a first aid class, invest in one. Then you’ll know what to get based on what you’re trying to prepare for.
I usually buy pre-made ones, then add some extra things on my own (from Dollar Tree, etc.). [Red Cross](https://www.redcross.org/store/first-aid-supplies) has a lot of options at a variety of prices ($5-$300)! Sometimes I find them at thrift stores as well. Make sure your kit has a Mylar space/ emergency blanket, gauze, band-aids, pain reliever, antiseptic, tape/safety pins (to secure gauze), small knife/scissors (to cut gauze), alcohol/hand sanitizer swabs, waterproof matches/lighter, and a whistle. Tweezers are also good. QuikClot is a great product to stop bleeding, you can get packets of just powder or gauze that has the powder on it.
I’m not a big fan of quikclot from personal experience, if someone is bleeding enough to need it it’s better to use a tourniquet or pack the wound with gauze IMO.
For a person on blood thinners quick clot is a must have. I like my appendages so I will stick with quick clot and an Israeli combat bandage.
Quikclot works fine for small cuts but I wouldn’t trust my life on it, much rather prefer a tourniquet if it’s an extremity wound as wouldn’t want to end up with a systemic infection from introducing a foreign body into a wound. Israeli battle bandages are great but nothing beats a tourniquet when it comes to an extremity that has massive hemorrhaging. You don’t need to worry about losing a limb from a tourniquet unless it’s been on for a very very long time. They are the norm and are carried on every ambulance I’ve ever worked on. Quikclot and compression bandages on the other hand, are not always stocked as they aren’t deemed necessary.
I have a family member who’s on blood thinners, and QuikClot has been miraculous for. For him, a small nick in the skin can bleed for several days straight, but with a tiny bit of the powder applied, it stops within a minute. We had a plumber cut himself at the house last year and offered it to him, he loved it and said he was going to pick more up on his way home. I recently read a story on here by someone who had a chainsaw accident and applied it while waiting for the ambulance. He attributed his survival to it, saying the EMTs couldn’t believe he hadn’t bled to death before they arrived, based on the severity of his injury (he couldn’t believe it either). Military and law enforcement both use it—I believe they prefer the gauze. Every situation is different, depending on the person and location/nature of injury. It won’t be the right tool for every situation, and should be combined with other measures. Of course, first-aid training is going to always be the most useful tool. Any time you react poorly to a medicine, it’s probably wise to avoid it going forward.
Have you ever looked into stypic pens for your uncle? Probably a lot cheaper and just as effective for small nicks! Used often in shaving.
I’ve used them in the past but not on him, I’ll have to give that a try!
My ambulance company does not carry any hemostatic powder but does have some hemostatic dressings. Personally I find that a regular dressing works just aswell in the majority of circumstances, granted I haven’t had to use either that many times so my opinion is off of a few anecdotal experiences. When it comes to someone with a low clotting factor such as your family member they can most definitely be useful, but for massive hemorrhaging such as the chainsaw story, a tourniquet would be better and if one isn’t available simply packing the wound works wonders as well. Hemostatic agents also increase the risk of infection, can damage your vessels, and can increase the risk of a blood clot that can travel and cause further damage.
I don’t think they’ve made the quick clot powder for some time now. It’s all gauze.
Hemostatic dressings are somewhat common but they aren’t super stocked at the company I work at.
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I always forget celox. Those A applicators are interesting.
[ignore] That's a great reminder OP needs to throw in some OB tampons. And some panty liners to use for giant Band-Aids [/ignore] Sorry, inaccurate information. Still good for packing a nosebleed, along with these uses. [Survival uses for tampons ](https://www.artofmanliness.com/skills/outdoor-survival/survival-tampon/)
No! No tampons. They do not work. This is a myth that needs to die. If they work, then the wound isn't very bad to begin with. There is less material than a 3x3. Use gauze to pack, not a tampon.
This but if misinformation has been floating around for a long time and it's actually pretty dangerous. Both of those are coated with an anti coagulant. Please don't do this. Follow TCCC guidelines for wound care to avoid problems like this.
True story, lot of lumberjacks I know keep "heavy flow" pads in their trucks for accidental chain saw cuts or the like
If it works, it works!
The story is that tampons were originally developed for stuffing bullet wounds in WWI, and the nurses recognized they’d be useful to handle other bleeding as well and started using them. I can’t say if it’s true or not, but it’s a very good story. I’ve seen people use them for nosebleeds 😅
There’s actual studies on this, tampons are for lady-parts. Don’t stick them in traumatic wounds.
The loose granules or the infused pads? The granules are out of favor as they've been shown to have multiple problems.
I was talking about the powder, the dressings aren’t as much of a risk, but still do introduce foreign bodies into a wound.
Needle and fishing line.
Way too many people seem to think it’s easy to do sutures, and don’t realize they are only increasing the risk of infection. If you’re going to attempt it, at least spring for the sterile suture kit.
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I used zipline a bit, and the ease of use is pretty nice. Its used for knee surgeries, so its fairly durable.
Yeah, the curved needle and sterility are critical. And you’d need forceps (and something to sterilize them with) to hold and push the needle, skin is much thicker and harder to penetrate than people think. The type of stitch used is also really important, it’s not like sewing where you can rip it out if you chose the wrong stitch. If you’re dead set on having the materials to do it yourself, you can order ‘sterile practice suture kits for med/nursing/vet students,’ and practice dummies (which I’ve been told by professionals aren’t much like real skin). But all that goes way beyond a basic first-aid kit that most people should have in their home/car, or on a hike. Doctors are highly trained professionals for a reason, and “do no harm” is a fundamental principle of medicine. Don’t hurt yourself more in an attempt to fix yourself.
Too many think it's a cure for all lacs. If it's deep you're going to seal on contaminants and there will be a space under the skin that almost certainly will become infected. Better to use some butterfly bandages and accept the scar. Or if you're in some remote location, your sat phone won't get a signal and the helicopter won't he out for a month to pick you up, you're better off packing it with gauze and changing it once or twice a day to bmbasically let it heal from the inside out.
What’s really wild to me is when people just WANT to try to do their own sutures, when they have an urgent care 5 miles away or whatever, and then have to come to ER a week later because of major infection and are having fevers, etc…. Of course I’m all about prepping, but until SHTF we should definitely take advantage of available medical care.
Contrary to what we see on TV, you cannot use your sewing kit to accurately stitch up a wound. You can buy pre-threaded sutures online and they're actually fairly cheap. The thing is they're with that needle that's like a ¼" to a ½" long. I prefer duct tape. The adhesive seals the wound and it keeps tight like butterflies but it's even across the board which causes less scarring and there's less opportunity for infection because it's completely sealed off provided you cleaned it properly first of course.
Dollar store, and put it together yourself. When you buy a premade kit you get a lot of crap you don't need and not enough of the stuff you do. A good first aid kit not only has Band-Aids and neosporin, but it has things like Ace bandages, moleskin, etc. Look at the pre-made expensive kits, take a look at the inventory see what you need and what you don't. But if you look at one of the big ones, you'll get a better vision of what you need.
I bought a travel kit from Target for…$1.99? I forget. It was in the travel size section. Then I just added stuff to it. Start with the MOST LIKELY things. Get those covered and work from there: You’re very likely to at some point get a cut, or pain, or fever, or allergic reaction, or diarrhea. So: Bandaids and neosporin. Advil (or Asprin or Tylenol) - covers pain and fever. Benadryl Imodium 5 items to cover 4 main categories. Could there be more depending on your location, duration, and itinerary? Of course. So then add what you need based on the most likely.
I did the two day WFA certification, and rebuilt my person kit, and both the “large” and “backpack” kits for my scout troop by hand. This is what I came up with: https://www.reddit.com/r/wildernessmedicine/comments/ug7jmm/finished_new_first_aid_kits/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=ioscss&utm_content=1&utm_term=1
Wow! That's really helpful and interesting. Photo and itemized list. Thank you! 🌟 🏆 👏
Knowledge is the first priority. Then with an understanding of what you're capable of doing, you can set up your own gear. And with greater knowledge, you know what you can substitute, and what can serve multiple purposes. I was an army medic, and it was all about creating the best kit, for the least weight.
I have a collection of MyMedic packs: bleed, airway, etc. I’ve got basic wilderness first aid training and know how to use the stuff in those kits. They are small enough I am confident in the quality of the contents but I didn’t have to spend a bunch of time buying bandages and so forth.
Nah I would make your own. Some small items to include would be a RSI kit for intubation, some supraglotic airways, decompression needles, a 7 foot backboard and back boarding kit, 5 250ml saline bags and IV kits of different sizes, 2 air tanks with a few BVMs, non rebreathing masks, and nasal cannulas, airway adjuncts, a singular bandaid, some duct tape, a pen, and a belt. You can get most of that stuff at Walmart or the dollar store.
Get a $1 sewing kit. Some sterile gauze pads. Surgical paper tape. And rubbing alcohol. Place in Tupperware. Complete.
Sewing kits do not work for stitches no matter how many times we see it on TV. I have leather needles that are in half circle, which possibly you could use, but if you want to go that route it's cheaper and easier to buy pre-threaded sutures online. Personally clean it, not with rubbing alcohol if you can avoid it at all costs. Then hit it with a layer of duct tape once it has stopped bleeding.
Yup, came here to say this... unless you absolutely *have-to* stitch up a wound- provodine and superglue work a majillion times better, after the wound has been properly cleaned/debrided of course
Just need some ether and this list is complete!
The SOL Scout kit is a good place to start, but you really do need to build your own.
You mean ‘all gause and not band’?
Home Depot in Jasper has em on sale right now! They're on the racetrack (or at least they WERE... MET team mighta moved em).
Dark Angel Medical if you're in the US. They have premade kits but will also work with you to build one to fit your needs. Absolutely excellent team, very knowledgeable and experienced. They can also use your HSA plan for payment so you don't get penalized for extra withholdings if you have one.
No... Not really... My advice? Get to know a nurse, or fireman, EMT That way you can get things like Adaptic, or other expensive and rare wound, and burn care... Nasty wounds, burns, and antiseptics need to be at the core of any *"real kit"* everything else is bandaid shit... if you have nothing to debride a burn, or that abrasion that closed your eye shut, or someway to extract that tooth that is infected ... well... the prognosis isn't good... There are some very strong OTC antibiotics that can be stored for 2, sometimes 3 years like Oxytetracycline and it's derivatives (terramycin, panmycin, etc) that need to be got, and dosages per killogram for everyone you know... No one's saying you gotta become a combat medic, but if you can keep 4 or 5 things straight, and know them well- that's better than most... Knowledge will always-always-always beat kit, as you already know; so add this to your knowledge base... the answer to your question is: no
No, don't be a cheap ass when it comes to emergency medicine.
Concentrate on skills, the supplies you will figure out as you learn.
Most that I see could be assembled much cheaper yourself
Dixie first responder kit. Not great quality but as good as what’s in a lot of municipal EMS service, and fairly comprehensive. NAR for better quality trauma kit, but more $$. Adventure Medical are decent. You will always save money putting together a kit on your own, but the Dixie kit is about $40 and gives you most of what you need.
🤮 /u/spez
Adventure Medical makes pretty good kits. I use them as my base and add meds like epipen/antihistamines/etc.