BearFootSam
Well-Known Member
I carry an extensive medical kit, not crazy but sufficient to attend to my family or others while out overlanding/camping or respond as a good Samaritan. In practice this includes a thorough trauma pack, assorted common medications, foot care, burn kit, splint material and then sick-call type splinter/eyewash/sting kit.
Why: You should have a clear purpose in mind for your setup. My purpose is (what should be mandatory) to have first responder essentials but also be able to attend to more routine comfort of life concerns in town and afar. This purpose guides what you should pack.
What:
*indicates high level training needed
Essentials - Tourniquet*, thick medical gloves, headlamp, trauma shears, several rolls of med tape, curlex gauze, Coban self-adhering bandage, assorted pre-cut gauze, ace wrap, hemostatic gauze*, NPA*, Oral device*, sharpie, large size sterile petrolatum gauze, a couple thin 'field barrier' sterile plastic, compact BVD / face shield for CPR, flares/reflector vest (don't become another casualty). (IMHO every vehicle on the road should be required to have the basics)
Additional - Totally up to your needs and training. Just make sure you go through it before you need it. Remove outer wrappings and plastic, fold the end of your tape into a pull tab, buddy tab pull apart bandage packages. I've struggled with packaging too many times while my hands are wet or bloody to not prep my kit.
Where: It's no use if you can't get to it. When you see a kit under a seat, buried under cargo in the bed, think how long it would take you to get to it under stress. If you have a more robust kit I recommend parceling it by urgency. I keep the face shield and gloves in the glove box for quick access. A tourniquet in the glove or center console can't hurt. With those critical, minutes count, items close at hand I can stow the main kit to the rear cab bulkhead or wherever else I can get to it without unloading stuff. Obviously whatever location/container you are using needs to be secure and dry. If it's in a hot location, check after it and replace medications.
Make sure to inventory it from time to time. You are out on a trip, use a few items, remember to re-stock at home. My wife is notorious for not telling me she used up the last X until I'm hunting for it. Again, if the bag is beat around and crushed, check after it.
Who: 90% of the value of a first aid kit is who is using it. Sometimes that might be you on yourself. Training should encompass not just what to do, but what not to do. Seeing a needle decompression in a movie far from qualifies a person to attempt one. There is a liability aspect of course but your main consideration should be whether you are mentally equipped to respond to preserve your or another's life without making the jobs of following medical professionals more difficult. If you are a serious overlander, outdoors person or hunter, it behooves you to get some quality, hands-on training.
My experience on the matter - I served as an active duty 18D, the pipeline for which is broadly considered the world's premier trauma and austere medical training. The TLDR: Have it, know how to use it. Know the limit of your skills but at the same time, don't second guess yourself out of doing the right thing.
Why: You should have a clear purpose in mind for your setup. My purpose is (what should be mandatory) to have first responder essentials but also be able to attend to more routine comfort of life concerns in town and afar. This purpose guides what you should pack.
What:
*indicates high level training needed
Essentials - Tourniquet*, thick medical gloves, headlamp, trauma shears, several rolls of med tape, curlex gauze, Coban self-adhering bandage, assorted pre-cut gauze, ace wrap, hemostatic gauze*, NPA*, Oral device*, sharpie, large size sterile petrolatum gauze, a couple thin 'field barrier' sterile plastic, compact BVD / face shield for CPR, flares/reflector vest (don't become another casualty). (IMHO every vehicle on the road should be required to have the basics)
Additional - Totally up to your needs and training. Just make sure you go through it before you need it. Remove outer wrappings and plastic, fold the end of your tape into a pull tab, buddy tab pull apart bandage packages. I've struggled with packaging too many times while my hands are wet or bloody to not prep my kit.
Where: It's no use if you can't get to it. When you see a kit under a seat, buried under cargo in the bed, think how long it would take you to get to it under stress. If you have a more robust kit I recommend parceling it by urgency. I keep the face shield and gloves in the glove box for quick access. A tourniquet in the glove or center console can't hurt. With those critical, minutes count, items close at hand I can stow the main kit to the rear cab bulkhead or wherever else I can get to it without unloading stuff. Obviously whatever location/container you are using needs to be secure and dry. If it's in a hot location, check after it and replace medications.
Make sure to inventory it from time to time. You are out on a trip, use a few items, remember to re-stock at home. My wife is notorious for not telling me she used up the last X until I'm hunting for it. Again, if the bag is beat around and crushed, check after it.
Who: 90% of the value of a first aid kit is who is using it. Sometimes that might be you on yourself. Training should encompass not just what to do, but what not to do. Seeing a needle decompression in a movie far from qualifies a person to attempt one. There is a liability aspect of course but your main consideration should be whether you are mentally equipped to respond to preserve your or another's life without making the jobs of following medical professionals more difficult. If you are a serious overlander, outdoors person or hunter, it behooves you to get some quality, hands-on training.
My experience on the matter - I served as an active duty 18D, the pipeline for which is broadly considered the world's premier trauma and austere medical training. The TLDR: Have it, know how to use it. Know the limit of your skills but at the same time, don't second guess yourself out of doing the right thing.
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