"WHAT SHOULD I CARRY IN MY FIRST AID KIT?" - ANSWERED PART #1

[Erdgz]

“I carry a CAT tourniquet and paid only $20 for three of them. I also carry a bleed stop or blood clotting in the event of a cut that you cannot place a tourniquet on.”

There is a high likelihood you purchased counterfeit tourniquets. They go for $25-30 each. I never recommend my students purchase from anywhere except medical supply sites such as narescue.com. Never Amazon. It’s not something I want to find out is fake when I’m applying it.

I got 4 CATs from my last deployment. Carry one in each vehicle now.

 

[ZooKeeper314]

I got 4 CATs from my last deployment. Carry one in each vehicle now.

We keep 1-2 in each vehicle & even a couple in the house.

I've started carrying the Snakestaff System ETQ (everyday carry tourniquet). I like the size/weight of it & materials appear to be top quality. This will likely be what I carry on hunts moving forward.

 

[WrongWind]

Super glue

 

[Hockaday2017]

I would add that your first aid should be an easy-to-reach spot and the kit itself should clearly marked. In the event of an accident you want to be able to get to it with one working hand. If you hunting with a partner you want them to be able to quickly locate what they need to stop a major bleed.

Agreed!

 

[bmg2506]

“I should carry more in my kit.” A phrase said in every first aid kit walk through video ever. What's stopping you from carrying more? Is it because you are a lightweight junkie? If so, ask yourself this question: Is a couple of ounces worth my life? The answer is always NO! “Well, ounces make pounds.” That is correct but I am sure there are other places in your pack to cut weight in order to carry a better kit that could save you or someone else's life. There are a few things to consider when building your first aid kit. First, and most importantly, know how to use what you carry! You spend countless hours shooting your rifle or bow throughout the year so when the perfect moment comes you can execute the shot. Your first aid kit should be the same way. Learn how to use what is in your first aid kit. I should also preface this article by saying: I am not a medic, doctor or EMT. I do however know how to use what is in my kit and I won't carry something that I do not know how to use.

Satellite Messenger:
While this isn't going to be carried in your kit, it should be part of it. Yes they are expensive but they are worth every penny. Garmin and Zoleo are the big names in the space and from my experience they work equally well. They have a plan like a cell phone. You can pay monthly or yearly. Plans range in price. I pay $12 a month for my Garmin InReach Mini . Do some research and figure out which one would work best for you. Carry this in a place that is accessible at all times. I carry mine on my bino harness. Some people carry theirs in or on their backpack. That is fine as long as you are not one of the people that drop their backpack and leave it on a stalk. It won't do you much good sitting on the side of the mountain ½ mile away. Now let's get on to the kit.

Carrying case:
Find a case that will efficiently fit what you need to carry. That could be anything from a toiletries bag that you can buy at Walmart to an actual first aid kit bag that you buy and add to. I use the latter. I prefer one that opens like a book with a big zipper. I like it to have clear pockets on either side.

Now that you have a case that will carry your goods there are a few things you need to think about. One, where will you be hunting? This could be 15 minutes from your house, several states away or in another country. You also need to consider what kind of hunting you will be doing. Are you being guided out of a lodge? Are you backpacking in 10 miles? That could dictate how much of something you carry, for instance painkillers or sleep aids. If you are returning to a lodge everynight with a plush bed you may not need to carry sleep aids or excess amounts of IBUprofen. The final thing to consider is what conditions you have. Do you have prescriptions you have to take daily? Do you have a severe allergy that would require you to carry an Epipen? Take these things into account and build your kit accordingly.

Medications:
I carry a travel sized tylenol container stuffed full of IBUprofen. I also wrap that container with electrical tape. That container can usually get me through 10 days of hunting if I take 3-4 a day. I used to carry sleep aid pills also in the original foil packaging but as I spend more nights in the field I find myself not needing them. You may ask: Why not carry all of the pills in the same container? My answer to that is because, in the dark or if I am tired, I don't want to accidentally take the wrong pill because I thought it was IBUprofen. If you take daily prescriptions I would suggest separating them in small ziplock baggies for each day for the same reason as mentioned before. I have also had friends have their pills melt together into one giant blob on a hot day.

Minor Cut Care:
I carry band-aids, lots of band-aids. With their weight being that of next to nothing, I carry several of each type. I carry knuckle bandages, butterfly, small, medium and large ones. Just a couple of each. I also carry a small tube of super glue. I can use it to seal a cut or fix a piece of gear. For me it's a no brainer to carry. I personally do not carry gauze anymore.

Severe Cut Care:
Tourniquets save lives. There is a reason every first responder you can find carries one. I never carried one until I read a story of a man helping his kid build a deck. The man slipped and a deck screw cut his femoral artery. His son had a tourniquet in his car and that ultimately saved the man's life. After reading that, I immediately ordered one for all of my vehicles, my house and my hunting kit. Sure they add some weight and bulk to your kit but, are ounces worth your life? You may never need it but as the old saying goes “It's better to have and not need than to need and not have.” Now yes you can make one out of a belt or strip of fabric, but if you are spilling blood the last thing you need to be doing is trying to figure out how to build a tourniquet. If you are 10 miles deep and severely cut yourself, there is no SOS button that can save you like that tourniquet could. Even if you hunt 1 mile off of the road you should have one in your kit and know how to use it. Practice using it! I carry a CAT tourniquet and paid only $20 for three of them. I also carry a bleed stop or blood clotting in the event of a cut that you cannot place a tourniquet on.

Antibacterial:
This is something most kits come with. I replace the small foil packages with a small tube of neosporin. To me it's worth the weight to have the piece of mind that I am doing as much as I can to fight off infection in the case of a cut or scrape. Do what you will, this is just what I do.

IF YOU'VE MADE IT THIS FAR LOOK FOR PART TWO - https://www.hunttalk.com/threads/what-should-i-carry-in-my-first-aid-kit-answered-part-2.317625/

The quote 'I would rather have it and not need it, then need it and not have it' is my motto when packing a first aid kit.

 

[ismith]

Lots of good stuff in this thread. Don't forget to inspect your kit from time to time, replace expired stuff and most importantly, be familiar with your kit and how to use it.

 

[manitou1]

For serious, life threatening or debilitating injuries:
- Two SAM splints if weight is no concern.
- Israeli bandage
- Qwik Clot gauze
- CAT (combat aplocation tournaquet
- Roll of standard gauze
- Med tape
- Zoleo or similar (I consider this a mandatory part of life saving in the back country)

For every day "boo-boos":
- Band aides, assorted waterproof
- Finger cots
- Anti-biotic ointment
- Gauze
- Pain reliever (Tylenol, ibuprophen, etc)
- Med tape
- Tweezers
- 4"x4" gauze pads

If hunting with a partner:
CPR mask
Nasel pharyngeal airway