Hockaday2017
Active member
This picks up where part one left off. If you haven't read part one you can find it here - https://www.hunttalk.com/threads/what-should-i-carry-in-my-first-aid-kit-answered-part-1.317624/
Chapstick:
Whether you use chapstick regularly or not it can be a great thing to carry. I don't hardly ever use chapstick on a regular basis but while hunting I use it often. A person does not appreciate lips that are not chapped until they have chapped lips and no chapstick. As wimpy as that sounds it's true. I will carry one tube of chapstick in my kit wrapped in Leuko tape.
Eye Drops:
Say what you want about this but for me I carry eye drops. Just a small travel size tube. I hate itchy and dry eyes. After spending 5 days in the wind or dust, eye drops are an amazing thing to have. At least in my opinion. The tube I carry weighs in at a whopping .5 OZ.
Blister Care:
I like to think I have pretty tough feet. After lots of miles every day for several days in a row I will develop hot spots. Especially while packing. A heavy pack will make your feet work differently than they do normally. A blister can ruin a hunt in a hurry. Like I said, I wrap my chapstick tube in Leuko tape. I used moleskin for a couple of years until I bought Leuko tape and now I'll never go back to moleskine. Nothing against moleskin but Leuko tape is tough. I often will put Leuko tape on and a week later it will still be stuck there after wet feet, sweat and tons of miles. A common mistake is not applying a product until after the blister is formed. If you feel a hot spot coming on, stop and put something on it before it turns into a blister.
Tweezers:
Have you ever had a splinter under your fingernail? I have and it absolutely sucks. Good luck digging it out with your pocket knife. Laugh if you want to but Ill keep packing my tweezers. Again, they weigh nothing and can help you out in a pinch. Most kits come with a pair of plastic tweezers. I've found they are next to useless. I replace them with a metal pair that I can really squeeze down on without the rolling or breaking.
Splints:
I am going to contradict myself here. I don't carry a splint. I feel like I can make a splint if I need one. I know this contradicts my tourniquet paragraph, but let me explain my thoughts. If I break an arm, yes it's going to suck, but I know I am not going to die. If I feel like I need to immobilize the area I can cut a small tree and make one to use. It may be tough with one arm but it is doable. If I cut myself and am spilling blood I want something that I know where it is and that I can get on in a hurry.
Allergies:
I carry allergy pills still in the original foil packaging. Depending on the length of the hunt I will carry one for each day. I will also take 4 Benadryl in the original foil packaging. For some reason, the hide of deer and elk will shut me down. Benadryl helps a lot. Lastly, Epipens. This should be pretty self explanatory. If you need one, carry one. It's that simple.
Fire Starter:
I do not carry a “survival kit” filled with fishing line, hooks, matches and whatever else you can find in the handle of Rambo's knife. I do however carry a fire starter kit within my first aid kit. That consists of a lighter, a small box of waterproof matches and vaseline soaked cotton balls. To me it is worth having a lighter and matches in the event something happens to either one of them. I also wrap my lighter in my first aid kit in electrical tape. Lighters have a tendency to not work when it is very cold. Lighters also seem to grow legs and walk off when they are outdoors. I am a bit of a lighter junkie because of that reason. I carry a lighter in my bino harness as well as in my pants pocket. I also carry one within my cook kit. Lets just say when I want a fire, I want a fire.
Water Purification:
I also believe in carrying more than one form of water purification. I carry a filter as my primary but I also carry tablets in my first aid kit. I carry Aquatabs as they are light and do not use iodine. I will carry enough to purify several liters of water. Filters can fail so I like to have a backup.
Emergency Blanket:
I carry an emergency blanket in my kit. Why? To be honest, probably because I was addicted to survival shows and books growing up and all of them referenced survival blankets. It goes back to my original question: Are ounces worth your life? As of right now in my life I will keep packing it in the event I need it. For you it might not be worth the weight and I would understand that.
In conclusion this is a list of what I carry. Each person is going to be different based on their needs. Find what works for you and carry it. Spend time thinking what situations could arise and plan accordingly. If you hunt with people that are prone to cutting themselves like I do, carry extra bandaids. If you hunt with an older person maybe carry some aspirin in the case of heart issues. No two people's kit is going to be the same and each person in your group should have one specifically for them. Finally, know where your kit is at at all times! Keep it in a place where it is easily accessible.
Chapstick:
Whether you use chapstick regularly or not it can be a great thing to carry. I don't hardly ever use chapstick on a regular basis but while hunting I use it often. A person does not appreciate lips that are not chapped until they have chapped lips and no chapstick. As wimpy as that sounds it's true. I will carry one tube of chapstick in my kit wrapped in Leuko tape.
Eye Drops:
Say what you want about this but for me I carry eye drops. Just a small travel size tube. I hate itchy and dry eyes. After spending 5 days in the wind or dust, eye drops are an amazing thing to have. At least in my opinion. The tube I carry weighs in at a whopping .5 OZ.
Blister Care:
I like to think I have pretty tough feet. After lots of miles every day for several days in a row I will develop hot spots. Especially while packing. A heavy pack will make your feet work differently than they do normally. A blister can ruin a hunt in a hurry. Like I said, I wrap my chapstick tube in Leuko tape. I used moleskin for a couple of years until I bought Leuko tape and now I'll never go back to moleskine. Nothing against moleskin but Leuko tape is tough. I often will put Leuko tape on and a week later it will still be stuck there after wet feet, sweat and tons of miles. A common mistake is not applying a product until after the blister is formed. If you feel a hot spot coming on, stop and put something on it before it turns into a blister.
Tweezers:
Have you ever had a splinter under your fingernail? I have and it absolutely sucks. Good luck digging it out with your pocket knife. Laugh if you want to but Ill keep packing my tweezers. Again, they weigh nothing and can help you out in a pinch. Most kits come with a pair of plastic tweezers. I've found they are next to useless. I replace them with a metal pair that I can really squeeze down on without the rolling or breaking.
Splints:
I am going to contradict myself here. I don't carry a splint. I feel like I can make a splint if I need one. I know this contradicts my tourniquet paragraph, but let me explain my thoughts. If I break an arm, yes it's going to suck, but I know I am not going to die. If I feel like I need to immobilize the area I can cut a small tree and make one to use. It may be tough with one arm but it is doable. If I cut myself and am spilling blood I want something that I know where it is and that I can get on in a hurry.
Allergies:
I carry allergy pills still in the original foil packaging. Depending on the length of the hunt I will carry one for each day. I will also take 4 Benadryl in the original foil packaging. For some reason, the hide of deer and elk will shut me down. Benadryl helps a lot. Lastly, Epipens. This should be pretty self explanatory. If you need one, carry one. It's that simple.
Fire Starter:
I do not carry a “survival kit” filled with fishing line, hooks, matches and whatever else you can find in the handle of Rambo's knife. I do however carry a fire starter kit within my first aid kit. That consists of a lighter, a small box of waterproof matches and vaseline soaked cotton balls. To me it is worth having a lighter and matches in the event something happens to either one of them. I also wrap my lighter in my first aid kit in electrical tape. Lighters have a tendency to not work when it is very cold. Lighters also seem to grow legs and walk off when they are outdoors. I am a bit of a lighter junkie because of that reason. I carry a lighter in my bino harness as well as in my pants pocket. I also carry one within my cook kit. Lets just say when I want a fire, I want a fire.
Water Purification:
I also believe in carrying more than one form of water purification. I carry a filter as my primary but I also carry tablets in my first aid kit. I carry Aquatabs as they are light and do not use iodine. I will carry enough to purify several liters of water. Filters can fail so I like to have a backup.
Emergency Blanket:
I carry an emergency blanket in my kit. Why? To be honest, probably because I was addicted to survival shows and books growing up and all of them referenced survival blankets. It goes back to my original question: Are ounces worth your life? As of right now in my life I will keep packing it in the event I need it. For you it might not be worth the weight and I would understand that.
In conclusion this is a list of what I carry. Each person is going to be different based on their needs. Find what works for you and carry it. Spend time thinking what situations could arise and plan accordingly. If you hunt with people that are prone to cutting themselves like I do, carry extra bandaids. If you hunt with an older person maybe carry some aspirin in the case of heart issues. No two people's kit is going to be the same and each person in your group should have one specifically for them. Finally, know where your kit is at at all times! Keep it in a place where it is easily accessible.
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