First aid kit...necessary? If so, any recommendations?

[john29]

Hey there,

I'm exploring the Adirondacks soon, and as mentioned in the title, would you guys recommend taking first aid kit, and if so what is there a specific set of things you reckon would be most useful?

Thanks!

Edit: I've ordered a travel first aid kit from this site - I just need to add a few extras I guess

[Paul Held]

I'm sure everyone is different. I bring a few things to patch things up as well as some pain killers just in case. I usually have bandaids, some triple antibiotic ointment, gauze, moleskin and duct tape. I also bring an emergency space blanket. I doubt I could do surgery, but I can patch up some nasty cuts if need be. Paul

[DackerDan]

I am sure you will get a lot of different opinions.
I bought an adventure medical 0.7 kit for camping, for day hikes I effectively made up from it the 0.3 kit. Most hikes I use something out of my day-hike kit so I find it very useful. If you don't buy a kit, look at the contents and use them as a guide for how to make your own.

[Woolybear]

Things to think about -
How comfortable do you feel bring as much or as little in way of first aid gear?
Do you know how to use what you bring (seems simple enough but you'd be surprised)?
You can't prepare for everything are you able to improvise and get multiple functionality out of what you do bring?
Do you hike with groups or solo (how self reliant are you going to have to be)?
Were do you hike (once again how self reliant are you going to have to be)?

[Foottraffic]

Yes,you should have a first aid.kit when you hike. It is on every list of essentials from the cub scouts to SAR teams.

[Snav3]

The list below is generally what I carry, don't remember where I copied it from. You can adjust the items depending on length of stay, but I just leave it together and carry it whenever I hike. Over the years I have used everything listed here one time, or another, except maybe the space blanket.

Item -Quantity -Use

Alcohol swabs - 5 each - Cleaning skin
Antacid - 8 to 12 tablets - Indigestion/heartburn
Antibacterial Soap - 1 - Cleansing abrasions
Anti-diarrhetic - 6 tablets - Relief of diarrhea
Aspirin or Equivalent - 10+ tablets, 5 grain - Minor pain
Band-Aids - 10 each, 1” wide - Lacerations
Elastic Bandage - 1 each, 3” wide - Support, sprains, hold dressings
First Aid/Rescue Info -1 each - Easy reference
Moleskin or Mole foam - 2 of each, 4” x 4” - Blister prevention
Needle/tweezers - 1, medium - Splinters
Pencil & Paper - 1 each - Notes, messages, fill out accident report
Safety Pins - 3, large - Varied uses
Gauze - 1, 5 x 9 - Large bleeding wounds
Scissors - 1 - Cutting moleskin, tape
Space Blanket - 1 - Protection, warmth
Steri-Pad Gauze - 4, 4” x 4” - Larger abrasions
Triangular Bandage - 1 - Cravat, sling, etc.
Waterproof Adhesive Tape - 1 roll, 2” wide - Securing dressings
Antiseptic Ointment - 1 - Abrasions, burns
Individual Medications As needed

[goneja]

Not trying to be offensive, but it's foolish to ask if you need a first aid kit in environments like that. Of course you do... It is rugged mountain terrain. Good luck if you trip and fall several feet onto rocks at 4500 feet and break bones, get impaled, or open a gash, and then ask yourself then if it was worth saving the piddly half a pound over it. Someone gets somewhat hurt on almost every trip.


Bring enough to survive overnight and to tend to at least one extremely large wound. Everyone you go with should do the same and not rely on the other person. My entire first aid kit and survival gear pack fits in a small plastic bag under a pound that fits fine even in a lumbar pack.

Combat gauze, compress dressing, gauze pads, medical tape, small bandaids, large bandaids, XL bandaids, personal medication, painkillers, cold medicine, antacid, anti-diarrhea, tweezers, purrell, neosporin, duct tape, space blanket, sunblock, alcohol swabs, iodine swabs, athletic tape is what I use.

[bignslow]

Originally Posted by goneja

Good luck if you trip and fall several feet onto rocks at 4500 feet and break bones, get impaled, or open a gash, and then ask yourself then if it was worth saving the piddly half a pound over it.

What do you carry in a half pound first aid kit that is going to fix broken bones or impalement?

I carry a fairly standard first aid kit (bandages, moleskin, gauze, tape, etc.., it is roughly the size of a stuffed quart sized zip lock bag). I think that knowledge and training are more important than the "gear" . I'm no first aid expert (does the first aid merit badge from scouts decades ago count?), but I have a general idea regarding splints and how to stop bleeding (and what to do in those situations). For anything serious you better be prepared to improvise because a handful of gauze and some tape isn't going to fix any serious injuries.

Think outside the box, can the framesheet from your backpack be used as an improvised splint, what about trekking pole sections? For a serious wound you're probably going to need to use some piece of clothing as an improvised bandage. How are you going to continue to apply direct pressure to a wound while working on extrication?

I absolutely recommend everyone carries a first aid kit, but I don't think that we should kid ourselves that we will be able to solve any serious injuries with a "piddly half a pound"

[daxs]

take a wilderness first aid course. you will learn how to make do with what you have in order to make splints and immobilize joints. Even though I'm practice medicine for a living, I learned alot in the class. Not sure of the costs, I had an organization I belong to pay for it.

[DackerDan]

Originally Posted by bignslow

What do you carry in a half pound first aid kit that is going to fix broken bones or impalement?

A SAM splint weighs 4oz.

[DSettahr]

Originally Posted by DackerDan

A SAM splint weighs 4oz.

While I agree that SAM splints aren't that heavy, and can be a worthwhile addition to a first aid kit... it's still not going to "fix" a broken bone.

[John H Swanson]

Originally Posted by DSettahr

While I agree that SAM splints aren't that heavy, and can be a worthwhile addition to a first aid kit... it's still not going to "fix" a broken bone.

First aid is not a cure but rather a temporary treatment until definitive care is reached. So now we're talking about stabilizing the broken bone and evacuation. In some cases, the risk is too large with field derived stablization that the appropriate course is to seek and bring in more gear - read: femur fracture.

That said, what is a better option a SAM splint for 4oz or a swiss army knife with a saw that can turn every tree into a splint? I don't bring a triangular bandage becase I find a group of 8 usually has at least 8 bandanas.

[Commissionpoint]

Originally Posted by DackerDan

A SAM splint weighs 4oz.

OK. Theres half of the half pound. Damn the broken bones, full speed ahead!

What are we doing for the other 4 oz. in case of impalement?

Broken bones in general are boring unless its large and compund in nature. Then it can be fun to look at.

I wanna hear more about impalement.

Anyone got instant plasma???

[john29]

Ok thanks everyone. I suppose it was a stupid question to ask, thinking about it. However there are some really useful suggestions here; I'd never have thought about bringing duct tape, nor something so obvious as pain killers!

[SanDimas1988]

Originally Posted by john29

Ok thanks everyone. I suppose it was a stupid question to ask, thinking about it. However there are some really useful suggestions here; I'd never have thought about bringing duct tape, nor something so obvious as pain killers!

I've read suggestions that you wrap your water bottle in duct tape. That way you don't need to carry the whole roll, and it's where you'll need it if you do.

[Dunbar]

Originally Posted by john29

Ok thanks everyone. I suppose it was a stupid question to ask, thinking about it. However there are some really useful suggestions here; I'd never have thought about bringing duct tape, nor something so obvious as pain killers!

Don't let anyone make you think it was a stupid question. It was a good question that generated a lot of good discussion.

[Kyler]

I carry a kit from REI. They have a few different ones that they market for day hikes, backpacking, etc.

[DSettahr]

There is a lot of good advice in this discussion, but one major consideration that is probably the most important is missing: You may have the best first aid kit in the world, but it's still going to be limited by how knowledgeable the owner is in how to use it properly.

I am a firm believer that everyone who intends to make hiking/backpacking/mountain climbing a regular activity in their lives should obtain and maintain a Wilderness First Aid certification. WFA is the minimum standard for many camp counselors and hiking club members who professionally lead trips. With a WFA certification, your ability to both understand for yourself what is necessary in a first aid kit, and how to use it properly for all of the most common backcountry injuries, will be significantly improved.

A WFA can easily be obtained in a weekend, as the course is generally 16 hours spread over 2 consecutive 8 hour days. There are two organizations that I highly recommend that offer the course: SOLO and WMA. And who knows- if you enjoy the courses and learning about the subject material, you might even decide to move on and get your Wilderness Advanced First Aid, Wilderness First Responder, or your Wilderness EMT.

[John H Swanson]

This was already covered in detail. With one small change I would re-write my comments from this thread

http://www.adkhighpeaks.com/forums/s...hlight=swanson

I have been able to treat two broken legs and two broken arms (on 4 separate hikes) with the contents of this kit, my pack, and the packs of others in my group. I really think knowledge and experience are more important than gear, by far. Of course, you do need something to work with.

[Nessmuk]

Originally Posted by John H Swanson

I have been able to treat two broken legs and two broken arms (on 4 separate hikes)

Holy cow... remind me to not go on hike #5 with you....