# FAK Contents !



## rjdpj (Dec 14, 2012)

This is a list of everything in my First-Aid Kit , would you please review and tell me if there is anything unnecessary that I'm just not seeing , also if there is something that is in yours that isn't in mine , and please keep in mind that my group will be most likely bugging out to a farm for a while . Thanks . 

BANDAGES - 
71-normal band-aids 
10-mini band-aids 
2-mini butterfly bandages 
6-normal butterfly's 
5- large 
200+ - Sterile wound dressings pads large and small 
1-roll of gauze 
1-bottle of liquid band-aids 
3 - ace bandages 
OINTMENTS,SOLUTIONS,WIPES,-
Eye drops 
Eye Sty ointment 
Icy-hot 
Sunscreen SPF 35 
Triple antibiotic ointment , 
3 saline solutions 
5 9grams packets of burn cream 
Bactine 
Benadryl ointment 
77 "shower wipes " 
Petroleum jelly 
3 tubes of Chapstick 
5 insect sting relief pads 
Solarcaine 
26 alcohol prep pads 
20 oz of rubbing alcohol 
Foot powder (for wet feet ) 
Bottle of germ x 
MEDICINE -
1 bottle of ibuprofen 
1 bottle of aspirin 
1 bottle of sleeping aid 
24 Benadryl 
1 bottle of potassium supplement 
Bottle of multivitamins 
1 bottle of midol 
3 prescription headache pills 
4 imodiums 
5 energy supplement pills 
1 bottle of cold and flu relief 
30 ricola 
Various bottles of prescription drugs , such as hydro's 

PROTECTION - 
60+ latex gloves 
6 N-95 masks 
20 normal face masks 
4 goggles 

Miscellaneous - 
27 bio-hazard bags 
Scissors 
Medicine measurer 
2 first aid pamphlets 
Cotton swaps 
Thermometer 
6 tongue depressors 
2 actual scalpels ( hopefully never have to use ) 
Arm splint 
Medical tape 
Tweezers 
2 instant cooling gelled neck rags 
1 bottle of water and crackers 
Clorox wipes 
Needle and thread . 

This is it lol  , thanks again


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## CulexPipiens (Nov 17, 2010)

Looks pretty good at first glance. I could nit pick and suggest stuff like battle dressing/compression bandages and fish med anitbiotics but at this point I'd be more interested in 

A) making sure you know how and when to actually use everything in there
and 
B) including a good first aid book or two in there too, not just a phamplet.


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## rjdpj (Dec 14, 2012)

Thanks , and I only have those pamphlets cause thy came with some of the first aid stuff , but I've had 5 years of Healthcare classes in middle school to my senior year so i know a pretty good bit , i mean obviously I'm no doctor by far but yea a book would be good incase i forget something .


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## Caribou (Aug 18, 2012)

I might suggest some advanced first aid training like ETT or EMT. A very fine start.


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## kejmack (May 17, 2011)

Scalpels but no sutures?


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## cowboyhermit (Nov 10, 2012)

Didn't see any steristrips, those are tops in my book.


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## Grimm (Sep 5, 2012)

I built our BO FAK and our home kit based on THIS site. It has some great info as well as book recommendations for the kits.

One tip... Read any book you add to your kit before you need to use it.


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## Trip286 (Oct 18, 2012)

Tea bags. Moistened with hot water, and applied as a compress, it will "draw out" infections from festering sores, boils, stys, and other smaller ailments that don't fall into OPEN WOUND territory. I don't recommend applying them to open wounds, for fear of causing a worse infection, but they may work fine for that. I tend to feel that sterile gauzes and bandages would be better for open wounds such as cuts and bad abrasions.

They'll also help ease the pain of many insect stings and bites, but not so much the venom. But, they will help the resulting sore from a venomous sting/bite.

Best use for tea bags in a well equipped FAK would be for boils or for a festering injury, such as from an infected splinter site.


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## Aliaysonfire (Dec 18, 2012)

I'd get burn care stuff- from burn gel/ dressings to aloe Vera for sunburn. To get one of those and not have anything for it would just be in the pits.


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## Aliaysonfire (Dec 18, 2012)

Oops. Sorry I didn't see burn cream. Well. Also some rehydration salts. Was looking really hard to find something I'd want- mostly Id want more of some items like ibuprofen and such. Or cranberry pills is someone's prone to those (kidney/uti) infections. A package of Azo pills go a long way to treat a uti. They are awesome. (Sitting here with a uti makes for my mind sorta obsess about it!lol)


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## Grimm (Sep 5, 2012)

I forgot to mention that your needle and thread may not be a good idea. Cotton thread can allow moisture and bacteria into the wound. Plus if you have ever had to sew thick fabrics or rubber with a straight needle you'd opt for suture needles and needle forceps. (I use glove/suture needles and forceps when sewing by hand to save my fingers. Sometimes you have to hand sew on set to fix a costume.  )

Keep your local feed store for veterinary sutures. If you can't find any get a spool of silk and a spool of nylon threads. Plastic spools are good because you can boil the threads on them if you have to on the go.


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## dixiemama (Nov 28, 2012)

I have the majority of the things in this but also a few plastic shower curtains from the dollar store in case you need a large sterile area.


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## forluvofsmoke (Jan 27, 2012)

OK, at first glance, I thought this was for a multiple pack-type BOB system, and thought it was severely overboard, then I re-read the opening paragraph...DUH! For a farm BOL with a sizable group, you're on the right path, and have a very good selection, thus far. Keep in mind what chores (firewood gathering, animal tending, etc) the group will be doing, as well as the possibility of outside threats/security issues, and environmental hazards.

I would suggest more items for smaller, more minor injuries, as they are the most likely to occur, and in higher frequency in most situations. Finger-tip, knuckle and butterfly bandages, and various sizes of regular adhesive bandages up to the 1" x 3" or 2" x 4" size range will suffice. I don't buy plastic bandages, as they don't adhere very well or stay on long,and fabric self-adhesive bandages will flex and stretch, allow more comfort, and stay on longer use between changes. If latex allergies could be an issue, you can get latex-free fabric bandages...have bunches of them myself, just in case.

The Ace-Bandages are good for compression of sprains or other mechanical injuries where control of swelling is needed, without the presence of bleeding. However, IMO they are not a good choice for a compress source on open wounds, as they could become soaked in blood, causing a sanitizing issue. For this dressing compress applications, I suggest using a self-adhering elasticized wrap, such as a sports bandage...no clips, pins or prongs to deal with and they're reusable if they don't get wet with body fluids. Also, Kling (trademarked) is a great self-adhering gauze roll...there is another brand available as well...Red Cross/Johnson, maybe...been a while since I dug for those. Anyway, the self-adhering are so much easier to use and more versitile overall at a very comparable price vs regular elastic wraps.

Bandage compresses are nice for serious open wounds, as they are basically preloaded with absorbent cotton material for absorption/bleeding control. If compresses are not available, just keep stacking up gauze pads on top of each other as they start to soak through to control bleeding (don't remove the first layers, keep in place until bleeding is stopped, or until assessing and preparing for cleaning and suturing).

A few items that I would add (have some of these in a home/vehicle BOB, as well as my daily carry BOB):
TRAUMA CARE:
Sutures;
-Forceps, locking, with cutters (think of them as extra heavy-duty, large tweezers with the power and abilities of needle-nose pliers, and then some);
-Finger Splints, padded metal, medium and large with velcro straps (quick, easy, reusable, and nice to have handy instead of looking for tongue depressors or sticks and tape);
-Celox (new version of blood-clot), although this may be more of a BOB item;
-First Aid Tape, cloth, heavy-duty, 1" and 1/2" width to hold sterile pads in place;
-Anti-bacterial/pain-relieving ointments - for a group, I think you need more.

ENVIRONMENTAL THREATS - INSECT, SPIDER AND SNAKE BITE:
Depending on your environment and the susceptibility of members of your group to be overcome by anaphylactic shock due to bee sting, you may want to have epinephrin pens, although I don't think these can be purchased without a prescription. Better put, anyone susceptible should get a prescription, fill it and have it close-by.

Snake bite kits are a different story...can be purchased at sporting goods stores, hunting outfitters and the like...have on hand for the obvious reason. Serious spider bites may be treated much the same as snake bites, although are generally far less life-threatening for most individuals, and most species of spiders. Some may cause loss of finger or hand due to tissue damage, while others can be lethal, causing CNS damage. Know your indigenous spiders and keep your eye out for isolated species which may not be common to your area. Know their type of venom and level of toxicity, and threat to humans or animals so you can identify possible bites and act accordingly. Not all spider bites are easily recognized, and certain proteins in a particular venom may take days to begin to cause tissue damage.

GENERAL:
-Epsom Salts (Magnesium Sulfate - read this: http://www.saltworks.us/salt_info/epsom-uses-benefits.asp )

SANITIZING:
-Liquid Chlorine Bleach (sodium hypochlorite - for 10% solution with water used for sanitizing soiled articles, clothing and surfaces);
-Latex Gloves, heavy-duty (for same as above)

TRAINING AND MEDIA:
As for training, EMT may be a bit of over-kill, but there's nothing wrong with having the knowledge. At the time I took the EMT-B, it was a 120 hour course. If taken through a local college as a non-enrolled course, the cost will be minimal. I was EMT-B certified for 3 years in CO, and BEC (industrial first responder) for 2 years in WY. Also, I have had Medic First Aid/CPR training for years prior to those certifications and a few times since. Either EMT-B or BEC are nothing more than a glorified first responder, in reality...the rules of the game remain the same.

Yes to a basic first aid guide book (most assembled f/a kits have a *very* basic guide)...it can help you keep your cool and think about what to do next.

Above all, with a group, more than one person should be knowledgeable/trained in first aid because it could be you and/or another of your "medical team" that require attention...redundancy is best...if everyone had a bit of training would be great. In most emergency medical situations, just because you don't have what you would like for supplies doesn't mean you can't adapt and come up with a suitable solution. Keep a cool head and think about the basics so you don't get overwhelmed...keeping your cool will allow your memory to kick in and you'll know what to do.

I digressed, but it should set you thoughts into motion, and that's what I think you wanted from this thread, right?

If you think there are more first-aid items you may have forgotten that would be a nice item (or in some cases a necessity) to have, check the health/pharmacy pages on a retail website like walmart, target or other dept store type site...should jog your memory or give you additional things to consider.

Nice work so far! Looking over your list gave me a few ideas to consider, as well as some more researching opportunities!


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## Mase92 (Feb 4, 2013)

I go with 2 one smaller one for trauma and immediate needs and another (its mobile) that contains everyday things.


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