# the best 1 man 1st aid kit?



## gaspump86 (May 5, 2012)

im looking for a good first aid kit for my BOB that can deal with everything from a scratch to a gunshot. 
I know little about wound care or trauma treatment but I am just now starting to research it. 
I need something as lightweight and inexpensive as possible. however I will buy what is necessary. 
I heard that "quick clot" is a must have. 
any advice or directions would be appreciated. 
peace


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## PreparedRifleman73 (Nov 2, 2012)

As an EMT I would stay away from QuikClot. Here's my post on the matter, good luck: http://www.preparedsociety.com/forum/f2/hawkmiles-guide-fixing-major-life-threats-16196/


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## jsriley5 (Sep 22, 2012)

I half expected to find a link to a patriot nurse video. If I was by myself I'd want her in my FAK  Really hard to put put a sealed bandage on your own exit wound when it's on your back. I really don't have much to suggest beyond somthing to stop the blood ie trauma bandages and if you can aford it one of the high tec blood stoppers if not quick clot then one of the others. and somthing to hopefully prevent infection and somthing to treat infection. Then your general cut and stick wound tretment stuff.


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## Turtle (Dec 10, 2009)

Best first aid kit? The one you assemble yourself.

With that said, here's a good one to start off with, and then tailor it to your individual needs:
http://www.galls.com/CGBCSTYL?PMSTYL=TK094


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## Sentry18 (Aug 5, 2012)

I looked at dozen of FAKs this past summer for my BOB and decided there was no really good pre-made kit. They add so much crap into them so they can say they are a 75 piece kit instead of a 40 piece kit. So I assembled my own and now I have exactly what I want. In fact I made two kits; one for general first aid and one for trauma. My trauma kits include both Quickclot and Celox. Both of which I have seen used with great success. Both kits are in molle pouches for fast access.


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## ras1219como (Jan 15, 2013)

I would suggest purchasing one or two Isreali bandages (they run 10 to 15 each), an occlusive bandage (for sucking chest wounds), a tourniquet , a couple ABD pad, various sized gauze pads and gauze rolls, and a SAM splint. This would obviously be for more severe wounds. The normal band aids, ice packs, ointments etc would be for your minor wounds. Keep in mind though that without more advanced medical care the chances of surviving a serious wound (ie a sucking chest wound) is very low.


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## Startingout-Blair (Aug 28, 2012)

jsriley5 said:


> I half expected to find a link to a patriot nurse video. If I was by myself I'd want her in my FAK  Really hard to put put a sealed bandage on your own exit wound when it's on your back. I really don't have much to suggest beyond somthing to stop the blood ie trauma bandages and if you can aford it one of the high tec blood stoppers if not quick clot then one of the others. and somthing to hopefully prevent infection and somthing to treat infection. Then your general cut and stick wound tretment stuff.


Remember the first Rambo movie? Who needs quick clot? Use gun powder! Lmao!!!


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## Grimm (Sep 5, 2012)

Here is one of my favorite sites for putting together your own first aid kit...

http://www.equipped.com/medical.htm

http://www.equipped.com/survlkit.htm#MEDICALKITS


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## professor (Nov 19, 2012)

I am not a doctor, but I have spent 36 years taking care of critically ill children, many of them burned. Our initial treatment is safe, works well and is widely used:

A. Clean the burns gently with cool water and some soap. Pat the area dry. We then use a burn dressing called xeroform gauze. You can buy it in several sizes (amazon), so I have different sizes in my trauma bag. Take the xeroform gauze and gently unfold it - cut off the amount you need to cover the burn and gently drape it onto the burn. Xeroform is gauze that has been impregnated with sulfur and Vaseline. Smooth it down onto the wound, covering each portion of the burn with a little edge over on regular skin to help hd it in place. You can cut, snip, roll the xeroform to make it fit your burn.

Next take some neosporin and put a thin layer on top of the xeroform gauze. I usually use the kind with pain relief in it for the first couple of days - then i use the regular neosporin. Wrap the burn in clean gauze. The xeroform will actually adhere to the burn much the time and will flake off as the skin heals. It will roll up along the edges of the burn as it heals and you can trim it off. You don't peel the old layer of xeroform off, you let it peel itself off as the skin heals. 

Everyday you take the outer gauze wrap off, check the wound, apply a thin layer of neosporin to the top of the xeroform gauze and wrap it back up! 

With this method of treatment you get early pain control, there is no scrubbing of denuded flesh and the pain that accompanies it, and patients really don't complain as much. I have used this method on myself and friends and it works!

However THIS CAN NOT BE USED IF THE PATIENT is allergic to sulfa drugs or sulfur.

I hope this helps - I have a certain horror over burns - I cared for many who were critically burned and I cant get the look, the stench, the cold feeling as the skin slides off their body out of my memory. - we frequently were tearful while providing care to our patients. I worked rapidly and with compassion over them while tears rolled down my cheeks. If this keeps one persons suffering at a manageable level, it will be worth the post.


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## jsriley5 (Sep 22, 2012)

Startingout-Blair said:


> Remember the first Rambo movie? Who needs quick clot? Use gun powder! Lmao!!!


Yup aint that cool trade gangrene from a infection in a cut for gangrene in a 3rd degree burn


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## jsriley5 (Sep 22, 2012)

professor said:


> I am not a doctor, but I have spent 36 years taking care of critically ill children, many of them burned. Our initial treatment is safe, works well and is widely used:
> 
> A. Clean the burns gently with cool water and some soap. Pat the area dry. We then use a burn dressing called xeroform gauze. You can buy it in several sizes (amazon), so I have different sizes in my trauma bag. Take the xeroform gauze and gently unfold it - cut off the amount you need to cover the burn and gently drape it onto the burn. Xeroform is gauze that has been impregnated with sulfur and Vaseline. Smooth it down onto the wound, covering each portion of the burn with a little edge over on regular skin to help hd it in place. You can cut, snip, roll the xeroform to make it fit your burn.
> 
> ...


Thankyou for a pertinent, useful, informative and heartfelt post. And thankyou for giving care to those critically ill children. While not burned my youngest son was one of the critically injured children. I spend over three months sleeping ina chair leaning on his bed rail because I didn't know if he was going to live and I didn't want to waste a second of what may have been the last of his life. The Intensive care ward nurses and doctors were wonderful and he managed to amaze everyone and live and against all odds even walks nearly NORMALLY! Thank god and I DO THANK GOD for letting me have my child back and for folks like you. And now I am having trouble seeing for some reason. So a last thanks.


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## CulexPipiens (Nov 17, 2010)

The absolute best first aid kit you can get is....

None. 

Since you admit you really don't know anything yet, go take a first aid class. Learn CPR. Get a few good books. Once you understand what you can (and can't do) then you'll be ready to get together a kit that has more than bandaids in it... otherwise right now you'll buy a bunch of stuff that you have no idea how to use or what it's even for! Having the stuff is useless if you don't know what to do with it. Please, get some training first, you'll be happy you did.


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## gaspump86 (May 5, 2012)

CulexPipiens said:


> The absolute best first aid kit you can get is....
> 
> None.
> 
> Since you admit you really don't know anything yet, go take a first aid class. Learn CPR. Get a few good books. Once you understand what you can (and can't do) then you'll be ready to get together a kit that has more than bandaids in it... otherwise right now you'll buy a bunch of stuff that you have no idea how to use or what it's even for! Having the stuff is useless if you don't know what to do with it. Please, get some training first, you'll be happy you did.


good idea. I can get CPR training free at work. I have been meaning to but I've been procrastinating.


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## charles1198 (Mar 10, 2012)

There is not one "best" FAK or trauma kit. You will need various supplies for various situations. My BIG medical bag is very comprehensive, but kept at home. I have a LOT of gauze, antibiotics, OTC meds, etc. stored, as well. The "trauma kit" I have is meant to treat boo-boos as well as penetrating trauma at the range or in the field. The bag in my car has some basic trauma components and boo-boo supplies. The kit in my BOB is very scaled down, but still has some capacity. 

The best thing you can do is to get training, then pick up supplies based on what you have the knowledge to treat. Red Cross classes are cheap but very basic. The Medical Corps class here in Ohio is exceptional. Wilderness First Aid, Patriot Nurse's class, other intermediate classes for first responders or preppers are also good choices.


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## Mase92 (Feb 4, 2013)

Best advice, put one together yourself. If you want to buy a kit from Target or another big box store and add what you think you need, knowing YOU better than anyone else does is the golden ticket. 

If you are looking for a case to put this stuff in, get a throw away glad/tupperware bowl to put it in or a molle bag.


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## CulexPipiens (Nov 17, 2010)

Mase92 said:


> ...If you are looking for a case to put this stuff in, get a throw away glad/tupperware bowl to put it in or a molle bag.


Or just use ZipLock bags. They compress down quite a bit and form fit just about anywhere.


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## OHprepper (Feb 21, 2012)

the one i have in my BOB has a lot of 2 by 2's, two dif size nasal pharangeals, a few hem con bandages, a few packages of quikclot, trauma shears, one bag of lactated ringers, enough needles, hosing, and tubes for about 5 sticks. an epi pen, a few rolls of surgical tape, some band aids, a few tubes of super glue, a lighter, some needles and fishing wire. but i know how to use everything.


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