The First Aid Kit

I have a very basic kit. I should upgrade it. Just had my first aid/cpr renewed about two weeks ago. My last company had a H&S officer, we would do hands on training, 8 hours of class time, it was very thorough. My new company--it was all online. To get certified they had a guy come in for 15 min and we did compressions on the dummy, then he signed our card. I wouldnt mind taking a different class because this way was a joke. All we did for the hands-on was learn how to use the AED, and a quick 2 min compression on a dummy:rolleyes:
it cant hurt to have too much first aid training, most of those company training's are just to get through the insurance requirement, look for a wildland first aid class or a first responder first aid class.
 
I carry an Epi-Pen for myself and my wife, both of us have bee sting allergies, I also carry Benadryl and a few packets of Emergen-C, along with the rest of my first aid gear

I just renewed my Wilderness First Aid certification at the end of April.

My original cert. and first renewal were from NOLS. I got my current recertification from the University of New Mexico Wilderness Medical program because it was offered free thru my NPS volunteer program. Both medical programs do an excellent job. I recommend anyone that spends time in the backcountry look into this 16 hour course.

@DrDmoney, I saw you mentioned you carry an Epi-Pen.
I sure you know that there is a very real possibility that the patient can have follow up episode after the pen is administered. Because of this, sometimes it’s recommended to carry more than one in backcountry conditions. Acquiring a second pen isn’t ez with many insurance providers. What I recently learned is that there is additional medicine in the device that can be accessed after the original use. (Multiple doses from one device)

During the online part of the UNM course there was a PDF that showed how to disassemble the used pen (several types) and quite easily administer a second dose. Not as conveniently as the original use, but in a pinch......

PM me if you’re interested in this. I’ll send you the PDF.
 
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I did NOLS WFA and it was very good but needs to be supplemented if you really want first aid training beyond being able to send a SOAP report. Red Cross first aid and CPR at a minimum. Answer is probably NOLS WFR but I haven't taken that yet so can't say for sure.

@jgaz good point about the epipens. Another thing to maybe keep in mind is using diphenhydramine to maintain the airway after the epipen until the patient can be evacuated.

Edit - can you pls PM me that PDF?
 
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I too have an extensive background in emergency medicine- firefighter, EMT, NSP, NMBP blah blah blah. My jump kit is pretty big and contains everything listed in the previous pages except epi-pens (I use liquid benadryl, fast absorption and longer lasting than an epi-pen). My favorite free tool is the center plastic of a round bleach or windshield washer fluid bottle. Cut off the top and bottom, split it down the seam, round the corners off the resultant rectangle and the you end up with a very light and durable splint when it gets curled parallel to its length. Using big zip ties, large rubber bands (from the broccoli bundles) or even duct tape, it can even be used to increase direct pressure over a profuse bleed.
 
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I did NOLS WFA and it was very good but needs to be supplemented if you really want first aid training beyond being able to send a SOAP report. Red Cross first aid and CPR at a minimum. Answer is probably NOLS WFR but I haven't taken that yet so can't say for sure.

@jgaz good point about the epipens. Another thing to maybe keep in mind is using diphenhydramine to maintain the airway after the epipen until the patient can be evacuated.

Edit - can you pls PM me that PDF?
PM sent.
One thing I liked, and found interesting with the UNM course, was the inclusion of immediate first aid for large, bleeding wounds such as gunshots.
They covered several methods that have been battle tested. Given the popularity of Jeeps and firearms this additional knowledge can’t hurt.
 
I too have an extensive background in emergency medicine- firefighter, EMT, NSP, NMBP blah blah blah. My jump kit is pretty big and contains everything listed in the previous pages except epi-pens (I use liquid benadryl, fast absorption and longer lasting than an epi-pen). My favorite free tool is the center plastic of a round bleach or windshield washer fluid bottle. Cut off the top and bottom, split it down the seam, round the corners off the resultant rectangle and the you end up with a very light and durable splint when it gets curled parallel to its length. Using big zip ties, large rubber bands (from the broccoli bundles) or even duct tape, it can even be used to increase direct pressure over a profuse bleed.
Great tip on the bleach bottle! A poor man’s Sam Splint.
 
Wow. I want to thank everyone that has contributed to this post. I've taken the Red Cross first aid class several times and the company I worked for provided what they called "First Responder" training along with CPR every year for all the maintenance dept personnel. The training course was taught by our local EMT folks and was an amazing course. I'd love to take a more advanced course and upgrade my skill level. One thing I've found is that if you don't (well...if I don't) review and practice the things I've learned, they fade out over time. Thanks to everyone for their advice on First Aid kits, I finally assembled my own after being a bit disappointed in the contents of commercial (ie; wal-mart) first aid kits. I'm delighted to discover that my kit is pretty close to what's recommended here. Please keep posting up on this topic. Thanks again to everyone. Knowledge is Power.
 
I just renewed my Wilderness First Aid certification at the end of April.

My original cert. and first renewal were from NOLS. I got my current recertification from the University of New Mexico Wilderness Medical program because it was offered free thru my NPS volunteer program. Both medical programs do an excellent job. I recommend anyone that spends time in the backcountry look into this 16 hour course.

@DrDmoney, I saw you mentioned you carry an Epi-Pen.
I sure you know that there is a very real possibility that the patient can have follow up episode after the pen is administered. Because of this, sometimes it’s recommended to carry more than one in backcountry conditions. Acquiring a second pen isn’t ez with many insurance providers. What I recently learned is that there is additional medicine in the device that can be accessed after the original use. (Multiple doses from one device)

During the online part of the UNM course there was a PDF that showed how to disassemble the used pen (several types) and quite easily administer a second dose. Not as conveniently as the original use, but in a pinch......

PM me if you’re interested in this. I’ll send you the PDF.
Just a side note, my Dr. Prescribed the epi in a 2 pack, which my insurance did cover and with 5 refills. I'm super allergic to bees.
 
My first aid kit is my Rambo knife. After stitching my guns I can still kill my dinner.
101299
 
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My first aid kit is my Rambo knife. After stitching my guns I can still kill my dinner.
View attachment 101299

I have a big roll bar mounted first aid kit for public use.But I also keep little altoid can first aid kits with my fixed blades so I have something handy on foot.

The altoid can has enough room for burn ointments, steri strips, alcohol wipes, etc.Its honestly pretty useful.

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