First Aid Kits What do you Carry?

[Nuts]

Hey Liam,
What are the stock cubes for- are you going to cook up one of your hiking party if you get lost & hungry ....lol
Cheers
Lizzy

Its for the fish soup

Bit of fat/salt. Not a bad idea
Condensed Milk/Coffee/Sugar would be a life saver

[johnw]

Superglue.........brilliant suff for everything, especially suturing minor wounds.

Mmm, I had heard this before. I sliced a small part off the top one of my fingers many years ago (the great Stanley knife accident of 1993). It wasn't completely severed and the doctor told me he would glue it back in place rather than stitch it. The procedure worked, although that spot was tender/sensitive to any pressure for about 10 years. I've always wondered whether it was superglue he used; it certainly had the same smell. I might get some for my kit.

[Liamy77]

Hey Lizzy! I'd never do that! (however, if you walk with me i insist that you eat nothing but grains for a few weeks beforehand and drink nothing but marinade )

The stock cube is just for a bit of salt and flavoring.... if i could catch something other than puffer-fish i would make soup! (might need a pity lesson off some of you flyfishers one day!?) or just as a warmup drink if your tired n cold.....

yeah superglue can be handy but i have had trouble getting it to stick on wet *&%$#! areas before so be careful - and can be hard to clean out too .... not that i have had that personally...

also my granddad reckoned that 2 asprin and a triple scotch greatly reduces your AWARENESS of ANY medical condition!..... doesn't fix anything, but stops you worryin for a bit.... good for families of the injured party too i believe!?

cheers, Liam

[normclimb]

Superglue has been used for many years by Midwives and is commonly used in surgery, albeit a slightly different one from that found in $2 shops, however, it's basically the same stuff. It's also used extensively by vets.

Personally I swear by the stuff, usually at the same time as I'm swearing about what has happened thats made using it necessary.

[Lizzy]

however, if you walk with me i insist that you eat nothing but grains for a few weeks beforehand and drink nothing but marinade )

I'll be sure to stick to that recipe for you!

[Liamy77]

personal interpretation of what constitutes a "marinade" is important too... one should always exercise the liver and kidneys ... one of the reasons it's better to walk than drive?

[Macca81]

the superglue that we buy from the shop is slightly different than the surgical glue used by doctors. i believe it is only the matter of one or two extra hydrocarbons in the generic glue, making it 'technically' more poisonous. i dont believe it is enough to make an ounce of difference in practice however.


DISCLAIMER: take this advice with a grain of salt, i am by no means educated or trained in this area and if you die from using superglue i am not responsible.

[normclimb]

Surgical super glue contains types of alcohols that non toxic to human tissue. Superglue sold in shops use ethyl of methyl alcohols that can kill cells, however because of the moisture and grooving in human skin it makes an excellent surface for adhesion, and the amounts used for minor cuts and abrasions isn't that dangerous, especially considering the alternatives when you're half way up a crag with jugs full of birds sh........... well you know what..........!

[Liamy77]

just dont get "stuck" halfway up?!

[anotherwalker]

My first Aid Kit contains the following:
1 Triangular Bandage
2 10 cm wide crepe bandages
Elastopad Blister pads
Soap
Panadol
Antihistamine
Immodium
Magnesium Tablets (Help relieve muscle aches and cramps)
small packets of salt (leeches/dehydration).
Band-aids
Plastic First Aid Tweezers
Large Sterile Wound Dressing
Roll of 1 cm mircopore tape
2 splinter probes
Emergency Blanket
Bottle of Stingose
3 inch by 3 inch gauze swabs
Rubber gloves
3 inch wide role of elastic gauze
Antiseptic Wipes
2 sewing needles (different sizes) and thread.
Packets of Gatorade

Weight 600-700 grams

Out of 20 years of my hiking, I've been lucky enough only to need:

Blister Pads,
Band-aids
Headache Tablets
Anti-Histamies
and a needle to get splinters out of.

Other than that I've had to provide water to another person who was mildly dehydrated after they had come back from a place where the water tank was empty.

What I've found interesting is I've been reading a book by Chris Townsend a person who does 1000's of miles of hiking every year (he has written numerous books including "the backpackers handbook" 4th revision) and yet he seems to manage with only a small first aid kit of only 140 grams. Are we all taking too much gear or do you think he has just been very lucky in never needing a well packed first aid kit in all his years of hiking ?

[slparker]

yeah I agree you can get away with very little, I was an Army medic for 12 years and was used to carrying all sorts of items to look after 100 guys in the field. In my experience you can get away with very few basic items. Some products can be more useful than others (ie betadine drops can be used as a disinfectant, for water sterilisation and as an antifungal).
I only carry two crepe bandages (for snakes and musculoskeletal injury), tape (for securing a wound dressing, for blisters, for approximating wound edges in an emergency, for securing bandages) a wound dressing (like a combine or similar for big meaty injuries and a smaller one for small lacerations), imodium for absolute emergencies (its debatable whether you should use it...subject for another forum) a sterile needle (for blisters if absolutely necessary more for splinters, probing for foreign bodies etc) and that's about it. Triangular bandages aren't a bad idea they are very versatile ie can be used as a pressure pad for bleeding, as a sling, securing fractures etc a small squirty bottle is good too, I use an empty wound irrigation bottle that i can refill with boiled water or similar (why carry a bottle of sterile fluid when you can make your own?)...
Things that are fairly useless: micropore tape (strapping tape or fixomull are the only real practical tapes for the field); bandaids (too small, non sticky and useless...plus the adhesive melts in hot weather), safety pins, anything to do with casualty resuscitation (face masks etc).

[ninjapuppet]

imodium for absolute emergencies (its debatable whether you should use it...subject for another forum) ).

as an army medic for 12 years, you obviously have alot of practical experience, probably more than most of us here. Can you elaborate your comment about immodium? As far as I'm aware, it doesnt cross the blood brain barrier and only works on the digestive tract so there shouldnt be any serious side effects. Other than the contraindications listed on the box (children, pregnancy, dehydrated etc) why else would you not use it when youv'e got the runnies?

[Liamy77]

Theree is a reason your body is trying to eject something that disagrees with it... stop the squirt and retain the bugs.... balanced against dehydration and a sore bottom....

[slparker]

Liamy77 expressed it very succinctly. Diarrhoea is the normal response to an infective organism the 'aim' being to eject the organism as quickly as possible. Imodium and its equivalents prevent or slow this ejection. But as Liamy77 stated the downside is dehydration, a sore *&%$#! and the sheer inconvenience.

It is possible to cause severe harm by using imodium and retaining a particularly nasty bug in the intestines. Normally the risk is low, however.

[tasadam]

I have recently been made of a product that could be useful for any irritations on walks.
Its use is as a local anesthetic, which I imagine would be really good for:
Painful injuries, such as splinter, blister, burns.
Bites, eg Tick, Leech, Mosquito, wasp.
The product is a tube of ointment called Emla. Available in 5ml and 30ml tubes. Not cheap though, the 30ml is about $70.
http://www.nps.org.au/__data/assets/pdf ... cemlac.pdf

Things to initially bear in mind.
It is only an anesthetic, so it will assist in pain reduction.
It takes a little while to work.
It can work for hours if you keep it covered in a plastic barrier taped over the site.
If you treat a blister on your heel, for example, it will reduce the pain, possibly completely numbing the site. This could be bad for a blister, as you could be continuing to make the wound worse by numbing it and continuing, so for something like that, you would need to manage the wound well, possibly using the anesthetic to "get you through" if it meant getting to safety or help, rather than remaining in an undesirable situation. (Example, camped on Western Arthurs not far from an exit, bad blister preventing you from continuing but needs a rest day to see if it heals a bit, but weather about to turn nasty for 3 days and you only have 1 or 2 days food, possibly patch the wound, numb it, and carefully exit the range rather than being trapped on it for some days.)

Anyone ever used this stuff? Do you already have it in your first aid kit?



Sent from crap electronic device using dodgy app.

[Stibb]

I use 5% Xylocaine cream which is the same thing as Lignocaine, the active ingredient in Emla. I get it from Sweden and cost less than 5 dollars for a 10g tube (lasts a while!). The best thing ever! Couldn't live without it up in mozzie ridden Queensland! Haven't really used it on blisters because I haven't had any for ages but I'm sure it would take some of the pain away.

It's one of the few things visitors MUST bring whenever they come over

[tasadam]

How do you get it from Sweden? Online? Do you have a link?


Sent from crap electronic device using dodgy app.

[Stibb]

I get it when my family comes over from Sweden

This is the product but I couldn't find a way to ship outside Sweden.
http://www.apoteket.se/privatpersoner/radochprodukter/common/produktinformation.aspx?Varuid=51420 (Price has increased to ~7$ but still great value.)
The only place you can buy medicines/drugs (even non-prescriptions) in Sweden is from the state-owned "Apoteket" so there are no other options

If you search for xylocaine, lidocaine or lignocaine (all the same stuff) maybe you can get it online from somewhere else.

EDIT I also checked in Denmark where it's also sold but same thing, they don't ship OS

[Bluegum Mic]

You can get it here By the time you paid os shipping its prob easier to pay the 22 bucks here (unless of course your lucky enough to have family to bring it cheapies
http://cincottachemist.com.au/product/2 ... ntment+15g

[Lizzy]

heres some lateral thinking & even cheaper
Each gram contains:
Zinc Oxide 200mg
Cinchocaine hydrochloride 5mg
http://www.chemistwarehouse.com.au/prod ... ntment+50g

[matagi]

heres some lateral thinking & even cheaper
Each gram contains:
Zinc Oxide 200mg
Cinchocaine hydrochloride 5mg
http://www.chemistwarehouse.com.au/prod ... ntment+50g

Nah, the zinc oxide makes it too thick and heavy - perfect for it's intended use but not really suitable for applying to other wounds.

[slparker]

Careful of overusing lignocaine/xylocaine. The 5% preparation is reasonably strong. Lignocaine is easily absorbed via the skin into the blood: consequences could be a dose of ligonocaine in the bloodstream. The drug has quite pronounced effects on the heart and nervous system. I have treated a patient who overdosed on liberal application of paxyl cream (admittedly over a very large surface area{entire back}) paxyl is 2.5% w/v lignocaine.
Just saying: lignocaine is a potentially toxic drug-use with caution. I reckon treating a blister conservatively is a better idea.

For insect bites a hydrocortisone cream is usually more effective.

[tasadam]

Yep, good point, it must be remembered that some things really are only first aid, a patch job to get you through the circumstance.

[Stibb]

I've used it for ages with great result on small areas (leach/mozzie bites, small patches of echsema etc). I have also used it on a very few occasions on larger areas in patches when nothing better was available (prob equivalent to half the back side) without any ill effects. Was not really aware of the potential risks but that warning goes for most drugs when not used wisely. Good to know.

[kozevian]

Hi guys,

Interesting thread, as I am putting together a first aid kit of my own.

My only real issue (the contents are sorted thanks so some serious lists of supplies) is an appropriate kit bag.

Would people suggest buying a separate kit bag and then filling it themselves. Is this a more financially viable way to go?

As far as waterproofing goes, (most kit bags seem to be made of non-waterproof material), do people slog it into a dry sac of some sort?

Finally, I imagine a kit with a fold-out interior and handy pockets is the best way to go to keep organized. Am I right?

Anyone know of some good deals on the internet. Ebay seems to come up with alot of very cheap asian kits which I doubt will stand the test of time.

Any thoughts would be much appreciated. Thanks!

[slparker]

A wet pack makes a good FA kit. Depends how much you want to carry.

[corvus]

What what it is worth my First Aid Kit is contained in several Ziploc bags ,Large for all and individual for hard and soft items.
Works for me
corvus

[andrewa]

Haven't read this thread, but, as a GP I hope my opinion adds something.

Ive moved from the "I can treat anything" mode to the "what do you need" mode.

In terms of what do you need in Oz/Nz

Band aids
Panadol or nurofen
Elastic bandage for snake bites (not NZ!)
Antihistamines
Steristrips
Some sort of cortisone cream, or a mozzie click for insect bites (sand flies in NZ)
A single gauze pad fora bigger wound ( to be used under bandage)
Maybe a Sat phone/ Epirb for anything larger.

If you're walking in Oz you're unlikely to get the *&^%$#@!. You might in NZ though - possums = giardia

If you're going to more exotic places, then speak with your GP.

Keep it simple.

A

[corvus]

Haven't read this thread, but, as a GP I hope my opinion adds something.

Ive moved from the "I can treat anything" mode to the "what do you need" mode.

In terms of what do you need in Oz/Nz

Band aids
Panadol or nurofen
Elastic bandage for snake bites (not NZ!)
Antihistamines
Steristrips
Some sort of cortisone cream, or a mozzie click for insect bites (sand flies in NZ)
A single gauze pad fora bigger wound ( to be used under bandage)
Maybe a Sat phone/ Epirb for anything larger.

If you're walking in Oz you're unlikely to get the *&^%$#@!. You might in NZ though - possums = giardia

If you're going to more exotic places, then speak with your GP.

Keep it simple.

A

G'day andrewa,
My First Aid kit contains a wee bit more than with respect your suggestion is this a common GP prognosis now ??

[andrewa]

Corvus, not sure what your question is.

What you take depends on where youre going, how long you're away, and how remote it is. Mostly it can be kept v simple.

A bit like surviving a weekend when the local GPs are off enjoying life

A