Camping first aid kit.

[Kevin K]

I have a friend who is deaf. He should have a whistle in his kit, to attract attention if he should need some extra help.

This could be eliminated in 99% of the First aid kits.



Updated list

Comprehensive first-aid manual
Magnifying glass
Needle and thread
Safety pins
Bandages
Neosporin
Burn ointment
Ibuprofen
Medical tape
Sterile gauze
Scissors
Tweezers
Knife
Whistle
Thermometer
Benadryl
ACE type elastic bandage
Antiseptic wipes
Vet Wrap.
General Antibiotic
Antihistamine
White Tape
Gauze
Moleskin / Molefoam
Eye Ointment
Gravol
Decongestant
Tylenol
First Aid Cream / Ozinol
Zincofax
Benadryl
Nitrile gloves
Steri strips

[Sandra Lair]

I don't think anyone has mentioned it but we always carry Thermacare stick-on heat packs with us. They're great when you strain a muscle & to me, do more good than Ibuprofen for relieving the discomfort. We also take a small ice pack. I guess we're a little injury prone!
Sandra

[Alan Weinel]

There is kind of an overlap between a straight FIRST AID list and a survival list. The Whistle and mirror fall more into the latter (It woudl have to be a bizarre medical circumstance to need or even USE a whistle...), but a comprehensive list allows you to pick and choose for YOUR situation.

Add ONE MORE to the list.. one of those lightweight covers for shock victims.

[Alan Weinel]

That would already be included along with other staples.... chips and salsa and so on....

I don't see Brandy on anyones list.

For medicinal purposes only, of course.

[peterh]

This topic comes at a good time. It's reminding me that I have to sort through my medical kit and replace items that have expired before we go out on our next trip.

The list is pretty good, but I'd suggest two things. Byron mentioned triangular bandages, which have many uses, including making a sling for a mangled arm or broken collar bone (clavicle); two of them is better, one to make a sling, the other to wrap around the body and hold the arm snug so it doesn't flop around. They can also be used to splint an ankle, secure gauze to the chest, or immobilize one leg to another.

The other is a combination of several "4x4" gauze pads (a small box of, say, 10) and several (I carry six) 2" sterile gauze rolls. 4x4 is big enough to cover most wounds and scraped knees, make an eye patch, etc. Gauze rolls come in handy when you can't or shouldn't use tape or compression bandages for things like burns, eye injuries, and any time something is impaled in the skin (use the gauze rolls to wrap around the object and support it.

I carry five other things of note with me or in my kit. One is a few combine dressings (I carry 3), which act like sponges and can be used to help apply pressure to a large wound; a good alternate choice are fragrance-free maxi-pads, which are "sanitary," not sterile, but can be used in a pinch to do the same thing. I also carry a pencil and small note pad so I can write down information about a victim (name, contact information, current medications, pertinent medical history) in case they aren't able to convey this information later and I carry a few safety pins, which have many uses, including pinning my notes to a patient's/victim's shirt. A couple large "chux pads," large absorbent pads with a leak-proof plastic backing; they can be used as a clean surface you can spread out anywhere but could come in really handy if you wind up taking someone to the hospital in your car. Last, I carry a breathing barrier for CPR.

All my first responder kit stuff fits in a 6x12x7 inch ammo box.

--Peter

[bonnie w]

As I mentioned before -- Flamazine Cream, we use it in Emergency Dept. for burns. & burn dressings as they are non-adherent. Bonnie Oh forgot, Flamizine should be kept in the fridge if possible