Thread: Must haves in the Medical Kit

Hi team after reading of hotbarrels experience & me having a piss poor kit what would you consider the must haves in the daily kit that would be carried with you at all times , so must be compact.
I have strapping tape , Panadol ,plb ....have never heard of Israel bandages etc , what are the 5 essential items to have ?
Cheers.

Some form of antiseptic... Think mine currently has a tube of betadine

I bet some of my preconceptions will be blown out of the water reading this thread.

The one thing I can confidently suggest: A space blanket.

Normally have strapping tape,dressing pads,bactoban cream,panadol,survival blanket,a couple of tubes of eye flushing stuff and a couple of tampons "for bigger holes". Don't know if this is the right stuff as never had to use it yet !

Antihistamines (for those bastard wasps)

As has been alluded to in another thread, the important thing is knowing how to use what you have (no point having every size oropharyngeal tubes and no one knows how to use). I have a few different kits depending on where I'm going, huge big backpack that is just first aid stuff that lives and in a vehicle.

Go through all the likely injuries and figure out what you need.

Another thing to keep around is a couple of aspirin not just for pain relief but as a blood thinner

I carry Codeine, asked the Dr last time i was there for some more especially for the first aid kit. She was happy to give it to me for that reason and said she also carries it in her tramping kit.
Used ir a couple of times for sprained ankles on myself and my niece. Kept her comfortable while waiting to be choppered out.
Also have a burn gel that you can apply to burns if no water available

Possibly considered excessive by some people but I always carry a CAT tourniquet, Celox gauze, Israeli bandage, chest seals, paramedic shears, tramadol and a space blanket.

One of the most common things people do forget though is knowledge, taking some basic training courses exponentially improves your treatment options, you can have a first aid kit that fills your day pack but if you don’t know how to use it’s basically useless.

Some duct tape is good for closing and sealing wounds of all kinds. You can wind some onto a pencil or something to save space.

Hunters may laugh but plastic glad wrap is another good one, you can cut the roll in half if you want and it is air tight and clings to itself.

Originally Posted by Garilla

Possibly considered excessive by some people but I always carry a CAT tourniquet, Celox gauze, Israeli bandage, chest seals, paramedic shears, tramadol and a space blanket.

One of the most common things people do forget though is knowledge, taking some basic training courses exponentially improves your treatment options, you can have a first aid kit that fills your day pack but if you don’t know how to use it’s basically useless.

I carry the same. Whilst not ideal in summer, I carry some tracer rounds for signalling if I get lost.
And aside from what people think, tampons are not good for wound management.

Here's a list of things in my emergency kit. I take it on everything from short day walks to multiple overnighters in the bush. I'm not saying it's definitive (I take other kit) and it might not suit your needs, but it all fits in a small pouch and has bailed me out more than once.

- Codeine
- Ibuprofen
- Paracetamol
- Aquatabs
- Gauze
- Betadine
- Surigcal tape
- Oatmeal bars
- Dextrose tablets
- Headtorch + batteries
- Matches + firelighter + tinder
- Foil sleeping bag
- PLB

As for dressings, my thinking is that gauze (and spare clothing) plus tape (either surgical or electrical!) will cover most wounds and is fairly minimal from a weight/bulk perspective. On the basis of the other thread, I've decided to add some Celox to my kit.

I agree with other comments about only taking what you are likely to need and knowing how to use what you take. I've met people (outside of hunting) that carry around the contents of an ambulance with them, but I'm pretty sure they had no idea how to use most of it.

Hip flask of aged scotch

All my first aid/emergency kit is inside a small billy. Just think that if it all turns to shit at least I have a billy to boil water to get a hot drink.

Originally Posted by Paddy79

Hip flask of aged scotch

Would keep you warmer than one of those tinfoil emergency blankets