Thread: Must haves in the Medical Kit

I plan for the likely back country incidents:
- falls/breaks/sprains/trauma
- cuts
- burns
- bastard wasps
- hypothermia
- god forbid, a gunshot wound.

there's also the PLB - or the wait it out scenario. If you're in for a week even an infected cut or burn can turn your trip pear shaped untreated.

So that means
- bandages, strapping tape etc. Painkillers.
- telfa pads, antiseptic, antibiotics.
- burn gel
- antihistamines
- survival blanket
- PLB

I have updated the original thread that started this one https://www.nzhuntingandshooting.co....98/index4.html

Check out page 4 if you are interested in a well priced building block for your personal first aid kit.

Originally Posted by Daggers_187

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/m/pubmed/24597007/

Here's the abstract from a paper which investigated the effectiveness of haemostatic clotting agents (quikclot or celox).
Which states "It did not conclusively demonstrate that this combat gauze is an effective hemostatic agent for use in trauma patients, but the results are promising in supporting its use"

I've never used it for real. So I can't anecdotally say its any good or not.

As that article dates back to 2013, I am lead to believe that things have moved on a bit since then. From personal experience, I was surprised how quick the Celox stemmed the flow of blood.


As a general comment, its interesting reading all of the postings on the issue of first aid and the essential kit to carry (or not).
There is the school of thought that believe that they will be able to MacGyver up a fix to any medical situation out of what ever they have on hand at the time, and then there is the opposite school of thought that some form of trauma kit is an absolute must and should be on your person at all times. So what's the right answer??
At the end of the day, its all about risk and probability, and then if the worst should happen to happen, will you be able to respond to a self injury or the injury of a loved one?
Its a bit like learning CPR. The day you need to use it will be the day you are thankful of having taken the time to train. Imagine the heartbreak of watching a loved one die because you were unable to perform CPR. What would be the outcome if you or your mate or a loved one seriously injured them selves while hunting. Would you be able to respond?

Years ago I was in marine search and rescue and we used to train on CPR in the club rooms on a regular basis. Then one day I suggested that we should actually do the training on the rescue jet boat while crossing the bar - boy was reality different to the theory.

The same applies to a medical event while out hunting - the desk top theory of what you will do will go out the window in a nanosecond once you are faced with a real situation. For example, if you've got a serious bleed to deal with (and mine wasn't), and you choose not to carry a personal first aid kit, what are you going to do? Make a bandage out of your clothing? The majority of what we wear as hunters today will perform poorly if needed as packing in a wound. The majority of hunters today wear synthetics, for the very reason that they are less absorbent than natural fibres, yet to stop a bleed, you need some absorbency. This is why gauze (a natural fibre) is still used in the medical sector. When did you last see polar fleece being used to stem the flow of blood? What do you carry in your pack that is cotton, is easily accessible, and that you can cut into something useful, with one hand, because the other hand is currently trying to put pressure on the bleed?

I'm not trying to be an alarmist. I'm a realist. Match your preparation and emergency kit to the risk and probability of needing it.
I have carried my PFAK around for 6-7 years and never used it once. The day I needed it, I had it on hand and had an excellent outcome. Some might say I was LUCKY! Definition of LUCK? PREPARATION MEETING OPPORTUNITY.

Do you need to carry a medical trauma kit fit for a paramedic? No. Should you carry something a little more prepared than a cotton tee shirt, a roll of insulation tape and a piece of inner tube? Talk to anyone who has experienced a medical emergency in the bush and I think the answer will be a resounding yes.

There was a posting on this forum a couple of years ago from a young uni student that went hunting in an area that he knew well. Shit happened and he ended up falling into a creek and badly injuring his back. His experience made me go out and buy an EPIRB.

I strongly recommend those that don't carry some form of first aid kit matched to the risk and probability of a serious injury to seriously reconsider your preparedness.

I often come across the fact that some people do not have a first aid kit in the house at all.

I often come across the fact that some people do not have a first aid kit in the house at all. This, of course, surprises me, but the fact remains. A minimal list of remedies and medications should really be stocked up, because if an emergency situation arises, they can even save someone's life. You definitely need dressings, medical masks, painkillers, anti-inflammatory and anti-infective drugs. By the way, as for masks, make sure that they are well packed in production using a pouch packing machine.

Originally Posted by runforestrun

I often come across the fact that some people do not have a first aid kit in the house at all. This, of course, surprises me, but the fact remains. A minimal list of remedies and medications should really be stocked up, because if an emergency situation arises, they can even save someone's life. You definitely need dressings, medical masks, painkillers, anti-inflammatory and anti-infective drugs. By the way, as for masks, make sure that they are well packed in production using a pouch packing machine.

Ive always wanted one of those machines. Forum discount??

Plb, survival bag, horse leg bandage, Betadine ointment and pain killers. I would like a ratchet limb tournaquet if they were light/cheap enough.

I think planning for the worst is a key consideration. That means major (possibly arterial) bleeds, major breaks, anaphylactic shock, and concussion. I am willing to bet most of us carry first aid kit for minor cuts, sprains and bad heads. Trust me, when you need to stop a major bleed you will be glad of a tourniquet and multiple thick dressings (I have severed my radial artery, so know the story on that score).

Importantly, also consider that wherever you go you may not be able to get back to the hut, tent or fly. I take my Outdoor Research helium bivvy, a stove, some food and a puffer jacket on every hunt for that reason. Major injury, lost in the dark, river too high, bluffed out - sometimes better to stay out until you can find your way or help arrives.

In short, carry first aid kit for the worst eventuality and be prepared to stay out for 24 hrs with what you are carrying.

I wear a belt hunting even with a pack on. The belt holds my PLB and knife and can be used as a tourniquet.

I'm a great believer that everything I can should have as a minimum 2 uses otherwise its a waste of space.

Originally Posted by Happy Jack

I wear a belt hunting even with a pack on. The belt holds my PLB and knife and can be used as a tourniquet.

I'm a great believer that everything I can should have as a minimum 2 uses otherwise its a waste of space.

Unless your belt is designed as a tourniquet, I wouldn't rely on being able to stop bleeding with it, especially if having to self apply one handed.

Electrical tape
Super glue
Pain killers/anti inflammatory
Stuff for blisters

I carry a bunch of other fancy stuff but above is all you need

Tramadol is your friend....

Celox clotting powder sachets. First put it in my kit when I bow hunted Far North QLD a few years back. Scared shitless of getting some gnarly arse croc bite that just shreds you and can’t be stemmed with a tourniquet. Pour the Celox in and pack it.

On my belt I've got a zip up pouch with most of these things in like a sandwich bag, a compass, rubber inner tube around a spare lighter, small red first aid kit, small torch, battery's for GPS, headtorch etc, plenty of pain an allergy pills, survival bivvy bag, electrical tape, stainless whistle, spare knife or small multitool/Swiss army. Other small pouch has spare bullets a little sharpener normally another lighter and Mercator knife. Plb on the belt sometimes in the day bag. Then have a bigger first aid kit in day bag with a few muesli bars always thrown in there and clothing to suit the trip eg a puffer jacket, 2 headtorches because I'm often in and out of bush when it's dark, a plastic garden bag is handy for keeping things dry, sitting on and putting cooled meat in, map, that's the main things I think and have my GPS hanging around my neck inside my shirt is handy for marking good waypoints, because I'm in the ruahines I've got a pouch on the belt with snips for the supplejack to.

Some good stuff on here not sure if it’s been mentioned or not but a couple of dissolvable aspirin tablets can help if you or another member of your party are in the early stages of a heart attack. DO NOT give them to someone with a open wound as they thin the blood and that’ll ruin someone’s day ��

I carry some just in case as they will give you more time until help can be reached.



https://www.healthnavigator.org.nz/m...irin-low-dose/

Geez some of you guys carry some crap. When im living out of a pack I have electrical tape, A couple of blister pads and a few painkillers . Thats it