Thread: Whats in your First Aid Kit?

I read all the above.

Tourniquets - are life savers, but note paramedics may give morphine to control the pain they inflict when sufficiently tightened. Wehrmacht / Soviet / Russian style less painful to have applied as they apply pressure over a wider area.

Multi purpose bandages. Duct tape has been mentioned, great as useful for repairing clothes / tents / other gear. The classic which has not been mentioned is the triangular bandage which was developed by the same German war surgeon (Esmarch) who developed the Wehrmacht/Russian tourniquet. Both are called Esmarch bandages and the triangular bandage, like duct tape, has dozens of different uses. Buy 2-3 calico cotton ones, not the white non-woven crap.

Wehrmacht Esmarch flat rubber band tourniquet:


Soviet Esmarch (less) flat rubber band tourniquets, a bit narrower and heavier gauge:


Soviet Esmarch tourniquets ready for use:


Modern ribbed Russian army version derived from the Esmarch, the ribs to increase grip and ease of application.


The classic Esmarch war bandage, aka Triangular Bandage. Among the scores of uses in every good scout handbook it makes an effective tourniquet, if you can't find a stick use your bolt handle, you won't be needing it for the rest of that trip.