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.

I think preventing accidents is just as important as dealing with the results of them.
Kneel to split firewood with a camp axe
Use a cut proof glove when gutting / butchering
Wear safety glasses when traveling overgrown tracks in the dark and always in scrub and gorse
Take a rope that can be used as a safety line descending banks and bluffs, crossing rivers. Mine is 50 metres long and weighs 500grams 600 kg knot rating.

Originally Posted by Moa Hunter

I think preventing accidents is just as important as dealing with the results of them.
Kneel to split firewood with a camp axe
Use a cut proof glove when gutting / butchering
Wear safety glasses when traveling overgrown tracks in the dark and always in scrub and gorse
Take a rope that can be used as a safety line descending banks and bluffs, crossing rivers. Mine is 50 metres long and weighs 500grams 600 kg knot rating.

I forgot, a thin rope ALSO works well as a tourniquet. Apply mild tension and wrap round the bleeding limb until bleeding stops. With mild tension you will spread the pressure over a larger area, less painful to achieve occlusion. To have it ready for tourniquet use, have a ready loop at each end.

Problem is, in emergencies -- unless you have trained for it you might not think of it. So just as you've practiced using your rope for crossings, practice applying your crossing rope as a tourniquet a few times, upper and lower limb. Use your spare socks as gloves a for part of your walk so you get it in your mind that this can save you from frostbite etc.

About tampons, they are useful with a triangular bandage for bleeds requiring pressure to control them, stick tampon over wound and apply pressure dressing with TB. Saves looking for a stone to stick between bandage layers.

Some may carry tampons to control leakage after being with their boyfriend.

Cripes you guys carry some stuff around. And tampons?? Seriously??
This 'aint the Vietnam war.

Ask any ex culler or meat hunter what they carted around and how often they used it - not much, and hardly ever.

Rivers are a far greater danger than bites, breaks and cuts.

PLB and basic stuff on my belt. That's it.

I do though take a fuller first aid kit on fly in trips, but have never used it.

Originally Posted by Tahr

Cripes you guys carry some stuff around. And tampons?? Seriously??
This 'aint the Vietnam war.

Ask any ex culler or meat hunter what they carted around and how often they used it - not much, and hardly ever.

Rivers are a far greater danger than bites, breaks and cuts.

PLB and basic stuff on my belt. That's it.

I do though take a fuller first aid kit on fly in trips, but have never used it.

Have to totally agree with Tahr here. I started reading the posts and thought WTF.... Drive in or fly in I take a good quality kit, other than that I have the basics in my day pack and a PLB.

Originally Posted by Mathias

Have to totally agree with Tahr here. I started reading the posts and thought WTF.... Drive in or fly in I take a good quality kit, other than that I have the basics in my day pack and a PLB.

.......... and while I respect Tahr's comments and your "WTF", as the OP states, he's going on a 4 day hunt, not a 2hr stalk after work. The advice being offered is based on that fact. Its easy to poo-hoo the advice being given by others.

By yours and Thar's own statements, "I do though take a fuller first aid kit on fly in trips" and "Drive in or fly in I take a good quality kit", so help the OP out and lets see your 'fly in, drive in' FAK.

Originally Posted by hotbarrels

.......... and while I respect Tahr's comments and your "WTF", as the OP states, he's going on a 4 day hunt, not a 2hr stalk after work. The advice being offered is based on that fact. Its easy to poo-hoo the advice being given by others.

By yours and Thar's own statements, "I do though take a fuller first aid kit on fly in trips" and "Drive in or fly in I take a good quality kit", so help the OP out and lets see your 'fly in, drive in' FAK.

Regardless, there is a point where we really can be too heavenly to be of any earthly use. Fly in an operating theatre and a generator if you want. But we aren't writing for a Boys Own annual here so ought to be pragmatic. My approach has always been to have enough stuff on my belt to treat my own non life threatening injuries, and on a longer trip have something slightly more comprehensive for the whole group. I have cuts, sprains, breaks and pain in mind and take a group kit that covers that. Its a Red Cross one and I cant actually say what's exactly in it. This thread has prompted me to have a look.

I repeat that I have a PLB on my belt all of the time.

Originally Posted by hotbarrels

.......... and while I respect Tahr's comments and your "WTF", as the OP states, he's going on a 4 day hunt, not a 2hr stalk after work. The advice being offered is based on that fact. Its easy to poo-hoo the advice being given by others.

By yours and Thar's own statements, "I do though take a fuller first aid kit on fly in trips" and "Drive in or fly in I take a good quality kit", so help the OP out and lets see your 'fly in, drive in' FAK.

I can't recall any instance where wearing a seat restraint belt saved my life or limb. I think I'll stop wearing seat restraint...

@Cordite - exactly right! A wise bugger once said "In an emergency, you don't rise to the occasion, you sink to the level of your training and preparation!"

my 400g "hospital" including everything in my earlier post except the nitrite gloves which were used to clean up a messy job, and not replaced. I don't think it's excessive, given that it covers at least 2 people. Could it be lighter? Probably, but I'd rather carry extra biltong, and less tinned food to make up for it!

It's always going to be a balance of not lugging too much shit around versus perceived risk. Everyone's circumstances are different and there isn't a "right" answer.

Originally Posted by MB

It's always going to be a balance of not lugging too much shit around versus perceived risk. Everyone's circumstances are different and there isn't a "right" answer.

Agreed.
I find it really interesting how polarising this sort of topic can be, but if nothing else, it does prompt food for thought. After poking a knife in my leg, it did prompt me to rethink my FAK.


Here is my current belt carry FAK. When I am out stalking I also carry my PLB, a lightweight knife and a torch on the same belt. When I am night shooting for varmints, I don't use a day pack, hence the on-belt setup which I have become accustomed to wearing for all hunting scenarios.

FAK is housed in a Gamegear canvas pouch measuring approx 130Wx120Hx60D and has an all up weight of 310g.
Its approx twice the size of my PLB in its TwinNeedle pouch, which weighs in at 200g.

With the tourniquet, Celox, Israeli bandage, self seal bandage and tape I am reasonably confident that I could deal with most external bleeds on myself or a hunting buddy. Band aid and steri-strip available if its minor. Pain medication not shown.

IMHO, that's a lot of first aid horsepower in a small, light weigh package, and will get you back to camp/quad/vehicle for additional kit.
My camp/quad/vehicle kits are bigger and carry more of the same, plus extras for burns, wound dressing after clean up, etc, etc.

I'm a minimalist: its first aid, not second aid. Tampon and a roll of good quality insulation tape.

There's a million uses for insulation tape...https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tQ8PnPF3orY

Oh, and drugs. Twisted knees or ankles aren't worthy of a plb if I can dull the pain enough to get back out

Originally Posted by XR500

I'm a minimalist: its first aid, not second aid. Tampon and a roll of good quality insulation tape.

There's a million uses for insulation tape...https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tQ8PnPF3orY

Oh, and drugs. Twisted knees or ankles aren't worthy of a plb if I can dull the pain enough to get back out

Another tampon guy. What are you going to do with it? I read a saying "tampons for drama, not trauma".

Please don't anyone take this the wrong way.
We are all different and act in different ways to pain. Some can take quite a beating from a fall ect, or a fairly nasty injury and carry on and get themselves out of trouble.
Others seem to crumble and collapse and become unable to move or help themselves with relatively minor injuries.
If you are the latter my guess you will carry more. Then there are the lets cover all scenarios including nuclear war and be able to treat multiple people.
We all should carry a PLB at the very least. If you haven't got one think about getting one.