First aid kit

Agree with all of that. I moved onto carrying sterile water (bottle of contact lense solution) and a syringe to flush out wounds some time ago. The move was based on advice from a paramedic.

All good so far

 

1x 4” Haemorrhage control bandage
1x Quikclot granules
1x 300 Meg aspirin
1x Resuscitation face shield
1x plaster (what a luxury)
This is the FAK I carry in my day sack lightweight and compact.
I won’t use super glue again, got infected and I had it burst it open to let the s**t out. It looked like I had pocked my finger in to a tomato I was nearly greeting just thinking about it.
Well you know what they say a little pain never hurt anyone.....What a lot of S**T...

 

Get Celox instead. If you are in North America then get Combat Gauze. I have used Quickclot in anger. It works *if* you have trained well with it.

We are no longer teaching in for the UK military. The Celox is far superior, doesn't get hot, hard to screw up and easier to use. I have yet to not have it work.

 

Cheers Boondoc.
Sorry my mistake, don’t know why I said Quikclot it is the Celox i have.
But nice to know someone is on the ball.
Ps hope that Jon Young's Guide to Tracking is good just ordered a copy...
Later Bro.

 

Cheers, brother. JY also comes to the UK a couple times per year. If you google Jon Young and nature awareness you will come up with some options.

 

Did a 16hr Emergency Aid in the Outdoors course last week, guy said to put a small bit of gutter/duct tape in. He has used it lots over the years instructing and in a MR team.

 

Don't want to re-open the whole "laymen shouldn't use it" argument but how is it best to use Celox and what type is the most versatile to keep in a FAK? I would only use it if it is obvious that bleeding to death is the only other alternative.

 

The easiest and best of these are the gauze types (Not the "T-Bag" types). The newest Z fold Quikclot combat gauze has the edge at the moment just from ease of use and size of package but Celox also make one which works in the same way.

The advantage is that you use them like conventional gauze; pack or cover the wound and hold on with direct pressure for at least 5 minutes. Their use is indicated only when you can't control exanguinating extremity bleeding by direct pressure or use of a tourniquet, so a tourniquet is a much higher priority than haemostatics. They have their uses but they are not a silver bullet and only slightly better than pressure with normal gauze, they add most value when you can't maintain pressure.

If it helps I have just uploaded the latest PHTLS advice on haemostatics HERE

 

I teach this subject for the BATLS course in the MoD. What I tell the lads going over to the sandbox is that you can use Celox anywhere for anything. Just don't stuff it into the chest, head or abdomen. It was originally designed for catastrophic bleeding that cannot be stopped with a tourniquet.

I have used Celox and Combat Gauze on catastrophic bleeds. They both work, but I found that Celox fills the wound cavity a little better.

Bottom line. Use Celox as you would any gauze product. It just has a little extra "pixy dust" to help stop the bleeding.

 

Graveworm, thanks for this PHTLS document on different catastrophic agents. It should be read by all who carry any of the products. Interestingly enough, the researchers found out that normal gauze with direct pressure for five minutes worked just as well as the haemostatic agents.

I remember a course that I taught with some Scandinavian SF guys. At that time they were not allowed to have haemostatic options and just stuffed 12 rolls of gauze into a bullet wound. They stopped the bleeding.

 

It's not "laymen" that shouldn't use it, it's people that dont know what they are doing shouldn't use it, which begs the question, if you have to ask what to use, where and when, then maybe you need to get some training in first? Then after your training, you probably wouldn't use it, because you would now know that you dont need to use it.

 

Well from reading around and the contents of this thread, it appears that packing the wound and applying continues pressure for 5 minutes is likely to be as effective in most cases. So the thread has been worthwhile for me. I'll add some more dressings to my FAK.

 

Some here have been saying that all along

 

Very interesting to read the chat on what you guys consider essentials for first aid kits!

 

Hi your kit full of most useful things
Thanks.

 

Hi
Personally, as well as most of the kit you mentioned in the original post, I carry a needle & thread. I have always suffered really badly with blisters on my feet, moleskin is good, but depending on the blister location, not always possible to apply. Once a blister has formed I sew a small length of cotton into the blister bubble, leaving the end hanging out to keep it 'drained' - yeah, nice, but it stops it from bubbling again. I cover with a plaster. Seems to work well until I reach civilisation again - obviously it's important to have a sterile needle - also doubles up to repair holes in your socks -ha!

 

This has been a most informative read so many thanks for sharing your kit and to all the other contributors with other info. The only thing im failing to find is the iodine solution and iodine wipes. Is iodine a prescription only medicine?

 

http://boundtree.co.uk/first-aid/wound-cleansing/cleansing-solutions

this is what i have in my med pack.