First aid kit

[bushblade]

Updated on page 3

Hi all, recently took some pics of my personal first aid kit and thought I'd show them for those that are interested in such things :)

Its very small and lightweight, easily fitted in a pocket. I do have bigger kits but this one gets used most as its the one I end up carrying most.

The contents are based on my own personal experience of what I've needed to treat myself, Its not intended for treating others but does get used in that capacity if nothing else is available.

http://i162.photobucket.com/albums/t250/bushblade/fak1.jpg

http://i162.photobucket.com/albums/t250/bushblade/fak2.jpg


Mr Bump cohesive bandage.
Flat, wide roll of metolius branded climbers finger tape (zinc oxide).
Roll of Duck brand duct tape.
Victorinox classic: scissors, blade, tweezers, tooth pick, nail file etc.
with safety pin.
Povidone iodine in dropper/application bottle.
Friars' balsam (tincture of benzoin) in dropper/application bottle.
10 tablets of ibuprofen 200mg
10 tablets of paracetamol 500mg
5 Caffeine/dextrose pills.
zip lock bag containing; 4 savlon (cetrimide) wipes, 4 povidone iodine swabs, 6 ispropyl alcohol swabs.
zip lock bag containg; 1 pack of 5 steri strips, 2 5cmx5xcm melolin pads,
2 elestoplast cut to fit dressing strips, 3 waterproof elastoplasts, 1 large elastoplast dressing.
Blister kit; 1 large strip of moleskin, 3 large compeed dressings, 2 medium compeed dressings.
2 packs of 5 gauze swabs.
4.5" by 7" Aloksak.



Its frequently accompanied by this kit; This is a back up to other kit carried so isn't my only fire kit or head torch carried.

http://i162.photobucket.com/albums/t250/bushblade/fak3.jpg

http://i162.photobucket.com/albums/t250/bushblade/fak4.jpg


Tincture of Iodine in plastic cohesion dropper style bottle.
Petzl e+lite.
10ml irrigation syringe.
4 1/2" by 7" Aloksak.
1 pair nitrile rubber gloves.
Nalgene vial containg small repair kit: Tenacious tape, safety pins, needles and strong polyester thread.
1 roll of un-waxed dental floss and 2 sets of spare e+lite batteries.
1 pair of extended wear contact lenses.
Spark lite firestarter and tinder (vaseline soaked cotton balls)
Butane lighter with adjustable flame.



All comments and criticisms welcome :)

Updated on page 3

[Mastino]

Impressive. No-nonsense, practical & to the point. Looks like you work in the medical field.

Perhaps some 'crash' stuff can be added, like a pressure field dressing. My biggest worry when in the woods is a severe bleeding wound caused by axe/open fracture (although gauze+duct tape is a very good alternative...).

[spiritwalker]

i tend to carry some plasters and paracetamol i guess this should inspire me to add some more gear to it :-D

[bushblade]

Impressive. No-nonsense, practical & to the point. Looks like you work in the medical field.

Perhaps some 'crash' stuff can be added, like a pressure field dressing. My biggest worry when in the woods is a severe bleeding wound caused by axe/open fracture (although gauze+duct tape is a very good alternative...).

Yeah I do carry a FFD too if using large cutting tools or with a group.

[TeeDee]

Impressive. No-nonsense, practical & to the point. Looks like you work in the medical field.

Perhaps some 'crash' stuff can be added, like a pressure field dressing. My biggest worry when in the woods is a severe bleeding wound caused by axe/open fracture (although gauze+duct tape is a very good alternative...).

Ditto... I'm not to concerned about the Headaches and occasional splinter but the possible big-bleed situation.
After all we do play with sharp-slicey things out in the middle of nowhere.

Good kit.

[TREETOP]

Hi, Interesting post, I think most people will be like me and just carry a standard first aid kit but after reading your post mines gonna be getting a few addictions.
Cheers

[grantdan]

compared to my lage tin full of plasters and painkillers thats a very comprehensive and impressive first aid kit. well done in covering most possibilites. how about sterile eye cleaning fluid?

[CAL]

They are both really well thought out. Some very good pointers there for people trying to put kits together.

[bushblade]

.....a few addictions.
Cheers

Purely medicinal I trust?

[bushblade]

compared to my lage tin full of plasters and painkillers thats a very comprehensive and impressive first aid kit. well done in covering most possibilites. how about sterile eye cleaning fluid?

For foreign bodies in the eye?
I would just mix up some disinfected water and either use the irrigation syringe or add the solution to a zip lcok bag, pierce the corner with a needle then use that to direct the water into the eye.

[Glydr]

Point Id like to mention in regard to the eye cleaning fluid. I had a night out bushcrafting a few weeks back, under a largish debris shelter with a tarp hung inside that as extra shelter, in the middle of the night my mate wakes up and goes to sit up, his boots were right by his head next to him and he cant see them in the dark. He ends up somehow putting his eye onto the corner of his boot tongue, right into the coloured part of his eye, woke up the next day with a weeping red itchy eye, total freak accident and one we wernt prepared for, lucky we was only out for one night. I meself once had a midge land on my eyeball while in isle of skye once, had to get a mate to just touch it off with his little finger. Eye stuff is a good idea to carry

[grantdan]

you can get small eye wash vials online for 80p. there use once as they have a snap top and are not resealable. with all that you have it may be worth getting a few quids worth?

http://www.medisave.co.uk/sterile-wash-20ml-individual-p-964.html

thats what i mean

[bushblade]

ooh, thanks for the sticky :)

[Martyn]

Hi all, recently took some pics of my personal first aid kit and thought I'd show them for those that are interested in such things :)

Its very small and lightweight, easily fitted in a pocket. I do have bigger kits but this one gets used most as its the one I end up carrying most.

The contents are based on my own personal experience of what I've needed to treat myself, Its not intended for treating others but does get used in that capacity if nothing else is available.

http://i162.photobucket.com/albums/t250/bushblade/fak1.jpg

http://i162.photobucket.com/albums/t250/bushblade/fak2.jpg

1 Mr Bump cohesive bandage.
2 Flat, wide roll of metolius branded climbers finger tape (zinc oxide).
3 Roll of Duck brand duct tape.
4 Victorinox classic: scissors, blade, tweezers, tooth pick, nail file etc.
with safety pin.
5 Povidone iodine in dropper/application bottle.
6 Friars' balsam (tincture of benzoin) in dropper/application bottle.
7 10 tablets of ibuprofen 200mg
8 10 tablets of paracetamol 500mg
9 5 Caffeine/dextrose pills.
10 zip lock bag containing; 4 savlon (cetrimide) wipes, 4 povidone iodine
swabs, 6 ispropyl alcohol swabs.
11 zip lock bag containg; 1 pack of 5 steri strips, 2 5cmx5xcm melolin pads,
2 elestoplast cut to fit dressing strips, 3 waterproof elastoplasts, 1 large
elastoplast dressing.
12 Blister kit; 1 large strip of moleskin, 3 large compeed dressings, 2 medium
compeed dressings.
13 2 packs of 5 gauze swabs.
14 4.5" by 7" Aloksak.


That's a very good first aid kit, I like it a lot. It's tempting to put too much in them "just in case" but that is small and well rationalised. It's a good model. The only things I would add, would be a photon torch, a pair of nitrile gloves and an optional 4" bloodstopper or Israeli dressing for when using sharps/axes etc. Very nice kit.

[bushblade]

Thanks Martyn, yeah I do carry a field dressing too when sharp tools are involved.
Like you say I could just add..... but then it wouldn't be so easy to carry.

This one I can carry in my pack, be it day hike or over-nighter, then easily slip into a pocket when away from the pack, with a ffd if using cutting tools.

[Satyr]

Impressive. No-nonsense, practical & to the point. Looks like you work in the medical field.

Perhaps some 'crash' stuff can be added, like a pressure field dressing. My biggest worry when in the woods is a severe bleeding wound caused by axe/open fracture (although gauze+duct tape is a very good alternative...).

If you are worried about bleeds then try this dressing - it does small and large wounds, burns and also has an extra roll of material for either pressure or packing large open wounds.

http://www.boundtree.co.uk/Scripts/prodView.asp?idproduct=934

I carry one in my pocket when I go out as a just in case.

[IMOM]

I see you have doubled up on the Iodine might be a good idea to get one of those little eye wash sticks as a replacement ,the last thing you will want to do is start mixing up a solution and setting up your syringe with one or both eyes shut. :)

Also an FFD is a very versitile bit of kit and if its the later elasticated type even easier to put on yourself ,however you dont need to be using knifes and axes to end up having major bleeds ,open fractures from falls and tips will bleed and a sticky plaster wont do alot to stop this.

As you said this is your personal kit and each to there own,just some friendly advice

PS: having some "Friars' balsam (tincture of benzoin) in dropper/application bottle." is seriously hard core and the use of is now considered Barbaric in the military nowadays. so top marks !

I know when I have had it applied to my feet it was like dancing on the fires of hell !

[bushblade]

I see you have doubled up on the Iodine might be a good idea to get one of those little eye wash sticks as a replacement ,the last thing you will want to do is start mixing up a solution and setting up your syringe with one or both eyes shut. :)

Also an FFD is a very versitile bit of kit and if its the later elasticated type even easier to put on yourself ,however you dont need to be using knifes and axes to end up having major bleeds ,open fractures from falls and tips will bleed and a sticky plaster wont do alot to stop this.

As you said this is your personal kit and each to there own,just some friendly advice

PS: having some "Friars' balsam (tincture of benzoin) in dropper/application bottle." is seriously hard core and the use of is now considered Barbaric in the military nowadays. so top marks !

I know when I have had it applied to my feet it was like dancing on the fires of hell !

Hi, thanks for that. Yes I do carry a ffd (new israeli type) too.
The povidone is primarily for first aid, the tincture primarily for water purification. I usualy have a small bottle of saline anyway as I wear contact lenses.
I don't use the friars' balsam for blisters, I'm not that hardcore :yikes: I use it as a topical adhesive for dressings, as an antiseptic dressing on its own on minor cuts, for mouth ulcers and as a decongestant mixed with hot water and inhaled.

All the best

Will

[Ahjno]

Will,

What bottle do you use for storing your (contact lenses) saline in please? As I'm also visually challenged ;) and have some difficulties finding a good bottle (that isn't to big ...)

Thanks!

[bushblade]

Will,

What bottle do you use for storing your (contact lenses) saline in please? As I'm also visually challenged ;) and have some difficulties finding a good bottle (that isn't to big ...)

Thanks!

Hi, I just use a 60ml travel bottle of Amo complete. If you can't find them in the stores try asking your optician if they have any sample bottles they would kindly donate to your cause.

[Mastino]

Small addition: I've spent a couple op weeks up in Scandinavia and managed to cut myself twice. One pretty deep cut and another that in the civilzed world would have earned at least two stitches. I managed to close both wounds with Steristrips; one is now 100% ok and second recovering well. So: bushcraft first aid topper Steristrips.

[aus bushcrafter]

i would add a field dressing or a pressure bandage and burn cream. i personally cary 2 field dressings and a few bandages because im in Australia so field dressings and bandages are a must have. but still is a good kit personal kit.

[Genty]

Great stuff.

I it always diffuclt trying to things 'minimalist' - the constant struggle of size / appropriateness / functionality / cost ...

I think that is one of the best lightweight kit I've seen. If you take it to the other extreme - a Himalayan or Overland expedition where size is not so much of an issue, it is still vary easy to fill up on stuff that is not necessarily useful, appropriate or any good.

This is again compounded by having esoteric kit which the user may not fully understand how/when to use.

I'm not going to add anything to this kit because the temptation is always there to add stuff - which kind of defeats the purpose.


I'm used to taking a more substantial kit out and about while still keeping it trim but yours represents a great 'emergency' kit that can be kept tucked away until the proverbial hits it!

10/10 mate!

[apj1974]

I've adapted my first aid kit from the advice on ARRSEpedia:

http://www.arrse.co.uk/wiki/First_Aid_Kit

I tend not to bother with little plasters as a piece of tissue or tape usually does the trick.

Its contents are:

Plaster Strip
Antiseptic Cream with local anaesthetic (Germolene)
Petroleum Jelly
Ibuprofen
Loperamide Hydrocholide Tablets (Generic Immodium)
Antihistamine Tablets (not non-drowsy ones)
Bites and sting cream (savlon brand)
Antiseptic wipes
Emergency Blanket
Safety Pins
Tweezers
Scalpel & Blade
Scissors
A few large adhesive Dressings
Cheap whistle

and a little laminated card with the contents on it (which I copied this off!)

I've also got a plce medics webbing pouch which comes with me in group situations or when axes etc are involved and is basically a much more standard kit packed full of bandages, ffd's and a few ice packs.

[Genty]

On another note:

Tincture of Benzoine (also called Compound Benzoin, "Tinc benz" or Friars Balsam) is very good stuff.


For those who don't know it is a brown sticky resin which has antiseptic properties. I'm not particulalry interetsed in the antisetic properties in a pre-hopsital setting; if it is that bad - god damn get to hospital!

But...it dries sticky which makes it great to paint around a wound before applying steri-strips. Steri-strips are great but on sweaty skin (hot, humid environments or physical exersion) the can lift and peel quite easily. Treating the skin with tinc benz provides much longer lasting cohesion.

(On another note - Transpore is my tape of choice. Micropore has become the norm, possibly because it is 'surgical' and therefore cool but it doesn't stick, falls apart and attracts s#it like a magnate. Transpore (also 3M and available from pharmacists or on-line) is like a plastic, perforated tape. Sticks better and can be torn - lengthways and widthways, a bit like dick tape - so 'steri-strips' can be made from it. Quick tip - if you like products which do more than one thing, Transpore is the way forward ;-) )


Tinc Benz can be bought at chemists quite easily as Tincture of Benzoin but usually in unwieldy 500ml bottles. Homoeopathy and aromatherapy types will try and sell you miniscule bottles at extortionate costs.

I have bought small bottles (25ml and 50ml bottles) in chemists under the name Friars Balsam. Exactlys ame stuff. I have just ordered some convenient individually wrapped Benzoin soaked swabs from the US for training purposes but have yet to find them in the UK.

[bushblade]

i would add a field dressing or a pressure bandage and burn cream. i personally cary 2 field dressings and a few bandages because im in Australia so field dressings and bandages are a must have. but still is a good kit personal kit.

Hi, yeah I do carry a FFD too, perhaps I should add that to the origional post for the number of people who have suggested it!:rant:

[bushblade]

Great stuff.

I it always diffuclt trying to things 'minimalist' - the constant struggle of size / appropriateness / functionality / cost ...

I think that is one of the best lightweight kit I've seen. If you take it to the other extreme - a Himalayan or Overland expedition where size is not so much of an issue, it is still vary easy to fill up on stuff that is not necessarily useful, appropriate or any good.

This is again compounded by having esoteric kit which the user may not fully understand how/when to use.

I'm not going to add anything to this kit because the temptation is always there to add stuff - which kind of defeats the purpose.


I'm used to taking a more substantial kit out and about while still keeping it trim but yours represents a great 'emergency' kit that can be kept tucked away until the proverbial hits it!

10/10 mate!


Thanks for the kind words, your feedback is much appreciated :)

[aus bushcrafter]

sorry about that mate you probably feel every body is trolling you about carrying a ffd. but you probably should have put it there in the first place. is it a British army issue one? i know you can get British issue ones and israeli ones in aus but i prefer the aus ones but the aus ones are hard to get and the British or israeli ones are about $40 (20 pounds)

[bushblade]

No worries.
No its an Israeli type with the pressure bar, I think I've put it a few times in replies. I do have other/larger kits for different situations and/or with groups this is just just my personal FAK but is also the one that gets most use as I'm most likely to have this one on my person. I tend just to re-stock this one form the other kits.

[pteron]

Given that some of us are getting older and maybe not in the best possible shape, can I recommend a couple of soluble aspirin?

If you suspect a heart attack, one of these under the tongue can significantly reduce the damage.

I keep a couple in my desk drawer too as the average age at work is creeping up...

[bushblade]

Given that some of us are getting older and maybe not in the best possible shape, can I recommend a couple of soluble aspirin?

If you suspect a heart attack, one of these under the tongue can significantly reduce the damage.

I keep a couple in my desk drawer too as the average age at work is creeping up...

Thats a good point, I don't have it in this kit as its just my personal kit and I'm young and pretty fit, thanks though.

[Genty]

Ref First Field Dressings (FFD's) the UK ones used to be pretty hard to get hold of - the last ones I had expired in '92! The Israeli type is much superior, thankfully these are commercially available and not at ridiculous prices.

High volume absorbency, elasticated bandage and (my personal favourite selling point) double bagged and vacuum packed. One of these can live at the bottom of your bag a lifetime and won't turn into a sodden, mouldy lump. I keep one in the front pocket of my buoyancy aid which I use when I take people coasteering and it is surviving a regular dunking in the sea quite well!

SP Services Trauma Dressing (http://www.spservices.co.uk/product_info.php?products_id=4 387)

http://www.spservices.co.uk/images/DR826.jpg

[rik_uk3]

Thats a good point, I don't have it in this kit as its just my personal kit and I'm young and pretty fit, thanks though.


So young and fit people don't grab their chest and drop to the floor?

[bushblade]

So young and fit people don't grab their chest and drop to the floor?

I'm not saying that, when at school a friend of mine died from a heart attack aged 17. It just isn't a major concern for me personaly.

[treefrog]

i would add a field dressing or a pressure bandage and burn cream. i personally cary 2 field dressings and a few bandages because im in Australia so field dressings and bandages are a must have. but still is a good kit personal kit.

Burn gel packs like Water-Jel are much better than creams. Always have one in my kit, and several in the car.

http://www.waterjel.com/professional-products/emergency-burn-care/burn-dressings/

[pteron]

Burn gel packs like Water-Jel are much better than creams. Always have one in my kit, and several in the car.



What size do you carry? There are a few sizes on SP Services but they get pretty expensive as you go up in size!

[treefrog]

What size do you carry? There are a few sizes on SP Services but they get pretty expensive as you go up in size!

In my pack is a 5x15 (2"x6") water-jel Cat no 0206

With my car kit i have a 10x10 (4"x4") cat no 0404 and a 10x40 (4"x16") cat no 0416

These are mainly used for face and arm burns. I'm fortunate i get them supplied through work.

[pteron]

Thanks for the info treefrog.

[aus bushcrafter]

Burn gel packs like Water-jel are much better than creams.
sorry i meant the gel packs not cream. creams not the best because the tube can explode and my gel packs are a good size and amount no to much or to less. i think i put cream down because i was thinking of antiseptic cream for god knows what reason. you don't rely need the burn gels or creams if you are near the coast in Australia (and new zealand i think) because we have a plant called aloe vera that's good for burns, cuts, gravel rash, sunburn etc. but still good to Cary the gel just incase you carn't find aloe vera plant.

[jamesraykenney]

Hi, yeah I do carry a FFD too, perhaps I should add that to the origional post for the number of people who have suggested it!:rant:

Kept trying to figure out what FFD was and found this:

Acronym Definition
FFD Financing for Development
FFD Free Form Deformation (computer animation)
FFD Fitness for Duty
FFD Fast Flash Disk
FFD Front des Forces Démocratiques (French: Front of Democratic Forces, Morocco)
FFD Fit For Duty
FFD Foundation Feature Data
FFD Full Field Development
FFD Flame Failure Device
FFD Focal-Film Distance
FFD Focus Film Distance (radiography, distance between the X-ray source and the film)
FFD Fractional Factorial Design
FFD Feed Forward Driving (Mitsubishi)
FFD Functional Flow Diagram
FFD First Field Dressing
FFD Fast Failure Detection
FFD Five-Finger Discount (slang for stealing)
FFD Flint Fire Department (Flint, Michigan)
FFD Fixed Flexion Deformity
FFD Finger Floor Distance (measurement used in spinal assessments)
FFD Fraction of Faults Detected
FFD Flash&Flex Developer's Magazine
FFD Fargo Fire Department (Fargo, ND, USA)
FFD Forward Flight Deck
FFD Farm Fresh Droppings (sound crew)
FFD FlashFiler Database (Turbopower Software file extension)
FFD Form Format Definition
FFD Fitchburg Fire Department (Fitchburg, MA)
FFD Fraction of Failures Detected
FFD Feedforward Decoder
FFD Funnel Floor Drain (plumbing)
FFD First Floor, Down Productions (est. 2007)

I assume that you are referring to "First Field Dressing"...
I assume that this is a common term in Briton?

Has anyone tried the Olaes bandage? I have a few on order to try them out, but real experience is better than evaluation almost any time...

[jamesraykenney]

sorry about that mate you probably feel every body is trolling you about carrying a ffd. but you probably should have put it there in the first place. is it a British army issue one? i know you can get British issue ones and israeli ones in aus but i prefer the aus ones but the aus ones are hard to get and the British or israeli ones are about $40 (20 pounds)

20 pounds!!! Yikes!!! And I thought the things were expensive in the US!!!
Are you talking about these things?
http://www.chinookmed.com/cgi-bin/item/05130/s-bandages_dressings/-Israeli-Emergency-Bandage---4%22-----------------
Google says:
5.36 US dollars = 3.4699 British pounds sterling
You are being ripped off to an amazing degree!
I would think that, even with shipping, you would come out cheaper ordering from them... And surely someone in the UK or in AU has them cheaper! Try Ebay if nothing else!
Do you have a VAT in AU? If so, would it even apply to medical supplies?

[bushblade]

I assume that you are referring to "First Field Dressing"...
I assume that this is a common term in Briton?

Has anyone tried the Olaes bandage? I have a few on order to try them out, but real experience is better than evaluation almost any time...

Hi, yeah thats the one sorry for the confusion. The Israeli type are not expensive in the UK £4 or £5 usualy for the 4".

[aus bushcrafter]

I assume that you are referring to "First Field Dressing"...
yer they are called first field dressings. but the aus ones have field wound dressing on them but are know as ffds though. they are called that in America as well. you guys started the ffd pouch when you introduced the m56 webbing and was/is know as a ffd pouch.

[Martyn]

Hi, yeah thats the one sorry for the confusion. The Israeli type are not expensive in the UK £4 or £5 usualy for the 4".

We paid £3.40 on the group buy from the UK distributor (http://www.fentonpharmaceuticals.com/dressings.htm) for the Israeli manufacturer, but still needed 12p for paypal and then shipping on top. It came out at about £4 per bandage if you bought more than 4 I think, so provided you collect em and pay cash (and buy more than 100), £3.40 is prolly the cheapest you can get em for in the UK. Very good they are too. They were brand new from the distributor though, you might get em cheaper from the surplus market. They are a bandage you hope you'll never need, but with their vacuum packing and double bagging, you can pretty much ignore the expiry date on em. One in the backpack, one in the car and one in t he FAK at home and you're sorted.

[Davey569]

Guys the UK FFDs have been replaced by newer ones that are very similar to the israeli ones. They are double wrapped, vaccum packed, have an elasticated bandage and have a clip on the end. ;)

[MSkiba]

Would just like to say after seeing this post I was inspired and upgraded my first aid kit. As someone pointed out we play with sharp things in the middle of no where. Even if your very careful dosnt mean others around you are also as careful.

[Dornal]

This is a thought, but nothing much more than that. A lot of the stuff here is expensive but widely available in health care. For example, a couple of plastic snap-off vials of sterile saline seems like a very nice thing to have for cleaning a wound or washing an eye. As a doctor, when I am on the wards I always carry this sort of stuff for everyday jobs. If you know anyone that works near the wards, then a couple of these is no expense, and, without condoning theft, is the kind of thing that one finds in your pockets at the end of most days. Ask about, sterile saline is about the most useful small thing I can think of.

Now, I am not sure how well this might work, but company reps are a source of free stuff.

Myself, I won't meet with them or take anything from them, as I would like to be able to say to my patients that I am unbiased. However, if the ongoing finance of medical care is not at stake, then I would say to take a punt on them. E.g. https://forms.bd.com/pasrst/index.sp This is an elastic roll perforated at about 9 inches which is great for taking blood, (N.B. the use of tourniquet is tricky and NOT part of a basic first aid kit) but I reckon would be very useful for a lot of other stuff.

Basically, if you have a reasonable reason to ask for samples of medical (non-pharmacological) supplies, such as a first-aider, and don't have a public budget under your control, then I think it would be ethically reasonable to present yourself as such, and see if they will send you anything.

[mikeybear]

...... For example, a couple of plastic snap-off vials of sterile saline seems like a very nice thing to have for cleaning a wound or washing an eye. .......

Sure I only paid about 50p each for 20ml vials at a large high st chemist, very useful

MB

[RV OPs]

Hi there, this is our first post. We have been sent samples of Adventure Medical First Aid Kits. At first glance they appear to be well stocked with essential first aid items, waterproofed bag etc etc and on a par with the first aid kit from Bushblade . Has anyone used them, if so, do you have any feedback and recommendations?

[bushblade]

Hi, the adventure medical kits are pretty good in my opinion as an off the shelf option, though I think it always best to tailor make your own kits to your own needs/skills.
I would advise anyone using the AMK first aid kits to check which sort of aloksak they are packaged in as the ones with black tops tend to split very easily near the zip lock. Its easily solved or prevented by taping the area with something like gorilla tape or tenacious tape a full width across on both sides of the bag.
I've noticed that Lifesystems seem to be making their own version of the AMK kits now too.

The book (http://www.amazon.co.uk/Comprehensive-Wilderness-Medicine-Adventure-Operations/dp/0965976807/ref=sr_1_1?s=gateway&ie=UTF8&qid=1285799645&sr=8-1)that comes with the larger AMK kits is very good. There is a free pdf available somewhere too but I can't remember where from :confused:
If anyone wants it pm me and I'll happily email it.

[axemangler]

I bought a couple of water proof clear plastic boxes with chords to hang round your neck.....I filled them with lots of medical supplies that I know would be needed in the field including butterfly sutures, they cost a £1.00 each from pound land and carry enough gear for the worst of medical calamities out in the field....I also carry a small jar of Tiger Balm..medical mostly but great for lighting fires.

[Evilgoblin]

The Israeli style dressings are very good, however may not be enough on their own, especially if you manage to get an artery or remove a significant portion of your body. I carry a small blow out kit for dealing with traumatic injury. 2 x Israeli FFD as one won't necessarily be enough depending on how bad the bleed is.

I also carry a CAT torniquet

http://i796.photobucket.com/albums/yy247/evilgoblin_2010/CAT.jpg

Great for controlling bleeding fast in the pre-hospital setting.

I like Quikclot too, incredibly effective in concert with the CAT.

http://i796.photobucket.com/albums/yy247/evilgoblin_2010/ACS.jpg

There is now a "sport" version available which is the same as the military stuff just in a civified packet. The cheapest place I have found for it is here

http://www.stjohnsupplies.co.uk/products/default.asp?productId=F90108

I was also asked to provide a list for a personal 1st aid kit for a trip into the jungle and I came up with this, might be of interest:

I was asked for some advice on a first aid kit for the jungle on another forum, here's what I posted.

The biggest contributing factor to ill health in the jungle is the environment itself. The humid damp conditions are great for all sorts of interesting fungi and bacteria to grow with wild abandon. As with any medical issue prevention is better then a cure.

Your first task is to look to yourself, your basic fitness and general well being before you hit the bush are very important. An individual who is physically fit will adapt to new environments more rapidly and with less stress on the body. Secondly get any underlying health issues squared away before you go, even the most minor you'd be amazed what a mild case of athletes foot can turn into! What ever it is, as far as is possible, get it resolved before you go away as the extreme environmental conditions can massively amplify even the most simple of health issues.

Next task is protection. Given all the exciting beasties which live in the bush your primary task should be to prevent them getting access to you, or more specifically the inside of your body. Forget about looking alli in the bush, shirt tucked in, top button done up, cuffs done up and full brim on your bush hat. Get yourself a mossie headnet, you'll look like a nob but it'll bring some comfort. Wear some fingerless cycling type gloves to protect the backs of your hands. Next protect from sunburn, you won't always be under the tree canopy. The best product for this is a brand called P20 you can get it in superdrug and Sainsburys. It's a factor 30 sun block but the best thing about it is that it is an oil which soaks into the skin and stays there, you can't sweat it off and it doesn't come off in the rain. I have used this in many different types of environment and it has never let me down. Next keep the beasties away, don't miss the opportunity to get your clothing treated with permethrin. If you can don't stop at your clothes get your doss bag and mossie net done too. You'll also need a personal mossie rep. There's been lots written about Avon moisturizer used by them etc, to my mind get something that's Deet based as it's tried and tested. Something I found also helped was to take garlic supplements. You can buy these from health food shops, after you've been taking them for a while it begins to come out through your pores and the mossies hate it. Don't panic, you won't end up smelling like an Italian waiter's apron, it's why Mediterranean types don't get bitten much, it's the garlic in their diet. Also to bear (sic) in mind is that your warm sweaty bits are going to be even warmer and sweatier in the bush. This is the kind of environment that fungi love! First off make sure that you give all these bits a good scrub every day. Don't use soap an it can dry skin out leading to other problems. Once you're clean and dry give your groin and feet a good dusting with and anti-fungal powder like mycota or similar. Also try to avoid getting exercise claw, get that Norwegian formula hand cream and use it liberally, cracked skin is a great source of ingress for all sorts of nasties.

The bush being what it is, you will get lots of little cuts, scrapes and bites. The key thing here is to ensure that you keep them clean. Get some antiseptic wipes, again easily available from boots etc, give the wound a good clean and then seal it with either synthskin, which you paint on, or the elastoplast spray advertised on telly looks quite good. Right, insect bites next. Don't scratch them! Anthisan do a great product, it's a little spray bottle, like a breath freshener, an couple of squirts from that and the itch just goes away. A tube of witch hazel gel is good for bites and stings too. Don't pull leeches off, you'll probably leave the mouth parts in your skin an bleed like a bugger! Drip mossie rep on them and they'll just drop off. Burning them off with a lit cigarette is also really dumb, it looks macho but isn't very effective.

Sorry to be so long winded but there's no point in giving you a list of things to buy without explaining what they're for. See more comprehensive list below:-


P20 sun cream
Deet based mossie rep
Garlic supplements
Anti-fungal foot powder
Canestan cream (for if the foot powder doesn't do the job)
Norwegian formula hand cream
Antiseptic wipes
Synth-skin/elastoplast spray
Anthisan bite relief spray
Witch hazel gel
Loratadine tablets ( this is the active ingredient in Claratyn, cheaper to buy boots own, use this for any more extreme reactions to bites/stings)
Vasaline (use on eyebrows to make sweat run away from eyes)
Sudocrem (Big gray tub in the baby section, use for sweat rash especially soothing on the bum!)
Zinc Oxide tape (Get the issue version, the stuff for sale on the high street just isn't up to the mark)
Tweezers (Get pointy medical ones, eyebrow ones are no good for getting hold of thorns etc)
Sterile cannula set (good to have your own stuff if you're going somewhere outside Brit med chain, and good for digging out thorns etc)
Alcohol hand gel (use before eating or preparing food and after a ****)
Aloe Vera gel (great if you do get caught out by the sun look in the sun tan section)
Lucozade/powerade powder (or similar electrolytic to aid with hydration)
Paracetamol
Ibuprofen
Anusol
Plasters

That should just about cover it, add any medicines you take regularly and of course any anti-malarials etc

Sorry for the enormous post :p

[Martyn]

The Israeli style dressings are very good, however may not be enough on their own, especially if you manage to get an artery or remove a significant portion of your body. I carry a small blow out kit for dealing with traumatic injury. 2 x Israeli FFD as one won't necessarily be enough depending on how bad the bleed is.

.....[snipped]

Surely you dont carry that lot in the UK?

[Evilgoblin]

No just the blow out kit of the 2 FFDs, CAT and Quikclot. I grew up near the Old Spitalfields Market and you would often see a trainee butcher being wheeled across the road to A&E on a gurney with one of his mates standing up on it with his boot in the lads groin stopping the femoral bleed. It's not impossible to do some pretty nasty injuries with machetes and axes if you're a novice to them. I usually carry a small boo boo kit too for dealing with snivels etc.

[Martyn]

No just the blow out kit of the 2 FFDs, CAT and Quikclot. I grew up near the Old Spitalfields Market and you would often see a trainee butcher being wheeled across the road to A&E on a gurney with one of his mates standing up on it with his boot in the lads groin stopping the femoral bleed. It's not impossible to do some pretty nasty injuries with machetes and axes if you're a novice to them. I usually carry a small boo boo kit too for dealing with snivels etc.

You an army medic by any chance?

I can get me head round one israeli dressing, but 2 seems a bit overkill. But the CAT and quikclot are out there. Both are almost never used by the professionals in the UK - in fact are banned in most areas - because they prefer to save the limb - or rather, to stop over enthusiastic first aiders jumping in with the magic powder when they dont need to. Our population density and ambulance response times make that kit pretty much redundant.

[Evilgoblin]

Guilty as charged, just retired after ten years. Don't underestimate the amount of blood that can be lost. If you cut your femoral artery and it is left unstopped you will lose consciousness in 30 seconds and die in 3 minutes. You wouldn't have finished making the 999 call by then. Front-line medical personnel in the UK (amb tech,HEMS, paramedics etc) now routinely carry CATs and Quikclot. I hear what you're saying about the over enthusiastic amateur however given the response times it is nigh on impossible to do any lasting damage to limbs from a tourniquet being on too long. Quikclot also has an undeserved bad reputation. The new stuff no does not have an exothermic reaction so does not do any damage if used on a smaller wound. It also now comes with the powder contained in a "teabag" which eliminates the issue of the powder blowing into eyes etc which is why there was a great reluctance for civilian emergency services to use it when it first came out. The change has come about due to large numbers of Reservist medical personnel deploying on operations in Afghanistan and Iraq over the last 6 years or so, seeing the benefits of this equipment in action and bringing it into service in their own NHS Trusts. As for their banning both items are readily available for purchase without any caveat that one must hold any kind of professional registration.

[Evilgoblin]

PS Quikclot have now bought a nosebleed product to market:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/QuikClot-Nosebleed-Hemostatic-OTC-Formula/dp/B002TJ9ZUG/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1290605986&sr=8-1

[seb.h]

PS Quikclot have now bought a nosebleed product to market:

You mean a tampon right?:p

[Sniper]

As for their banning both items are readily available for purchase without any caveat that one must hold any kind of professional registration.

Whilst absolutely true, you must remember that you can buy a car without having a license it does not mean you can drive it. You could bring down all sorts of legal problems if you used this stuff as a layperson on any member of the public. I am well aware that no person has ever been prosecuted for trying to help a casualty even when they did the wrong thing but in these days of "no win, no fee" ambulance chasing law firms it may just be a matter of time before it does happen sadly. No plane loads of people were ever hijacked and aimed at a tall building before 9-11. So caution is advised. I may be wrong however my job keeps me bang up to date with all things first aid and to the best of my belief it is still illegal outside the emergency services ie Air Ambulance, Paramedics, hospital A&E Units, and the military to use this stuff.

[Martyn]

As for their banning both items are readily available for purchase without any caveat that one must hold any kind of professional registration.

I dont mean banned as in you cant buy it, I mean banned as in hospitals and ambulance services have ordered their employees not to use it. I cant use it even if I wanted to and I do hold a professional registration. Having said that, I've stopped many arterial bleeds with nothing more than direct pressure, although they were surgical trauma, which is much easier to control. Quik-clot is a field expedient solution for soldiers under fire and has limited applicability in civilian medicine. You also wont find ambulance staff using tourniquets to stop bleeding in all but the most extreme circumstances. Traumatic amputation and femoral arterial bleeds are pretty darned rare in civilian life. My concern with the free availability and "popularity" among the armed services of both Quik-clot and Cat-tourniquets, is that civilians will emulate soldiers and military medics and use them without training, skill or knowledge as a first option, rather than a last option, or at all. Civvis see military medics and mountain rescue teams using this and see it as must have kit, when nothing could be further from the truth. I am a huge fan of the Israeli bandage though, cracking dressing and really should be part of any first aid kit, especially for people using knives, axes or chainsaws.

[Sniper]

I'm fully with you on this Martyn.

[Bothwell_Craig]

I may be wrong however my job keeps me bang up to date with all things first aid and to the best of my belief it is still illegal outside the emergency services ie Air Ambulance, Paramedics, hospital A&E Units, and the military to use this stuff.

Sorry Sniper, that’s not correct. Illegality doesn’t venture into it however they way to keep yourself safe is to only practice what you have been taught.


I dont mean banned as in you cant buy it, I mean banned as in hospitals and ambulance services have ordered their employees not to use it. I cant use it even if I wanted to and I do hold a professional registration.

Depends on your Trust I suppose however the IHCD FPOS – Int. course (Updated protocols and manual May 2010) includes the use of tourniquet to control catastrophic bleeds and at basic level has also updated its ABC’s to C ABC, the initial check in the Primary Survey at that level being for Catastrophic Bleeding before Airway.


My concern …snip…. is that civilians will emulate soldiers and military medics and use them without training, skill or knowledge as a first option, rather than a last option

I totally and utterly agree 100% with that sentiment. It is blatantly obvious by way of some of the equipment being touted as “must haves” in first aid kits on here and some of the techniques being discussed such as self-stitching of wounds that some, not all, people are living in a dangerous fantasy land.

Craig

[bushblade]

Hi folks, I've updated the kit and I've been using this slightly different one for a while now, so thought I would post here. I've adopted the transpore tape suggested in this thread and have to say I'm very impressed with it.
I've also included the FFD in the pictures this time :11doh:


http://louisecainphotography.co.uk/bushblade/images/fak01.jpg
http://louisecainphotography.co.uk/bushblade/images/fak02.jpg
http://louisecainphotography.co.uk/bushblade/images/fak03.jpg
http://louisecainphotography.co.uk/bushblade/images/fak04.jpg



1 pack of 5 gauze swabs 7.5cmx7.5cm. - Cleaning wound site, applying medications, padding dressings.

2 pantiliners - Blood absorbing compress for wounds prior to dressing.

1 Opsite Flexigrid - waterproof breathable film dressing ideal for burns and grazes.

Dressings pack:-
3 large compeed blister dressings
2 small compeed blister dressings
Elestoplast cut to size fabric strips x 3
2 packs of steri strips
3 elestoplast waterproof dressings
3 Melolin 5cmx5cm pads.

Cotton buds (Q tips) - applying medications, aids in removing foreign body from the eye.

10ml syringe with 18g needle stored inside - wound irrigation using clean water/iodine solution.

4 x Savlon antiseptic wipes - cleaning of minor wounds and hands.
8 x Alcohol swabs - cleaning of tools prior to blister draining/ splinter removal, cleaning of skin prior to blister dressing.

Fixings:-
5cm wide flat packed roll of Transpore tape by 3m - Securing dressings, improvised butterfly sutures, blister prevention (over hot spots), stays put when wet.
3.5cm wide roll of Metolius brand finger tape (zinc oxide tape) - Securing dressings, strapping of sprains and strains.
Mr Bump cohesive bandage 5cm wide - securing dressings, strapping of sprains and strains, reusable, good when frequent dressing changes are needed.

Medications:-
2 x Benadryl Acrivastine capsules - allergy relief.
8 x Ibuprofen 200mg - Pain relief, anti inflammatory, can be taken with Paracetemol for additional pain relief.
8 x Paracetemol 500mg - Pain relief, fever reduction.
6 x Caffeine 50mg - Pain relief, temporary relief of tiredness.


Povidone Iodine (10% available iodine) in 10ml droper/application bottle - antiseptic, antibacterial, antifungal, mixed with clean water for wound irrigation (approx 10 drops per cup of clean water), water purifaction (8-16 drops per 1litre).

Friars Balsam (tincture of benzoin) in 5ml dropper/application bottle - topical antiseptic dressing for minor wounds and mouth ulcers, topical adhesive for dressings and steri strips, add a few drops to hot water and inhale as a decongestant.

Victorinox classic and safety pin - scissors, tweezers, toothpick, nail file, small blade.

1 pair nitrile gloves - can also be used as improvised mouth to mouth barrier.

[aus bushcrafter]

well thought out kit mate. a bit off topic but thinking of wound dressings i know for a fact that you can use tampons to stop bleeding if you or some one else has received a gun shot wound. not useful rely to bushcrafters buy i thought it might be a interesting fact.

[Alfox94]

Hi all, new guy here :)

As a trained first aider, I thought I would just say you have a good, compact, well put together first aid kit! you have it so well organised that should someone else need to use your kit, they would be able to do so with ease.

Again good kit! I'll maybe post mine soon :cool:

[aus bushcrafter]

is the uk first aid training levels the same as aus? in aus we have Emergency First Aid (also known as Workplace Level 1), Apply First Aid (also known as Senior First Aid or Workplace Level 2), Occupational First Aid (also known as Workplace Level 3) and other miscellaneous. my one just ran out :(

[Genty]

We have First Aid at Work which is a 3 day course, approved by the Health & Safety Executive ( HSE ) - this sounds like your Occupation First Aid/Workplace Level 3 - and the Emergency First Aid at Work which is a lesser, 1 day course. What level of training you need and how many first aiders at each level depends on your level of risk. The HSE have a useful 'ready reconner' to advise on this:

Here (http://www.hse.gov.uk/firstaid/assessmenttool.htm)

Outside of the workplace there are 101 courses from almost as many awarding bodies. Whilst they may be sold to different markets or presented differently there is some similiarity between all of them: Some offer very short 4 hr courses which is just Unconscious person and CPR. They all offer a '1 Day' course and a more involved '2 Day' course. These are typically called Basic or Emergency courses (although some call the 1 Day 'Basic' and the 2 Day 'Emergency'...and vise versa so forget about the names just worry about the number of days the course is.

Some providers or awarding bodies offer Advanced courses and these do differ quite a bit in terms of content and intended market.


So.. No prescribed uniformity or continuity between providers/awarding bodies but you will find introductory a 1/2 day, 1 Day or 2 Day course being offered by them all.

The 3 Day course is the only one recognised by the Health & Safety Executive in the Workplace. At this stage there is very little between any provider.

On advance courses you should look to a provider which specialises in your interest.

Hope this makes sense.


Getting back OT. Here is my perspective on First Aid Kits (http://www.realfirstaid.co.uk/first-aid-kits/). Comments welcome.

[aus bushcrafter]

cool thanks for that. the differences are quite interesting

[Realbark]

I have one of these http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Medium-First-Aid-kit-Drybag-Survival-Hiking-Camping-/360334437031?pt=UK_Health_Beau ty_First_Aid_ET&hash=item53e59b2aa7 to which i have added an eye dressing, paracetomol, piriton (anti-histamine), alka seltzer, diacalm, changed the tweezers for some steel ones, leather needles and cotton, micropore tape, antiseptic cream and a plastic bag (for burns) and a medical torniquet (sharp stuff we play with). I carry a duplicate on my motorbike.

[plastic-ninja]

some[/I], not all, people are living in a dangerous fantasy land.

Craig
I can testify to that one!Self-stitched my right leg 20 years ago after a slip with a sharp knife.Obviously I made a hash of it but did close the wound.Cleaned and dressed it when I got home but it went septic real quick and A&E visit followed with wound reopened and cleaned properly and antibiotics.Apparently I could have easily done lasting damage to the leg even if I'd survived the septicaemia.It hurt like a b****ard as well.I now carry butterfly sutures and steristrips!
Simon

[aus bushcrafter]

hi Realbark, just a suggestion but you might want to change those scissors for a pair of nurse ones.

[daryl]

Bushblade

Just a suggestion, from personal experience (use around 10 pairs a day) it would be worth having at least three nitrile gloves, preferably two pairs, the reason for this being that I tend to find that if ive only got one pair to hand (excuse the pun) i usually end up tearing one of the gloves.

Nitrile are tough, however when they tear they end up pretty much disintegrating, leaving you with one unprotected hand. If your really eager to use universal precautions when dealing with someone else, which i would thoroughly reccomend then keep more than one pair with you.

daryl

[TeeDee]

Bushblade , thanks for the Update.

I realise that this is YOUR FAK and so , tailored for your needs and anticipations of probable accidents without going overkill on weight and size.

From a thread on this Forum which nearly resulted in a death from a Horsefly Bite , and as several qualified medical people seem to be contributing to this thread can I ask what peoples opinions are in ref to carrying an Epipen?? Is it OTT ? Too difficult to understand ( for the average layman ) possible causes that would require Epipen use??

[Genty]

You can't simply go out an buy an Epi-pen as it is a POM - Prescription Only Medicine. You would need to get one prescribed from your GP. I you do have a particular sensitivity and your GP deems it appropriate, stress you work in remote environments. Epi-pens do not 'cure' some one of an anaphylactic reaction, only suppress the reaction. After 15-20mins expect the adrenaline to wear off and the symptoms will continue to worsen. Are you going to get an ambulance to you in 15-20 mins.

Carrying an Epi-pen 'just in case' is not advisable. While a person is allowed to administer an Epi-pen to anyone they believe is having an anaphylactic reaction (even it if it is neither the pen of the first aider or the casualty) it is not legal to carry a POM with the intention of administering it.

If you are taking groups out into the woods it really is the individuals responsibility to a) inform you of their condition and b) carry their own medication.


Ref scissors: A pair of Tuff Cut shears are always with me when working. For more delicate tasks ask your pharmacist if they have 'blunt/sharp' scissors. These a re nurses scissors which have one sharp point (useful for peircing packaging etc.) and one blunt point (this is the edge you slide under clothing or dressings when cutting around a casualty without cutting the casualty!)

[bushblade]

Bushblade

Just a suggestion, from personal experience (use around 10 pairs a day) it would be worth having at least three nitrile gloves, preferably two pairs, the reason for this being that I tend to find that if ive only got one pair to hand (excuse the pun) i usually end up tearing one of the gloves.

Nitrile are tough, however when they tear they end up pretty much disintegrating, leaving you with one unprotected hand. If your really eager to use universal precautions when dealing with someone else, which i would thoroughly reccomend then keep more than one pair with you.

daryl

Hi, thanks for the advice. It's tempting to add one more of this, or one more of that, but then it would soon get too big an easily go beyond my intended use. The pair I included are the thick heavy duty type. I use the same gloves almost daily in the workshop and have found them to be very durable.
I have other larger kits intended for group use and I do stock multiple pairs in those.
This is just a personal first aid kit, and it is impossible to fill it with items for every possible situation encountered.
Sometimes **** happens, you deal with it as best you can with what's available and the best knowledge and training available to you.

[Matthew.Passmore]

Great kit Will, think I will make some changes to mine based on yours, I like the idea of carrying an irrigation syringe rather that the disposable pods; just make the solution as you go.

[bushblade]

Cheers Matt, much appreciated, glad you found it useful.

[gordonmac]

Cheers Matt, much appreciated, glad you found it useful.

This is a great post, Will. I've been thinking about putting together my own first aid kit instead of buying them and your kit seems excellent!

[Martyn]

...The pair I included are the thick heavy duty type.

That's a good point. Not all nitrile gloves are the same. Those found in hospitals are very thin and friable, but they are made to be a thin as possible to allow the palpation of veins and wotnot (...and hospital gloves are probably also the cheapest you can get). I have used nitrile gloves from B&Q and found them to be much thicker and more durable. Not so good for putting in IV lines, but ideal for a general duty outdoor first aid kit.

[mrcairney]

I posted this before I saw this section!

http://www.bushcraftuk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=74553&pagenumber=

Should prove useful

[Dreadhead]

Reading through this...i DEFINITLY need to put a FAK together with this as a rough guide as im often a lone trekker with poor first aid skills but enough common sense (i hope!). Two questions:

1. are there any good sources of information relating to the use of some of this equipment. i really mean the solutions etc as i am interested in what different solutions are for such as iodine etc

2. are there any cheap resources for this equipment or is my best bet ebay?

Thanks, Hamish.

[mrcairney]

I've been updating mine Hamish and can PM you links to sites where some of the harder to find stuff can be bought. Chemists are actually really good if you're not afraid to ask for specific things. Other things I've found at Vet stores and the poundshop (believe it or not!)

My FAK is very much like the one in my link above, but it's a good idea to look at different set ups and consider what is best for you.

EDIT: Actually, would it be a good idea for people to post links as to where they picked stuff up (if they did online, of course)? That might be a good idea...

[Dreadhead]

good link, cheers. aye iv managed tae find several things on ebay (first being the israeli ffd in a "what if?" panic haha). My knowledge is most rusty on the liquids i see so many carrying in their kit seeing things such as betadine, iodine solutions etc? it would be great to have a rough guide on the application of these things as common sense can (mostly) dictate on how to keep a wound clean physically but when fighting infections/bacteria etc the unseen is really the unknown in my case

[Genty]

Dreadhead; ref: antiseptics and solutions, there is a brief guide on good old Wiki

Antiseptics (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antiseptic#Some_common_antisep tics)


That said there is a growing fashion away from Antiseptics in remote areas, certainly the more potent solutions because antiseptics 1) can cause cell damage 2) can inhibit healing.

In hospitals, saline solution (clean but slightly salty water) is being favoured for all but the dirtiest of wounds (contaminated material or bites (animal or human!)).

Another reason for the move away from antiseptics is that in a hospital setting it is easier to keep a wound clean; this is much more difficult in the outdoors. A wound which has been treated with strong antiseptics can be more susceptible to infection if it is 'too clean' because the skin's natural, good, bacteria has been removed leaving an open portal for infection to enter.

Soapy water will do the job (I read somewhere but can't find the original source that clean water can remove up to 40% of infection). Here is a slightly different link to some evidence.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15995106


Ideally you would flush the wound out with 'high pressure irrigation'. For this use a 20ml syringe (or lager) with a wide-bore needle. Something like an 18g (pink) 'mixing needle'. Mixing needles have blunt tips as opposed to needle for injection so there is less chance of a sharps injury or injecting the water into the flesh. If you have it, try and get 1.5 Ltrs of clean water flushed over the wound.

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0361112476801608
http://www.journals.elsevierhealth.co m/periodicals/yjacep/article/PIIS0361112476801608/abstract

I hope this helps. Long story short: Keep it simple - clean water and plenty of it! I am writing an article for the website on wound cleaning and will post a link when done. If anyone has a strong opinion on the above, please feel to comment - either publicly or by PM.

HTH

[Dreadhead]

thanks for the quick and useful reply it helps alot as to my curiosity of the use of antisceptics.
luckily as im recovering from an operation that needs nurse attention everyday i keep ending up with a small supply of saline pods and dressings which will come in handy :D

i still think a handy antisceptic could come in handy in small doses certainly as things often end up mucky in the bush but overall saline and soapy water should keep me satisfied

as to the soapy water, any ideas if using soapy water made from birch/horse chestnut leaves would be ok? or just a regular bar of soap (have a bar of pine tar soap in my pack usually)

[Genty]

I couldn't say as I've never used soapy water; I'm a big fan of plain, clean water.

I'm also a big fan of carrying things that have more than one use: Does anyone know anything about Potassium Permanganate as an antiseptic? What are the indications / contraindications? It is convenient to carry as a powder but to what concentration is it mixed?

[bushblade]

Reading through this...i DEFINITLY need to put a FAK together with this as a rough guide as im often a lone trekker with poor first aid skills but enough common sense (i hope!). Two questions:

1. are there any good sources of information relating to the use of some of this equipment. i really mean the solutions etc as i am interested in what different solutions are for such as iodine etc

2. are there any cheap resources for this equipment or is my best bet ebay?

Thanks, Hamish.

Hi, a really good book to pick up is Wilderness and Travel Medicine by Eric Weiss (http://www.amazon.co.uk/Comprehensive-Wilderness-Medicine-Adventure-Operations/dp/0965976807/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1308779980&sr=8-1) that gives a good guide to what the different solutions are for and how to use them.
Another good rescource if you're putting together a FAK is Paul Kirtley's Blog (http://paulkirtley.co.uk/2011/personal-wilderness-first-aid-kit/)
Most stuff you can get from the chemist, though you usually have to order povidone iodine, ask for videne antiseptic solution (http://www.google.co.uk/products/catalog?hl=en&pq=viodene&xhr=t&q=videne&cp=2&rlz=1C1GPEA_enGB307&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.&biw=1440&bih=809&bs=1&um=1&ie=UTF-8&tbm=shop&cid=16053301386941361742&sa=X&ei=MWcCTuGVBIa68gO7xtnKDQ&sqi=2&ved=0CC4Q8wIwAg)

The Friars' balsam is mainly used as a topical adhesive to get dressings to stick (can be a pain outdoors), but can also be used as a antiseptic dressing on its own a bit like the liquid bandage type stuff, stings though. It can also be used inside the mouth and works great on mouth ulcers. A few drops added to hot water and the steam inhaled makes a great decongestant.

The povidone iodine can be used neat, just like you would use an antiseptic cream. It stings less than iodine tinture (which is suspended in alcohol). Its a very broad spectrum microbiocide effective against viruses/bacteria and fungal infections, works well on athletes foot. Its main use is adding a few drops to water to ensure it's clean for irrigation. When used neat it stains the skin so you know where you've applied it. You can also use it to purify water for drinking (8-16 drops per litre depending on water quality/clarity).

Both the Povidone Iodine and friars' balsam are fantastic multi use items that are pretty potent so there's no need to carry lots of it. Being in liquid form they are easy to dispense into small bottle for carry in a compact kit.

[BrianM]

I couldn't say as I've never used soapy water; I'm a big fan of plain, clean water.

I'm also a big fan of carrying things that have more than one use: Does anyone know anything about Potassium Permanganate as an antiseptic? What are the indications / contraindications? It is convenient to carry as a powder but to what concentration is it mixed?

Potassium permanganate is a good oxidant but a poor disifectant. If used on the skin, the concentration is 0.01%. Any stronger can be irritant or even cause burns, and best not used on open wounds (it will leave a deposit of manganese dioxide in the wound).

The old medical uses of this include treating athletes foot, as long as you don't mind mahogany-coloured feet!

It can be used to sterilise water, but there are better alternatives these days, such as sodium dichloro-isocyanurate.
Useful as a fire starter - sprinkle on tinder to which glycerol has been added; as an emergency marker on snow - but best not used medicinally, I suggest.

BrianM
(Advanced first aider and chemist)

[Scottishwanderer]

Duct tape, cayenne pepper, mini bottle of vodka.

Need to make my FAK bit better me thinks.

Got quite a bad cut the other day in the forearm was bleeding a lot, pour vodka over cut, sprinkled some cayenne on, put some sphagnum moss over then ducked taped in place. Jobs a good un.

Hurts like hell though.

[Genty]

Thanks for the info BrainM. Being told 'yes' or 'no' is one thing, being told why is so much more useful. Cheers.

[Elines]

I may have missed it (I have tried to find out by searching) but does anyone have suggestions for finding a suitable pack to put the FAK in.

I am thinking of a rectangular, waterproof bag that:

· opens out fully so that you can easily see the contents
· has a belt loop, so that it can be fitted to a belt and be always easily accessible and also less likely to be forgotten when changing clothes
· is deeper than it is wide (so it doesn’t take up too much space on your belt)
· probably has dimensions of around 100mm wide x 140mm high x40mm deep (which I am guessing is a reasonable balance between adequate capacity and manageable size for everyday carry

(Happy to be corrected on any of the above elements)

I don’t want to buy a commercial FAK just for the case, and compact camera cases seem too small.

[mrcairney]

Sure, the aloksaks are great. 100% waterproof and since they're airtight you can compress them down so your kit is almost vacuum packed. Buy the mix pack (small medium and large). I don't have a link, but shop around and you can get them for about £8.

http://www.loksak.com/

EDIT: For belt wear? Oh, you'd have to put it on something after.

[Elines]

EDIT: For belt wear? Oh, you'd have to put it on something after.

That's the problem - finding a suitable, removable belt bag to put the FAK in (even if already in Aloksaks) for ease of access etc.

[mrcairney]

How about a waistpack from Maxpedition? http://www.husky.uk.com/maxpedition-h1-waistpack

[Elines]

mmm possible but expensive - I am currentliy considering camera cases

[rik_uk3]

Get a bum bag

or Bat belt...sorry Army Combat Utility
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Army-Combat-Utility-Travel-Money-Belt-Waist-Bum-Bag-New-/360383467012?pt=UK_SportingGoo ds_BackpacksRucksacks_Bags_EH&hash=item53e8874e04

I have two kits, small and basic for pockets of M65 trousers and a bigger one in camp within easy reach. Do you need to carry so much on you?

[Elines]

Thanks - never seen those before - but a possibility

[Man of Tanith]

not quite the measurements you stated but my first aid kit lives in one of these http://www.raymears.com/Bushcraft_Product/429-Ray-Mears-Canvas-Pouch/

[Elines]

I have two kits, small and basic for pockets of M65 trousers and a bigger one in camp within easy reach. Do you need to carry so much on you?

Just seen that - good point - will ponder

[rik_uk3]

FAK's vary so much with the individual. The only time I've used my main kit for real was in 2006 with an axe cut to the thumb (not mine), lots of blood but direct pressure, elevation and butterfly stitches/dressing and job done. I did open it last weekend for a bottle of DEET and realised the standard pain killers and anti histamine were out of date by a couple of years :(

My 'pocket' kit is an army field dressing, couple of plasters and some anti histamine and Ventolin inhaler, all the goodies are in my main kit housed in a large(ish) A4 sized zip lock.

If your away from your main kit and get a nasty cut the dressing is there, plasters cover small nicks etc. A big kit is fine but in reality for the majority of the UK you need to carry very little as help will be at hand. Maintain airway, control blood loss, recovery position/imobilise etc covers a lot of the basics. Keep it safe and simple and let the Paramedics do the rest.

If your off to exotic places then the correct training is vital and this will be reflected in your level of kit. If not just do a course or two and practise what you learn on a regular basis (dressings etc).

[BillyBlade]

Dreadhead; ref: antiseptics and solutions, there is a brief guide on good old Wiki

Antiseptics (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antiseptic#Some_common_antisep tics)


That said there is a growing fashion away from Antiseptics in remote areas, certainly the more potent solutions because antiseptics 1) can cause cell damage 2) can inhibit healing.

In hospitals, saline solution (clean but slightly salty water) is being favoured for all but the dirtiest of wounds (contaminated material or bites (animal or human!)).

Another reason for the move away from antiseptics is that in a hospital setting it is easier to keep a wound clean; this is much more difficult in the outdoors. A wound which has been treated with strong antiseptics can be more susceptible to infection if it is 'too clean' because the skin's natural, good, bacteria has been removed leaving an open portal for infection to enter.

Soapy water will do the job (I read somewhere but can't find the original source that clean water can remove up to 40% of infection). Here is a slightly different link to some evidence.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15995106


Ideally you would flush the wound out with 'high pressure irrigation'. For this use a 20ml syringe (or lager) with a wide-bore needle. Something like an 18g (pink) 'mixing needle'. Mixing needles have blunt tips as opposed to needle for injection so there is less chance of a sharps injury or injecting the water into the flesh. If you have it, try and get 1.5 Ltrs of clean water flushed over the wound.

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0361112476801608
http://www.journals.elsevierhealth.co m/periodicals/yjacep/article/PIIS0361112476801608/abstract

I hope this helps. Long story short: Keep it simple - clean water and plenty of it! I am writing an article for the website on wound cleaning and will post a link when done. If anyone has a strong opinion on the above, please feel to comment - either publicly or by PM.

HTH

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 :)

[21st century pict]

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...

[BoonDoc]

1x Quikclot granules

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.

[21st century pict]

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.

[BoonDoc]

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.

[Scots_Charles_River]

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.

[bronskimac]

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.

[Graveworm]

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 (https://docs.google.com/document/d/1D7-c7T2aHWw2GnKIULsVEg5j_46jNjtbP kb1nGfbXkg/edit?hl=en_US)

[BoonDoc]

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.

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.

[BoonDoc]

I have just uploaded the latest PHTLS advice on haemostatics HERE (https://docs.google.com/document/d/1D7-c7T2aHWw2GnKIULsVEg5j_46jNjtbP kb1nGfbXkg/edit?hl=en_US)

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.

[Martyn]

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.

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. :rolleyes:

[bronskimac]

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. :)

[rik_uk3]

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;)

[TheFirstAidSupplier]

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

[missamor]

I've adapted my first aid kit from the advice on ARRSEpedia:

Its contents are:

Plaster Strip
Antiseptic Cream with local anaesthetic (Germolene)
Petroleum Jelly
Ibuprofen
Loperamide Hydrocholide Tablets (Generic Immodium)
Antihistamine Tablets (not non-drowsy ones)
Bites and sting cream (savlon brand)
Antiseptic wipes
Emergency Blanket
Safety Pins
Tweezers
Scalpel & Blade
Scissors
A few large adhesive Dressings
Cheap whistle

and a little laminated card with the contents on it (which I copied this off!)

I've also got a plce medics webbing pouch which comes with me in group situations or when axes etc are involved and is basically a much more standard kit packed full of bandages, ffd's and a few ice packs.


Hi your kit full of most useful things
Thanks.

[ajbennett]

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!

[BareThrills]

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?

[Wayne]

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

this is what i have in my med pack.

[bushblade]

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?

You can get the povidone Iodine from most chemists, they will need to order it in for you. I got my last lot from Sainsbury's pharmacy just under £5 for 500ml. It used to be under the brand name of Betadine but is now only available from Videne (http://www.videne.co.uk/videne.html) it's the antiseptic solution you want.

[bushblade]

I've since altered this kit again to include 2 of the opsite flexgrid dressings as I'm finding these extremely versatile. I pulled a good sized chunk of skin off my hand climbing and using these dressings was able to be back climbing in 2 weeks. I've also swapped the elastoplast waterproof dressings for 3M aqua 360 as these seem more breathable and are more flexible so stay put longer.

http://louisecainphotography.co.uk/bushblade/images/fak01.jpg
http://louisecainphotography.co.uk/bushblade/images/fak02.jpg
http://louisecainphotography.co.uk/bushblade/images/fak03.jpg
http://louisecainphotography.co.uk/bushblade/images/fak04.jpg




1 pack of 5 gauze swabs 7.5cmx7.5cm. - Cleaning wound site, applying medications, padding dressings.
2 pantiliners - Blood absorbing compress for wounds prior to dressing.
1 Opsite Flexigrid - waterproof breathable film dressing ideal for burns and grazes.
Dressings pack:-
3 large compeed blister dressings
2 small compeed blister dressings
Elestoplast cut to size fabric strips x 3
2 packs of steri strips
3 elestoplast waterproof dressings
3 Melolin 5cmx5cm pads.
Cotton buds (Q tips) - applying medications, aids in removing foreign body from the eye.
10ml syringe with 18g needle stored inside - wound irrigation using clean water/iodine solution.
4 x Savlon antiseptic wipes - cleaning of minor wounds and hands.
8 x Alcohol swabs - cleaning of tools prior to blister draining/ splinter removal, cleaning of skin prior to blister dressing.
Fixings:-
5cm wide flat packed roll of Transpore tape by 3m - Securing dressings, improvised butterfly sutures, blister prevention (over hot spots), stays put when wet.
3.5cm wide roll of Metolius brand finger tape (zinc oxide tape) - Securing dressings, strapping of sprains and strains.
Mr Bump cohesive bandage 5cm wide - securing dressings, strapping of sprains and strains, reusable, good when frequent dressing changes are needed.
Medications:-
2 x Benadryl Acrivastine capsules - allergy relief.
8 x Ibuprofen 200mg - Pain relief, anti inflammatory, can be taken with Paracetemol for additional pain relief.
8 x Paracetemol 500mg - Pain relief, fever reduction.
6 x Caffeine 50mg - Pain relief, temporary relief of tiredness.
Povidone Iodine (10% available iodine) in 10ml droper/application bottle - antiseptic, antibacterial, antifungal, mixed with clean water for wound irrigation (approx 10 drops per cup of clean water), water purifaction (8-16 drops per 1litre).
Friars Balsam (tincture of benzoin) in 5ml dropper/application bottle - topical antiseptic dressing for minor wounds and mouth ulcers, topical adhesive for dressings and steri strips, add a few drops to hot water and inhale as a decongestant.
Victorinox classic and safety pin - scissors, tweezers, toothpick, nail file, small blade.
1 pair nitrile gloves - can also be used as improvised mouth to mouth barrier.

[Scots_Charles_River]

Nice kit. How about diaorrhea pills eg Diocalm, tiny to squeeze in.

[VFR800Essex]

I haven't noticed anyone packing anything for burns/scalds. I would have thought being in the wild with fire and hot liquids this would have been a must have item. I pack a Burnshield (http://www.burnshield.com/default.asp?contentID=23) of varying size dependant on the type of outdoor experience.

[Scots_Charles_River]

Burns,

Been a bit of debate on these but just cellophane and lots of water is the First Aid practice I'm aware of. I was told on my last First Aid, any burn bigger than a 50 piece, straight to hospital.

[VFR800Essex]

I don't know much but i know the cooler you keep it the less scaring you can get. What if you're a fair way from hospital? I see people have plastic bags in their kit but i don't see rolls of cling film.

[John Fenna]

My REC trainer recommends industrial cling film - pallet wrap! - just as good as kitchen cling film but more durable - my basecamp kit contains a roll now.
I did a REC course the end of last year and an HSE course last friday ... both the trainers recommend cling film for burns - poly bags for hands/feet burn treatment.
Incontinence pads/disposable nappies/panty liners all make good non adherant dressings, gaffa tape makes good slings etc etc etc.

[Graveworm]

My REC trainer recommends industrial cling film - pallet wrap! - just as good as kitchen cling film but more durable - my basecamp kit contains a roll now.
I did a REC course the end of last year and an HSE course last friday ... both the trainers recommend cling film for burns - poly bags for hands/feet burn treatment.
Incontinence pads/disposable nappies/panty liners all make good non adherant dressings, gaffa tape makes good slings etc etc etc.

You can use Pallet wrap of course and it will be much better than leaving it to the elements but food grade is made under sterile (Positive air pressure etc) conditions and has to be certified as such, also you don't want to be wrapping it tight so heavy duty is not such an issue, personally I'd get food grade if I was buying it just for first aid.

Again anything in a pinch, Nappies etc always used to be mentioned, however there have been some changes recently. I am not sure about incontinence pads but I suspect it is the same, I do know modern disposable nappies, sanitary towels and panty liners are discouraged now as they have semi-permeable membranes designed to help transport liquid away, that is great for menstrual blood and baby poo but the opposite of what you want in a dressing, as it hinders clotting.

[mrcairney]

I've got a burn patch in my kit. Never had to use it. In fact, I've never had to use anything bar a plaster when I cut myself, and that was last year.

Having a comprehensive first aid kit is a good idea married with knowledge on how to act, but I'd be interested to hear how often people actually need to dip into it aside from maybe a blister patch or two.

Example, I've had a trauma dressing for a while, it's still in the vacuum packaging it came in. I only have it next to me when I'm carving with the axe, in case I take a leg off or something. In my living room.

[John Fenna]

I've got a burn patch in my kit. Never had to use it. In fact, I've never had to use anything bar a plaster when I cut myself, and that was last year.

Having a comprehensive first aid kit is a good idea married with knowledge on how to act, but I'd be interested to hear how often people actually need to dip into it aside from maybe a blister patch or two.

Example, I've had a trauma dressing for a while, it's still in the vacuum packaging it came in. I only have it next to me when I'm carving with the axe, in case I take a leg off or something. In my living room.
I have had little use for my kit other than for patching up minor axe and knife cuts and treating a dislocated knee, the odd leech bite (I hate leeches!) and a couple of grazes - mainly on other folk!
Not bad for a lifetime in the outdoors!
The worst I had to deal with was a dislocated fracture of both sides of the elbow joint (on my father!) and that was just a case of imobilisation until the paramedics arrived ... no kit needed....

[entropydog]

Common sense is the most important.....Burns need to be cooled and hydrated as soon as possible, your fat reserve can keep heating and burning even after the original source is eliminated..A constant flow of cool water is best...the longer the better for any burn....However as I said common sense. A minor burn once saturated for as long as possible is best left in the open air...If we are thinking outdoors cling film is more likley to promote infection.. If you have a more serious burn you should be calling emergency services and maintaining constant saturation/hydration at all cost..Cling film is for no other option and you having to transport them yourself, like in a war zone....

[Graveworm]

Common sense is the most important.....Burns need to be cooled and hydrated as soon as possible, your fat reserve can keep heating and burning even after the original source is eliminated..A constant flow of cool water is best...the longer the better for any burn....However as I said common sense. A minor burn once saturated for as long as possible is best left in the open air...If we are thinking outdoors cling film is more likley to promote infection.. If you have a more serious burn you should be calling emergency services and maintaining constant saturation/hydration at all cost..Cling film is for no other option and you having to transport them yourself, like in a war zone....

I love common sense, running water is good for cooling, I have reservations about the "Hydration" claims (drinking the water is probably better for that) but after the burn has been cooled infection is the biggest risk. The best way to prevent that is the cling film. When the emergency services arrive (1% partial thickness facial etc) that's exactly what they would do.

[Lister]

One thing i've not seen in this thread (if it's in here i apologise) is the importance to check dates on dressings and medicines, or do people tend not to worry at that so much these days? I know on dresssings the day is only there to give a guide to how old the dressing is and when the sterility of it runs out (it'll still cover wounds etc but may not be sterile as it once was....least i think that's why they put the dates on them) and of course on meds it's the date the active ingredient deactivates so may not be as effective.

[entropydog]

check out this link for info on the use of cling film it seems to suggest use after about 20min of running water. http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/Burns-and-scalds/Pages/Treatment.aspx

[Genty]

Good advice, well found. Just for ref is says to treat within 20mins of the injury.

Here is my take on cling film in a wilderness setting (http://www.realfirstaid.co.uk/clingfilm). I am a strong advocate of it but it is not to be used with impunity.

[entropydog]

Heres another link on the many uses of aspirin. http://www.mritechnicianschools.org/50-amazing-and-everyday-uses-for-aspirin/
some of this stuff is amazing from starting a dead battery to fungal infections... Just as long as you dont have an allergy to aspirin !.... wonder if willow inner bark is as effective as some of this...

[Martin Otten]

You can find a video of my first aid kit here;

http://youtu.be/N2U1-9V7vVY