View Full Version : My Altoids First Aid Kit
I made this up yesterday and am pretty pleased with it. To my mind the only thing it's missing is a pair of gloves, but they're too big for the form factor.
Video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NqX0bysD0Ek
Ignore the stuff I say about cost; given the quantities you'd have to buy the contents in and the shipping, you'd need a minimum of 25 units for a unit cost of about £6.
Anyway, I'd love your feedback, cheers :D
edit:
Version Two: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=11-Pwp_bWqg
Great presentation and very articulate.
With regards to the gloves, why not insert the tin into the gloves then wrap the fingers around?
That way it is now waterproof and your gloves come to hand first.
Like the idea - my suggestions are (and I have tried to save space as well as just suggest more stuff to put in and I like the idea above re gloves):
?one soluble aspirin in case someone has a heart attack - as I understand it, putting one on their tongue may not do any good but it won't do any harm (?possible danger of getting sued for administration of medicine - even non-prescription ones - anybody know about that??)
one bigger safety pin rather than several small ones, for removal of splinters and fastening a sleeve to a coat/shirt/blouse to improvise a sling
would a 10cc syringe fit in? (for irrigation of wounds/eyes)
?roll of transpore tape instead of plasters, for use with bit of bandage off the eye patch binding, or only one of each type of plaster - may need to have to make do with a thin width tape to fit in tin - but still better than nothing and versatile
flat whistle to attract attention
make more space by removing face mask and relying on chest compression only (as I understand it the chances of success from CPR are very low anyway)
a mini torch - key ring type
I should say I have not been on a first aid course for over 40 years but I did review our home /car/bushie FAKs a few months ago based on advice on this site and Paul Kirtley's, and have referred to that in commenting
But don't know if my suggestions would fit in the tin.
Thanks for the ideas and nice words :D
why not insert the tin into the gloves then wrap the fingers around
It's going to live in my pocket every day alongside change and keys and other bits, the gloves would get ruined in no time. If the tin becomes annoying to use then it's going to end up in a drawer.
That way it is now waterproof
Everything in the kit is packaged in waterproof packaging. I submerged one of the plasters in the sink for an hour and it was still very adherent.
soluble aspirin
I was thinking of putting an aspirin in there, but I've never liked the idea of putting medicines in a FAK. I do keep some pills in my camping kit but that's a slightly different use-case. (edited to avoid advocating putting tablets in unconscious casualty's mouth. oops! - thanks for pointing that out cbkernow)
one bigger safety pin rather than several small ones
Good idea, I'll do that if I keep the pins.
would a 10cc syringe fit in
Not a chance. I mean it might, but not with much else. Imagine a 2cm deep credit card - that's what you can fit in the tin.
tape instead of plasters
Yeah, plasters aren't really that essential, but it seems a bit silly to have a FAK without any. Tape is more versatile but can only be used in conjunction with something else eg a crepe bandage.
flat whistle to attract attention
No room. I have a whistle in my house kit and my camping/hiking kit. The tin is designed for urban EDC. I live in the centre of a large town, attention shouldn't be a problem. If I'm expecting to be somewhere more remote I will have a more extensive kit on me. The general scenario is: I'm walking through the town centre and someone's had an accident.
removing face mask and relying on chest compression only
Yeah, I guess. With friends and family I would be OK doing mouth-to-mouth without protection anyway, so the mask is probably of limited use. This whole project came about because I couldn't fit the face mask into my wallet though! Seems a shame to ditch it.
a mini torch - key ring type
Fenix E01 lives on my keys anyway, as well as a Victorinox classic.
I have not been on a first aid course for over 40 years
Yeah I hadn't been on a course since I left the cadets when I was maybe 15. Then I had to deal with a serious (20 stitches) first aid incident while on holiday (remember, 112 is the Europe-wide emergency number!) and signed up for a refresher as soon as I got back. Worth it.
Space is the major issue. I can just fit:
face mask, dressing, gloves and two plasters
or
face mask, dressing, wipe, pins and five plasters
or
dressing, gloves and five plasters
Just not sure which is the better compromise. I think the first one with the gloves and 2 plasters is probably the best. There's room to stuff smaller items like the pins and perhaps some tweezers too, though I have tweezers on the SAK on my keys.
Thanks for taking the time to respond, with reasonings
No problem. Hope you didn't see it as negative, it's just simply too small a space to fit most of the suggestions in. They're all very sensible ideas and most are incorporated into my larger kits.
Dark Horse Dave
11-01-2012, 11:01
Good concept & nice, clear video. Will follow comments with interest. Thanks for posting
....... Hope you didn't see it as negative........
Not at all, especially as I don't have an Altoids size tin to try out
New version with a few little changes :D
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=11-Pwp_bWqg
Cheers!
cbkernow
11-01-2012, 13:51
for the love of god don't put anything in the mouth of an unconcious casualty!!!
without wanting to be patronising and pedantic don't put anything in the mouth of an unconcious casualty!!!
cbkernow
11-01-2012, 13:54
PS I've replied without actually viewing the video as its not permitted at work
for the love of god don't put anything in the mouth of an unconcious casualty!!!
without wanting to be patronising and pedantic don't put anything in the mouth of an unconcious casualty!!!
You're completely right, that's a bad idea. edited my reply to elines.
No problem. Hope you didn't see it as negative, it's just simply too small a space to fit most of the suggestions in. They're all very sensible ideas and most are incorporated into my larger kits.
Question arises if its that small is does it have a useful point to bother carrying
are you bumping into small cuts and grazes on a daily basis that needs a small plaster immediately.
ATB
Duncan
No, but the kit contains more than just a few small plasters.
edit:
does it have a useful point to bother carrying
That's kind of the entire point; it's so small that it is no bother to carry and so it won't get left at home unlike larger kits, yet it contains enough to deal with small cuts, moderate bleeding and protection while treating or giving CPR. It's absolutely not a kit to take with you into the woods, on holiday or on a long car journey. It is a kit to have by default when going down to tescos.
pilotlight
11-01-2012, 15:23
good idea, well done and it's got me thinking. I've got a altoids tin, but not the same as your tin, smaller I think. at the moment it holds salt sachets from MaccyD's, but for me it will be useful as a child FAK, when out with the family, wipes, plasters the samll stuff for cuts and grazes.
incidently KFC do great 'anti-septic??' wipes ffree of charge, with their hand wipes. I always take a few. :-)
Miniwhisk
11-01-2012, 15:56
I think plasters are a good addition. You could end up doing a lot of walking for example.... That once happened to me when I unexpectedly had to do a 18 mile country walk! Wished I'd had a plaster for then for the huge blister that appeared on my heal. :eek:
I found Altoids in Tesco. Not yet eaten them but because of your video, I now have a good plan for the tin. So thanks. :)
Re: Aspirin
Whilst I completely agree that putting anything in the mouth of an unconscious casualty is a bad idea there's nothing to say that you say not be on the scene when someone starts having the early onset signs of a heart attack in which case a soluble aspirin is potentially a good idea (and if conscious. It's their decision)
As there have been some odd 'advice' emails in recent years here's an interesting short Snopes article on the subject. http://www.snopes.com/medical/drugs/aspirin.asp
Bottom line is that the crystals of aspirin you can get are a no no.
cbkernow
11-01-2012, 16:55
yup you're right, giving a concious casualty removes the grey area around medicating people!!
But whilst soluble aspirin are fine (some sources say better than "normal" aspirin), its important that the casualty chews the aspirin for 30 seconds rather than swallowing whole or dissolving in water. The only argument I've come across is that soluble aspirin by virtue of their shape are more prone to break in your first aid kit making it harder to take (eg open the packet and it falls all over the place)
If in doubt any kind of aspirin can help.
Just to clarify before a whole new thread starts on 'soluble 'aspirin.
I was thinking of the chewable kind that doesn't need water, and - as it happens - are less prone to disintegrating
I never said give it to an unconscious person - I was thinking more of a first aider suggesting that the (conscious) person takes the (chewable) aspirin and then being accused of 'prescribing' medicine
It was never the less a good idea for people to clarify that you should not, as a first aider, put anything in the mouth of an unconscious person
Given that I made the posting at 10 past midnight maybe I can be forgiven a slight lack of clarity - but in any event such things happen at any time in forums and e-mails where what you mean isn't always what people read you to say
Yeah no worries elines, I mistook what you were saying :)
Like you say, it's so easy to be misunderstood on the internet!
Thanks again for all the feedback guys, glad it's inspired you!
Nice job on the kit. That tin looks bigger than your standard Altoids Tin. The little extra size make a difference for being able to get a few more things in... I like it!
Very well spoken, nice video.
capt.dunc
22-02-2012, 14:00
i liked the idea of putting the gloves outside as a cover, can you layer 3 on? one to collect fluff from your pocket then just peel it off leaving 2 clean ones. or a pair wrapped in clingfilm and the packet attached to the outside with an rubber band