First Aid Kits

I saw a thread about this over on RME and got thinking this would be something good to discuss over here.

What do you guys keep in your Runners as an "Offroad First Aid Kit"? I've been wanting to put one together but have never really known what to put in it other than Tylenol, band-aids and BEANO!!!. Maybe we could get some training from our resident MEDIC!! Brad feel free to chime in here and give us your medical knowledge!

The first aid kit that I carry honestly is capable of handling a lot of things that an ER can haha It's probably overkill but one of those things that if I ever do end up needing it then it's worth it to me. A good basic starter kit to carry should definitely have band aids, Tylenol type of painkillers, some ACE bandages are good, some gauze rolls are great to have, and knowing how to use things to splint extremities is a must. The typical stuff that should be carried is material to control bleeding and stabilize broken bones. Those are the more common things I could see us dealing with.

A lot of wilderness medicine in making use of what you have around you. Being able to adapt to any situation and go from there. I carry more things than I will hopefully ever need to use because I honestly don't trust most volunteer fire departments to help out when I need it, and because they don't offer a paramedic level service. I really hope we never have to deal with anything that serious though.

If any of you guys would want some sort of hands on training or demo I would totally be willing to set up a little something next time we meet up or whatever. I know I learn better doing rather than just talking or reading about it.

Would you be willing to make a list of what you consider to be the basics for a kit?

Yeah I could go through a and come up with some stuff that would be good to have. Give me until later today since I'm headed off for part of a job interview in Farmington. (Cross your fingers)

Also one other thing, if you don't know already, please please please learn CPR. It's invaluable and very well could save a life. If you don't want to pay to take a course and get certified that's totally fine. Just know what you're doing especially now that the Anerican Heart Association doesn't require mouth to mouth.

I love this. I'm building something to put on the two sides in my runner for supplies and a first aid kit is a must. I would love a list of what to get!

Brad is the man for this. I'm interested too! I have this little pocket size thing i got when i fought wild land, it has bandages, Tylenol, wipes etc.

I've still got my little backpack kit from when I fought wildland too.

So here is a list of basic things to put in a smaller easy to transport first aid kit. This stuff should all easily fit into a carry bag that would be able to fit inside one of the rear cargo pockets of a 3rd gen runner. (sorry Kevin and Andrew  )

2- ACE wrap bandages
2- 2" Roller gauze
1- Roll 2" medical tape
6 (minimum)- 4x4 gauze bandages
10ish- Alcohol wipes
1- Box assorted size band-aids
1- Small tube antibiotic
1- Pair trauma shears
1- Pair of tweezers
4- Triangular bandages
12- Safety pins
6 (minimum)- Pairs medical gloves
1 (minimum)- SAM Splint
1 (minimum)- Space blanket
Pen/Marker
Some sort of fluid for irrigating wounds
Lighter/matches
Tylenol (I personally prefer Naproxen, but Tylenol will help bring down a fever if you need it)
Bendaryl (not necessary by any means but good for mild allergic reactions/hay fever)
Beano---at Ty's request  

When you are packing everything together make sure that you pack everything in a way to make it all accessible in the event you need to find something quickly. Also when you put your kit in your rig make sure that it isn't buried by other gear and that you can grab it easily to take it anywhere that you might need it. The place that I use for alot of supplies is StatMedical. All of this stuff can be purchased without a prescription. Also try Peterson Medical for stuff too.

Something along these lines would be sufficient for pretty much anything we might see on the trail.

http://comtechsolutions.net/QMS/ShopViewDetails.asp?ItemID=74259

And here is a link to the pre-made kits/ supplies/ bags that StatMedical carries.

http://comtechsolutions.net/QMS/ShopView.asp?CatID=653&ViewMode=Products&CID=182

If you guys have any questions on specific equipment or potential medical problems feel free to ask. I am more than willing to help out any way possible and can go in depth as you want regarding medical problems. I'll try to get some pictures of the set up I carry as well if you're interested.

That's good stuff, Brad.  Can I just add, pack Alkaseltzer and Orajel.  Getting nailed by heartburn at 1 am can make for a long night, and having a toothache come on when you're 300 miles from a dentist can absolutely ruin a trip.

Pack a pint of strong whisky or vodka, too.  I try to keep one handy, but I keep drinking it.  You guys that don't drink recreationally won't have that problem. 

One of my old camping buddies carried a bottle of vodka with a bunch of duct tape wrapped around it and "first aid kit" written on it. His justification was he had a good strong painkiller and half a roll of duct tape to fix anything else. Haha

Good call Kevin. Antacids are a very good suggestion and I never would have thought of orajel. Also I don't know if anyone is a diabetic but a snickers bar or something similar is great for that.

I love the vodka bottle and duct tape.  I'm totally going to do that, just so I can post a pic every time the subject comes up.

Sounds reasonable I suppose. Haha. I'm definitely going to put something together. I'm going to be building a cargo box for each side of the rear for my runner to store everything I need.

Cargo boxes take away organization options.  All you really need are a couple small action packers or milk crates, and a tool bag.  This is me, loaded for bear - spare tire, exhaust jack, hi lift, tow strap, snatch strap, two shackles, lift mate, pulaski and shovel, a complete set of tools, fluids, air compressor and accessories, tire slime and flat repair kit, five gallons of water, fire extinguisher, and bugout bag with a first aid kit and emergency essentials.  Instant off-road trip, just add camping gear:



Most of that space is taken up by the spare.  If yours is slung in the stock location or on a tire carrier, figure on using up half the rear cargo space that I do.

Alright. Eventually i'll probably put the tire on a swing out bumper, but It may be in the back.... I was thinking drawers for each thing like first aid kit, tools, extra fluids, parts, that kind of stuff. That way I can always keep it in there.

Man I want one of those sexy rollbars.....I'm torn though because I do haul a lot of stuff in the back where the width of a rollbars wouldn't allow me to haul it....

I've been considering a rollbar as well. I think I'm throwing it on my to do list, right armor, internals, lift, and than. yeah.

This is great! Thank you Medic! That is the one area I'm lacking, I don't have a very extensive first aid kit. Can you just buy all that gear at a Walgreens or something? And I would TOTALLY be down for an hour or two basic first aid class next time everyone goes out (which I plan to make it to). I had been thinking reading this thread that I have no formal experience in first aid--just what I've heard and common sense so a class would be really nice.

thearkmaster wrote:Alright. Eventually i'll probably put the tire on a swing out bumper, but It may be in the back.... I was thinking drawers for each thing like first aid kit, tools, extra fluids, parts, that kind of stuff. That way I can always keep it in there.

This is how my runner is setup (3rd gen):



I have a cargo box that holds everything. It's not shown in this photo, but I usually have the tool box on top of the cargo box, and then run two ratchet straps to opposite corners of the tie down locations in an X shape. This way nothing moves around when I'm crawling/prerunning (or rolling, nothing moved when that happened either). The box keeps everything organized and together, and if I ever switch vehicles to a buddies I can just grab that and the toolbox and have a full recovery/repair set ready to roll. I also have some other survival items located throughout the vehicle (seat backs, cargo side panel, center console, door holders, etc.) and if I get a rear tire carrier then I'll put a spare gas can there. And with the seats up I can fit my 5 gallons of water, portable power supply, and a 10" subwoofer between the cargo box and seats, and then still have some room to the side and of course room on top of everything. Food for thought. I'll grab a more recent picture later on.

Don't mean to hijack, sorry.

Like I said I am more than willing to help out and teach or whatever. I used to be a certified instructor so I can at least pretend to know so etching productive. A walgreens or rite aid would likely have everything you may want and if not just look for a medical supply store close to you and they will have everything for sure.

Bump for Brady!!