What medpack do you carry?

Did you buy your medpack or did you make your own?

Any tips? I know the first thing i did last time i got a first aid kit was throw a load more bandages in, i'm afraid one was'nt going to do the job if i spring a major leak!

I see some packs are enough for a portable hospital, but i guess unless you can use the stuff then it's just dead weight.

Can you use yours for anything that may crop up?

How often do you update your first aid training or knowledge? I ask this because i still find it scary how many people would'nt know what to do in the majority of situations.

Any recommended sites for assisting with this if people can't get any proper training? Again, herbal remedy knowledge can be a life saver if you are out in the wilderness, so look into even a few little tips that may help in your neck of the woods.

CX.

mod edit: removed survivalist from title due to creation of new forum

[edit on 12-12-2006 by UK Wizard]

Wow this is a tuff one. My wife was a Medical Assistant so I let her handle that part of our BOB's Not wanting to pass wrong or dangerous advise I would say buy one of the special med kits made for survival situations. Other wise just Waite a little time and I'm sure more knowledgeable people on ATS will set you up, with the proper advise.

Med kits

I carry the Humbug II - It's expensive at about $400 but well worth it!

Chinook makes some excellent kits as well. I prefer Wilderness Medical, but the following is also excellent and a bit cheaper.

Chinook Brand

OK. so you have no first aid / emergency care training? right... Then go to who ever does some good training (certified) in your area and get some.

Make sure it covers the following as a MINIMUM.

CPR and kit involved ie face shields / air ways ect.

Burns and their treatment in the field. Essential.

Fractures and traumatic breaks. To splint, and how to splint. Splinting wrong is as bad as not splinting for some injuries.

Wound stabilisation. Blood loss and hypovoleamic shock management and kit needed for basic care.

The above is a very minimum needed to consider your self even basic covered in my humble opinion.

As for the kit I carry.

2 x sterile dressing packs. This has sterile gloves, guaze, tweezers and blades for cleaning / dressing minor wounds.

8 X sterile water. Don't ever clean a wound with water out of a canteen if you can help it.

6 X non -sterile gloves. never treat a wound if you can help it with out gloves on - self protection is paramount.

4 X small dressing (non- linting absorbant pads) NOT GAUZE. Never dress a wound with gauze, as any clotting done will be in the small holes of the pads...damage will be done if you remove these a day or so later to redress and possibly re-open the wounds.

4X large dressing pads. As above, but large.

4X trauma pads. These are the big time for wounds that are penetrative and bleeding massively. A large deep field dressing, with an attached bandage, so in the event of a major wound and heavy uncontrolled bleeding you can, as a LAST RESORT tourniquet with it. (This is frowned upon in all but the most immediate of emergencies - If care is less than 10 minutes away just apply strong deep manual pressure to the local artery to reduce bleeding - but out in the field this may be the only way to save a life - better to lose a limb than your life)

Assorted small plasters and a box of commercial available steri strips. These are small adhesive wound closure strips for dressing smaller cuts that may not need stitching, but need assistance in closing. Always, always completely clean the wound before attempting a closure. (make sure you have training in the care of a wound before attempting a steri strip closure)

1 X tube of antiseptic cream for bites stings and small grazes.

1 X sun burn care kit and small tube of high factor + 30 sun block.

2 X re-breather face shields (disposable)

1 X non -disposable re-breather face mask and filters for it.

In the kit is also water tight supplies of salt and sugar, and 4 mars bars. Shock is a killer, and sugar will help out alot to combat the energy burn of shock.

Scissors and a knife should be included, or my recommended kit is a good pair of emergency room shears. Sharp as any thing, but with a blunt tip so as not to harm a patient when removing kit / gear. non sterile tweezers are also a good one to add, but there should be no need as your multi tool on your hip should have some
.

There you go. Get the training, and then get the kit.... you never know when your gonna need it.

Oh and as for any medications / creams / lotions and potions, i'd say look at your area of travel ... no point packing malaria tabs for the artic circle..... insect repellant yes...

All medications in your pack should be for you only. I cannot stress enough the fact that NSAID's and pain relief should never be given from you to another person in a first aid situation. They want it, they carry it and take it. That way, if they die of a ruptured stomach ulcer after taking an aspirin / ibuprofen, then your not going to be the one facing the manslaughter / negligence charges.

[edit on 22-11-2006 by D4rk Kn1ght]

OK, so after the third or fourth thread on this kind of subject I have to admit that I'm more than a tad bemused.

Now it should be said up front that I'm British from the South of England and, therefore, I tend to see survival techniques as more to do with finding the quickest way off a gridlocked Motorway in the rush hour rather than having anything to do with creating a habitable shelter from sticks or knocking up a hearty meal from a couple of passing boy scouts. I even had to spend some considerable time finding out what the hell a "BOB" was (OK so I didn't read one of the threads carefully enough).

BUT,

I'm becoming a little worried by the enthusiasm whith which these subjects are being discussed. Am I the only one around who does not even have a BOB, never mind spends my waking hours angsting about what should be in it? What is it that is going to happen that will necessitate using my BOB and if it happens would I not be better off checking into the local Holiday Inn for a few days? I mean, the great outdoors has its attractions and all that but I'm not going a bundle on this living off the land business, I thought a few million years of evolution and several hundred of social and technological development had removed the need for all that malarchy.

And, if it's "The End Of The World As We Know It" that is the perceived problem does anybody actually want to be part of the band of bold pioneers of new beginning or wouldn't we all be better off accepting the inevitable and settling for a swift exit in the first bang rather than a lingering demise at the hand of the elements or rampaging packs of some unsavoury types who have failed to properly equip their BOBs but managed by some twist of fate to survive anyway?

Just curious.

Originally posted by timeless test
...BUT,

I'm becoming a little worried by the enthusiasm whith which these subjects are being discussed. Am I the only one around who does not even have a BOB, never mind spends my waking hours angsting about what should be in it? What is it that is going to happen that will necessitate using my BOB and if it happens would I not be better off checking into the local Holiday Inn for a few days? I mean, the great outdoors has its attractions and all that but I'm not going a bundle on this living off the land business, I thought a few million years of evolution and several hundred of social and technological development had removed the need for all that malarchy.

And, if it's "The End Of The World As We Know It" that is the perceived problem does anybody actually want to be part of the band of bold pioneers of new beginning or wouldn't we all be better off accepting the inevitable and settling for a swift exit in the first bang rather than a lingering demise at the hand of the elements or rampaging packs of some unsavoury types who have failed to properly equip their BOBs but managed by some twist of fate to survive anyway?

Just curious.

T.T.

It is not so much that we are acknowledging the apocolypse of something. It's simply a "What if"... Yes, I want to survive. Yes, I want my family to survive. Yes, I want mankind to survive. So preparations are in order. I wouldn't call it "Enthusiasm" for the topic as much as I would call it ernest. Things are not going well in the world, friend. Nuclear, Chemical and Biological threats are closer to humanity than they have ever been and there are those of us who are not simply ready to hang it all up and die - let alone mankind as a whole.

It is within the human spirit to survive, to forge forth and procreate. These forums are merely the sharing of ideas on what other people are doing to help themselves and their families in the event of catastrophic events. Lord knows the majority of people are hopeful to avoid having to use this knowledge, however many agree that it is better to be prepared than it is to be caught off guard.

And NO, T.T., you are not the only one without a BOB or a plan. In fact, you are the majority. And sadly, the majority are likely to be the ones who perish first. The minority, those of us concerned enough to discuss these issues, are likely to survive the initial chaos. We are just hoping to learn enough from these discussions and others who share our world views to make it long enough to re-establish mankind as the top of the pecking order when all is said and done.

Originally posted by timeless test
I'm becoming a little worried by the enthusiasm whith which these subjects are being discussed.

We are full of energy now to live later. Should the need arise.

Am I the only one around who does not even have a BOB, never mind spends my waking hours angsting about what should be in it?

Actually the reason we started the threads is to help people who dont know how to survive learn how. Are you the only one without. I highly dought it.

What is it that is going to happen that will necessitate using my BOB and if it happens would I not be better off checking into the local Holiday Inn for a few days? I mean, the great outdoors has its attractions and all that but I'm not going a bundle on this living off the land business, I thought a few million years of evolution and several hundred of social and technological development had removed the need for all that malarchy.

We dont know if or when anything is going to happen but it doesnt hurt to be prepaired. As for a few million years of evolution and several hundred of social and technological development it seems to have given us the ability and want to destroy any and all who dont agree with what ever the cause of the moment is.

And, if it's "The End Of The World As We Know It" that is the perceived problem does anybody actually want to be part of the band of bold pioneers of new beginning or wouldn't we all be better off accepting the inevitable and settling for a swift exit in the first bang rather than a lingering demise at the hand of the elements or rampaging packs of some unsavoury types who have failed to properly equip their BOBs but managed by some twist of fate to survive anyway?

Just curious.

That is a for you alone to figure out.

wheat crackers ak mak with seasomy and brocolli with a coke sometimes barefeet to the forest few nutshells

Originally posted by timeless test

I'm becoming a little worried by the enthusiasm whith which these subjects are being discussed. Am I the only one around who does not even have a BOB, never mind spends my waking hours angsting about what should be in it? What is it that is going to happen that will necessitate using my BOB and if it happens would I not be better off checking into the local Holiday Inn for a few days? I mean, the great outdoors has its attractions and all that but I'm not going a bundle on this living off the land business, I thought a few million years of evolution and several hundred of social and technological development had removed the need for all that malarchy.

Hi TT,

I do understand your post to some degree as i am at times bemused at the level of preperation that people have gone to. Then again i guess if there is ever a need for it, they'll be the ones not worrying where the next meal is coming from. Someone on the forum said they thought that most americans don't prepare at all, well i think the Brits are even worse!

I live in a forest village where if you were flooded in, which is something that can quite easily happen, you might not be able to leave your house. Are you prepared for that for a few days? If so, great, if not, might be something to think about eh?

Another example of when the farfetched idea of a BOB or a stock of emergency gear might be needed here in the untouchable UK, i remember the morning the 7/7 London bombings happened. I was travelling past London and all i could see on the huge motorway digital warning signs was "MAJOR INCIDENT IN LONDON, DO NOT ENTER THE CITY!" After 9/11 what the hell were people to think at first? Then news came in about the bombings and the rest is history.

What if that had been another 9/11 sized attack? What if they had used something nasty enough to keep people stuck in thier homes for a few days, i mean radioactive materials and the likes? Thats not exactly something that is farfetched in this day and age is it? If i had family stuck in a situation like that, i'd like to think there was something at home for them to survive with in an out of the ordinary situation.

Traffic accidents are another one. Most people have a couple of plasters and a bit of sticky tape in thier alleged first aid kit, you run into a nasty car accident and see how far you get with that. A more substantial kit and some food might be the difference between life and death, maybe someone elses, maybe yours or your family.

I enjoy reading the info here partly as it's a subject i've dealt with before in the military, but also because i spend a lot of my time in the forest with my two small daughters building dens and having fun. I know that even at the young ages they are, if they were to be playing in the woods and were to get injured, lost or caught in a majorly bad weather change, they'd be able to knock up a shelter. I know they can read a map well enough to find thier way out of the forest, or that they know that if they follow any of the rivers round here, they will come to an urban area where they could get help.

What little bits of knowledge i pass on to them, they can use with ease now. If they were to have some friends with them in this situtaion, my daughters might be the difference between them getting shelter and warmth and the whole lot getting hypothermia or worse.

Yes i do think that we won't see some of the "NWO troops taking over" situations that we read about here in our lifetime, but then again, how do i know?

Theres nothing wrong with a few preperations to help out in typical crappy scenarios though.

CX.

Zipties, duct tape, and superglue. If i can't fix it with those three things, then i can't fix it. Since I'm usually out solo I don't plan for other people who i never see, and if i need more than those 3 things then i'm probably going to die anyway. Duct tape and a piece of cloth can prevent loodloss, superglue can stick skin together, if you can get it to stop bleeding long enough to get a good seal, and duct tape and zipties can both be used to splint with, even if you only have duct tape, strategic wrapping can immobilize appendages fairly well. If you need a serious splint, a couple of branches can be added.
Oh, and a needle for splinter removal.

DezertSkies,
superglue, duct tape and zip ties.

Priceless survival gear, and I salute you for adding them to the thread.

Please bear in mind though - Clean a wound thoroughly, make sure there is no major bleeding from a deep arterial puncture that will require pressure (some times bleeding OUT of the body is preferable to attempting to keep it bleeding IN)
and then if you have only super glue and duct tape, well, heres my advice.

Don't glue along the whole cut itself, say glue at the start, a quarter of the way in, half way, and the last quarter. The pressure will spread the glue out along the wound as you press it shut, and then slap a bit of cloth over it, and then tape that wound up with your duct tape. if you get to an area where there is a hospital then they will only have to make slight incisions to open the wound again, not cut through a whole tube of glue.

How ever, if I was weeks away from any where, was happy about the condition of the wound, and it was a clean cut not a tear or rip...then hell, Glue it as long as its cleaned. It will hurt as it copes with stresses and strains of movement ie a thigh wound ect...as glue tends to be used over fairly rigid immobile areas of the body ie the head.

DezertSkies,
superglue, duct tape and zip ties.

Priceless survival gear, and I salute you for adding them to the thread.

Please bear in mind though - Clean a wound thoroughly, make sure there is no major bleeding from a deep arterial puncture that will require pressure (some times bleeding OUT of the body is preferable to attempting to keep it bleeding IN)
and then if you have only super glue and duct tape, well, heres my advice.

Don't glue along the whole cut itself, say glue at the start, a quarter of the way in, half way, and the last quarter. The pressure will spread the glue out along the wound as you press it shut, and then slap a bit of cloth over it, and then tape that wound up with your duct tape. if you get to an area where there is a hospital then they will only have to make slight incisions to open the wound again, not cut through a whole tube of glue.

How ever, if I was weeks away from any where, was happy about the condition of the wound, and it was a clean cut not a tear or rip...then hell, Glue it as long as its cleaned. It will hurt as it copes with stresses and strains of movement ie a thigh wound ect...as glue tends to be used over fairly rigid immobile areas of the body ie the head.

Originally posted by DezertSkies
..duct tape, and superglue...

I never thought of that one for a med kit...

two essentials come to mind..Tea-Tree oil for its anti-septic, anti-bacterial, and anti-fungal properties; And Clove Oil which has similar properties AND has anaesthetic properties in case of dental problems.

Both can be bought in small bottles of concentrate that wont take up any space in a BOB and could make one hell of a difference in the long-haul

I can avoid infection without the need for antibiotic and antiseptic. If you use these poducts it doesn't give you a chance to build up a tolerance to the common bateria. Usually i just cake a bleeding wound with dirt or mud so it stops leaking and move on if it's just a messy flesh wound. I'm sure i've even got a few pebbles and some sand healed into my scar tissues from it. I don't reccomend this for everyone, i've been staying away from antibiotics and antiseptics for nearly 20 years, and only used the occasional ointment to keep surgical wounds from drying out.

I'm really not a big fan of doctors, so i avoid 'em like the plague. It'll take a compound fracture, impalement or a significant appendage missing before i seek medical attention, I'm caveman in my ways and use the "just deal with it" technique instead of letting "what if's" rent head space all the time. Last season i cracked my shin snowboarding in the morning, rode till they shut down the lift, and showed up at work the next day. I could feel the spot where there was a piece of bone missing.

Had i made a big deal about it some doctor would have had me in a $1000 kneecast, and telling me how "lucky" i was that i got it treated in time before my weiner fell off or some scare tactic crap the doctors use.

cake a bleeding wound in dirt or mud....


When the Roamns invaded britian, they were amazed that the tribes thought that 30 years old was ancient... The norm for Romans was 75... They caked wounds in moss and mud... and died young.

dezert, your caking a wound in mud is a bad move, but, if it works for you, then hell, it hasn't killed you yet... But have you ever heard of Tetnus?

No immune system however good can defeat tetnus, and having watched a person die from it, I can say that its one jab you might want to think about having...

but lol, I did LOL at your shin bone story.

to attain the knowledge you need i recommend getting certified in both first aid and CPR, to do this you can sometimes find free classes at your local Red cross or a local volunteer fire department. Check them out and see if you can get into a class. Otherwise if you work you might be able to talk your boss into the merits of offering a free class to employee's. Once you get trained then you will be in a better position to build a med kit.

Thanks for all the replys to this, it's good to hear the different opinions and tips form the experienced among us.

I do actualy have a good knowledge of first aid, not only from my forces career but i also keep myself up to date with current first aid advances out in civvy street, even if only so i'm ready for if my kids need help quick when they are with me.

That said though, the reason i put up this thread, along with other survivalist threads here was to compare knowledge and add to my own. I think we all learn bits along the way no matter what we've done previously.

The sooner we get a survivalist forum the better, we won't have so many threads scattered about then.

CX.

CX you speak my language!!



Woo hoo... lets get it on people! A survivalist forum and maybe a meet would be sweet stuff...

and a survivalist forum... oh yes....that sounds like the business

I realized early on that having medical knowledge is a good thing. That's why I took Emergency Medical Technician training and have put it to use when I had to. In a survival situation, I wouldn't recommend CPR however. If things are tough, and no help is on it's way CPR is just gonna prolong the suffering. Anyone who has been resuscitated with CPR needs serious medical attention and generally ends up in intensive care. If you are out in the bush, or dealing with a world shaking disaster, perhaps it's best to just let them meet their maker.

Having said that, everyone should know CPR for general day to day living. It is easy to learn, and you can save a life, perhaps of someone close to you. Your local Red Cross can help you find a place to learn CPR and basic first aid. RedCross.org

My wife is a medical professional. Her medical bag is part of our larger "BOB"

couple of suggestions, from watching her work.

-Serrated knife.
Issued to cut through seatbelts for victims trapped in cars in an accident. also can be used to cut up seatbelts and manufacture anything from a sling to a tow rope.

- Tampons
My wife keeps 'em in her emergency response bag because they are super absorbent--perfrect for packing a wound when someone might bleed to death. The medical manufacturers make expensive wound packing material that is a Tampon, but with no string to pull it out of a wound . . . you're better off with the cheap things that a woman might need anyway.