Multiday Med Kit?
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Category: General
Forum Name: Whitewater Forum
Forum Discription: Open Discussion Forum. Whitewater related subjects only
URL: http://www.professorpaddle.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=14182
Printed Date: 18 Apr 2024 at 5:58pm
Topic: Multiday Med Kit?
Posted By: Sam_Graftton
Subject: Multiday Med Kit?
Date Posted: 08 Jul 2014 at 2:32am
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What do people carry in their med kits for overnighters?
-Sam |
Replies:
Posted By: Jed Hawkes
Date Posted: 09 Jul 2014 at 4:03pm
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I have one of those Adventure Medical kits that I supplimented with some of my own items. It's one of their mid size kits designed for 1-4 days of travel.
I Add: -Benedryl or any kind of antihistamine. -Real Painkillers. -Big needle and fishing line (fixing spray skirts and basically anything else, Floss works well too). -Additional medical tape (those things never have enough). -A couple of bandannas (or anything else to make a sling). -I replace the crap tweezers with proper tweezers. -Lighter. -some homemade firestarter (sawdust or dryer lint soaked in candle wax, you can also fold up a couple pieces of wax paper). I make sure that these items are not touched unless it is a true emergency. In my day bag I have most of these items in a separate waterproof container. The Med kit, pin kit, a couple glove warmers and a hat all live in their own dry bag and are the last thing loaded so they are easily accessed. I'm sure I'm missing a couple items but that's the gist of it. Got a big trip planned? ------------- The line will become apparent 978-273-7723 |
Posted By: Fun Eli
Date Posted: 21 Jul 2014 at 1:40am
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I have a medium sized first-aid / "Oh sh*t" kit that I put together myself. It's a great kit for a small group on mulit-day trips, but it's small and light enough (<1Kg) that I throw it in my boat for every run (and it has come in handy more than once). It's in a small watershed dry bag (prototype i-Pad case) and keeps everything 99.9% dry. I leave it open between paddling trips to let any incidental moisture evaporate, and all the contents are sealed in ziplock bags for both waterproofing and organization. It's mostly first-aid, but I also includes stuff for gear repairs and the unexpected overnight. Contents include (from top of the bag working in):
1st bag (the most urgent stuff right on top): Gloves Face mask CPR face shield (disposable practice shield from CPR course, but it will keep vomit out of your mouth) Oral airway 2nd bag (wound care): one 5x9 Combine Dressing (for serious bleeds) a bunch of 4x4's Tegederm - several sizes (best thing for boaters) 2 ouchless dressings (better than gauze since they don't stick to wound) Glacier gel dressings (best thing for blisters) Band aids (the clear tegederm-style ones are best) Alcohol swabs Antibiotic ointment 3rd bag (meds - double bagged) Ibuprofen 200mg (take 800mg for serious pain) Benadryl (a cheap, must-have, life-saving drug) Tylenol (best thing for lowering a fever) Aspirin (short shelf-life, but cheap and potentially life-saving) Imodium (potentially life saving in case of a bad case of the sh*ts or for just preventing dry-suit catastrophes) (prescription pain killers if you have them - in case of serious injury) (epi-pen if you have severe allergies to anything) 4th bag (bandages): Triangular bandage (crucial for dislocated shoulder) Ace bandage Roller gauze 5th bag (intensive wound care): Clorhexidine surgical scrub sponge 15ml sterile saline Betadine solution Sterile 10ml syringe Sterile needle (for irrigation) Dermabond Steri-strips Skin stapler 35W (can be used without anesthetic) Other stuff tucked in around the sides: 12hr candle, lighter, & 55-gallon trash bag (emergency heat-tent) Sam-Splint (I can't over-state how useful this is) Duck tape (better than medical tape) Gorilla tape (for gear repair) Heavy needle & 135-weight thread ~12' of 3mm accessory cord Zip-ties (spares for my homemade break-away bulkhead) In PFD pocket: Another 55-gallon trash bag Spot messenger 6' 3mm cord Flashlight Knife I have done emergency medicine in a number of outdoor environments, and by far the most used things in the first-aid kit are 4x4's bandaids, and duck tape. That being said, I have had to use everything on this list with the exception of the stapler, but only because the steri-stips worked well enough. You could certainly add more stuff to this list, but I find this kit covers almost every scenario in which you are not calling for a helicopter, while still being compact and light-weight. You could probably cram most of this stuff in a an Otter/Pelican box or Nalgine and wrap the sam-splint around the outside, but I think a drybag works better. I consider a sam-splint mandatory as it is super versatile and I have been in 3 situations where the sam-splint saved the day. Don't forget to pack any prescription medications people might have. If you are doing more of an expedition, I would also consider carrying several antibiotics along with a copy of "The Sanford Guide to Antimicrobial Therapy" to make sure you know which one is appropriate. And it goes without saying, but I will say it anyway, you should get good medical training so you know how to properly utilize all this stuff. OK, that was long-winded, but I hope it helps. -Eli |
Posted By: irenen
Date Posted: 21 Jul 2014 at 5:26am
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Super helpful, thanks for posting! ------------- It's all fun and games until someone loses a paddle. |
Posted By: megspk
Date Posted: 21 Jul 2014 at 7:37am
Great info!  ------------- “A strong person and a waterfall always channel their own path.” -Unknown |
Posted By: water wacko
Date Posted: 22 Jul 2014 at 2:23pm
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Sam, I'm usually hiking when overnighting and weight plays a big part. If I can make due in the field and improvise it saves a lot. Improvise effectively. Ibuprofin, Benadryl, athletic tape, pond liner repair tape, 3 lighters in different bags, alcohol pads. Those are essential, the rest is more trip/risk specific. What hardware you (the team) bring, tarp/bivy/pad questions. Do I bring a sleeping bag or not… Small things to be assessed, but could add up to a more useful, lighter kit overall. A few times I've made a pile of the things I didn't use or could've easily gotten by without and weighed it. ------------- "Don't ask yourself what the world needs. Ask yourself what makes you come alive, and go do that, because what the world needs is people who have come alive." ~Howard Thurman |