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Varmintmist

Bear, with furnture.
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@Bad Bob @tromano - okay, I bought paracord, but surely not the full length? That's a lot to put in a pack. How much do you carry? Bear in mind I'm thinking a first aid kit for day trips on bike or foot.
If you are thinking a day pack, or a hike, I dont know that I would be going whole hog on the 1st aid kit. Basic tape, bandaids and such will cover you in most cases. Look up the BSA first aid kit that they are supposed to carry. You can add or take away stuff, but the kit covers it pretty well.
Mine got expanded simply because there were 12-16 boys in the troop and we were hours away from anywhere with no fast way to get there and a lot of places where there was and is no cell coverage.
https://meritbadge.org/wiki/index.php/First_Aid_Kit
 
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Monique

Monique

bounceswoosh
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If you are thinking a day pack, or a hike, I dont know that I would be going whole hog on the 1st aid kit. Basic tape, bandaids and such will cover you in most cases. Look up the BSA first aid kit that they are supposed to carry. You can add or take away stuff, but the kit covers it pretty well.
Mine got expanded simply because there were 12-16 boys in the troop and we were hours away from anywhere with no fast way to get there and a lot of places where there was and is no cell coverage.
https://meritbadge.org/wiki/index.php/First_Aid_Kit

I don't quite agree with this. There are a lot of places I hike and bike that aren't super remote, but have no cell coverage. If the trail goes downhill, you can easily travel miles on a bike in minutes. You can be injured in a way that causes dangerous blood loss five minutes from a trailhead.

I guess I want to understand what the paracord is for. If it's for holding a splint in place, a yard or three is plenty. If it's for establishing shelter, then I would need the whole length - but I wouldn't bring it.

I am building a kit that makes sense to me (and takes advantage of the extensive wound care supplies I've already bought for previous injuries). Those triangle sling things are small, light, and useful enough that I definitely want to carry one or two. I also added lightweight rubber booties for the dogs in case they tear their pads. It's miserable when your dog is standing there, lifting his paw, asking you to fix it - and you're still 5 miles from the trailhead, with no first aid gear to speak of.

Today's hike was snowier than I realized, though fortunately, talking through gear with a friend, I did bring trekking poles and ice trekkers. Lots of people out there just in running shoes, no poles, and given what we had to hike up and down, the mind just boggles. The trail was completely obscured by people guessing their way through fresh snow, and it wasn't an easy trail to follow in the first place. Anyway, it seems like it would be a miracle if no one hiked that trail today without at least spraining an ankle in an area where maneuvering with two good legs and two poles is still tricky.
 

Carolinacub

Yes thats a Cubs hat I'm wearing
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I just finished my first Wilderness First Aid course - 16 hours. We learned how to do an initial assessment, check vitals, and report them if necessary. I obviously need to work on this a lot to retain it.

My first aid kit has alway been minimal. I've carried a lot more for bikes than I ever have for humans. A few bandaids and not much else, really. But now I've been exposed to all sorts of scenarios where more gear would be useful. On the other hand, I can't carry everything that might potentially be useful. I have to find a balance point.

What are your must-have items? Any particular brand or model? How do you change your first aid kit if you'll be more remote? How do you define remote? Do you pack differently for different activities - hiking, biking, horseback ...?

One thing that was super useful in the course, but I haven't found outside of the NOLS store, is a triangular sling/cravat : https://store.nols.edu/collections/first-aid-supplies/products/cravat-triangle-bandage

I was also envious of people who had a Crazy Creek to kneel on during evaluation - not to mention that it can be used as a pretty sweet splint - but I can't imagine carrying that around while, say, mountain biking - https://www.rei.com/product/812634/crazy-creek-the-original-chair

I was happy to see some of my favorite products being used - Tegaderm and Second Skin - but then realized I never carry any of that stuff with me. Doh.
for the cravats I went online and got a box of ten through amazon....real inexpensive, I ended up stocking my pack and then donated the rest to the patrol aid room, now I just re-supply through the aid room. Since you ski as much as you do you might want to hit up some of your ski patrol friends for the odds and ends you still need.
 

Carolinacub

Yes thats a Cubs hat I'm wearing
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In the back of the Outdoor Emergency Care manual there is a page about putting together basic aid kits for a couple different scenarios, I have one kit I keep in my car which is really focused on items for use in case I come on a car crash, Sam Splint, neck brace and lots of bandages and cravats, Then I have my full patrol vest which has stuff I'll use on the mountain, it's pretty loaded up. and then I have one that fits in a Nalgene bottle, Sam splint and bandages and such, I use it for canoeing and rafting.
 

Carolinacub

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Here's a photo I took of my vest stuff last year. This year I've added my gear for a self lift evac. plus I've fine tuned some of the med stuff.
patrol vest.jpg
 

Dwight

Practitioner of skiing, solid and liquid
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Adding basic repel gear to my vest this year, if I need to get down from a lift.
 

Carolinacub

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Adding basic repel gear to my vest this year, if I need to get down from a lift.
I have the bare minimum, 150ft 7mil line, a locking carabineer, a basic belay device, and webbing that is already sized and knotted for a harness.
 

kayco53

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True. Sometimes you're not going to be in an ER within 4-6 hours. You might be too deep in the backcountry.

When I tore my ACL, I knew I needed to see an ortho doctor, and that couldn't happen the same day. In that case, pain symptoms weren't super relevant - they could barely manipulate my knee because it was so swollen. Straight to the MRI. (I was super lucky - my husband happened to have an MRI scheduled for that week. His issue was on-going and not nearly as drastic, so I was able to take his slot.)

It is surprising how long it takes to the ER
On a good day it takes about a hour for the ambulance to get to us and same back. Even helicopter is 1/2 hr to 45 min. We aren't that far from a major center.
 
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Monique

Monique

bounceswoosh
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It is surprising how long it takes to the ER
On a good day it takes about a hour for the ambulance to get to us and same back. Even helicopter is 1/2 hr to 45 min. We aren't that far from a major center.

I was going to "like" this post, but ...

I shall instead say, "Indeed."
 

Wilhelmson

Making fresh tracks
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I've considered repel gear for the ski lift. Or whiskey.
 

raytseng

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I would add in a triple antibiotic or other first aid cream (e.g. neosporin). These usually are included in the pre-bought band-aid kits in individual sealed packets which is pretty convenient if you're going ultralight.

Let's be honest. Most of the times when you're using your first aid kit; it isn't a life or death situation.
It's some minor survivable issue like a cut or scrape or a blister or a small burn; and the first aid kit is a luxury not a hard requirement.

If you properly treat a cut and use antibiotic cream while you're out there; 1week when you're back from your trip or vacation your cut will be healed or at least not infected. If you don't, it will be a pus-filled mess that keeps you down for a 2nd week before it heals over or at a minimum red and angry.

It is the same as where a high percentage of time, the ski patrol is just going to be dealing with a sprained ankle or wrist, and they hand out ziplock bags for ice packs and aren't breaking out the emergency gear. (if you need to know where is the "ice", then they will then check you for a concussion, lol)
 
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Monique

Monique

bounceswoosh
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I would add in a triple antibiotic or other first aid cream (e.g. neosporin). These usually are included in the pre-bought band-aid kits in individual sealed packets which is pretty convenient if you're going ultralight.

Let's be honest. Most of the times when you're using your first aid kit; it isn't a life or death situation.
It's some minor survivable issue like a cut or scrape or a blister or a small burn; and the first aid kit is a luxury not a hard requirement.

If you properly treat a cut and use antibiotic cream while you're out there; 1week when you're back from your trip or vacation your cut will be healed or at least not infected. If you don't, it will be a pus-filled mess that keeps you down for a 2nd week before it heals over or at a minimum red and angry.

It is the same as where a high percentage of time, the ski patrol is just going to be dealing with a sprained ankle or wrist, and they hand out ziplock bags for ice packs and aren't breaking out the emergency gear. (if you need to know where is the "ice", then they will then check you for a concussion, lol)

I thought this was covered. Maybe not. Apparently some people are allergic to one of the three in the triple antibiotic formulation, and my doc recommended against Neosporin after attending a recent-ish dermatology convention, instead recommending Bacitracin only. So that's what I use, and what I bought single-serving packs of.
 

Wilhelmson

Making fresh tracks
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I've carried peroxide in my car ever since my wife gashed her toe on a sharp rock at the beach. For the backpack I chose iodine. I feel like a liquid can get inside a deeper cut and provide more antiseptic protection than a topical product like neosporin.
 

oldschoolskier

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I prefer Betadine ointment as it is iodine in an aqueous gel. Met the guy the designed in when I was 6. Not readily available in North America anymore but still available online.

Very effective, just be careful with over use, like iodine and all the same issue as iodined including staining.
 
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Monique

Monique

bounceswoosh
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I've carried peroxide in my car ever since my wife gashed her toe on a sharp rock at the beach. For the backpack I chose iodine. I feel like a liquid can get inside a deeper cut and provide more antiseptic protection than a topical product like neosporin.

I thought you weren't supposed to use peroxide because it kills tissue?
 

oldschoolskier

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IMHO as I am no medical expert, depending on whether or not I have immediate true medical follow up or not depends on which method I would use. The least damage (and likely least effective) is the one for definite follow up options, the most effective to ensure it has little if no chance of infection, when chance of immediate follow up is slim.

I take a little tissue damage over serious damage or loss of limb due to an infection I could have prevented.

Think of one as pure first aid with follow up, the other as first aid and treatment with little follow up. Though likely by said aided victim, will always assume the latter which is why I prefer the latter, unless I can ensure the former.

Sorry, my old school roots showing their colors.
 
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Monique

Monique

bounceswoosh
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IMHO as I am no medical expert, depending on whether or not I have immediate true medical follow up or not depends on which method I would use. The least damage (and likely least effective) is the one for definite follow up options, the most effective to ensure it has little if no chance of infection, when chance of immediate follow up is slim.

I take a little tissue damage over serious damage or loss of limb due to an infection I could have prevented.

Think of one as pure first aid with follow up, the other as first aid and treatment with little follow up. Though likely by said aided victim, will always assume the latter which is why I prefer the latter, unless I can ensure the former.

Sorry, my old school roots showing their colors.

Um. I mean no offense, but I find it really hard to parse your post.
 

BC.

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I thought you weren't supposed to use peroxide because it kills tissue?

Sorry, this is totally off track......meant to be funny.

There is a lady in our school district that rinses her mouth with hydrogen peroxide for teeth whitening......her teeth are so friggin white....they are like glowing.....She claims this home remedy as her secret to her unbelievably white teeth.

So if peroxide is frowned upon because it kills tissue.......this lady is screwed....lol
 
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