A Thought on First Aid Kits

[LittleDog]

A little back story:

A couple of weeks ago, my folks' little dog, my namesake, messed up his paw real bad. (Technical term) He's had a few issues with his feet on and off these past few months, and has been sporting the Cone of Shame for quite some time, but usually mostly at night.

Someone who shall remain nameless forgot the cone one night, and after 8 hours of him thoroughly enjoying his free foot lollipop, they woke up to find one front paw pad a puffed up, raw, and bloody mess. He basically licked the entire top layer of skin off between his toes on the bottom and part of the pad. Hooray. I don't remember all the parts of the epidermis, but he knows what most of them taste like now.

I ended up taking some time off to be able to clean and dress the wound three times a day. It was pretty bad, what with the constant weeping. His foot was oozy and gross too. But it healed to the point of no longer needing a cover in only six days! Amazing!

The quantity of stuff that I went through was equally amazing. Salves and ointments and saline and hydrogen peroxide were only a few ounces altogether at most, well within reason. But all the wraps and bandages was somewhat surprising. About three 5-yd rolls of that self-sticking Ace bandage-looking stuff, a roll of fabric tape, twenty or so 3x4 sterile no-stick gauze pads and maybe ten of 2x3, a whole box of tissues, and a bazillion q-tips. Plus I bought some cotton children's socks to use as a cover, so washing and drying three pairs of socks four times.

The ointments and cleaning stuff I have enough of in my car first aid kit, but it contains maybe only 1/3 of the amount of dressings that I used. With all the other stuff in there, most people would probably consider my FAK fairly large, especially with a third of a bazillion q-tips.

Of course you could argue that I didn't need to use as much as I did, but it wasn't really excessive; I wasn't wrapping his foot into a cartoon cast each time. I was even re-using the self-stick bandages 2-3 times until they wouldn't stick anymore. But it was in my best interest to get his foot to heal in as short a time as possible, so three changes a day, and for him to be securely covered enough to still be able to go around doing his doggy business during the day. (I think he sells fertilizer, he keeps giving them free samples)

I know resupply is generally easy on the road, but a lot of people here consider self-sufficiency pretty important, and many are going who knows how far and for how long? I'm planning a cross country trip with the manure salesman, and will definitely add more consumables to my car and camping kits before I go. I'd urge anyone who enjoys getting away from things for days or weeks at a time to reassess their FAK's dressing consumables. Quicker recovery time and not needing to go back for resupply for the weight of two or three lugnuts? Why wouldn't you?


If you have infinite boiling water and two bandages, this post does not apply to you.

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[oceanblue2019]

A little back story:

A couple of weeks ago, my folks' little dog, my namesake, messed up his paw real bad. (Technical term) He's had a few issues with his feet on and off these past few months, and has been sporting the Cone of Shame for quite some time, but usually mostly at night.

Someone who shall remain nameless forgot the cone one night, and after 8 hours of him thoroughly enjoying his free foot lollipop, they woke up to find one front paw pad a puffed up, raw, and bloody mess. He basically licked the entire top layer off skin off between his toes on the bottom and part of the pad. Hooray. I don't remember all the parts of the epidermis, but he knows what most of them taste like now.

I ended up taking some time off to be able to clean and dress the wound three times a day. It was pretty bad, what with the constant weeping. His foot was oozy and gross too. But it healed to the point of no longer needing a cover in only six days! Amazing!

The quantity of stuff that I went through was equally amazing. Salves and ointments and saline and hydrogen peroxide were only a few ounces altogether at most, well within reason. But all the wraps and bandages was somewhat surprising. About three 5-yd rolls of that self-sticking Ace bandage-looking stuff, a roll of fabric tape, twenty or so 3x4 sterile no-stick gauze pads and maybe ten of 2x3, a whole box of tissues, and a bazillion q-tips. Plus I bought some cotton children's socks to use as a cover, so washing and drying three pairs of socks four times.

The ointments and cleaning stuff I have enough of in my car first aid kit, but it contains maybe only 1/3 of the amount of dressings that I used. With all the other stuff in there, most people would probably consider my FAK fairly large, especially with a third of a bazillion q-tips.

Of course you could argue that I didn't need to use as much as I did, but it wasn't really excessive; I wasn't wrapping his foot into a cartoon cast each time. I was even re-using the self-stick bandages 2-3 times until they wouldn't stick anymore. But it was in my best interest to get his foot to heal in as short a time as possible, so three changes a day, and for him to be securely covered enough to still be able to go around doing his doggy business during the day. (I think he sells fertilizer, he keeps giving them free samples)

I know resupply is generally easy on the road, but a lot of people here consider self-sufficiency pretty important, and many are going who knows how far and for how long? I'm planning a cross country trip with the manure salesman, and will definitely add more consumables to my car and camping kits before I go. I'd urge anyone who enjoys getting away from things for days or weeks at a time to reassess their FAK's dressing consumables. Quicker recovery time and not needing to go back for resupply for the weight of two or three lugnuts? Why wouldn't you?


If you have infinite boiling water and two bandages, this post does not apply to you.

You make good points but for emergencies I carry Celox Z-fold packs and also the powder syringes. With that you use it to get the wound stopped and leave it on until you get to a proper medical facility.

But you just caused me to order some more gauge to add to our two kids. Hope I never use it - but thanks.

PS: For dog paws I found the foam pump Neosporin stuff for kids works great as it get into down in between the pads. Then an anti-stick over pad pads and then gauze to keep in place and the kids sock over it all. Also as an FYI orange peels in the sock will keep the dog from licking or biting the sock to get it off - they all hate orange peels.

 

[Springtail]

A must have for any first aid kit....in particular for Veterinary needs....Can be had at your local Farm store in the horse department.

And way cheaper than buying the same product from the pharmacy.

https://www.sstack.com/dura-tech-ve...lza1yRfWnOp4bhd3rlmv18eURfbYOBUQaAldcEALw_wcB

Also pay attention to making your 1st aid kit "heat stable" (pretty much eliminates most ointments) due to the extreme heat that most vehicles interior endure in the summertime.

Doc

 

[Kluk Ztopolovky]

First Aid kit is a mandatory equipment I believe in most EU countries. Here in Canada it is kind of Wild West mentality when it comes to first aid kits .Myself I do not have one but when I am on a road trip my wife will always pack some band aids etc. in a little bag. Here in the city there is always help close buy and in real emergency I will tear up my shirt to stop bleeding if needed for the few minutes before the trained medical pros arrive.

 

[jdubya421]

This past weekend we went wheeling and a guy went down on an ATV. We were very deep into a trail and it took a LONG time for anyone to get out to him and he ended up having a broken clavicle, 9 broken ribs, and a punctured lung. I was very worried he would die, but as I know it he is okay. I have a pretty robust med kit and we couldn't use any part of it. First aid kits are pretty good for scrapes and cuts, but as far as real injuries go, I think a first aid/trauma class goes a long way. It really hit me that I don't know jack shit about helping someone in medical need. I'm sure most of us wouldn't consider wheeling an "extreme sport", but you can certainly get extremely hurt. I think if you are going to participate in something like this you should take the classes for those extreme scenarios.

That's just my 2 cents after a very eye opening experience.

 

[Squibbles]

Getting some shoes for your dog is a must when going out in the bush. I had a dog cut his foot on some ice in the backyard and it was a big ordeal. Had to clean it a couple times a day and put a sock on his paw. After that we’d put shoes on him before he went out in the snow. Had a pair for other dogs too when I’d go out on a trail just to protect from goat heads. Also Benadryl can keep dogs from licking their paws raw both by helping with the itching and sedating them a bit. A mg/kg is more than safe.

 

[MtCamper]

jdubya421 is spot on. Most first aid kits are great if you have a scrape or a headache but useless if there is a real issue. Take a class or two on wilderness medicine or advanced first aid. The most important thing in any first aid kit is knowledge.

 

[Springtail]

jdubya421 is spot on. Most first aid kits are great if you have a scrape or a headache but useless if there is a real issue. Take a class or two on wilderness medicine or advanced first aid. The most important thing in any first aid kit is knowledge.

Completely agree!

Even if you do not want to commit a lot of time or money....a simple "Stop the bleed" class and BLS classes have proven to be lifesavers.

Classes are offered almost everywhere and cost ZERO dollars.

https://cms.bleedingcontrol.org/class/search

Doc

 

[Nomad]

My GF is an ICU nurse and she put together a kit for me. I have no idea how to use most of it! But there are plenty of bandages and antiseptic, butterfly sutures, etc. Some devices that look downright scary. I carry a small emergency booklet and have an app on my phone that I can reference but even so, for anything more than the aforementioned cuts and scrapes, I can only hope my GF is with me or somebody else on site knows how to use that stuff.

 

[Springtail]

My GF is an ICU nurse and she put together a kit for me. I have no idea how to use most of it! But there are plenty of bandages and antiseptic, butterfly sutures, etc. Some devices that look downright scary. I carry a small emergency booklet and have an app on my phone that I can reference but even so, for anything more than the aforementioned cuts and scrapes, I can only hope my GF is with me or somebody else on site knows how to use that stuff.

The above mentioned classes are perfect for you... if you can’t go to them then YouTube has plenty of instructional videos


Doc

 

[LittleDog]

You make good points but for emergencies I carry Celox Z-fold packs and also the powder syringes. With that you use it to get the wound stopped and leave it on until you get to a proper medical facility.

But you just caused me to order some more gauge to add to our two kids. Hope I never use it - but thanks.

PS: For dog paws I found the foam pump Neosporin stuff for kids works great as it get into down in between the pads. Then an anti-stick over pad pads and then gauze to keep in place and the kids sock over it all. Also as an FYI orange peels in the sock will keep the dog from licking or biting the sock to get it off - they all hate orange peels.

I also use various Celox blood clotting agencies, and styptic powder for when I'm cheap. I usually carry foaming Bacitracin, but never heard of a foam Neosporin, is it also anti-scarring? Always anti-stick pads for the doggies; the make-it-all-better treats for the yelps incurred during treatment get expensive.

Emergencies are what first aid kits are for, but for non-life threatening emergencies that don't require outside help, I've discovered that more dressings than most people would consider adequate would be very helpful. I hope you never need to use your FAK as well, but dressings are cheap and they last, and the negligible weight they add compared to how much they help in convalescence make them worth while I think. Glad that I was helpful.

And thank you for the tip on orange peels in the sock, I might try that out when they're handy to see if this one hates it. I haven't found a good universal "stay away from this" scent/flavour for dogs. I had a Basset Hound that used to chew up bottles of that No Chew Bitter Apple stuff and drink the contents. He and his beagle buddy once even ate six planters' worth of Thai chilies, roots and all. He also enjoyed those lime/citrus zest sprays, but I forget that this dog is young and still inexperienced yet.

 

[LittleDog]

A must have for any first aid kit....in particular for Veterinary needs....Can be had at your local Farm store in the horse department.

And way cheaper than buying the same product from the pharmacy.

https://www.sstack.com/dura-tech-ve...lza1yRfWnOp4bhd3rlmv18eURfbYOBUQaAldcEALw_wcB

Also pay attention to making your 1st aid kit "heat stable" (pretty much eliminates most ointments) due to the extreme heat that most vehicles interior endure in the summertime.

Doc

Yep, that's the stuff I used. Works on people too, but I usually use a regular Ace bandage because I'm cheap, and know better than to eat the little clips.

I swap out the heat sensitive stuff each season, but that's still good advice.

 

[Springtail]

Yep, that's the stuff I used. Works on people too, but I usually use a regular Ace bandage because I'm cheap, and know better than to eat the little clips.

I swap out the heat sensitive stuff each season, but that's still good advice.

ACE wraps are a bit more versatile than Coban in the respect that they work on both securing bandages (not as good as Coban) and for sprains (Better than Coban). Personally, I don't keep them in my FAK because the elastic in modern ACE wraps is shit and they stretch nearly the instant that you use them. Good for one use maybe. However, If you can find some old ones....they are amazing and last forever.

Doc

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