Backcountry Forum
Backpacking & Hiking Gear

Backcountry Forum
Our long-time Sponsor - the leading source for ultralite/lightweight outdoor gear
 
 
 

Amazon.com
Backpacking Forums
---- Our Gear Store ----
The Lightweight Gear Store
 
 WINTER CAMPING 

Shelters
Bivy Bags
Sleeping Bags
Sleeping Pads
Snow Sports
Winter Kitchen

 SNOWSPORTS 

Snowshoes
Avalanche Gear
Skins
Hats, Gloves, & Gaiters
Accessories

 ULTRA-LIGHT 

Ultralight Backpacks
Ultralight Bivy Sacks
Ultralight Shelters
Ultralight Tarps
Ultralight Tents
Ultralight Raingear
Ultralight Stoves & Cookware
Ultralight Down Sleeping Bags
Ultralight Synthetic Sleep Bags
Ultralight Apparel


the Titanium Page
WM Extremelite Sleeping Bags

 CAMPING & HIKING 

Backpacks
Tents
Sleeping Bags
Hydration
Kitchen
Accessories

 CLIMBING 

Ropes & Cordage
Protection & Hardware
Carabiners & Quickdraws
Climbing Packs & Bags
Big Wall
Rescue & Industrial

 MEN'S APPAREL 

Jackets
Shirts
Baselayer
Headwear
Gloves
Accessories

 WOMEN'S APPAREL 

Jackets
Shirts
Baselayer
Headwear
Gloves
Accessories

 FOOTWEAR 

Men's Footwear
Women's Footwear

 CLEARANCE 

Backpacks
Mens Apparel
Womens Apparel
Climbing
Footwear
Accessories

 BRANDS 

Black Diamond
Granite Gear
La Sportiva
Osprey
Smartwool

 WAYS TO SHOP 

Sale
Clearance
Top Brands
All Brands

 Backpacking Equipment 

Shelters
BackPacks
Sleeping Bags
Water Treatment
Kitchen
Hydration
Climbing


 Backcountry Gear Clearance

Page 2 of 3 < 1 2 3 >
Topic Options
Rate This Topic
#173843 - 01/14/13 02:21 PM Re: What's in your Medical Kit? ***** [Re: OregonMouse]
Heather-ak Offline
member

Registered: 07/11/10
Posts: 597
Loc: Fairbanks, AK
Odd the post said
"Edited by Jim M (01/13/13 01:35 AM)"

Top
#173844 - 01/14/13 02:58 PM Re: What's in your Medical Kit? [Re: Heather-ak]
OregonMouse Online   content
member

Registered: 02/03/06
Posts: 6799
Loc: Gateway to Columbia Gorge
I was replying to Jimshaw, not Jim M, sorry about the confusion!

If you look at the dates of the individual posts on this thread, you'll notice that the last post prior to Jim M's was in April 2008. Nothing wrong with the thread resurrection as far as I can see (i.e. no outdated info that I noticed), but the gap in dates is confusing to many!
_________________________
May your trails be crooked, winding, lonesome, dangerous, leading to the most amazing view--E. Abbey

Top
#173905 - 01/16/13 10:09 AM Re: What's in your Medical Kit? [Re: Brumfield]
Blue_Ridge_Ninja Offline
member

Registered: 09/09/11
Posts: 98
Loc: North Georgia
Pretty basic...

5, 1" x 3" Bandaids
2 butterfly closure bandages
1, 2" x 2" sterile gauze pad
5 antiseptic wipes
2 packets of antibiotic ointment
2 pieces of moleskin
1 sting relief wipe
1 small roll of medical tape
1 pair of tweezers

OTC meds: 1, single-dose packet each of Bayer aspirin (for heart attack, not pain), Immodium, antihistimine/decongestant, Pepto Bismol tablets.
3, single-dose packets of Advil.

I've never had to use anything other than the moleskin, Advil and Pepto.

Top
#181246 - 12/11/13 01:51 AM Re: What's in your Medical Kit? [Re: Brumfield]
Black Mesa Offline
newbie

Registered: 12/10/13
Posts: 12
Not to sound like a gram weenie. A lot of people are packing a First Aid Booklet of some sort. If you take a Red Cross first aid class, or perhaps read said booklet. You will not have to pack it any longer. Just my .02

Top
#181253 - 12/11/13 11:12 AM Re: What's in your Medical Kit? [Re: Black Mesa]
BrianLe Offline
member

Registered: 02/26/07
Posts: 1149
Loc: Washington State, King County
Quote:
"If you take a Red Cross first aid class, or perhaps read said booklet. You will not have to pack it any longer."



That's what these forums are best at IMO --- sharing differing points of view. My perspective is that I won't reliably remember everything about every possible medical procedure that could arise, that these days city-based first aid classes tend to focus more now on "do no harm and call 911 right away", and that one or more backcountry first aid type of books weigh nothing as eBooks on my smart phone.

In fact, I also carry a sheet or maybe two of paper that I put some efficiently compact and small font first aid type of notes onto, just as a backup.

I'm not a gram weenie. I'll admit to on occasion being an ounce weenie, however! :-)
_________________________
Brian Lewis
http://postholer.com/brianle

Top
#181257 - 12/11/13 01:50 PM Re: What's in your Medical Kit? [Re: BrianLe]
OregonMouse Online   content
member

Registered: 02/03/06
Posts: 6799
Loc: Gateway to Columbia Gorge
Best is a Wilderness First Aid class, usually 16 hours and about $200. Well worth the money, IMHO! Unlike the standard Red Cross course (call 911) you learn how to stabilize the patient while waiting for rescue, which may take several days.
_________________________
May your trails be crooked, winding, lonesome, dangerous, leading to the most amazing view--E. Abbey

Top
#181259 - 12/11/13 02:48 PM Re: What's in your Medical Kit? [Re: Black Mesa]
GrumpyGord Online   content
member

Registered: 01/05/02
Posts: 945
Loc: Michigan
I am not a true ultralight and I usually hike solo so I usually have my Kindle with me for the long nights in the tent. That allows me to take a full blown first aid manual. Many take their iphone or other electronic readers also.

Top
#181260 - 12/11/13 02:51 PM Re: What's in your Medical Kit? [Re: Black Mesa]
aimless Online   content
Moderator

Registered: 02/05/03
Posts: 3292
Loc: Portland, OR
As a school bus driver I was required to take Red Cross first aid training every two years. BrianLe is correct that the major emphasis of these trainings was recognizing the problem and calling 911 for anything that seemed to be serious. Wilderness first aid was nowhere on the agenda and whatever could be applied from one to the other applied only to very minor problems that most of us learn to cope with, without any Red Cross training.

Take a wilderness first aid course, if you would like to learn what you'd need to know out on the trail.

Top
#181261 - 12/11/13 03:21 PM Re: What's in your Medical Kit? [Re: BrianLe]
lori Offline
member

Registered: 01/22/08
Posts: 2801
Take a wilderness first aid class and you will quickly understand that everything in your pack is part of your first aid kit, and the best thing in the kit sits firmly between your ears. Prevention is the lion's share of the work. Understanding what you can treat and continue (not a lot) and what should result in engagement of evacuation procedures (a lot of things) is the crux of the thing....

Basic first aid for your average citizen does not begin to touch things like hypothermia and hyperthermia. All hikers should have a basic understanding of those and do whatever they need to to avoid them.
_________________________
"In the beginner's mind there are many possibilities. In the expert's mind there are few." Shunryu Suzuki

http://hikeandbackpack.com

Top
#181282 - 12/12/13 01:20 PM Re: What's in your Medical Kit? [Re: BrianLe]
Black Mesa Offline
newbie

Registered: 12/10/13
Posts: 12
BrianLe,


I stand corrected, I did not even think about an app or a file on a smart phone. My old "dumb phone" finally died. So I have had a smart phone for less than a month.

As far as Red Cross first aid classes go, I only used them as an example because they are more readily available than other classes.

Top
#181304 - 12/13/13 05:10 PM Re: What's in your Medical Kit? [Re: Black Mesa]
billstephenson Offline
Moderator

Registered: 02/07/07
Posts: 3917
Loc: Ozark Mountains in SW Missouri
I still carry a small pamphlet on emergency first aid. I'm sure I know most of what they instruct by heart, I've read it many times, but I like having the resource to reference if ever needed.

_________________________
--

"You want to go where?"



Top
#181545 - 12/30/13 03:27 AM Re: What's in your Medical Kit? [Re: Brumfield]
Talthing Offline
member

Registered: 12/29/13
Posts: 24
3.2x4" first aid kit (kit stored in 2 ziplock bags)
2 .18oz tube krazy glue
1 book matches
1 sm blister bandage
1 lg blister bandage
2 alcohol prep wipes
1 2.6x3.6" moleskin (unpadded)
6 1" square bandaids
2 large strip bandaids
1 medium strip bandaid
2 2" sterile pads
1 4x2" bandaid
1 large size safety pin
also packed
1 .5 oz tube neosporin
1 2" ace bandage (w/clips)
1 metal mirror
1 credit card magnifier
1 1.5' surgical tubing

total weight 5.7 oz
(I should mention in my ditty bag I carry a small roll of duct tape and my swiss army knife has scissors)...I can also use my 2 sleeping bag straps to make a pretty nice splint and attach my sleeping bag a different way to my pack)

I should probably add some advil tabs...but I haven't yet.




Edited by Talthing (12/30/13 04:24 AM)

Top
#187886 - 12/03/14 04:11 AM Re: What's in your Medical Kit? [Re: EricKingston]
Minx Offline
member

Registered: 11/22/14
Posts: 23
Comfrey powder: .01 oz in vial. "Knitbone is amazing. Many uses but it's overnight healing ability is worth it's weight in gold.
Creosote (fine crushed): .02 or .03 oz in small zip baggy. Many uses but hard to beat as a anti bacterial topical. Boil for 2 min. Soak infected area. Done. It grows all over where I am but nobody here knows what it can do but the natives.
Sawyer Extracter: Not much use with snake bites but it does have some effect on scorpion stings, another thing we have um here.

and most of the stuff mentioned above by others.




Tread lightly.

Top
#187888 - 12/03/14 12:32 PM Re: What's in your Medical Kit? [Re: Minx]
BZH Offline
member

Registered: 01/26/11
Posts: 1189
Loc: Madison, AL
Originally Posted By Minx
...
Creosote (fine crushed): .02 or .03 oz in small zip baggy. Many uses but hard to beat as a anti bacterial topical. Boil for 2 min. Soak infected area. Done. It grows all over where I am but nobody here knows what it can do but the natives. ....


So, you are talking about the shrub that grows outwardly in rings in the desert, correct? What part do you crush finely? The outer bark, the inner bark, leaves....? What are some other uses?

Top
#187890 - 12/03/14 03:13 PM Re: What's in your Medical Kit? [Re: BZH]
Minx Offline
member

Registered: 11/22/14
Posts: 23
Yes. Larrea tridentata is known as creosote bush and greasewood as a plant, chaparral as a medicinal herb. Abundant in the Sonoran Desert and thru-out the South West at elevations below 5k feet.
The tops of the plant (leaves, flowers and small stems) are most desirable for making the "tea". I simply grab a handful off the top of branches and anything that is easy to rip off is what I use. It is best if it is flowering but not necessary. I get enough to 1/3 fill whatever pot I'm using and cover with enough water to fully submerge it. Then boil for a few min. It will discolor your pot a bit. Beware. You can cut the side out of a plastic water bottle and put the "tea" in it then soak your foot in that for something like a bad case of athletes foot. Soak for as long as possible while the mix is hot. Not hot enough to burn, of course but hot like tea. 1 or 2 treatments is normally enough.
For a smoke "bath" that will kill body bourne bacteria and act as a natural bug spray you can take a small branch, leaves and all and burn it, wafting the smoke over your body, under armpits, etc.
Burning a little in a campfire will help keep skeeters away.
Sometimes, if skeeters are bad, I'll get some branches smoldering and smoking and place them strategically and SAFELY around my camp. Better than any citronella candles.

Here's a link to a PDF with a fairly comprehensive list of uses.
http://www.herbalsafety.utep.edu/herbs-pdfs/chaparral.pdf

Comfrey and this are 2 herbs that every thru kit should have at least a small amount of. Creosote takes a fair amount to make a good "tea". But in crushed up, almost powder form, (for lightweight) it does work pretty well, even after being dried (better for crushing). The oils can be pretty overbearing to work with but it is all good stuff for ya.

Go play outside.
Raisedbyraccoons.blogspot.com

Top
#187980 - 12/11/14 01:37 PM Re: What's in your Medical Kit? [Re: OregonMouse]
Jim M Offline
member

Registered: 11/23/03
Posts: 430
Loc: Kitsap Peninsula, WA
Agreed. I am a retired volunteer EMT and hike with some people who have taken the wilderness first Aid class. It seems very complete and well adapted to the outdoors where help isn't immediately available. I make sure I keep lots of gauze bandages, and 4x4's in my kit because in the past I have mostly treated other people who were scraped up and bleeding.
_________________________
Jim M

Top
#190929 - 06/10/15 01:31 PM Re: What's in your Medical Kit? [Re: Brumfield]
MannyDantyla Offline
member

Registered: 05/31/15
Posts: 34
I put together a first aid kit for a group of 5 people, hiking through the Yosemite wilderness for four nights and five days. Here's what I packed:

  • large and small band-aids
  • travel-size neosporen
  • ace bandage wrap
  • moleskin
  • blister bandaids
  • foot arch support wraps (I'm a little concerned about my new untested hiking boots)
  • small tin of Sayman Salve herbal skin oitment - supposedly a cure-all for any skin related issues like burns, rashes, bug bites, bee stings, poison ivy, chaffing, boils, blisters, etc
  • anti-chaffing lotion
  • a seven-day pill organizer with the following:
    • ibuprofen
    • acetaminophen
    • herbal sleep aid (Calms Forte, which is mostly chamomile not meletonine)
    • caffeine pills (NoDoz)
    • potassium vitamins
    • magnesium vitamins
    • leg cramp pills (not sure about this stuff)


Do you see any holes in this list?


Edited by MannyDantyla (06/10/15 02:11 PM)

Top
#190932 - 06/10/15 03:29 PM Re: What's in your Medical Kit? [Re: MannyDantyla]
OregonMouse Online   content
member

Registered: 02/03/06
Posts: 6799
Loc: Gateway to Columbia Gorge
Moving this thread to Backcountry Health and Safety
_________________________
May your trails be crooked, winding, lonesome, dangerous, leading to the most amazing view--E. Abbey

Top
#190935 - 06/10/15 04:30 PM Re: What's in your Medical Kit? [Re: MannyDantyla]
Gershon Offline
member

Registered: 07/08/11
Posts: 1110
Loc: Colorado
Scissors and tweezers


Edited by Gershon (06/10/15 04:30 PM)
_________________________
http://48statehike.blogspot.com/

Top
#190939 - 06/10/15 10:05 PM Re: What's in your Medical Kit? [Re: MannyDantyla]
shuddleson Offline
member

Registered: 06/19/14
Posts: 40
Loc: Albuquerque, New Mexico
I don't know much about backcountry medicine but doing health and safety for an oil company I learned to always ask the group for their health issues. People are reluctant to volunteer medical information like epilepsy or diabetes for fear you won't let them go along, but if you ask they understand. So if you are responsible (whatever thaT means) or just in a group and nobody else asks and you don't know everybody really well, it might be a good thing to ask.

Top
#190945 - 06/11/15 10:08 AM Re: What's in your Medical Kit? [Re: MannyDantyla]
finallyME Offline
member

Registered: 09/24/07
Posts: 2710
Loc: Utah
another thing to think about is allergic reactions to stuff, be it bees or plants.

That being said, my most used item is tape. Either silk or sports tape that is breathable. I haven't really used it on myself, but I have on a lot of other people.
_________________________
I've taken a vow of poverty. To annoy me, send money.

Top
#190962 - 06/13/15 04:02 PM Re: What's in your Medical Kit? [Re: MannyDantyla]
billstephenson Offline
Moderator

Registered: 02/07/07
Posts: 3917
Loc: Ozark Mountains in SW Missouri
Quote:
potassium vitamins
magnesium vitamins


I bring those now, and take them everyday. They prevent leg cramps, and will stop them fast if you get them, and I do. Learning that has been a real blessing.
_________________________
--

"You want to go where?"



Top
#191054 - 06/21/15 10:56 PM Re: What's in your Medical Kit? [Re: MannyDantyla]
bobito9 Offline
member

Registered: 01/25/08
Posts: 408
I never thought of bringing potassium and magnesium. Is that for an electrolyte, or what?
I like to bring pepto-bismal tablets: good for mild diarreah and stomach upset. Also, I like some renatadine for acid stomach/acid reflux, especially because I always take a lot of naprosyn when I'm hiking: I think the renatadine buffers the stomach some. I also bring some antacid tabs (starting to see a common theme here? smile Plus I like to have few vocodin or tylenol 3, just in case of major pain. What the hell, throw in a couple flexaril, too.

Top
#192014 - 09/23/15 01:02 PM Re: What's in your Medical Kit? [Re: Brumfield]
Zuuk Offline
member

Registered: 09/22/15
Posts: 70
Loc: NB, Canada
My first aid kit started as one given to me when I did a first aid course for work. It's a belt pouch version, 2x3x4" in size. It's now packed full, and from what I can remember that's in there (don't want to unpack it unless I need to):

small, regular & patch band-aids
knuckle band-aids
butterfly band-aids
sutures
3x3 & 3x4 gauze pads
2" and 3" gauze roll
2" elastic wrap
2 small rolls tape
abdominal pad
scissors, tweezers & safety pins
triangle bandage
alcohol swab, iodine & burn packets
benadryl (I have a bee sting allergy, don't need epi though)
advil
pair of gloves

There could be some other stuff in there, the kit itself is packed full. I also carry a survival kit, about the same size container, which also has some first aid things in it.

Top
#197316 - 12/30/16 09:50 PM Re: What's in your Medical Kit? [Re: Brumfield]
EMT Dave Offline
member

Registered: 11/24/16
Posts: 65
Loc: MA
I am an EMT by trade and I carry far more than most people because I can use some rather more sophisticated stuff than others. I also do not hesitate to offer my services to other hikers.
My kit is also constantly in flux and I am aware that I probably carry far too much or at least more than can rationally be justified, but the whole premise of EMS is to be prepared. I have occasionally, when in a rash mood, considered carrying s suture setup. I suppose I could leave the lidocaine and syringes at home, but it would still need betedyne and other skin cleansers. At the end I have decided on duct/duck tape to close a wound, then get myself or the other party out.
Hemorrhage? I have dealt with a pile professionally and in one way or another have controlled them all. I have done it twice on myself, once alone, once with a panicked wife. I got the bleed controlled without panic or irrationality.
This is important. No matter how rattled you may be inside, do not show it if you are helping another. In any case, the old saw, "there are only two kinds of bleed, those life threatening and those not" is accurate. Remember it if it is yourself or another. Center yourself, breathe normally and know that rationality saves lives, yours or anothers.
This is the thing I believe. Know how to control a bleed (yes, you can use a tourniquet if you know how) and how to stabilize a break and you are pretty much good.
If you can find it, take the new "Control the Bleed" program offered in medical squads through Homeland Security. Horrendous wounds can be controlled with a tiny amount of knowledge. Ten minutes of training is enough if done by a skilled teacher. (A man at the Boston bombing had both legs severed mid-femur and survived because an Afgan war vet knew how to use a tourniquet. 8 or 9 people died in the Florida shooting that could have lived had someone knew how to stop the bleed.)
So - control the bleed, stabilize a break, control shock, get help. Carry stuff you need for these purposes and you are good.
PS carry gloves, plenty of gauze, tape, duct or surgical, improvise slings and splints, wound cleanser, allergy tabs, NSAIDs. The rest is good to have to help others, but those are the basics.
PPS blister treatment is good for everyone, I carry a splinter forceps because I know how to use it, a small hemostat and a pair of dedicated nail cutters. Come to think,
with the hemostat my sewing stuff and cleanser I could do a desperation suture if I needed to.


Edited by EMT Dave (12/30/16 10:05 PM)

Top
Page 2 of 3 < 1 2 3 >

Shout Box

Highest Quality Lightweight Down Sleeping Bags
 
Western Mountaineering Sleeping Bags
 
Lite Gear Talk - Featured Topics
Backcountry Discussion - Featured Topics
Make Your Own Gear - Featured Topics
Featured Photos
Spiderco Chaparral Pocketknife
David & Goliath
Also Testing
Trip Report with Photos
Seven Devils, Idaho
Oat Hill Mine Trail 2012
Dark Canyon - Utah
Who's Online
0 registered (), 160 Guests and 0 Spiders online.
Key: Admin, Global Mod, Mod
Newest Members
Noodles, McCrary, DanyBacky, Rashy Willia, WanderBison
13240 Registered Users
Forum Links
Disclaimer
Policies
Site Links
Backpacking.net
Lightweight Gear Store
Backpacking Book Store
Lightweight Zone
Hiking Essentials

Our long-time Sponsor, BackcountryGear.com - The leading source for ultralite/lightweight outdoor gear:

Backcountry Forum
 

Affiliate Disclaimer: This forum is an affiliate of BackcountryGear.com, Amazon.com, R.E.I. and others. The product links herein are linked to their sites. If you follow these links to make a purchase, we may get a small commission. This is our only source of support for these forums. Thanks.!
 
 

Since 1996 - the Original Backcountry Forum
Copyright © The Lightweight Backpacker & BackcountryForum