What's in your medical bag?

[afblangley]

Whether I’m the first Good Samaritan on the scene or just treating my own ailment, I think it would be a good idea for me to keep a medical bag in my van. A first aid kit from Amazon will be the starting point, but those kits largely consist of multiple size bandaids. I want to add to that. A few items come to mind, a bottle of alcohol (for anything that needs to be disinfected), hot pack (for sore muscles), cold pack (for acute injuries), squeeze bottle (for eye wash), medications (aspirin, acetaminophen, ibuprofen), topical analgesic spray (for stings, burns).

What am I missing? What would you put in your medical bag?

 

[JDub]

Emergency kit - one hand tourniquets, Israeli compression bandages, Bleed Stop (in an emergency use cayenne powder), gauze pads/rolls, Betadine solution, saline wash, tampons (to plug bullet wounds), CPR tube, finger splints, sling, forceps, surgical snips, ammonium capsules, ace wrap, burn gel, scalpel, hemostats, para cord, bandaids - assorted sizes, triple antibiotic cream, irrigation syringe. Probably forgotten a couple things. My main kit is a lot more comprehensive.

Cheers!

 

[Morgana]

That’s a great list. Here’s a few more ideas. (Obviously, you could spend a fortune on this stuff if you wanted.)
Alcohol wipes would take up less space than a bottle of alcohol and might be more convenient.
In your medications, you might want to include a few Benadryl, Tums, Pepcid.
Neosporin maybe?
A couple pairs of medical gloves, and an extra face mask or two, plus hand sanitizer or Wet Ones?
They say a sanitary napkin makes a good bandage for a really bad cut; can’t hurt to throw one in.
Ace bandage?
Here’s the Mayo Clinic recommended list:
https://www.mayoclinic.org/first-aid/first-aid-kits/basics/art-20056673
Here’s the Red Cross list:
https://www.redcross.org/get-help/how-to-prepare-for-emergencies/anatomy-of-a-first-aid-kit.html
My $0.02: don’t even bother with a pre-made kit just make your own from scratch. I keep mine in a cooler-type bag that was meant to carry a sixpack. If you do buy pre-made, consider buying from the Red Cross or similar instead of from Amazon — the contents are likely to be better, I’d think.

 

[WanderingRose]

All of the above, and I go for a bottle of alcohol and one of saline solution.

I’ve found the alcohol wipes tend to dry out over time and then be useless.

I also carry a broad-spectrum, prescription antibiotic, for a dirty wound, an abscessed tooth, ear infection, etc., when far from a prompt care or ER.

No need to admonish not to overuse antibiotics, as I know that.

 

[scaredycat72]

I just have a few things in a ziplock bag. I'm all about prepping for everything and anything - my house reflects this tendency - but in my little SUV without the seats removed, I've learned to look at what's probable and necessary. Everyone's suggestions are going to be great if I ever move into an RV or big van though.

 

[Morgana]

saline solution

What can you use that for? I'm vaguely aware it's a good thing to have, but I don't know why.

 

[WanderingRose]

Rinsing out an eye, be that human or canine.

 

[Ripper238]

As an old Eagle Scout I like to be prepared and I know the medical basics but there is so much to be prepared for. So I watched a ton of prepper videos and had my son (whos a Paramedic) get me a few things.

I guess it may be of benefit to list what I keep in my Medic bag I made, but of course I don't have it in front of me to go through in detail so maybe ill make a dedicated thread? Would love to make a detailed list (sticky), but without the ability to edit to add content later it would probably not help much.

I have a lot of stuff so I got color coded bags to put in my Medic bag so its easy to select depending on emergency from Green/Blue for simple stuff to Red for life threatening wounds.

• Wide range of assorted Band-Aids, Safety pins... (basic first aid kit items)
• Tourniquet
• SAM Splint
• Quick Clot (IBD)
• Assortment of L/M/S sterile gauze pads & tape
• Ace bandage
• Medical gloves
• P100 face mask and regular
• Dental kit
• Blister kit
• Burn dressing
• Hydrogen Peroxide
• Saline solution
• Iodine
• Imodium
• Benadryl
• Dicycloverine
• Neosporin
• Super Glue (great for sealing wounds)
• Instant cold pack
• Duct Tape
• Scissors and tweezers
• Antibiotic ointment
• Antiseptic solution towelettes
• Eyewash solution
• Thermometer
• Breathing barrier CPR
• Hydrocortisone cream
• Pain relievers (assorted....)
• Epinephrine EpiPen
• Head lamp
• lighter
• Personal medical stuff
• Cold/Flu meds
• Permanent marker
• I know there is more. lol

Its very important to rotate through the supplies to keep the ones that expire fresh.

I also keep a small basic first aid kit as well for quick access where I cant take my big Medic bag or don't want to dig around for a simple Band-Aid or aspirin. A modified SOL Survival kit with added medical items is great for this.

 

[RVTravel]

Wow Ripper, great job.

 

[eDJ_]

I keep a small kit with a small bottle of aspirin, tube of first aid cream, assorted bandages, bottle of Bactine spray, Campho Phenique, (camphorated oil), pain meds, Visine eye drops,
Sting Kill.stick, tweezers, alergy meds, Nyquil cold relief tabs, small bottle of Peroxide & Rubbing alcohol, and for preventatives tablets of calcium, magnesium, zinc, tumeric, and multivitamin. In my wallet my first aid & CPR card. This is enough to take care of the small stuff.

 

[Calaverasgrande]

You guys are some serious preppers!
I'm probably going to buy one of the first aid bags from Swiss Link army surplus.
They are a great company and I want to support them after they got wiped out by the Paradise fire a couple years back.
Currently I have a jumbo box of bandaids, a bunch of gauze, pads and compression bandages left over from my moms (rip) in home treatment for cancer.
They continued to ship the bandages even after she passed away 'because thats what we were contracted to do'.
It's almost impossible to donate that kind of thing, so I've held on to all of it for years because in my family we waste nothing.
Then I have an assortment of ointments. Burn cream, triple antibiotic, I think the sting cream is gone.
And of course headache pills. Almost never get headaches but when i do they are the worst.
I forget which I have in particular, but I usually have aspirin and tylenol. They do different things.
Used to have some legit pain killers and muscle relaxants.
But I guess some people like those recreationally so they vanished.
Not a big deal until I have another brutal back pain event, which is how I ended up with those.

One of the things that is important about first aid is knowing how to do it!
I'm surprised many times when confronted with an injured person or animal and NOBODY knows the first thing about rendering aid.
I'm fortunate that I had uncles who were into camping and hiking so I learned some from them. Later I did the whole Scout thing long enough to get relevant badges. Then when I was sent off to Christian camp as a kid you had to be red cross certified to go 'camping' camping and to do the zip line. So I got certified in regular first aid, wildnerness first aid and advanced first aid which just added how to CPR a dog or an infant. I was there 3 years in a row!

 

[Bigbear67]

Emergency kit - one hand tourniquets, Israeli compression bandages, Bleed Stop (in an emergency use cayenne powder), gauze pads/rolls, Betadine solution, saline wash, tampons (to plug bullet wounds), CPR tube, finger splints, sling, forceps, surgical snips, ammonium capsules, ace wrap, burn gel, scalpel, hemostats, para cord, bandaids - assorted sizes, triple antibiotic cream, irrigation syringe. Probably forgotten a couple things. My main kit is a lot more comprehensive.

Cheers!

Just thought I'd mention, cobwebs are great to stop bleeding. My old grandad was a 2nd gen farmer, & they were brought up using cobwebs to stop cows horns bleeding if they cut them back & hit a vein....

 

[Bigbear67]

I have a good sized medicine cabinet screwed into the bus. Originally came off the wall of a Texaco gas station near me....
Full of mainly home built med kit, plenty bandages & plasters as well as alcohol wipes, latex gloves, & antiseptic fell & cream. Stickers in bus windows to show I carry some kit as well as 2 fire extinguishers.

 

[JDub]

Just thought I'd mention, cobwebs are great to stop bleeding. My old grandad was a 2nd gen farmer, & they were brought up using cobwebs to stop cows horns bleeding if they cut them back & hit a vein....

I have also heard that quite often as an old folk remedy. Too often to discount it. Especially when it's heard from both sides of "the Pond". Now if I can only get a bunch of knitting spiders in my bag...

Cheers!

 

[Termite]

I would add some Lanicaine or oral jel max strength. I had some bad blisters on my heals one summer hiking in canada-saved my trip from being in pain.

 

[GntlStone]

One thing in my emergency bag will be "Smile's Prid" Drawing Salve.
Great for if you pick up a cactus quill or other thorn.

 

[Gypsyjoe#1]

One thing in my emergency bag will be "Smile's Prid" Drawing Salve.
Great for if you pick up a cactus quill or other thorn.
View attachment 30423

Another one for the bag.

 

[Ripper238]

One thing in my emergency bag will be "Smile's Prid" Drawing Salve.
Great for if you pick up a cactus quill or other thorn.
View attachment 30423

I have that same thing! Forgot I added it. Great stuff for splinters and the like!

Also have Calamine lotion. Added it after getting minor poison ivy last year.

 

[vanbrat]

Love this list of stuff to carry and have most of them.

Don't forget to carry any personal info if you have ANY type of on going issues. I have my medication lists and health issues list and Hubby's and dogs. It is very important for first responders to know what you are allergic to if anything and what you are already taking..., as in hubby's heart stuff and my asthma meds ALL 3. I have over medicated myself enough times getting that s%&*t under control. We usually keep that info up front, but also in first aide bag. Any type of allergy you may have even if it is just cat hair or ????. I have some food things and they can be serious if I got into them. They alone can put me in the hospital real quick. I was pumped full of pain meds after an accident and the hospital handed me a cherry pie. Dumb drugged out me started to eat the damn thing. But spit it out and scared the crap out of the nurse who didn't know why....

I have a booklet on simple first aide instruction 'cause I know I won't remember that stuff fully when the poop hits the fan. Nice to have some help at those times.

Dog has some allergy stuff if we aren't around to say something I want whoever is to know what they are....

 

[Sky]

As an old Eagle Scout I like to be prepared and I know the medical basics but there is so much to be prepared for. So I watched a ton of prepper videos and had my son (whos a Paramedic) get me a few things.

I guess it may be of benefit to list what I keep in my Medic bag I made, but of course I don't have it in front of me to go through in detail so maybe ill make a dedicated thread? Would love to make a detailed list (sticky), but without the ability to edit to add content later it would probably not help much.

I have a lot of stuff so I got color coded bags to put in my Medic bag so its easy to select depending on emergency from Green/Blue for simple stuff to Red for life threatening wounds.

• Wide range of assorted Band-Aids, Safety pins... (basic first aid kit items)
• Tourniquet
• SAM Splint
• Quick Clot (IBD)
• Assortment of L/M/S sterile gauze pads & tape
• Ace bandage
• Medical gloves
• P100 face mask and regular
• Dental kit
• Blister kit
• Burn dressing
• Hydrogen Peroxide
• Saline solution
• Iodine
• Imodium
• Benadryl
• Dicycloverine
• Neosporin
• Super Glue (great for sealing wounds)
• Instant cold pack
• Duct Tape
• Scissors and tweezers
• Antibiotic ointment
• Antiseptic solution towelettes
• Eyewash solution
• Thermometer
• Breathing barrier CPR
• Hydrocortisone cream
• Pain relievers (assorted....)
• Epinephrine EpiPen
• Head lamp
• lighter
• Personal medical stuff
• Cold/Flu meds
• Permanent marker
• I know there is more. lol

Its very important to rotate through the supplies to keep the ones that expire fresh.

I also keep a small basic first aid kit as well for quick access where I cant take my big Medic bag or don't want to dig around for a simple Band-Aid or aspirin. A modified SOL Survival kit with added medical items is great for this.

Awesome ~ thanks !