Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Decent first aid kit

The old Boy Scout gag, "Put a tourniquet around his neck".

Will definitely stop all the bleeding. LOL

Idaho Shooter:

I was taught the same things as you and that, at least for me, was a long time ago.

I recently had the opportunity to listen to a presentation by a trauma surgeon who learned his trade in Iraq. I got to ask some questions and he told us that strategies have changed. We participated in a hands-on seminar on how to administer a tourniquet and how to pack a wound to prevent internal bleeding. This is what he said.
#1 You have to know how to pack a wound to stop internal bleeding.
#2 Put a tourniquet on and it can stay put for up to four hours without losing the limb.
#3 He was a combat zone surgeon and the goal of the medics and chopper pilots is to get the patient to the M.A.S.H. unit ASAP. If you can do that, then even the most seriously wounded can be saved.

Now take into consideration that he was in a combat zone and one could reasonably expect emergency transportation to arrive in a timely manner. So one has to analyze the current situation to determine if what he said applies.

Thanks KC. I am sure your advice is more current than mine. And is ultimately appropriate when immediate transport is available.

I was first aid certified in 1974, when American Red Cross still trained in tracheotomies and other real trauma needs.

Then I stayed certified for about thirty five years. The last ten years of which was instructions on use of cell phone. LOL. Since then, we have only CPR certified.

Back in '74, we were told to loosen the tourniquet every four hours. Later classes said never loosen the tourniquet as chances were that you would not subsequently be able to stop the bleeding, and the limb was lost anyway.

While I have been happy to have the training and will to use it. The truth is, fortunately, almost all of my first aid ministrations involving blood loss has been with four legged critters.

A hunting buddy nearly excised his second finger at the first joint using a knife in a stupid manner while dressing an elk. We dressed it with strips torn from his daughter's flannel shirt and stopped the blood flow.

We were six hours from camp and still had to get the elk on the horses. Plus we had another bull to retrieve the next day. A before daylight to well after dark venture.

I had a proper first aid kit in the camper and dressed the wound properly that night. Unfortunately, the only antibiotic available was Neosporin, but it turned out to be enough.

Of course, if the injury had been life threatening, the elk would have been left to the ravens and coyotes. But we were still seven or eight hours from phone service.

As it turned out, the blade missed the tendons, and the darned guy never even went in for stitches when we got home. But he has a hell of a lump on the side of that finger ten years later, that he should not have.

Fortunately the vast majority of first aid needs, not involving serious thoracic or abdominal trauma, can usually be addressed with kit on hand. A shredded shirt as bandage, magazines or branches as splints, foil or plastic wrap (sandwich baggie) to seal a sucking chest wound.

One should not throw hands in air and give up in an emergency simply because he does not have a "professional grade trauma kit" on hand.

Tag for some very good info.

Most of the smaller commercial kits will say something like '120 pieces'. If you count the pieces, 90 will be bandaids, alcohol wipes, and Tylenol.

One thing that can be very handy is large alcohol wipes. Not the little 1x2" ones but big ones, 3x4 or larger. Real alcohol, not some other sterilant. Use them for poison ivy/oak/sumac. The alcohol will take the oil right off if you use it before your skin comes off. Liquid alcohol works, too, but the wipes are easier to carry. I've seen this in action and it works.

First aid kits are always a work in progress!

Make your own.

What is likely to happen to you--- cuts, snakebite, injury from a fall, thorns ?

Include tape ( duct and medical), bandages, scissors, tweezer, blood stop, ointment, etc.

I've struggled with equipping a first aid kit every year. The kit needs to be broad enough to cover emergencies in all your activities. I off-road motorcycle so pain management is a priority. At the same time camping, drunk camping is involved so bug bites, bees poison ivy burns, and hangover care is needed. I don't think you can go wrong with a big kit.

Like, WC Fields, a small flash in case of a snake bite, also a small snake.

I mentioned forceps, not sure I mentioned Kelly-type locking ones. They will help to suture (which I did not include in my recs as people need to be trained to it). FAKs are for stabilization outside hospitals, or prevention going to one.
Most small cuts that need sutures, can be sutured up to 10-12h later if clean (different ones maybe be shorter/longer).
I am experienced placing sutures, but when my 4yo sliced his nose open away from civilization, I controlled bleeding and took him to the ER where a pediatrics plastic surgeon fixed his nose. Had it been a leg, arm or other place, I would have sutured him and saved the drive and ER wait times and anxiety.

The major thing is what do you want it for - and act accordingly (which includes training in how to use the stuff in there)
One things is slicing your finger with the camp knife and applying glue/steritrips/sutures a very different thing is a penetrating wound with large vessel injury that requires vascular repair/compression and med-evac

As expensive as they are CAT tourniquets are really good for releasing/time stamping, and depending on location, these bolded recommendations are good, unless you are trained in tourniquet use and have access to IV fluids and such, for volume reposition.

What about a stapler?

For an idea these are websites that can give you ideas and access to products which you may want.

My Medic supplies
North American Rescue

The kits look cool, but you can put something tailored for your needs for either much cheaper, or same price and better quality, as we have said previously.

Good advice on the sources. I bought 12 large kits for my gun club. Each range has kit with millitary level rescue supplies.

A lot of people have one in their kits. You can buy one for about $15 to 20. I've never used one. Are there any tricks to using one that we should know about?

I was not and will never claim to be a medic. I was an 18C not an 18D. We did, however cross train a lot and I assisted our medics a fair amount in real world trauma situations. Based on modern combat trauma training, think hemorrhage control. I too was taught that tourniquets were a last resort...…. in 1989. The previously taught notion that "the minute you apply a tourniquet, you loose the limb" is patently false. Any down side to it's use is far out weighed by saving a life and the chances of limb loss is almost zero. If it is left on for days then yes, it will be detrimental, other then that, don't worry about it. Other important items to me are coban (it comes in a role, stretches and adheres to itself) and curlex (essentially a role of sterile gauze). These items, plus some form of quick clot will cover most hemorrhage control situations. All other items previously mentioned are great too. Remember, there is a difference between life saving measures and "booboo control" and you have to carry it. I would go the build it yourself route. Local pharmacies have a good selection of useful items that are economical.

Whatever you pack, make sure it includes a cool head and knowledge.

FIRST, do no harm. If you seek out decent training you will be able to answer your own questions. You can purchase stuff but not competence. In 24 years of working as a combat medic, paramedic and PA I used a tourniquet once outside of a warzone and never clamped an artery outside of surgery or an ER. Wound closure beyond steri strips can cause more harm than good if done w/out understanding the pitfalls. Sutures and staples work well when done after proper assessment and cleaning.

There is a tremendous amount of good info available and You Tube will give you a good start in visualizing what you need to know and practice.

Pro tip, a decent headlamp is essential.


mike r

Please don't construe anything I write here as advice, just to add to the discussion. I'm only giving you the advice I got over the years that I was adventuring. A good bit of it was as a caver and a good bit of it was for situations underground where keeping your kit to a minimum was essential if not existential. I also backpacked and canoed for 30 years before age caught up with me.

1) Forget suturing. If it's that deep, your big worry is sepsis.
2) Tourniquet? Expect to lose the limb if it is that bad and you're that far out. Use pressure wherever possible
3) "Fortunately the vast majority of first aid needs, not involving serious thoracic or abdominal trauma, can usually be addressed with kit on hand. A shredded shirt as bandage, magazines or branches as splints, foil or plastic wrap (sandwich baggie) to seal a sucking chest wound." -- This. +1
4) Buddies get out. Loners end up as mulch.
5) Staying warm and dry is always Job 1. Hypothermia is always a possibility. Carry a large plastic leaf bag and some plumbers candles and learn how to use them. I've seen this save lives above ground as well as below.
6) Shock kills. Apply your emergency blanket before you need it.
7) If there is any injury or malady that gets you asking: "Should I keep going?" It is already becoming too late. Get out.


Fortunately, I only actually had to follow this advice a couple of times. I got concussed once underground. I had a couple bouts of hypothermia. I had to turn around once on a backpacking trip and wobble out on one leg. I had sepsis in my hand once. Overall, I stayed safe, so don't count on me as being experienced in first aid kit assembly.

I will say that the absolute best thing I've had to go to over the years is the tube of triple-antibiotic salve with anesthetic. That's helped many times. The other thing that's helped is having a Swiss Army Knife with a small blade that I could use as a scalpel-- that and the tweezers have been really helpful in things like nasty splinters. I also can't count the number of Ibuprofen I've sucked down on the trail.

Always leave word with someone where you'll be and when you're due out. Always set a time when you've either called in or they need to call someone. Always give the number ahead of time. It may be the local sheriff or somebody else. However, make sure they know what they are doing. As a caver, we never got 911 involved. We had an 800 number to call for underground emergencies and that number brought in a team standing by with a plane that was prepared for it. Whatever the situation, know who to call and tell your ground crew.

Remember it is a First Aid Kit. You don't need a bunch of band aids and iodine for boo boos

Put together your own and chances are you will know how to use what is in it.

Remember non-stick bandages and vet wrap. I would include ibuprofen tylenol and antihistamine.

Flush open wounds with clear clean water.

Learn how to use a tourniquet properly!!!!!

Take a first aid class with NOLS I believe the classes are called Wilderness Medicine.

But only on the left side, dat’s the Crip’s side.