First Aid / Medical Kit ?
 

Anyone build or buy one recently? What's in it? Where did you purchase the items? Any pictures?

I've been reading up over here and it seems if you want a serious kit for serious problems you will spend $500+:

http://zombiehunters.org/forum/viewt...p?f=43&t=31455

It might be time to get these things if you don't think services may be available. I've got that combat medic reference guide and it looks pretty comprehensive.

Re: First Aid / Medical Kit ?
 

Re: First Aid / Medical Kit ?
 

I have one of these:

http://www.samsclub.com/shopping/nav...=5&item=187360

What if you need sutures, or have a stab or gun shot wound that needs quick clot? A turniquet?

Am I going overboard?

Re: First Aid / Medical Kit ?
 

Adventure Medical Kits, best available, hands-down.

REI and many other camping stores have them.

Re: First Aid / Medical Kit ?
 

Adventure Medical Kits are good.

Some others at a friend of mine's place:

HERE

Pick up the Special Forces handbook, and a copy of Where there is No Doctor, and Where there is No Dentist.

CELOX is better than Quick Clot ( which burns like heck ) for a clotting agent.

Also....get "friendly" with someone that can write prescriptions......get a bunch of antibiotics and store them in the fridge.....good all around ones like Amoxicillin for general infections, Keflex (cephalexin) for flesh and deep wounds, and Cipro (Ciprofloxacin ) for lung infections/anthrax.

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Thanks andy. I like that M17 kit alot.

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Andy, that is an excellent site. I've been wondering where to get sutures.

sb

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There is one main rule in first aid for turniquets: Never apply one unless everything below that application point is beyond repair.

Just some friendly combat first-aide advice ;)

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Completely untrue. The rule is, never apply one unless you know how to use it. Release it every 15 minutes and let blood flow if necessary. Then reapply.

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Damn Andy, you are prepared, I used Where There is no doctor twice and it saved my life twice, once with cerebral Malaria and once when I had Shistosomaisis. IT FREAKIN WORKS!!!! Great Choice, How'd you know, if you haven't used it?

Re: First Aid / Medical Kit ?
 

you can cause alot of damage in to blood vessels, arteries and other tissue in 15 minutes. All im suggesting is that you shouldnt use one unless you are willing to possibly lose everything below the application point. All that means is use one in a pinch but for as little time as possible and learn how to stop bleeding with other methods.

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You might want to consider staying out of tropical areas.

Re: First Aid / Medical Kit ?
 

If you REALLY want to do it right, I would suggest that you go to Gall's (google them for the homepage) and order the advanced BLS (Basic Life Support) orange DynaMed bag for First Responders. It is big, but it is the bag that 90% of the EMT's use. It is the REAL DEAL.
My other suggestion would be to go to your local fire department and ask when the next BLS/ALS/Basic First Aid/Advanced First Aid class is, and sign up for it!

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You can get new unopened suture kits (with different needles) with fresh expiration dates on eBay. No joke. I bought $300 worth of suture kits, as well as a video on suturing. REAL medical stuff, not veterinarian supplies.
Start searching eBay.
The seller Surgidental offers new tools also for a variety of things.
Check it out.

Re: First Aid / Medical Kit ?
 

http://www.galls.com/goid/style.html...__skl_fd_uan=1


this one?

Re: First Aid / Medical Kit ?
 

15 minutes is fine - the people who cause damage are those who apply a tourniquet and then leave it "to stop the bleeding". I've been trained in this, ya know? It's part of my job.

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I'm also looking into training. The Community college has an EMT-I certification program that is 42 credits and allows you to sit for the EMT-I exam at the end. It would be a big commitment to go through but might be fun and rewarding.

Re: First Aid / Medical Kit ?
 

It's fun, rewarding, lets you meet like-minded people, and at the end, you have the confidence to know you can deal with most injuries. A brain surgeon you are not, but how often do you come across people who need brain surgery as opposed to those who have sawed off a finger on the bandsaw, severed a femoral artery with a chainsaw, etc? You are the "doctor" in those situations.

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We have three 'trauma' kits. Two include sutures, but that's for REALLY LARGE open wounds. For normal cuts and punctures, we use super glue gel. It works the best. For a lot of applications, but especially for cuts and puncture wounds. This trauma kit is upstairs, the other two are in the basement in our supply section.

Then we have square sponges (4", 3" 2"), then rolls of gauze (6", 4" 2"), then vet wrap. Plus bandaids, as noted above, super glue, triple antibiotic, athletic tape (4", 3", 2"). Scissors for cutting away things.

To this we add suture thread and needles for suturing. We don't have any scalpels, but do have hemostats, tweezers, etc.

Re: First Aid / Medical Kit ?
 

Chinook Medical Gear is one of my favorite vendors. http://chinookmed.com/

I have a fairly extensive medical kit and medical reference library. I've also invested in emergency medical care training and worked and taught in the medical field, though not in a hands-on capacity. My family has a couple of paramedics, one with wartime experience and one who is now an ER RN. A good medical kit is a must, but make sure you know how to use the items in it. You can buy an EMT or paramedic jump kit, but you can also put together your own as your budget allows. Most importantly, though, get training if you don't already have it.

There are some decent training courses oriented toward people who prepare and want training that's more advanced than basic first-aid in case of a SHTF scenario. Medical Corps has a great weekend course that has all kinds of handy tips for SHTF scenarios: http://www.medicalcorps.com/. They also usually have medical supplies available for sale at the sessions (no pressure to buy). You'll learn how to do everything from assist in a Bier block to casting broken bones, as well as how to fight cholera, sterilize instruments in a pressure canner, etc. The Tactical Lifesaver course offered on the JRH Enterprises Website is also good. You'll learn about advanced techniques like chest decompression and IVs, as well as fun exercises in things like evacuating casualties in hostile situations.

When putting together medical kits, one thing people might want to consider is that hospitals typically only carry a few days' supply of disposables like IVs and catheters. In the case of an epidemic or large-scale disaster, you might want to be able to provide your own. Even if you don't have the skills to use them, you will at least have the supplies if you can find someone with the skills or make it to a functioning hospital. I have no idea how feasible this would be, but the stuff is cheap, and I think it's worth investing a few bucks in. We know in disasters like Katrina, many supplies ran out.

Don't neglect medical references. One I would highly recommend for dealing with traumatic injury in a Third World type setting is Save Lives Save Limbs by Hans Husum (he also wrote War Surgery Field Manual, another great book to have on your reference shelf). It's published by Third World Network. Written to help villagers in remote areas save the lives and, when possible, limbs of victims with horrendous injuries from mine explosions, it's a one-stop reference for training laymen to treat traumatic injuries in remote areas, and includes detailed instructions on surgery, reference charts, instructions in improvising or manufacturing medical tools you may not have, instructions in using ketamine as an anesthetic, and how to train others and coordinate villagers to care for victims of trauma. No survivalist bookshelf should be without it.

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I just bought some quik clot yesterday for my 1st aid kit.

Its spooky how many people are thinking like this now.

Thanks for the links I need some training and suture materials.

E-A

Re: First Aid / Medical Kit ?
 

Actually that book was designed for people living in developing tropical countries. I've worked in those places for the last ten, it's how I earn my daily bread, so staying away really isn't an option. This last year I have been back in the states, but I still traveled to Cambodia, China, Burma, and Thailand for work. I probably will be relocating to Asia sometime this or next year, so I'll have to be in tropical places again, but you better believe, I will have those two books. Saved my life twice. That's a great personal testament for a probably untried book for most people on this forum.

Re: First Aid / Medical Kit ?
 

Ordered! Thanks for sharing your experiences.

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Placed a large order with them last night. :D Ran out to wally world today to stock up on some common over the counter stuff:

Immodium
Lanacane
Neosporin
Zyrtec
Pimatene Mist
Benadryl

Also picked up an LED headlamp, a couple of light sticks, bandaids, heat packs. cold paks. Thank goodness for the sportng goods counter. Saved me about 30 minutes of waiting in line.

Re: First Aid / Medical Kit ?
 

See, I thought you were bullshitting and thus my response. My apology.

I agree, they are great books.

Re: First Aid / Medical Kit ?
 

Re: First Aid / Medical Kit ?
 

I wish i were joking, the malaria was the worst. The schisto was scary because of the bleeding from - let's just call them special places.

Re: First Aid / Medical Kit ?
 

Picked up one of these Blackhawk Stomp II Medical Backpacks (just delivered today). You can get them off Ebay for much less than MSRP:

http://www.galls.com/style.html?asso...og&style=MB001

Some great pictures of the Pack stuffed by someone else and a supply list (A rediculous medical kit - worth a look):

http://zombiehunters.org/forum/viewt...p?f=43&t=33826

The rest of the supplies I ordered should be here Monday. Recieved some SAM splints yesterday. Books in route from Amazon that Andy recommended.

Re: First Aid / Medical Kit ?
 

A good medical kit is one that has supplies you know how to use. Since most people have no training, most medical kits have only band-aids and innocuous disinfectants. The question is not what kit to get, but what training to get. I suggest you take that question to the fire department.

Re: First Aid / Medical Kit ?
 

Completely agree.

Already on the way. Unfortunatley the Community College has discontinued their EMT-I classes and may not have them available for some time. I've emailed a couple of fire departments about EMT-B training. I'm hopeful, but they most likely do not offer training to the general public. We will see, but usually they want you to join as a volunteer. Already have a job consuming about 60 hours per week.

Supplies are good to have around, in case you run into someone who does know how to use them. My mother is a retired RN, I will likely be at her place if things get bad.

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How about your wife or g/f? Can you convince her to take a course?

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Hey Scott, that STOMP bag setup by Paragon over on ZS is very nice. Any idea where a good site is to start loading up on some of those med supplies? I have one of the bags coming hopefully in a week and would like to start loading it up.

Re: First Aid / Medical Kit ?
 

http://www.chinookmed.com/index.cfm

Look at the modules and individual supplies.

Hint: if you look in the first-aid forum over at that site I linked to (ZS) there is a sticky thread on supplies, with instructions to get a discount at chinook on the supplies.

Re: First Aid / Medical Kit ?
 

No go on that, but I'm still trying to find the training for myself. Even if I have to join as a volunteer at one of the fire departments, I might do it. Hopefully the community college will get their act together soon.

Here are the response I got from the community college on the EMS program:

1) The EMT Intermediate and Paramedic level training offered though "credit" programs has been suspended at this time.

I am currently working on an agreement with the County Department of Fire/Rescue Services to offer an Intermediate course for current fire/rescue career personnel.

I hope in the future to open these course offerings to the general public.

If you have additional questions, please email or phone me at *********.

Thank you for your interest.

2) My best suggestion at this time would be for you to join your local Fire/Ambulance company. You will be able to take the EMT-B course through the State University, Fire/Rescue Institute at no cost.

3) Hello Scott,
Our EMS/EMT program is currently undergoing some revisions, and courses with the EMS prefix are not currently offered. The best person to speak to about the program is ....

Re: First Aid / Medical Kit ?
 

Don't forget the iodine....... just in case. If things get really bad, might want to have a lot on hand.

Re: First Aid / Medical Kit ?
 

As usual thanks Scott. I have never really looked around over at the ZS forums but I will spend the weekend checking everything out.