Is your first aid kit prepared?

[Brian1126]

I've been thinking about this the last couple days. As a Florida native, the Australia of the Western Hemisphere, I've grown accustomed to being around wildlife and wild humans that can kill me at a moment's notice. (Only half joking there.) I've had close encounters with bears, alligators, sharks, venomous snakes, dangerous spiders, and seriously crazy people. (Have you seen the Floridaman twitter account?)

My point is a lot of noise is made about bug out, survival, and stuff like that but this weekend at Wekiva Island, a place I frequently visit, a woman had her arm removed by an alligator. I had a friend at the scene. They were using towels to try to stop the bleeding. Apparently no one there had a tourniquet?

I've identified a gap in my EDC IFAK in dealing with poisonous animals and severe allergic reactions.

Also if you've recently moved to another region take some time to familiarize yourself with the dangerous creatures living there. Learn how they behave and how to behave around them. It may save you a limb.

 

[Dinky Dau]

I grew up in the keys and camped many times in the glades..Using air boats and swamp buggies to get to the hammocks. Delt with all sorts of Critters but,,Talk about the ultimate survival...Try being married for over 40 years and surviving!

 

[madHatter]

No one had a bandana? You can make a tourniquet with it and a stick. Should have a pen or sharpie to mark the time to.

Great tip btw

 

[dial1911]

They could have cut strips off of one of the towels and come up with a tourniquet in short order.

Regardless, you bring up an excellent point about first aid kits and being prepared for the environment around you. I recently started a kit for the car. Basically focusing on cleaning minor cuts and being about to stop semi-serious bleeding. I threw in a few typical OTC medicines for the usual ailments that can show up at any time.

 

[BackWoods]

Yeah I'm good to go : D

 

[Mac11FA]

Don't forget to add superglue! Makes a great seal for small cuts. Cause we all know that bandaids suck when it comes to keeping out moisture and liquids.

 

[Jacob Villers]

I have a few different bags. One is the stuff I keep in my pockets everyday, then I have bags in vehicles and a couple at home. The primary in most my bags is blood loss and airway. In a couple bags I have EPI pens because even if you aren't allergic to bees that doesn't mean that you cannot go into anaphylactic shock.

 

[Red Dawn]

I keep one at the house one in the work truck and one in the family vehicle however they're just store bought kits missing key items. EpiPen's and blood clot are good to have around

 

[sewerman68]

The 10$ first aid kit they sell at wally world is actually a decent first aid kit. I keep one in all our vehicles and add a small packet of quick clot. I made a larger one that includes that kit for my wifes car because she is a barn manager and around horses and teenage kids all the time. I added simple splints, ace wraps, more ice and heat packs, large gauze and several rolls of 2" silk tape. We were both paramedics when we met so we are big on first aid kits and fire extinguishers.

Academy has quick clot if you have trouble finding it.

 

[great dane]

They could have cut strips off of one of the towels and come up with a tourniquet in short order.

Regardless, you bring up an excellent point about first aid kits and being prepared for the environment around you. I recently started a kit for the car. Basically focusing on cleaning minor cuts and being about to stop semi-serious bleeding. I threw in a few typical OTC medicines for the usual ailments that can show up at any time.

Cut the towel strips to about 2"