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A First Aid Kit should always be carried in your
vehicle.
Commercial 'Auto' first aid kits are minimal. Because of the
possible severity & extent of offroad injuries, you should supplement
commercial first aid kits. Consult the list below for additional
items.
- find a
sturdy container with organizing pockets or compartments, waterproof
container preferred
- mark the container & compartments clearly
(individual items or like items can be placed in individual ziplock bags)
- find an easily accessible location
in your vehicle & secure the first aid kit
! Learn basic CPR and First Aid !
Remember: there are no paramedics in the boonies!
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many of
the items that make up a good first aid kit can be found around the home
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35mm film
canisters make good containers for pills, tablets, gel caps, etc.
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items can
be found in department stores, drug stores, sporting goods stores,
recreation outlets, army surplus stores & medical supply stores
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you'll
have determine which items and the quantities required based upon your
own first aid skills, offroad experience, and the specific demands of
any specific trip
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NOTE: WalMart®
sells a First Aid Kit (by Total Resources International®)
with 201 items in a soft-sided multi-compartment organizer hanger bag
(~$18) that is pretty well stocked (contents are marked with an "●"
in the following list) I like this one because it has both
carry handles and a carry strap and it is well organized. I carry these
(with additional items from the list below) in our vehicles.
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Precautionary Notes:
! - may have
expiration date
▲- do not allow to freeze |
► Printable version of First Aid
Kit List ► |
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List of included items, annotated wherever there are expiration dates |
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good first aid booklet or manual
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- available from American Red Cross
- military field manual on first aid, The SAS Survival Handbook,
Boy Scout Manual, |
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any special medications that you or family
members require |
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small notebook & pencil |
to keep a record of treatments |
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● large triangular
sling or large handkerchief (~36x36) - used as sling, head binder or tourniquet |
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● 2 or 3
inch elastic wrap (i.e. Ace Bandage®)
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● latex or nitrile
gloves |
sterile packed is preferable |
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●
▲small sealed water pouch(es)
- often sold in recreation outlets, survival or army surplus stores |
emergency water, wound cleaning, mixing
of dextrose and/or saline solutions |
| surgical mask |
sterile packed is preferable |
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▲thermometer or thermometer strips |
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● 'survival or 'space' blanket |
especially useful for treating shock |
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●
lip balm |
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▲insect repellent (high % of
DEET®) |
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● tongue depressors
/ finger splints |
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| straight pins &
needles |
These items just seem to come in handy for all sorts of first aid needs,
repairing clothing and general fix-ups. They really come in handy when
large wounds must be treated. |
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thread & fine wire |
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safety pins |
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long shoelace |
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assortment of rubber bands |
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hemostats |
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nail clippers, nail file |
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round & flat toothpicks |
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a small tube of super glue |
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● quality surgical scissors,
not those 'cheap kindergarten scissors' |
razor blades or hobby-type knife & extra
blades
(i.e. X-Acto®
) |
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● cotton
tip applicators ( i.e. Q-Tips ®
) |
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| waterproof matches and/or
cigarette lighter |
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| emergency candle |
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● tweezers |
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● roll
cloth tape - athletic tape works well and is more versatile |
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● roll gauze,
one ~1-2 inch; one ~3-4 inch |
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2x2, 3x3, 4x4 sponges, gauze pads, or compresses |
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at least one large wound dressing ( ~7x9 inches) - |
often called a trauma dressing or military field dressing, the kind often
sold in military surplus stores |
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● assorted band aids-
don't forget two or three big enough to cover a knee or elbow |
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! ▲wound irrigation solution - iodine or antiseptic,
antibiotic-type - 2 to 4 ounces in a squirt bottle |
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▲ eyewash solution
- 2 to 4 ounces in a squirt bottle |
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▲
hand sanitizer in a small bottle or wipes |
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● !
antibacterial ointment (i.e.
Neosporin®
) |
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●
alcohol prep pads |
to clean small wounds & area around wound in preparation for bandaids or bandaging tape |
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!
▲ anesthetic
liquid, gel or paste (i.e. Anbesol®, Oral gel®
) |
put some of this on the area around a wood tick and see how fast he lets
go! |
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● burn ointment -
Vaseline® |
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● !
antibacterial wipes |
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acetaminophen tablets (non aspirin) |
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! aspirin / acetaminophen |
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!
ibuprofen tablets (pain relief) |
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electrolyte tablets |
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!
▲
cold medicine in gel tabs |
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antihistamine tablets |
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● ! anti-itch solution containing
antihistamine for insect
bites (i.e. StingEz®) |
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● antacid tablets |
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1 gal. ziplock bag |
emergency water carry bag - solution mixing bag - vomit bag - contaminated
items bag - victim's personal items bag, etc. etc. etc. |
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1 qt. ziplock bag |
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I usually throw in a few individual serving packets of
coffee, tea, sugar, salt, etc. These can be very soothing in times of
stress. |
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travel-size tube of skin moisturizer |
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mole-skin pad - if you do any hiking |
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small roll of toilet paper |
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