A First Aid Kit comes in a wide variety of assortments from the most basic to well stocked EMT packs. EVERYONE should have a first aid kit in the home. A second kit should be in your car. A third kit should be in your GHB, BOB, and/or any other place of significance.
I have written a number of articles on First Aid Kits, and I decided to write this one which offers a few suggestions for ‘Ad-on’ items to an existing kit…
Skin Closure Strips (Steri Strips)
Rather than using a suture kit which might cause more trauma than fixing (unless you are qualified), Steri Strips are used in emergency rooms and even surgically for closing wounds. When several are applied across a long cut wound, they hold the skin together for healing.
3M STERI STRIP SKIN CLOSURES (1/8″ X 3″ – 10 PKG/5)
Note: Use with tincture of benzoin (on the skin surrounding the wound – not in the wound). Helps wound-closure strip and adhesive bandages stay in place.
Tincture of Benzoin Ampules – 6 Per Pack
Clotting Sponge
The new QuikClot sponge uses ‘zeolite’, a common mineral, to help blood clot up to three times faster than blood on its own. It is safe and effective. Clotting beads are contained in a sterile, non-adherent mesh bag. The bag is easy to apply and easy to remove, and is U.S. military proven.
QuikClot Advanced Clotting Sponge, 50g
Better Scissors & EMT Shears
Many first aid kits come with scissors. The problem is that most of these scissors are cheap junk. Replacing it with a quality pair will save some potential grief if you need to use them during an emergency. Made in the USA.
Slip-N-Snip The Original Folding Safety Scissors
Premium Quality Fluoride Coated EMT and Trauma Shears
Good Tweezers
Some first aid kits don’t have tweezers. Even if yours does, consider replacing them with a quality pair that will actually get the job done…
Professional Quality Tweezers, Stainless Steel
SAM Splint
The SAM Splint (Structural Aluminum Malleable) is built from a thin core of aluminum alloy, sandwiched between two layers of closed-cell foam. It is extremely pliable and bends into simple curves. It becomes extremely strong and supportive for any fractured or injured limb.
SAM Splint
Tourniquet
The SWAT-Tourniquet allows a more rapid means to control extremity bleeding. Its ease of application is one of its greatest benefits; individuals can effectively apply it in seconds with little to no prior training. This particular tourniquet was developed for military and civilian Special Weapons and Tactics teams who operate in an environment that has a high incidence of penetrating trauma, and most (two-thirds) of preventable deaths in the operational environment are from extremity bleeding.
SWAT-T Tourniquet
More Gauze!
You can never have enough gauze. When dressing wounds, this stuff will get consumed fast (I’ve had experience in this department!). Here’s a case of 4″ stretch gauze – each strip being about 4 yards long. Also be sure you have enough sterile gauze ‘pads’ of various sizes.
Stretch Gauze Bandage, 4 yds Length x 4″ Width (Box of 24)
Telfa (non-stick gauze)
This stuff is great (again, I have experience in this department 😉 ). It doesn’t stick to the wound. It is typically held on to the wound with tape, and then wrapped with stretch gauze for further adherence and protection from the environment.
Kendall Telfa Non-Adherent 3″ x 4″ Sterile Dressings 100 count
The following special coated non-stick gauze is is widely used in the medical profession for wounds where this would be an issue (it has a ‘gooey’ texture). I too have used this (it’s called Xeroform) but couldn’t remember the name until a comment below reminded me. I need to check my First Aid bins to be sure I still have some of it…
Xeroform Petrolatum Gauze Dressing 5″ x 9″, Pack of 5
More Tape!
A latex-free paper tape that is gentle to the skin yet adheres well and leaves minimal adhesive residue upon removal. An economical, general purpose, breathable surgical tape.
3M Micropore Paper Tape, 1″ x 10yds (Box of 12)
Neosporin First Aid Antibiotic Ointment
If you already have some, check the expiration date. Antibiotic ointment treatment is VERY IMPORTANT for all wounds!
Neosporin First Aid Antibiotic Ointment Maximum Strength
Feel free to comment with your own ‘ad-on’ suggestions for a First Aid Kit…
Related Article: Best Inexpensive Generic First Aid Kit
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I’ve made our first aid kits and pretty happy with them. Having some basic first aid supplies in the home AND every vehicle is so important.
I’d like to point out that Neosporin is only a topical ointment and not intended for use with deep wounds or 2d degree burns. My choice then is to use aloe or honey.
Small flashlight, mini bic lighter and a sharp knife.
I’d add a small magnifying glass, and Hydrogen peroxide for wound washing, and antibiotic pills (if traveling far from home)
I too have the magnifying glass, but went to the dentist and saw her magnification glasses. Amazon has a really nice pair for $30. Hands free & added light will help while patching up someone.
Bacitracin
Hey, Everyone~
Yes steri-strips are awesome. You can buy on amazon, very pleased with them. If you know how to sterilize and treat a small surface wound,
you can save yourselves some big $$ (ER visits are only getting more and more $$$$)
I recommend getting a book The Survival Medicine Handbook by J and M Alton.
Get educated, and get prepped peeps! 😉
Do not forget GLOVES. I keep the latex free nitrile disposable gloves in every kit. If you use them make sure you know how to take them off properly too. Keep a few pairs in your kit. I get mine at a good value at Costco.
Also WEAR gloves when you work outside or near firewood/fires, fences etc.
Prevention is even better!
Blessings to all
Peace n Out
I made sure to put some Tums in my IFAC. Nothing worse than heartburn when you can’t deal with it. Same with painkillers and a allergy stuff.
SuperGlue one-time use packages.
Dental Kit (especially for those of us that have crowns that could come off at the worst time. Not that there is ever a good time for that to happen)
I have found both of these items at Dollar Tree.
I agree with the dental kit. This seems to be an overlooked improvement and it shouldn’t be since it is so inexpensive. Both my wife and I have crowns so we both have these kits in our BOBs.
Great article. antibiotics are available on ebay….but do your homework on them first!
As an aside….Thurs would be a good day to repost any snowstorm related info on what we should have on hand ahead of time.
Nothing wrong with reposting good articles.
Stay safe everyone
Just asking why 1/8 and not 1/4 for skin closure strips.
I always have some vet wrap. Three or four dollars at animal supply stores like orschelns here in the midwest. It sticks to itself so no adhesive needed for those allergic it. I have also used it to hold a bandage on road rash when riding my bicycle.
We keep lots of vet wrap in all widths available. self adhering works great. Also have a good stapler and staples for wound closure. Added a portable defib, to my ready to go EMT bag….and I keep iv bags and ringers in the fridge. So many items added to the EMT bag….but it is bright orange and very visible. ALL adult family members have taken first aid courses, some are RN’s and obviously better trained than I. However, a good EMT/First Aid book is included…field emergency medicine! And, folks, true to my ever obnoxious pleading….practice practice practice. We host EMT/first aid practices quarterly. My adult kids come up with some interesting wound scenarios….especially my nurse/medical/leo kids! LOL
The portable defibrillator is a great life-saver to have on hand, and they are becoming more common in many locations. While they are very expensive, I suppose you could ask yourself, “What’s a life worth?”…
Philips HeartStart Home Defibrillator (AED)
Wow, I didn’t know those could be purchased by regular folks, but I can see that yes they are a little pricey. Of course you could also just stick the persons finger in a light socket 🙂
Contact your local FD or EMS and oftentimes they will deliver one to you at their cost.
This is a tough issue. I have five first aid kits. one in each: fanny pack for day hikes, small backpack for longer day hikes and travel, large backpack for 2-n day trips, one for the car and one for the home. The problem is if you put all the things you might need in them they become huge and heavy and you will end up leaving them home. Mostly I prepare for blisters on my feet, tweezers for splinters and such, triple antibiotic and bandaids. I carry a pack of the large bandaids and the large knuckle type too. some simple over the counter medication a few gauze pads and tape.
A rescue mask/pocket resuscitator is a good addition to every FAK. Personal protection is important when administering CPR.
Keychain style:
CPR Mask Key Chain Kit (5-pack) – One-way Valve and Face Mask
Pocket-size:
Medical CPR Rescue Mask, Adult/Child Pocket Resuscitator, Hard Case with Wrist Strap
Note, I am not advocating for either of these brands/styles. These are simply a visual reference for those unaware.
anti-diarrheals, charcoal..prid, silvadene.
Benadryl and instant ice packs are good to have too.
Thanks for the tips!
I need to go through ours again and add on to it.
I like the idea of Benadryl. I have more allergies than most and carry it on me at all times. I buy the store brands. The plus they are cheaper and I find them more effective for me than the brand name. We have been increasing the products we use regularly.
Pack of honey. First…it never goes bad. Multiple uses from antimicrobial to sugar uptick for diabetics. Also, tea bag. Natural anti-inflamatory and depending on type of tea, can have antimicrobial properties as well an slight analgesic. 🙂
Note on tea bags….when I was a kid many years ago, my mom had some dental sutures come out and she was bleeding a lot. I remember being so scared and sad! I do not know who told her but someone said put tea bags on the wound site. She stopped bleeding and it healed over enough until she could get more professional care the next day.
So this memory caused me to just look it up on Bing, and it is the tannins and polyphenols in tea that has the astringent and binding properties.
You moisten the tea bag first before apply it to lip or gum wounds, add pressure to tea bag on top of wound. Do this for 20 minutes, then refresh with another one until bleeding stops.
Go TEA!
PS Be ready for the winter storm East Coast folks, could be power outages too.
Okay, this is my area of expertise. 10 years army medic, 19 years ER RN.
Steri-strips are for shallow wounds that can easily be pulled together 1/8″deep okay, 3/16″ deep is iffy and 1/4″ or deeper should probably be sutured or stapled. Steri-strips work much better when used with tincture of benzoin. Check amazon or ebay and get the single use ampules. Squeeze and break the ampule to saturate the cloth end. Paint the skin for about 2 inches out from each side of the wound. Don’t get it into the wound. put half of a strip on the painted area and pull the wound closed then stick the other half of the strip to the skin on the opposite side of the wound. Start at one end and work your way to the other end leaving a small gap between the strips. the tape will stay on much longer with benzoin. How long should it stay on? Until it falls off is a good general rule. It will start to work off at the ends and these can be trimmed off with scissors as needed to prevent snagging. If it is necessary to remove a strip pull one end to the middle then pull the other end to the middle. Now pull both ends straight up. Wounds actually take up to a couple of months to heal COMPLETELY. Pulling one side across the wound and continuing to pull could open a wound that looks healed. Some areas heal faster than other. Scalp and facial wounds tend to heal quickly. Limbs that bend and stretch take longer. Most everything is healed enough in two weeks that strips can be removed but to be on the safe side when removing strips or stitches remove ever other one. Wait 24 hours and if the wound is still closed take out or off the remaining closures.
Clotting sponges are the best thing to come down the pike since white bread. Don’t limit yourself to the sponge. It comes in pour packs also as well as a nasal applicator for nose bleeds. My son is a chef and he cut the tip of a finger off. It bled slowly for about 6 hours before he decided to visit me. Pour pack to the tip and bleeding was stopped in a couple of minutes. Bandaid over the tip to protect it and he was good to go. He got a couple of the pour pack for Christmas. Stuff is not cheap but IMHO worth the price. I’ve heard cayenne pepper works also but I have no direct experience with it.
Scissors, Miltex 8.5 inch fluoride coated shears are the Cadillac. They are the most commonly found shears in ERs across the nation. I have no interest in the company but I used them regularly. They hold an edge better than any other shears or bandage scissors that I’ve used and I’ve used a hella of a lot. You wouldn’t but a cheply made Chinese knock off blade for THEOTWAWKI. Don’t skimp on the shears. Expect to pay around $45.00. They are worth it.
SWAT tourniquet, again I’ve never used one of these. All I can add is if you have to use a tourniquet apply it as close to the wound as feasible and tighten it only as tight as needed to control bleeding. Direct pressure is often all that is needed to control bleeding. Elevating a limb also helps and you should also know pressure points. Blood pressure cuffs are what is used most frequently in the ER instead of tourniquets.
Tweezers, best are stainless steel and come to a fine point. Germany is famous for quality. Consider rat tooth forceps for grabbing foreign objects in a wound.
Sam splints are great, They come in to the ERs frequently from the field and are usually tossed. If you know anyone working in an ER you might ask them to snag you one if it isn’t bloody. Clean it anyway. Look on line for the many uses they have, As a caveat the foam has been known to separate from the aluminum in storage. It is still usable, you just need to add more padding.
Gauze comes in two basic types. Pads and rolls. Rolls in the ER are either Kling or Kerlix. they are both commonly used for wrapping body parts to secure dressings. They can also be used to pack wounds, with Kerlix probably being the preferred choice as it seems to be more absorbent and is larger.
Pads are most often 2×2 and 4×4 inches, less commonly found are 3×3 inches and abd pads od abdominal pads usually 9×12″. A good thing to remember about the smaller pads is they can be unfolded to make different sizes. A 4×4 when unfolded is a 4×12 and when unfolded and folded in half is a 4×6. etc. Use your imagination for the various size wounds you will encounter. You will frequently have to apply layers of pads so you can never gave enough. In a pinch consider feminine pads. They are a lot cheaper.(and have another use!)
Telfa is one kind of non-adherent dressing, Adaptic is another. I like them both but I have never found done that is truly non-adherent. The least non adherent I’m familiar with is Vaseline impregnated gauze. A commonly found one is known as Xeroform. Telfa and Adaptic are less adherent when used with ointments.
Tape. My favorite types are Transpore plastic tape. It has small perforations in a grid pattern that makes it easy to tear off. These Perforations also make it easy to tear it lengthwise. It comes in 1/2″, 1″ and 2″ wide rolls. I like the 2″ as I can tear it as 1/2″, 3/4″, 1″ or any size you want up to 2″. My wife recently found a similar tape at wallyworld.
Vet wrap (tradename Coban) is the other really great stuff to come along. Rumor has it that it was invented by a vet to wrap horses legs with. If so he or she made a lot more money than expected. This stuff is great! It comes in 1″, 2″ and 4″ wide rolls. You can even get it in camo. It is reusable but should not be reused if you have any question that it might be contaminated or on different patients. If you have ever used the wide cellophane type packing tape on a box you know how easy it is to lose the end. It’s almost impossible to find it once it gets stuck down on the roll. Same thing for vet wrap. The end of it has a way of disappearing, both on the roll and on the patient. Hint here is bend one corner of the tape over and tuck it under. It will make removal much easier.
Neosporin is neomycin, polymyxin and bacitracin. Also know as triple antibiotic ointment. Double antibiotic ointment was minus the neomycin and the original ingredient was plain old bacitracin. I like them all but use them sparingly. A thin coat is adequate. My personal preference is to only use ointments for a day or two then let it dry out and scab.
Lots of good suggestions in the comments above and I like them all. Hydrogen peroxide has a very short shelf life once opened as the extra oxygen out gasses. As used for wound cleaning it is very diluted. If it wasn’t it would be usable as rocket fuel. Plain old soap and water for wound cleansing is better than nothing, just make sure the water is at least clean enough to drink end preferably sterilized.
I’m going to comment again on this topic about elastic bandages more commonly know by one of the trade names ACE wraps. but it is way past my bedtime so good night all. PS I’m also to tired to prof read it!
Thanks ME. Good responses all. appreciate your input and knowledge.
Great ideas here today, I put my kit in a zippered insulated lunch container with a carry handle strap (artic Zone) Have been pleased with the protection provided by the bag while storing it in a vehicle which gets hot in the summer months.
That’s a great idea, too! I’m needing to get a better bag than what I have now, so I think I’ll try this first. I’ve got an old lunchbox like this that isn’t used anymore. Thanks for the tip.
Both of my vehicle kits are stored in these old insulated lunch bags> A SAM splint folded into an open rectangle fits into each of these nicely. A quick comment on the meds mentioned (other than the antibiotics). Check with the pharmacy about bulk med from behind the counter. You can usually get them much cheaper than you would pay for the over the counter kind. Find what you want on the shelf and ask the pharmacist or his tech for the generic equivalent. Benadryl is diphenhydramine and as an over the counter med is usually sold as 25 mg capsules or tablets. But it is also approved as a sleep aid and sold as 50 mg. If they try and sell you the 25 mg ask for the 50 mg it tends to be cheaper if you buy the larger one when you figure the price per mg. Another really good item along the same lines is an epi-pen. talk with your doctor about it. You will need a prescription and instructions as to when to use it. They are not cheap unless you have good insurance but they are kind of like the AEDs (automated external defibrillators) Pricey to buy and priceless if you need them. Also epi pens are good past the expiration date and can be kept until the fluid visible in the little window takes on a yellowish tint.
Ace bandages come in 4 sizes. 2″,3″,4″ and 6″. 3″ for hands and wrists, 4″ for ankles and 6″ for knees. Go down a size for kids. Most of these bandages now come with hook and loop closures. Roll the wrap on and roll it off to keep the hooks in the right position. Basics are just enough tension to get the wrinkles out and roll from down to up on the limb. Better explained is start below the knee and finish above the knee or below the elbow to above the elbow. They gain their strength as they “layer up”. These should be thought of as a loose tourniquet and have the potential TO DO DAMAGE! You must check circulation on the down side of the application. Tell your patient if it is tingles or feels like it is getting numb it must be loosened. Check capillary refill. Press on a nail and it gets pale. Color should return quickly, if it is delayed loosen the wrap. Ace wraps can be used to apply pressure to control bleeding. Put a bulky dressing (lots of gauze piled up on each other ) over the wound and wrap it tightly to control the bleeding. THIS IS A TEMPORARY MEASURE! Seek a higher level of care immediately. All for this post, hope it has been informative.
I had a really problematic splinter today and I remembered one of my favorite FAK items. A safety razor blade. It is a poor man’s scalpel. I was able to shave away some of the skin around that tiny metal splinter enough so my tweezers would be able to grab it.
I make and keep a bottle of colloidal silver around.
I have been getting the following durable medical goods from a local farm and ranch store because of low prices on durable medical goods:
Curved forceps, Bandage scissors, Vet wrap for horses/Coban for people. You will save a lot of money by doing so and I use this stuff every day at work.
My day job: I treat people.
This is an excellent list. If I could buy these as a kit, I would do it in a heartbeat. Please don’t assume that I’m lazy. I have anxiety, and as crazy as it may sound to some, that number of transactions is overwhelming for me. I definitely see the benefit in all items listed, but my anxiety makes prioritizing difficult at times. (smile/shrug) it is what it is. Has put a couple more things on my radar, and that’s a good thing. 🙂
Definitely a good topic… It’s very important to keep up on our med-kits, making sure everything is always good to go. GLOVES!! 2-3 pairs and make sure they are easy to get to. I saw somebody mention a CPR pocket mask which is an excellent addition to any med-kit. I served as a state lifeguard for 5 years and we all had them hanging in little IFAKs from our chairs. I recently picked up two of them from Amazon… One for my kit and the second for the work vehicle. ACE bandages are small and easily forgotten (Dollar store.) Also, I keep a small squeeze bottle of hydrogen-peroxide in my personal IFAK and another in my camping/backpacking boo-boo kit. The tourniquet is an obvious choice, but what I opted for was a bit smaller than a SWAT Tourniquet… I picked up a couple of the basic rubber tourniquets (the one the nurse uses when she draws your blood.) I also saw someone mention that if we all put in everything that we wanted, we’d have too much sh*t, which I agree with completely. That being said, the best thing you can do is build your own kit from the ground up and tailor it to your own needs. It also helps to have multiple kits, that way you can grab which ever one is most suitable for the task at hand. Great input, everyone!
QuikClot is somewhat expensive, an inexpensive form of QuikClot is cayenne powder. It stops bleeding when you pour the powder on a cut. Does it sting? A bit but so does the QuikClot powder.
Cayenne also does something very important / life saving that QuikClot doesn’t. That being if a bit of it is mixed in water and drank it will stop a heart attack in seconds. I listened to a herbal first aid talk (MP3) by the herbalist David Christopher and he talked about his father (a Doctor and founder of Christopher’s herbal co.) over the years of practice never loosing a person to a heart attack because of his use of cayenne.
Cayenne is super inexpensive, even The Dollar Tree has it, every first aid kit, every police car and every life squad should have it on hand and the knowledge of how to use it. But with most main-stream medical people’s dislike of herbs I would not expect that to happen. But there is no reason we can’t put it in our kits.
There is plenty of proof it works for both bleeding and stopping heart attacks on the net.
Homemade First-Aid bag idea for those of us that dislike the glorified Band-aid boxes that go for commercial First-Aid Kits these days. And a real somewhat well equipped First-Aid Kit these days can sell for $200.00. Not that a good kit isn’t worth that (or more) it’s just that with all the stuff we preppers think we need (or at least want) money can be in short supply. My med homemade kits probably fall in the middle of the price range as far as kits go, but I was able to buy things over time spreading things out. And my brother is a fireman and is able to get more then a few supplies for me for free. In fact I have a duffle bag full of stuff that I use as a resupply bag for the kits. But even without his help there is always the dollar stores.
What I have used for years as a First-Aid bag is the travel shower bags (they come in a few sizes) These bags have a hook to hang them, a zippered side with clear plastic, 20 or so places to put small items (stretch elastic straps kinda like Mole mounts on a mil-spec bag) and several pouches made for shampoo bottles that hold other stuff just fine.
I find theses bags at thrift stores and garage sales for $1.00 to $3.00. I have been using a larger one of these for 20-years and have made several First-Aid Kits for family and friends. I also have one in every auto I have, and a large one in my RV.
PS: Don’t forget to pack a kitchen garbage bag in it so you can keep it dry in a downpour, and some type of small tarp to lay on the ground as in an emergency you are going to pull things out fast and a clean place to lay them aside is nice.
I have a 50 gram Quick Clot kit in each of our BOBS but I am a little annoyed by the fact they have such a short life span (as indicated by the expiration date on the package). Two years seems to be about all you get before having to replace them – and they are not cheap. Sometimes the expiration dates on medications are not gospel and you have a little wiggle room on the expiration date. I wonder if anyone has experience using one of these after it is say – 4 years old or more?
Wow .! Wonderful Blog. I love keeping new kind of first aid kit. I really appreciate it for sharing as you increased my knowledge 🙂