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i tend to go way over the top with FAK’s then remove the items that you dont use or you have in a lare amount. this makes the fak suited to your needs.
before you know it you have a stripped down FAK with stuff you need in it. not a load of junk that you dont
for example i had a large shop bought FAK in my maxpedition bag it was large and only a few things in it got much use. but after a while of carrying it every day i knew what i needed in it and what i could do away with. i allso added a few things and now i have a smaller kit with much more practical day to day uses.
IMHO a sensible first aid kit would be one that you prepare yourself based on your own capabilities; there is no point in having some gucci thingmabob if you don’t know how to use it!
If you are medically trained then you will know what you need; if you have done a basic first aid course then your requirements will be much less and you will know what you are confident and capable of using…
A good place to start if you aren’t sure is to look at an online catalaogue (eg. http://www.lifelinefirstaid.com/PDFs/LL-Outdoor_20112012_Catalog.pdf) and look at what is used in pre-made FAK. If you know what it is and what its for then add it to your own kit. As you get more confident then you will think of more things to add.
MSBi really can’t think of a single thing in any pre made kit i’e ever seen that the average untrained lay person wouldn’t know how to use. I think most peoples concern, mine included is forgetting something useful that they might need. Easy to forget or not know what the most useful size/shape bandage is. Or not think about putting a pair of gloves in the kit. But I think we all know how to put on gloves or apply a band aid.
My biggest FAK problem is remembering to resupply. When I cut my finger badly this weekend I found that we were all out of gauze pads. So I ended u with paper towel stuck to my finger for 2 hours
mooshisho said: ↑
Definitely build your own! But getting a pre-made one to use as a base would be a great start. Especially since some of those items are harder to come by individually. 🙂
I totally agree that using a good pre-made kit is a great way to start. I have an AMK Pocket Medic in most of my packs which I add to. The Pocket Medic is very compact and inexpensive.For meds, I add: Naproxen, Tylenol, Aspirin, Zyrtec (antihistamine), Rolaids (antacid), Pepto-Bismol, Loperamide (anti-diarrhea), Meclizine (motion sickness), Sudafed (decongestant), Visine, topical Cortisone or Benadryl (stings, rashes),
Neosporin (anti-bacterial), Sting-Eze.The kit already has moleskin, tweezers, exam gloves, band-aids, gauze, etc.
Gryffin said: ↑
In my usually vague manner, I’ll say… Yes!Seriously, most of my FAKs started as pre-assembled kits, with the contents gradually upgraded and/or replaced as time went on.
I totally agree with that. Most of my FAK started as pre-assembled kits. I would second or third the purchase of the Adventure Medical kits they make some good well-rounded gearIf you have one in your area, Family Dollar has an awesome first aid secrion for really cheap. I get a lot of my dressings and bandages there. Big lots does, too.
Get a set of locksaks in assorted sizes (4 in the set), and unitize your gear by condition. I set up Snivel (band-aids,etc.), Boo-boo (lacerations, burns and such) and major life threat kits (airway compromise, breathing problems, hemorrhage) to better break down where my specific gear is. I have each sack flagged with a specific color sheet of paper on which I have written minor, moderate and major so if I ask for the bag in my kit with the green label, I know I’ll get my snivel kit.
http://www.minimus.biz/default.aspx is my favorite site for customizing my fak and general needs edc. if you assemble it yourself you will naturally only include things you know how to use.
One thing I learned in my Wilderness First Aid cert class was that you can generally improvise the stuff that you need for larger injuries; it’s the smaller cuts and scrapes that require you to carry stuff. For my EDC FAK, I carry some variously sized band-aids, some alcohol swabs, a pair of earplugs, and some nitrile gloves in an old Adventure Medical .3 bag. I also usually have my blaze orange bandana, which is multipurpose. My field FAK for wilderness SAR or backpacking is more involved, but some of the best items are multipurpose, such as maxi pads, as they can be used as sterile dressings, and are smaller than equivalent tac dressings.
-Pete
“Got a brand new shipment of electrical equipment; it’s addressed to the bottom of the sea.” — Linnell and Flansburg, 2007
Pre-assembled and then upgrade as needed. Medical professionals have wider choice and easier access to some specific items, so if you’re not in this job, pre-assembled will give you a nice base to work from.
Better option might be: assemble a boo-boo kit, get proper first aid training, then build a trauma FAK that improves over the basic kit.
medic2807 said: ↑
If you have one in your area, Family Dollar has an awesome first aid secrion for really cheap. I get a lot of my dressings and bandages there. Big lots does, too.
This is a good idea, just the other day I was in mine and saw a Johnson & Johnson first aid box for $5, good size with enough room to add a good bit of supplies and throw the box in a backpack or keep in the car somewhere. I thought about getting it but didnt, however now that I think it wouldnt be bad to invest in just to have.You can stock up on a bunch of things at the Dollar store, $15 can go a long ways there.
I get kling wrap and gause.. I have tape but being two hairs short of grizzly, the kling wrap is the less painful option.. I carry butterflies, nu-skin, and some tegaderm (saran wrap with sticky border) among the rest of the usual stuff.. Oh and a cpr/heimlich card incase someone is doing it on me..
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