edcforums

Reworked my FAK (with pics)

Forums Forums Gear – The Stuff We Carry First Aid Station Reworked my FAK (with pics)

  • This topic is empty.
Viewing 1 post (of 1 total)
  • Author
    Posts
  • #5647
    admin
    Keymaster

    I’ve been looking for a while for a suitable sized plastic box to transfer my FAK into from a pouch I got a pre-assembled one in many years ago. Finally found the perfect one from, believe it or not, one of my local Chinese take out places. They use re-usable plastic trays for their dishes, and strengthened with a bit of duct tape this turned out to be perfect!

    As you can see, I added a little sheath made of some card and duct tape to let me fasten my shears to the bottom of the FAK (the box on the left is my minor injury kit I keep in a separate part of my EDC bag, I bought a little pre-assembled kit from cheap shop for £1, about 70c US, just to get the box).

    I took out some of the dressings and bandages I had and simplified the kit. The last thing I need in an emergency is to be worrying about using separate dressings and bandages, so I added extra ambulance dressings (dressing and bandage in one) in place of the separates.

    I now have:
    1 20cmx15cm ambulance dressing
    2 12cmx10cm ambulance dressings
    1 triangular bandage
    1 5cm wide crepe bandage
    Several adhesive dressings (basically giant bandaids)
    Assorted Steristrips / wound closers
    A few hypodermic needles (for popping blisters, digging out splinters etc)
    Fine pointed tweezers
    Trauma shears

    I’ve tried to create more of a division between the ‘well that sucks’ stuff and the ‘oh ****’ stuff. I should be able to take care of most minor bumps and scrapes with the below minor injury kit, the above FAK is more for when something pretty bad to bloody awful happens (the tweezers, needles and crepe bandage are more minor injury stuff, but they wouldn’t fit in the MIK).

    In my minor injury kit I have:
    Various bandaids of different sizes and materials (to accommodate any allergies) and some kiddie friendly ones
    Burn gel
    Blister dressings
    A few gauze pads
    Some 5cmx5cm low adherence dressings
    A thin surgical tape (I’d prefer a wider one, but no room)
    A antiseptic/local anaesthetic cream (I don’t do antibiotic ointment, from what I’ve seen in terms of studies it’s of little use and contributes to the rise of MRSA and other antibiotic resistance bacteria)
    A couple of alcohol wipes (more for cleaning around wounds than cleaning the wounds themselves, don’t want extra tissue damage from the alcohol)

    Obviously, I do carry a couple of pairs of latex gloves, but I have those elsewhere so I can get gloved up immediately and then if necessary get others to grab my FAK out of my bag while I apply pressure to a wound or something of the like. I also have hand sanitiser, some antiseptic wipes and a CPR face shield but, again, they’re not kept in my FAK or minor injury kit.

    Again separately, I have my prescription meds and an old Altoids tin with OTC meds (paracetamol, ibuprofen, aspirin (for use in a casualty having an MI), loratadine and loperamide).

Viewing 1 post (of 1 total)
  • You must be logged in to reply to this topic.