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jmcindric
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# Posted: 2 Feb 2018 02:37pm
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Considering (I assume) most of our small cabins are in areas that are not close to medical help/facilities and that we are commonly using different tools that pose various levels of danger to ourselves and others, not to mention hunting, what do you all have in your first aid kits? Did you purchase a pre-packaged kit and supplement it or did you build your own? I'm in the process of putting one together and am curious what other have done. I appreciate all your input.
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fiftyfifty
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# Posted: 2 Feb 2018 03:48pm - Edited by: fiftyfifty
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Made my own. Nothing too fancy as town with 24/7 hospital is only 8 miles away. Lots of different size bandaids, antibiotic ointment, alcohol wipes, aspirin, tylenol , advil, claritin, sudafed, benedryl, sterile gauze, disposible gloves. That and I keep my cellphone charged...that's probably the most important item.
ETA: but also other practical items stocked at the cabin: clean rags, ear plugs, sunscreen, bug spray, soap, clean water, safety glasses.
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Malamute
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# Posted: 2 Feb 2018 04:00pm
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A number of people are keeping tourniquets on hand (some on them full time, in a compact belt carrier or on an ankle) and quick clot. Both are a good idea for range bags and general first aid. One guy that was an LEO had used his tourniquets on several people, one or two in traffic accidents, one in a subway for whatever reason (that I forget). It wasnt necessarily using them because he was an LEO, just that he happened to be there when stuff happened.
If anyone is interested, I know of a couple discussions where the merits of various types were compared.
People that need them should keep an epi pen with them at all times.
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silverwaterlady
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# Posted: 2 Feb 2018 05:42pm
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Hattie saved her husband with a portable defibrillator.
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hueyjazz
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# Posted: 3 Feb 2018 08:15am
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Kit needs to be consistent with level of training. Beyond basic supplies nothing will substitute for knowing what you are doing. I would high recommend Red Cross First Aid training or something similar. Tourniquets are a great idea if you know how to use them. I keep a EMT kit in my cabin. Not an EMT but mom was a surgical nurse. I've done first aid training for about 40 years. But a lot of things have changed in those times. Tourniquets have gone from good, to bad , to good again. Difference is knowing how to use it correctly. There's a time limit you can keep them on.
My kit is quite advanced but so is my training.
But I would recommend as basics full range of gauze pads, Med tape, antibiotic, band-aids of all sizes, Steri-Strips , super glue, ace bandage or two, blanket, ice pack, scissors, aspirin, Benadryl, gloves, breathing shield, butterfly bandages, blood clot, chest puncture seal and a boy scout field book.
Amazon actual has good bags and load kits that will get you a great start. Just augment them. There's bandages designed for gun shot wounds. Not a bad idea if you are it hunting land.
I have a couple cabins around me of people I trust. They have a key to my place and know about my med kit. I also assure them I'm at their call. It's already come in handy for a chain saw accident that wasn't too bad but quite bloody. Uh, not my wound.
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Steve_S
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# Posted: 3 Feb 2018 09:45am
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I have a St-John's Ambulance Yukon-1 Kit plus a few additions. I also have training which is important to have beyond just having a kit, you can cause more harm & damage because you don't know what your doing, so I urge anyone & everyone to take at least a basic first aid course at least, there is no substitute for knowledge, especially this kind of knowledge.
Also keep Polysporin, Aspirin & IBprophen and a few other things in the kit. Extras depend on your specific needs too, ie allergic to something and need an epipen or ... Also depending on your activities too. ** IF you keep any medications, creams etc in your kit, ensure they are within serviceable dates and rotate accordingly.
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leonk
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# Posted: 4 Feb 2018 09:32pm - Edited by: leonk
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+1 on first aid education
tourniquets are the last resort, they can easily do more harm, than good. They're reserved to amputations etc.
Basically, consider how far away you're from qualified help and plan accordingly. Worst case I can think about are severe cuts and cardio vascular episodes.
Are you alone? Is there anyone to help or call for help? Communication means?
The most important thing for stopping severe bleeding is not to get cut ;) after that - apply pressure and go for help. Don't change the soaked bandage!
If you get decent blood vessel cut, you better go to a hospital, a blood clot can kill long time after the bleeding has stopped.
Aspirine is mandatory for cardiac events.
One little trick I learned from loggers - if you're alone, park your car facing out, if you're injured it makes a difference.
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hattie
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# Posted: 5 Feb 2018 12:39am - Edited by: hattie
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I have a first aid kit in the house, car and ATV. All were purchased but I have supplemented them. In the house we have our defibrillator. I have used it twice - first time to save my husband and second time on a neighbour but sadly the neighbour didn't make it.  I also have a face mask for artificial respiration. The local fire chief can access my house for the defibrillator if I am not home.
I have quick clot (one in the house and one in the ATV) - I think silverwaterlady told me about that product - and steri strips of various sizes. I also keep chewable baby aspirin in my purse, house, car and ATV. I have antiseptic wipes and polysporin. I have a bottle of benadryl in the fridge at all times.
As Steve_S said, it is important to check expiry dates once a year on everything (including defibrillator pads and battery). Replace as soon as you notice something has expired.
Something else we have started doing is stockpiling prescription medication. Out here you can reorder your prescription 14 days before you run out. We make a habit of ordering early and now have a stockpile of prescription meds (just in case). Make sure to rotate it though - you don't want old medication just sitting there. We keep it in our bug out bag and it has actually come in handy when I had some problems getting a prescription renewed. When we had lots of fires out here, we thought it would be a good idea having the meds in case we had to leave and couldn't access a pharmacy for awhile.
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Jebediah
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# Posted: 5 Feb 2018 06:36pm
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Besides a basic trauma kit I also keep my dogs in mind. I'm not to worried about the small stuff, more along the lines of I'll be dead if I don't fix that quick....Keep in mind I've been there, done that , lived it and relived it and I live alone so my thoughts on this matter may seem a little extreme to most.
People usually think in terms of one wound, keep in mind many situations will have an entry and an exit or even worse multiple tears/cuts/compound fractures or multiple people involved....Definitely quick clot and lots of it and Military style tourniquets, several and know how to use them.
Lots of packing gauze (Military field dressings are a must have) and rolls and rolls of tape and triangular bandages to keep all the packing in place... Two items I always have on me;an ELB (personal locator) and a pen flare as there's no way anyone would find me when I'm out and about without those items. There's no one that will come looking for me so I have to be able to initiate the emergency call from my end.
If medical help is close by there's no requirement to be splinting fractures or treating wounds that are non bleeders, just keep the person comfy....and know the signs of shock and treat accordingly.
I came across an accident and the first responder was splinting the casualty's compound fracture(tibia /fibula) with an upper and lower break. I asked him in a polite manner to stop what he was doing because he was causing the person great pain and more harm, so its good to know what your limitations are .
He told me (politely)to back off, I smiled,, and I went about conducting my own primary and secondary survey.... but then when the first responder wanted to remove the persons boot to check for circulation, that's when I had to step in and tell him the ramification of his actions and the injured person agreed.
The EMT's showed up...the first thing they did was ask who splinted the leg , as they were removing the splint, they applied several gauze pads to his open bleeding wounds and wrapped his leg in a pillow and off they went...
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jtamlin
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# Posted: 15 Feb 2018 08:26pm
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Lots of great ideas here. I am a paramedic and worked as such on a SWAT team. No amount of gear will make up for basic knowledge, and the confidence to do SOMETHING. We have a saying, indecision is always wrong! Depending on how remote you are, and what your activities are you can probably find a first aid type course that will provide that niche knowledge. Stick to the basics, CPR and basic wound care.
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KinAlberta
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# Posted: 3 Jun 2018 11:04am - Edited by: KinAlberta
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Good to be thinking about the pets too.
Encounters with porcupines, beavers, etc
Even kicks by horses.
Plus stuff like broken glass in water, barbed wire fences,
Maybe a topic worthy of its own thread : Pet hazards and treatment at cabins.
Beavers attack dog in Fort Saskatchewan river valley - FortSaskOnline.com “Gabbie Andrews and her fiance took their three pit bulls, Mya, Mookii and Kilo, out for some evening exercise on a riverside trail, playing a game of fetch along the way. ... When the dogs splashed after the stick into the beavers’ territory, the large rodents didn’t take it well, getting defensive as they surrounded 8-year-old, 90-pound Kilo. ... https://www.fortsaskonline.com/local/beavers-attack-dog-in-fort-saskatchewan-river-va lley
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Borrego
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# Posted: 3 Jun 2018 11:52am
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We are an hour from nearest hospital, maybe 1/2 hour from 2 different fire stations, so I just keep a basic first aid kit and a tourniquet handy. We really should get some proper training though.....there is a local CERT Training class once in a while so I will look into it next time I hear about it.
Good topic!
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darz5150
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# Posted: 3 Jun 2018 09:59pm
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Something that we have done over the years is to keep an eye open at garage sales auctions and especially at thrift stores, good will stores etc.
We have acquired multiple size crutches, canes, a walker and even a wheel chair. Cervical collar, arm slings, and the hard plastic boot with the inflatable bladder for foot/ankle injuries. Probably don't have $50 bucks invested in all of that.
There is almost always a period of time after an accident, that I have taught my kids/grandkids, that I call YOYO! Your on your own. Do what you know you can do safely, and call for help.
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rockies
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# Posted: 4 Jun 2018 07:18pm
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You know who provides the best info on medical kits (besides Doctors)? Those prepper survival guys. They love to research the heck out of everything (because if they get it wrong all the other preppers heap ridicule on them).
Sometimes you have to wade through the "Jesus Saves" stuff and the right wing gun conspiracy theories but the gear info is usually the best.
https://www.skilledsurvival.com/build-survival-medical-kit-scratch/
https://www.doomsdayprep.com/exhaustive-list-survival-medical-supplies/
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silverwaterlady
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# Posted: 5 Jun 2018 01:03am
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I bought a walker for camp a few weeks ago at a estate sale on the last day of the sale when everything was marked down 50% for $5.
We have three sturdy walking sticks at camp. One of which came in handy last summer when I slipped and fell spraining my ankle.
It was the first time I suffered a injury in over three decades since I've been going to camp.
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