Hey guys need some recommendations for the first aid portion of my EDC. Putting together a maxpedition 4x6 notebook cover for EDC. In one of the larger pockets I'd like a small amount of first aid items. (Band aids, maybe a gauze pad or two, and maybe some medication.) I'm looking for a good antiseptic that I'd use to prep a minor cut or small wound before applying a bandage. The only two requirements are that it be effective, and individually packaged. In other words, small, packaged like a moist towelette or something. What is my best bet? Alcohol wipes? Triple antibiotic creams? Iodine wipes? Thanks for the tips!
First off, I think you'll find that most such sanitizers have a common element: usually an active ingredient of about 60% or so of ethyl alcohol (there are some formulations that use natural or other active ingredients, but the ethyl alcohol is the most commonly seen). When you select the brand you'll probably quickly find that there are two "features" that will help you decide whether you'll want to keep on purchasing that particular company's formula or not: 1) how the sanitizer dries on your hands: some end up with a sticky residue, and 2) what the smell associated with the sanitizer is: some smell like menthol, some like perfume ... years ago I tried one that smelled exactly like gin (not good for using at most workplaces.). I quickly found one that does not have a sticky residue and has a non-lingering smell and stopped looking (so there may be other brands out there with those characteristics). It's Purell. That brand (I think the company that owns it is GoJo) has all kinds of options for containers: from huge bottles to towelette-sized packets. Long story short: I've found that for me for EDC the towelettes (approximately 1 inch squares) and the little .5 ounce bottles work best ... your mileage may vary. Oh, and I thought I'd mention that the alcohol-based hand sanitizers, such as Purell, can work adequately as emergency fire starters, too. Hope that all helps.
Great, thanks for the heads up! Now I have to research Celox to see if they have packages small enough to fit in there. (I wouldn't use it for small cuts, but in the event I encounter heavy arterial bleedying...) though I might have to skip it and just add it to a dedicated FAK. Though I'd like to have it with me. Thanks again.
I am not a fan of alcohol based wipes for wound cleaning (OK for some prep work or hand sanitisiing) and antibiotics on minor cuts and scrapes have some well documented long term problems. I think Iodine has been around a while and still going well. Betadine make wipes swabs paint or small liquid containers small enough for a 4x6 notebook cover.
Yeah, you're right, VinnyP, let me clarify: my remarks are all addressing sanitizer selection, which would be used for hand cleaning when soap and water are not available. I mis-read the original posting.
My fault for not being more specific. My goal is little packets of SOMETHING to use to clean cuts and small wounds before applying a bandage of some sort. Iodine wipes are the way to go?
I think good irrigation of a wound is a far greater need than alcohol for short term field uses. I wouldn't over think the disinfectant mode much. Small amount of Iodine or whatever.
I don't know if they where doing the best thing or not but when I was heavy into distance backpacking (what was some years ago) the standard seemed to be triple anti biotic, iodine, and a disinfectant wipes. Now these guys didn't carry much for first aid and made it minimal.
Rub some dirt on it. Just washing the wound out with soap and water is usually adequate. I wouldn't t want anybody pouring hand sanitizer in my open wound.
Unidoses of saline solution to wash, Unidoses of chlorexidine to disinfect, and 3M hydroalcoolic gel to sanitize hands
Neosporin makes some individualized triple antibiotic flat packets which are great for EDC especially when space is a factor. They can be difficult to find but work great.
+1 on small packs of Neosporin/triple antibiotic. I got this idea from someone else on this forum and have since added them to my FAKs....... http://www.cvs.com/CVSApp/catalog/shop_product_detail.jsp?filterBy=&skuId=402989&productId=402989&navAction=jump&navCount=3
I am not saying don't ever use them but be careful using antibiotics on minor things. It is linked to bacteria mutating to develop resistance and autoimmune diseases.
these are the ones I use as well they are very small (and flat) and light- for short solo trips I only carry one, for longer trips two as an added benefit- they burn great if you needed a fire in a pinch I also carry a very small irrigator as well (you can find them online as well)
I'm talking about the single Neosporin packets- I quoted his entire post (which had a link to the saline wipes)- I've edited the quote
Cool, thanks everybody. Can't wait to complete my notebook cover. All I need is a firesteel pen of sorts, these antibiotic packs, and a multitool... It's going to be a long night :-D
The most useful sized bottles of Purell that I've ever used were the 1 oz. ones. It's been over a year since the company has refused to put out their product in that size in NYC. Their tiny bottles, and their larger 2 oz. bottles are common as dirt. Too small or too big, I found the 1 oz. bottles for sale in a tourist shop out in Vegas over a year ago. Wasn't until yesterday that I stumbled onto a small supply of them at a Staples near the medical institute I'm attending. Excellent size for tossing into a pocket or into a BOB. Bought four bottles yesterday. Plan on getting a few more on Monday. If Purell decides to pull that nonsense again, I'll just refill the empty bottles and have enough of them to last me a very long time.
I have similar interests. My current first aid plan is wash, followed by povidone iodine swab, followed by a bandage with possible neosporin. The watery iodine enters the wound more easily than the thick gel of neosporin. Povidone iodine has the additional benefits of not stinging (unlike alcohol) and being gentle on wound tissue (unlike alcohol, benzalkonium chloride, and hydrogen peroxide). The problem is that I'm using discontinued SwabPlus brand manually-saturating swabs. They're great because they're single use, compact, they resist drying out, and they put the iodine just where it needs to be, rather than having the entire length of the swab being saturated with iodine. The shaft of the swab is hollow plastic filled with the splution, and by bending one end the seal is broken and the solution flows down into the other end. Does anyone have experience with a similar product that's still in production? I've found a lot of the fully saturated swabs, but the manually-activated ones seem rare and horribly expensive. Any ideas? Thanks!
