Hey Guys, I'm going on a couple of vacations in the near future and I wanted to put together a small first aid kit for fixing minor injuries. Firstly, I am traveling to Portugal and shortly after that im going on a cruise in the Meditarian. As both trips include traveling by air, the items have to be legal to take on board a aircraft as well as it has to be legal to take with me on the cruise. Please note, that this kit is intended to be used to treat minor injuries. In addition to this kit, I am carrying a far more comprehensive Trauma Kit with Tourniquet, Chest Seals, Gauze etc. The kit is packed in a small plastic container, to protect it doing transport. The content will be described under the pictures. All the content in the kit Bandages and dressings: 5 Compeed blister plasters 1 Micropore tape 1 Snögg Soft 3 Waterproof dressings 10 Plasters (Band-Aids) 2 Wound closure strips 3 Small Mepore 3 Large Mepore Medication and oils: 1 Aloe Vera Gelly, for sunburns 2 Resorb SPORT, rehydration salts 1 Glass of Paracetamol (Panodil) 500mg 1 Dental Wax Hygiene and cleaning: 4 Nitrile Gloves size large 2 15ml. NaCl bottles 4 Hand sanitizer (Dosis packs) 4 Wound Cleaning Wipes Tools: 1 Nail clipper 1 Coast G19 Flashlight 1 Small pair of Scissors 1 Pair of tweezers So that's it. Please share if there is anything I should add or remove from the kit
Looks OK. You still might add a few gauze pads for larger cuts or wound cleaning, and if you are doing some walking/hiking an ace bandage. I like to have a small tube of antibiotic cream for cuts. I always include a couple of packets of aspirin in all my kits in case of heart attack. Not sure if you need rehydration salts but you already have them so I wouldn't take them out.
I would recommend the addition of: 1) Oil of Cloves or the equivalent for dental pain. 2) Benadryl or Zyrtec for allergies. The kit looks good for checked baggage, but not carry-on due to sharps... We are going to Fatima in October - bon voyage!
Thanks for the inputs! I have added an Ace type bandage and a 4x4 gauzepad to the kit and will add some type of allergy medication.
I don't see anything in the kit that's on the Prohibited Items Sharps List. Based on your avatar, I'd add or substitute the following (I'm assuming you have advanced training in first aid): 1. Veterinarian's Tape (for blisters; works like magic) 2. Medical Gloves 3. Chest Seals (may be in your trauma kit) 4. Nasophargyl Airway 5. Combat Gauze 6. CAT Tourniquet 7. Anti-diarrhea Tablets 8. Betadine Ointment 9. Compression Bandage (may be in your trauma kit) 10. Combat Guaze (may be in your trauma kit) 11. Roll of Kerlix It's also a good idea to know the laws related to practicing medicine or good Samaritan where you are traveling.
SUNSCREEN! You are probably already packing this and may not consider it first aid, but, on the ocean, sunscreen is more important than any of these first aid items.
Don't know if the same rules apply when traveling from europe, but it will be placed in the checked in luggage anyway do to its size. However, the trauma kit will be brought onto the plane in my carry on luggage. The trauma kit includes the following items packed into a Maxpedition Fatty: 1x CAT Tourniquet 1x 4" Trauma Dressing 1x H&H Compressed Gauze 1x Foxseal Chest Seal (2 pack) 2x Pair of Nitrile gloves 1x CPR Face Shield 1x Space Blanket / Survival blanket 1x Pair of Trauma Shears (is these okay to bring onboard the plane in carry on luggage?) I don't have any Combat Gauze or other hemostatic gauzes do the cost of these items here in Europe (Its expensive!!)
Get some big cheap generic maxi pads if you are worried about some kind of trauma situation. Cheap and effective. Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk
IMO, leave the trauma kit home.. In your small kit or in your dopp kit I would have aspirin (heart or stroke), advil (or your choice or pain relief), allergy med, upset stomach meds, diarrhea meds, antibiotic ointment, cortisone ointment, small single use super glue. An assortment of gauze pads, bandaids, tape, etc..
Insect bite cream for when you get bitten by mosquitos. I've also found that taking antihistamines every day makes the bites far less irritating.
Probably not. My firearms instructor in the academy was a former state trooper. He told us stories of carrying and using the thick pads in his patrol bag FAK for GSW and stabbing victims.
Sure, there's plenty of anecdotes of maxi pads and tampons being used. But the evidence is not there to support that it is effective, for a variety of reasons that has been discussed at length on the forum and in other places many times before. Historically they might have been the best thing available in some situations, today it isn't. Tampons and maxi pads are not designed to stop bleeding, they are designed to absorb fluids. Using things like that is a last-ditch effort that might work, not something you should plan on (kind of like how a belt may work as a tourniquet, but planning on using it is downright stupid). Planning to improvise life saving, time critical equipment is planning to fail. Why is that?
Large maxi pads along with direct pressure though old school is effective. I worked for a gun and knife club city as a ff/pm and used these. It also helps surgeons from having to scoop up all this new clot stuff. Can be a mess for them in the OR. Guess it depends on your eta to an OR. Sent from my YOGA Tablet 2-1050F using Tapatalk
This "new clot stuff" is a proven, effective and safe way to handle bleeding. While a maxi pad (or a t-shirt, an oily rag or toilet paper for that matter) may work, recommending them as first line equipment has no scientific basis. They are what you may grab when you have nothing else, not a substitute for "combat dressings" (including civilian derivatives). Just like a belt is not a substitute for a tourniquet but if you don't have anything else then use it. Would you prefer if I reached for a maxi pad or an OLAES bandage/emergency if you had a catastrophic bleed? Again, we're not talking about improvising, that is something completely different. And yes, I've stopped large bleedings with both proper dressings and improvised material. There's no doubt in my mind what my answer is to the above question.
Most people are never going to use or have a need to use the clot products or will let it expire. I'll keep it simple.... Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk
