Whats in your First Aid Kit?

[Connor Donovan]

Hey guys,

I've been going through my gear the past week and noticed that my small first aid kit I carry is totally kaput - I have no idea when it happened but water ruined just about everything.  Before I replace my small one and make a larger one dedicated for overnight raft/car camping trips, I'm curious to hear what you guys carry on day trips or what you carry on overnight trips either in the car or in the boat.

I'm thinking for the small kit a variety of band aids, triangle bandages, antibiotic ointment, Advil/Tylenol, gloves, tweezers, mole skin, super glue, butterfly band aids.  For the large - more of the items in the small kit, variety of gauze pad sizes, horse warp, SAM splint, saline wash, safety pins, CPR mask, emergency blanket, waterproof matches and a small candle, orange duct tape, Imodium,  a small eye wash kit, Benadryl, tooth ache relief, burn relief ointment, a Leatherman, small flashlight, sharpie marker.

If there is anything else that you guys carry or don't see on my list, I'd love to hear it.  Or if you think items in the above are redundant and not necessary.  I'm no EMT but am CPR certified and am confident I know how to use all the above stuff.

Is there anything first aid related to you don't go fishing without it?

Have you ever needed something that you didn't bring? 

And do any of you have SPOT or emergency locator beacons or experience using them?  I've been toying with the idea to get one for a long, unguided, wilderness trip I'm taking in 2017 and would love to hear about people's experience with them - both good and bad.

Thanks,

Connor

[John Smith]

Did you include Hydrogen peroxide? I usually include that. Also, aspirin is good to have along especially if anyone is in the heart attack/stroke risk category. Otherwise, yours is much more complete than the one I carry.

[TurbineBlade]

I used to use hydrogen peroxide a lot too due to old habit, but there are sparse, and sometimes conflicting evaluations of its efficacy if you search the medical literature.  My gut feeling is that there is probably something nearly as cheap and easy to bring that probably does a better job as a wound antiseptic (like Betadine, or Old Crow). 

Sorry -- that's a very minor point and maybe not so helpful.  I review efficacy data related to a very specific class of chemicals for a living, so I tend to pay close attention to stuff like that. 

We carry a small first-aid kit in the truck, but it never really gets used unless I need to bust into the Tylenol or Benadryl for reasons unrelated to fishing injury.  I don't know CPR, but wish I did. 

If you wanted to go old school you could try to find a good asbestos blanket. 

Gene

[Casey Peltier]

You mentioned "toothache relief"
I carry a small bottle of Anbesol in my waders because there is nothing like it for bug bites. If I put it on a mosquito or gnat bite at the first tweak of itch, it's gone in a couple of hours and never itches.
It's also a Godsend for poison ivy rash.

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Date: Thu, 28 Jul 2016 07:55:07 -0700
From: don...@gmail.com
To: tidal-potoma...@googlegroups.com
Subject: {Tidal Potomac Fly Rodders} Whats in your First Aid Kit?

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[Scott Stankus]

Casey's comment about poison ivy relief reminded me that the absolute best thing that I've found for stinging nettles (is that redundant?) is Gold Bond! I always have a small bottle handy. I prefer the green bottle over the yellow. 

In addition to the super glue you mentioned, Connor, I would add some heavy tying thread and duct tape. With those three things you can close up fairly nasty cuts. Just run the thread through a small puddle of the glue, then glue short strips across the cut (with some tension) to close it up. If necessary, put duct tape over the whole mess.  

--Scott

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[Casey Peltier]

Hmm...we used butterfly bandages, especially on faces. For some reason sailing boats, eyebrows took a beating.

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From: ssta...@gmail.com
Date: Thu, 28 Jul 2016 13:23:14 -0400
Subject: Re: {Tidal Potomac Fly Rodders} Whats in your First Aid Kit?
To: tidal-potoma...@googlegroups.com

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[Parker]

My 'big' first aid kit is also kind of a survival kit, so in addition to much that you mentioned I include a sewing kit (been thinking about getting a curved needle), a BIC lighter, and for when things get really rough, a few mini bottles of whiskey. 

On Thursday, July 28, 2016 at 10:55:07 AM UTC-4, Connor Donovan wrote:

[namfos]

Speaking of poison ivy, this is worth watching, even if it may have been posted here previously: https://youtu.be/4oyoDRHpQK0 

Mark 

[Connor Donovan]

Thanks for all the responses!

I'm really enjoying all the input.

I'll follow up once I piece her all together.  I'm hoping to jam it all in a Nalgene and if that doesn't work, an ammo can.