First Aid Kit?

I'm looking for a good first aid kit to put in Big Blue for overlanding.  And the spot where I want to put it is in the behind-the-seat storage unit and is 6 1/2" high and 5 1/2" front/rear, but can be any width, side-to-side.  Given that I think a soft bag rather than a hard case would be best.

So I'm looking for recommendations if any of you are au fait with FAK's.  

Here are some I'm looking at, but I've not confirmed that they are the right size: (NB: I can't add a link.)

Adventure First Aid Family Kit: https://fsastore.com/adventure-first-aid-family-kit/22911.html?utm_source=pepperjam&utm_medium=affiliates&utm_campaign=21181&clickId=3641626078

MyFAK: https://mymedic.com/products/myfak-firstaidkit?variant=19844419059808

Stormproof Universal First Aid Kit: https://mymedic.com/products/stormproof-universal-first-aid-kit?variant=32760344707168

EDIT: Links worked on Firefox.  

I carry one of the off-the-shelf kits from my local Walmart, I believe it was in the camping section. One thing you need to remember is that the ointments inside will expire. Try to find a kit that doesn't expire within a year. I believe I bought my kit in 2017, and it expired by 2020. If you can find one that is five years out, that would probably be better.

The Walmart kit had everything I needed a few years ago when my girlfriend cut her hand on the fence and I had to wrap her up. So no complaints with the kit.

Thanks, Shaun.  I hadn't looked at Walmart, but it turns out they carry a number of the ones I've already looked at.  Or brothers/sisters of them.  For instance, they carry the Adventure Medical Kits Sportsman Series 200, which is the big brother of the Adventure First Aid Family Kit I listed above.  At 7.50 x 5.50 x 5.50 Inches it'll fit, and at $39.99 and free delivery it might be a good option.

And they carry the My Medic MyFAK, which I listed above, but for $110 instead of $120 as shown in that link, and it has free 2-day delivery.  But at 4 in. x 6.75 in. x 7.75 in it is questionable as the 6.75 will have to squish a bit to 6.5".

Anyway, thanks for the suggestion of Walmart awa the idea to find one with stuff that won't expire tomorrow.  But I'm not sure how to do that if I'm ordering.  

Gary Lewis wrote

Anyway, thanks for the suggestion of Walmart awa the idea to find one with stuff that won't expire tomorrow.  But I'm not sure how to do that if I'm ordering.

Therein lies the problem with ordering online.

I honestly can't remember if my kit has the earliest expiration date printed on it or not.

I know it would be nice to order everything in 1 shot or in 1 case but it that case it to large why not either pick up each thing local and put it in a case or bag that will fit where you want it?
No one says it has to stay in the case it comes with.

Also going local you may find there are things you feel are not needed and others that are and not in the kit's or you want more of something.
Just thinking out loud
Dave ----

ps I have not looked at the links ... yet

Gary Lewis wrote

I'm looking for a good first aid kit to put in Big Blue for overlanding.  And the spot where I want to put it is in the behind-the-seat storage unit and is 6 1/2" high and 5 1/2" front/rear, but can be any width, side-to-side.  Given that I think a soft bag rather than a hard case would be best.

So I'm looking for recommendations if any of you are au fait with FAK's.  

Here are some I'm looking at, but I've not confirmed that they are the right size: (NB: I can't add a link.)

Adventure First Aid Family Kit: https://fsastore.com/adventure-first-aid-family-kit/22911.html?utm_source=pepperjam&utm_medium=affiliates&utm_campaign=21181&clickId=3641626078

MyFAK: https://mymedic.com/products/myfak-firstaidkit?variant=19844419059808

Stormproof Universal First Aid Kit: https://mymedic.com/products/stormproof-universal-first-aid-kit?variant=32760344707168

EDIT: Links worked on Firefox.  

Have you thought about piecing your own kit together?  Some places online sell empty bags that you can then fill with your own supplies to custom tailor it to what you think youll need and you can also make sure they are the freshest supplies with the longest expiration date.

Im looking at doing this myself as I find myself wanting my first aid kit for my truck to have pieces from three different premade kits and decided it would be easier to just piece it together myself.

This is one of the sites I am looking at myself off and on for empty first aid bags to use as a base for my build.

https://gearbags.com/product-category/medical/page/1/?gclid=Cj0KCQjw9O6HBhCrARIsADx5qCT4_Z5kMFs1a2pUOWvy0PAizNecjE6iXSCQWO-mFhD6msPKLv-QyQkaAjZtEALw_wcB

Dave/Rusty - I have thought about piecing a first aid kit together.  But I don't really know what I need in one, so have come to the conclusion that I need to rely on others to tell me what I ought to have.

But it appears there are several levels of what I would call a "first aid kit".  Scott/Kramttocs and I attended a seminar on trauma at the overland rally a couple of months ago hosted by an outfit called Switchbacksafety.com.  They tout what turns out to be a "trauma" kit for overlanding that goes far beyond anything I was expecting in a first aid kit, and their reasoning is that if you are in the back of beyond your chances of getting medical treatment soon are nil, so you'd better take it with you.

So where do I draw the line?  What do I need?  I don't know.  But it appears to be more than a few Bandaids and aspirin.  Maybe I need to do a comparison of some of the ones I'm looking at to see what they are including?  

Gary Lewis wrote

Dave/Rusty - I have thought about piecing a first aid kit together.  But I don't really know what I need in one, so have come to the conclusion that I need to rely on others to tell me what I ought to have.

But it appears there are several levels of what I would call a "first aid kit".  Scott/Kramttocs and I attended a seminar on trauma at the overland rally a couple of months ago hosted by an outfit called Switchbacksafety.com.  They tout what turns out to be a "trauma" kit for overlanding that goes far beyond anything I was expecting in a first aid kit, and their reasoning is that if you are in the back of beyond your chances of getting medical treatment soon are nil, so you'd better take it with you.

So where do I draw the line?  What do I need?  I don't know.  But it appears to be more than a few Bandaids and aspirin.  Maybe I need to do a comparison of some of the ones I'm looking at to see what they are including?  

What I did was I did searches for different types there is a shooting first aid kit with supplies for treating gun shot wounds for example.  Something like that I would like in my case to keep in the truck but they dont cover the basics just gunshot wounds.  Then there are some that I found that treats just minor cuts and wounds.  Then there are some marketed as surgical that comes with more gear for slicing to remove foreign objects for example as well as hemostats and supplies for stitches.

For me I was looking at adding a little from the surgical kit such as the supplies for doing stitches, the entire gunshot wound kit I would add, then your basic bandage kit and I am thinking about if I need to throw in some other supplies such as a snake bite kit, tourniquet kit, etc.  It is a balancing at in my eyes where you have to think about what will you have a good chance of using.  If you dont know how to do surgery well then a surgical first aid kit would be pointless for you.  If you arent around guns and not in an area that has a high number of gun ownership well then the gunshot wound first aid kit would be something you wouldnt need either.

Rusty - The question of what I'll run into is one I hadn't really thought enough about.  For instance, I didn't consider snake bites, but if you are going out in the woods you may well get bitten.  And splinters are a given if you are handling wood for a fire so you'd better have good tweezers.  Plus, burns are likely if you have a fire.

That suggests I need to pay more attention to what's in the kits.  And I may need to customize even a fairly complete kit as I don't remember seeing one with snake-bite provisions.  But, with a teeny bit of reading here (HOW TO SURVIVE A SNAKEBITE IN THE WILDERNESS) it looks like it may be more about procedure than equipment.  But the information in that article would certainly be helpful in or with the kit.

So, this will take a bit more thought.  Maybe research each type of problem a bit and determine what is needed in the FAK for that.  And if it is more info that "stuff" print the info and put it in the kit and/or the 3-ring binder that's under the seat.  

Gary Lewis wrote

Rusty - The question of what I'll run into is one I hadn't really thought enough about.  For instance, I didn't consider snake bites, but if you are going out in the woods you may well get bitten.  And splinters are a given if you are handling wood for a fire so you'd better have good tweezers.  Plus, burns are likely if you have a fire.

That suggests I need to pay more attention to what's in the kits.  And I may need to customize even a fairly complete kit as I don't remember seeing one with snake-bite provisions.  But, with a teeny bit of reading here (HOW TO SURVIVE A SNAKEBITE IN THE WILDERNESS) it looks like it may be more about procedure than equipment.  But the information in that article would certainly be helpful in or with the kit.

So, this will take a bit more thought.  Maybe research each type of problem a bit and determine what is needed in the FAK for that.  And if it is more info that "stuff" print the info and put it in the kit and/or the 3-ring binder that's under the seat.  

Correct, thats what I find with a lot of the generic kits out there that they are a good starter but they lack in some areas that you may need.  Like the good tweezers for splinters, another good addition is good nail clippers.  If you have a splinter under the skin that you cant get out with tweezers you can use the nail clipper to nip the upper layer of skin to get to the splinter.  Ive had to do that before with metal shards before.  Then if you are dealing with metal for example a good strong magnet is great as in many instances a magnet will pull metal shards out of the skin as well.

What I like about the gunshot wound first aid kits is that they come with QuikClot which you can buy separate it also comes with clotting sponges which many people Ive heard used tampons in place of clotting sponges for sticking in the wound.  Stuff like that actually works great for more serious wounds not just gunshot wounds which is why I cant justify spending $90 for one of those first aid kits when they lack in general first aid areas.  You can buy QuikClot as well as clotting sponges separate and add to a generic kit.  Only thing is generic kits tend to not have a whole lot of extra room for adding to.

On the link I posted there are two that I am liking, the LXPB15 which is a molle style case which I think would go good on my bug out LBV but it doesnt have a whole lot of room for storage with its 8" x 6.5" x 3".  The one that I am looking at for tossing behind the seat of my truck is the LXPB35 which is 9" x 7" x 4.5" or the LXMB10 which is 14" x 9" x 7".

On the snake bite kit it is procedure more than anything but the little suction cups for venom removal is a little more sanitary than going the old way of using your mouth to create the suction.  I know many claim they dont matter anyways because the venom is already through your system in the matter of seconds but I feel if that was the case then there would be no reason in producing those kits in the first place and many of them are made by big name companies.

Rusty - When the Snakebite Foundation says the suction cups and syringes don't work I'll believe them.  Yes, big name companies make them, but that's because people buy them, not because they work.  

Anyway, several of the generic FAK's I'm looking at have clotting stuff in them, and I'll probably go with one of those and then add some things.  But I still need to determine what those things will be.  Your idea of nail clippers is a good one.  

My wife is the one that puts our first aid kits together when we go camping and stuff but here are the items that normally dont come in a ready made kit, off the top of my head (as always):

-fabric tape, I like a good roll of it. much better than bandaids if you have a bigger cut or burn
-a decent amount of some sort of wound cleaner. We use alcohol based solutions, but everyone has their preferences. God forbid you need to use more than a wipe, but those are the items that disappear first.
-cotton balls.

We have a couple boxes that are always in the truck when we go somewhere, but like I said that's not my department. My first aid kit is a shop towel and some electrical tape.

Tweezers is a really good one. Im glad that was mentioned. Splinters, cactus, a dogs face covered in porcupine quills.

The epi-pen and/or benadryl for bites and stings is extremely important. In a wilderness environment, you're more likely to deal with a bee/wasp sting or some insect you never heard of that you have a bad reaction. Its also really important to make provisions for pets and children ahead of time.

Thanks.  I appreciate the input.  Those kinds of things are easily added.

This is interesting. Lots of good ideas.

I will add along with the bigger tape and bandages, a triangular bandage. Good for holding big pads, can be a sling, or for a tourniquet.

Subscribed. Been meaning to get something ever since that demo so looking forward to seeing what you go with.

Thanks, Dane.

Scott - The guy at the trauma demo was from Switchback.  I really wanted to buy from them, but having looked at their kits I'm not too impressed:

Trauma kit: $220 and it doesn't look that impressive.  When I compare it to the MyMedic MyFAK in Advanced ($240) the Switchback doesn't seem to match up.

First aid kit:  At $129 it doesn't seem to stand up to the MyFAK Basic at $120.

 
On top of that the Switchback doesn't tell the size of the bag, at least that I can find.  But MyMedic does tell and at 7.5 x 6.5 x 5 it is a perfect fit behind the seat.

I hadn't planned to spend anywhere near that much money, but I'm about to talk myself into the Advanced MyFAK.  It is one of those things that if you ever needed it you'd be glad you spent the money.

But, I'd like everyone's thoughts on it.  

Much of this has already been mentioned but...

A way to clean stuff is huge.  Wipes, gauze pads, alcohol, etc.  But also water.  And a bottle of contact lens saline solution is great for flushing junk out of eyes.

Antibiotic ointment is important.  You won't get anything surgically clean, so minimizing risk of infection is important.

Band-Aids, gauze and tape.

Benadryl, some pain killers like Advil or Tylenol.

Some larger clean cloths can also be helpful for covering up bandaged areas, or making slings, tying splints or making tourniquets.  That can take up a lot of space, so some extra T-shirts in your luggage might be a better way to pack that.

Tweezers, nail clippers, a nail file (laugh, but a broken nail can be really annoying and is easy to fix if you have the right stuff).  And scissors to cut the gauze, tape and T-shirts.

Mole-skin if you'll be doing any hiking (blisters will ruin a hiking trip otherwise).

Pliers and/or diagonal cutters help with porcupine quills (I've never had the "opportunity" to practice this, but I hear that cutting off the exposed end "releases" the barbs, then pushing it SLIGHTLY in befpre pulling it out is the best way to get them out).  But these can be in the tool box rather than the first aid kit.

Also remember that FIRST aid is just that.  It's not expected to be final aid.  Sure, the better job you can do the better.  But the goal is to minimize damage until you can get to medical help.  And while that might be many hours away, anywhere you are with a truck in this country isn't really all that far from medical help.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B006RNSPYM

This is the kit I have mounted to the back of the cab wall behind the seat.  I have their much much bigger kit in my house and it's worked well so far.

351Fun - Thanks.  That one is similar to the one I have in my shop, which had been in my parents' motor home.  But it is too big to go in the designated spot on Big Blue, and I really want it in a soft bag so I can squeeze it in.

Bob - Thanks for the suggestions.  I hadn't thought about flushing the eyes out, but a bottle of contact lens saline solution is an excellent idea for that.  And I fully agree that a broken nail, or for that matter even a hang nail, can be annoying.  And while I carry a Swiss Army knife which has scissors and a nail file, that isn't as good as nail clippers so they should be included.

As for FIRST aid, you have a good point.  And I'm trying to take that into consideration in my planning and purchase.  I'm not a medic and I'm not trained to handle trauma - even though Scott and I sat through a seminar on the subject.  So while I have a desire to have everything that I could ever need to-hand, I'm not sure that's a good idea.

On the other hand, if/when we go overlanding we'll be in the back of beyond and may not even have a cell signal.  However, I may well pop for a Garmin inReach when we go and that would give me the ability to send an SOS and get medical support in an emergency, so I probably don't need the serious trauma supplies.

Hmmm...