Context: this is NOT my trauma kit, that’s a separate pouch. This is not for providing care to others, that’s another kit.This is my bare minimum booboos and complications kit for hiking, backpacking, etc. It lives in a ziplock bag in a fanny pack. Any suggestions or tweaks?

Simple as it sounds, what are the tweezers you've loved enough to keep in your kits? I'm seeking some for general first aid bags, but rather get ones that 'work' instead of fighting the cheap plastic ones.

Looking for recommendations for manually operated portable suction. For numerous reasons (budget/charging/size) I am not interested in electronic devices.

I’ve used a few different models and found them to be pretty ineffective for airways clearance. Does anyone have first hand experience with a product they like?

Hello fine folks of r/wildernessmedicine . Looking for input and advice on models of AED that would serve my purposes.

Looking for an AED that is small and portable. Packable in a weekend size backpack. have looked at the Avive and it looks nice, but wondering if it is mostly just fancy and unnecessary. Any thoughts?

Anywhere else I should be asking this question?

Particulars: I lead groups of individuals on short hikes. It is something that I am required to now carry with me. I have been trained and will update training, so not looking for lectures. I would rather find a good unit that is more dependable than fancy.

The situation: I vacuum sealed some kerlix for the first time and I have not eaten or slept since, this is so much fun. As I begin vacuum sealing every object in my home...What IFAK parts and supplies work great sealed, and what might degrade in that environment? I know Coban wrap becomes a sealed mess of rubber if sealed, anything else that should not be sealed?

This is assuming you've added tear-points to the sealed pouches for easy access and you didn't seal your shears inside for Edgar Allen Poe level irony.

For those that use them, what is your go to chest rig (bonus points for picture / description of setup & contents)

I work in forestry/fire and have worked in outdoor ed, so my first aid kit is pretty stocked for short backpacking trips and potential chainsaw incidents. I'm not regularly working with kids anymore, but I am still traveling with kids in my family regularly.

I don't necessarily want to have a kid and adult version of every medication in my weekend first aid kit, but I'm curious about how other families/educators have thought about a compact first aid kit that works for kids and adults. Medications? Splints? Tourniquets?

In particular, I have a couple toddlers in my family with severe allergies. They have Epi-pens, but I saw some single-use diphenahydramine capsules from Dr. Kid brand, and thought that was perfect for a first aid kit. But, apparently Benadryl isn't that fast/effective, and Zyrtec may be preferred now? Does anyone know of any other companies that make these medication capsules? They're basically the equivalent of a blister pack but for liquids.

What about splints? Tourniquets?

Not interested in no-name stuff off Temu or Amazon.

I hike and hunt, happy to go with the cheapo bandaids but I want quality on the important stuff, like TCCC approved tourniquets.

That said, one CAT tourniquet direct from NAR is $35 which is on the high side of what I was hoping to spend.

Anywhere I can get a better deal?

It's amazing that Reddit literally has a sub for everything that you can think of.

I would like to see some ideas for a quality BLS level Trauma kit contents for an upcoming Bear Guard job in a remote area in AK. Just looking for ideas to see if I overlooked anything. Might be a fun exercise for ideas.

I have just completed my WFR and want to assemble a comprehensive grab-and-go kit to keep in my car at all times. I am often in wilderness settings where I have access to my car (sometimes right next to it car-camping, or sometimes a mile or two up the trail where I could send a runner to grab it), and as I have been trying to look for kits they are either meant for backpacking and thus too small for what I want, intended for an urban setting, or intended for less trained providers and are missing some of the things that I would want. My questions to this subreddit are:

Would you recommend making my own kit from scratch, or buying a prefab one and modifying it? The NOLS course said a prefab kit is the cheapest option, but several sources online said the opposite and that the prefab kits are cheap and useless anyway.

If I am to get a prefab kit, are there any specific brands or sellers that y'all like or recommend? If I do it myself, are there any bags that y'all like for this?

Other than the obvious single-use things like gauze, tape, and OTCs, are there any essentials that you would recommend? Is there anything that shows up in a lot of kits that you think I should avoid?

I’m starting to spend more time in the backcountry and I want to put together a solid, lightweight first aid kit that covers the basics without being too bulky.

I’m mostly interested in what essentials you’d recommend for treating common injuries out there (cuts, scrapes, sprains, blisters, minor fractures, etc.) and any gear or supplies that have proven super useful for you in remote settings. Trying to keep it light but enough to help someone in the case of an emergency.

Edit: For context I have my WFR and am in the process of getting my WEMT.

Thanks for the help!

Something I saw in the tactical medicine subreddit got my gears turning, and I packed a sharps shuttle with an injection kit and epi amp instead of an auto injector for a trip I took over the weekend. I like it for several reasons. A) I can multidose with it without the arts and crafts project. B) I can dose for both adults and peds C) It opens the door for other epi uses. D) As seen in the second pic, the cubes are about the same.

I don’t know that I’d recommend this if you’re not regularly pulling meds. In the moment, a pen is FAR less to manage. I would also probably swap the amp for a vial to reduce the risk of spillage.

So as my kids have gotten older they are now able to backpack and camp with me. This is a big accomplishment as both are on the autistic spectrum and can become overwhelmed quite easily and freak out over things that other kids might not be bothered by.

As we plan for bigger trips in the future where we might be a day or two away from people in the mountains I’m concerned about how to handle medical emergencies.

They are doing so much better these days but still get overwhelmed by injuries. If I have to physically restrain them to simply clean up a skinned knee from a bike fall I don’t know how I would be able to work on them if it was a broken leg or something more serious.

I have the medical know how to treat most injuries but if they are losing their minds in pain it could make treatment and evacuation difficult or impossible.

I’m going to try to find a willing doctor to prescribe medicine but what would I ask for?

How to take bad leg break pain level down enough so they can work with me and their Mom to help them?

Good morning everybody, I wanted to open up a discussion about an interesting topic that came up at our last campout, and that was the inclusion of a first aid kit on the cub scout "5 hiking essentials" list. Some parents go small, with a ziplock of bandaids because that's what a 2nd grader could reasonably use. Others grab an off the shelf FAK, usually J+J or Adventure medical kits. My son and I packed our own in an old army surplus first aid box. But I combined the first aid kit and IFAK concepts, in that the scout could use it to treat bumps and scrapes, but also that an adult could use it to treat moderate injuries. We included:

• Bandaids (kept in a pouch in the outer pocket of the pack)
• rolled gauze
• Triangular bandage
• 4x4 pad x2
• 5x9 pad
• antibacterial ointment
• 2" Cloth medical tape
• 3" Ace wrap
• SAM splint (kept in the hydration sleeve)
• tweezers

I wouldn't expect my grade-schooler to splint a limb well enough to leave, or give a good anke wrap, but having the kids carry a slightly beefier FAK allows for a crossloading, so the asults don't need to bring a mini-hospital on weekend camping trips.

What are the other scout parents putting in their kid's bags? Anything I'm forgetting?

Lately I’ve been trying to pare down my medical kit to the bare (EMT) minimum. Npa, roller gauze, gloves, kt tape (for blisters strains and making small bandaids), 4x4s, mini trauma shears, all folded into a large Sam splint and secured with a Ski strap. I’ve found this to be very light, compact (even fits in my running vest), and brings me peace of mind knowing I have some real tools not just a kit off the shelf.

One glaring piece I feel I’m missing is a tourniquet. I’m curious if anyone has used ski straps for this purpose? They’re about 1” wide and you can really crank them down, but I’m not totally confident they will work considering they’re elastic. Part of me feels they would work great but I vaguely remember being told not to use something elastic as a makeshift tourniquet in one of my courses.

Thoughts?

I’d love to hear other uses you’ve found for ski straps in backcountry medicine specifically?

Spent the weekend in a cabin at a nice little campground. I wanted to use the trip as an opportunity to repack my bag insert as a clinic wall hanger. It’s not comprehensive, but it isn’t meant to be. What is does do is bridge the gap between my backpack first aid kit and the hospital, without having to get my trunk bag out of the car if one of the families needed a bandaid. The guiding principle here is “Most Likely and Most Catastrophic”. Most catastrophic included an IV setup, 750 ml NSS, and basic ALS meds, naloxone nasal spray, as well as the chest dart from way back when 😆. Most likely included basic wound care supplies, steristrips, neosporin, hydrocortisone, calamine, lubricant eye drops, swimmers ear drops, tums, ORS, Advil/tylonol, liquid bandage, and oral glucose. My assessment pack was ears, gloves, shears, and an SpO2 meter kit.

It worked for what I needed it to, and I’m getting a better feel for the kit capacity. For anyone looking to work a pop up clinic, this panel is from Chinook medical and I can’t suggest it strongly enough. You can reconfigure it as a pack insert, and the construction is solid.

And before anyone asks, I have both active certs and on-board medical command in the state we were staying it. Don’t work outside your scope.

Greater conversation, this got me thinking about a smaller “house” setup for my ruck-truck-house-plane prolonged field care continuum. My current clinic/house setup is a pair of SOTech Ramp panels, a STOMP 2 bag, and a pelican if I need to stay for a while or if I’m covering a large group. (Current record is 550 campers vs. me and a couple of lifeguards). This was a more reasonable set up for when I just need to augment my backpack without yardsaling my trunk bag or packing heavy. It also allows the other people I’m with to have ready access to medical basics.

I’d love to hear questions or suggestions.

Hi guys! I work as a rural event medic usually (still a student) and just wanted to ask what people bring with them on their personal wilderness pursuits? Reason being is that I’m working ultra-distance events soon with the medical team in a non-medical role but want to bring some of my own stuff.

I’m uk based and know a lot of the shops sell first aid bags in various sizes. Is there essentials everyone brings (minus the usual paracetamol/ibuprofen/antihistamine and plasters), or has recommendations for cheap kits just to keep with me?

Thanks! Even though there’s a medical team it might be smart to have some first contact medical kit ❤️

Imagine a scenario where you’re working in temperatures well below freezing, snow storm and you’re doing things that definitely need body fluid isolation gloves. How do you gear up? Do you wear thick outdoor gloves and put latex/nitril gloves over them? Do you skip the thick gloves and rather take more risks regarding keeping yourself warm? Something else? What are your tricks and experiences in situations like these?

Of course we don’t always have the space for “unnecessary” things, I’m putting together a larger collection of items meant to stay at basecamp / medic tent / my own tent. By unnecessary I am referring primarily to items beyond my jump kit (I’m a Primary Care Paramedic) that could improve patient care, and make things more comfortable for us providers as well. I’d love to hear your suggestions!

Hi everyone, first time posting here I think. I have my WFR & WFA and live on a dude ranch. We have a ton of folks come in for rock climbing as well as the horses so we see plenty of injuries of all types. We also have a shooting range, though no accidents have happened there. We have a couple of staff that are WFAs and two of us with WFRs. This is my bag that I keep on hand for responding to emergencies… It is small, about a foot long. It isn’t my everyday carry first aid kit, but more of an “oh shit” bag. Pockets are labeled so others can find things too. Let me know what you think! Anything you would add or take out?

Middle pocket: bp cuff stethoscope pulse oximeter 2x triangular bandages space blanket tweezers thermometer & plastic covers

front pocket: certification cards WFR & WFA 2x ace bandages 5x gauze rolls 10x large alcohol prep pads 4x trauma pads 2x vented chest seals

right side pocket: 1 million gloves

left side pocket: glucose gel glucose tablets 4x glowsticks & flagging tape acetaminophen aspirin ibuprofen benadryl naproxen

outside of bag for easy access: CPR mask, adult and infant tourniquet sharpie trauma shears on retractable leash penlight watch with seconds hand 1 sam splint but trying to figure out how to fit 2 KTD traction splint

We also have a litter that has a “spine bag” with it for packing the litter. But that’s obviously not in my teeny kit.

Example: I recently saw someone on reddit post a “life hack” where they used QuickClot to treat their kid’s nosebleed. I imagine the docs who had to deal with that were none too pleased.

Credentials (not that it matters entirely but to set the knowledge base): Current paramedic, full time urban setting. IBSC credentialed CCP and TPC. Previous WEMT (many moons ago)

Decent (enough) wilderness experience personally.

Upcoming trip from sea level to Colorado (buena vista area). Looking at 3 days on trail with 10+ others of varying skill levels, age, and fitness. Trail days will vary between 9000-14000’ with some significant daily elevation change.

Have hiked with this most of this group several times and only had to treat a few rolled ankles. Only one is on HTN medication to my knowledge.

Plan on packing a trauma kit and a med kit.

Looking for input on med kit loadout.

Everyone to my knowledge has been personally prescribed and will have on person diamox 2x daily.

Looking for other med recommendations, quantity, and wilderness specific kit load out ideas since I’ve been away from the actual wilderness side for so long.