Big or small?

[jaffab]

Fair enough. Wasn't a criticism by the way just not an ideal way of storing them

No, that's understood. When I got all my kit together, I was looking to shave space and weight. The drugs in the packets was too heavy and took up too much space - so I went with this option, reduced weight by 40% and space by 90%. Its a compromise.

[shocker]

Just bought a tin "First Aid Case" from the pound shop, empty of course. I will try to put together a minimalist kit to go in my belt kit. This will take some hard thinking (for me at least) to pare down to whats really necessary. So no Venflons or sutures

[sniper 55]

Like most on here I've a couple of kits, a small ifak (field dressing/tourniquet/etc) a car kit in two parts, large should bag kit and "handbag" size kit, this makes it easier to treat more than one casualy if I've got other people with me who have first aid skills. And the other main house/bail out kit is a full size trauma pack (backpack size) with resus kit ect.
When I was doing a lot of way out in the wilds stuff a long way from medical response I used to carry a defib, oxygen and entonox in the vehicle as well. Don't have that now though.

[shocker]

Likewise, dropped the oxygen kit off the list when we downsized. Shame really.

Theres a scheme round our way to fit a defib unit in every parish, in a box where the phoneboxes used to stand. The parish is supposed to train up several people in its use and list their contact details.

Teacher - "How many holes can we find in this one, children ?"

[Deeps]

A belated response but I've just opened up my smallest FAK which is the one I tend to take unless I'm hill walking or whatever. Without further ado.....

1 x triangular bandage
1 x field dressing ( a cheap one from Israel, not an Israeli bandage)
1 x 7.5 by 7.5 non adherent dressing
15 x bandages (various) (15 by coincidence rather than design)
2 x eye wash tubes
1 x small tube of savlon
14 x steristrip things (2 sizes) (again, just a handful of each (9 small which I think I'd be more likely to use if requred)
2 x sachets burnshield
2 x wound cleaning wipes
6 x alcohol wipes
1 x hand gel
1 x foil blanket
8 x safety pins
2 x pair latex gloves
1 x small tweezers
1 x small clipper lighter
1 x small (aaa) torch
1 x small scissors
1 x packet of assorted meds (brufin, imodium, antihystimine)

I forgot to mention I carry a 'boo boo' kit on me at all times, basically a few plasters, wipes and meds. I've also got a wee screw top platic 'pot' that's full of various meds that can get thrown in with whatever bag I take as a top up.

My next biggest kit is a slightly larger version of the above with extra bandages and meds (a wee bit more of everything) and I take that away up the hills. I'll have a look at that next, while I'm at home tonight I'm passing by as it were.

I'm keen to get your feedback PP, I know these are tailored to the individual but if you can see something that I've missed I'd appreciate your opinion. I reckon I could do with a few more wound cleaning wipes looking at it.

[ParamedicPrepper]

A belated response but I've just opened up my smallest FAK which is the one I tend to take unless I'm hill walking or whatever. Without further ado.....

1 x triangular bandage
1 x field dressing ( a cheap one from Israel, not an Israeli bandage)
1 x 7.5 by 7.5 non adherent dressing
15 x bandages (various) (15 by coincidence rather than design)
2 x eye wash tubes
1 x small tube of savlon
14 x steristrip things (2 sizes) (again, just a handful of each (9 small which I think I'd be more likely to use if requred)
2 x sachets burnshield
2 x wound cleaning wipes
6 x alcohol wipes
1 x hand gel
1 x foil blanket
8 x safety pins
2 x pair latex gloves
1 x small tweezers
1 x small clipper lighter
1 x small (aaa) torch
1 x small scissors
1 x packet of assorted meds (brufin, imodium, antihystimine)

I forgot to mention I carry a 'boo boo' kit on me at all times, basically a few plasters, wipes and meds. I've also got a wee screw top platic 'pot' that's full of various meds that can get thrown in with whatever bag I take as a top up.

My next biggest kit is a slightly larger version of the above with extra bandages and meds (a wee bit more of everything) and I take that away up the hills. I'll have a look at that next, while I'm at home tonight I'm passing by as it were.

I'm keen to get your feedback PP, I know these are tailored to the individual but if you can see something that I've missed I'd appreciate your opinion. I reckon I could do with a few more wound cleaning wipes looking at it.

I think it's pretty spot on and obviously suits your needs. Whats the lighter for out of curiosity? Sterilizing?
I would maybe add something slightly more 'trauma' bandage wise and maybe a CAT tourniquet, but maybe i'm overdoing it
I hate the wipes, i prefer saline pods and some gauze but wipes are good for small stuff and I suppose that is what I have been shown so stick to it.

Its funny as the amount of people who say to me when at work, why do we not carry stuff like ice packs, small plasters, wound wipes and so on. I suppose we carry big and gone bad stuff and don't tend to have the delicate first aid stuff so trying to come out of that mind set is difficult and I find myself beefing up a pack of kids plasters with a Tourniquet lol Its good to hear whats in others kits as makes me think more realistic everyday first aid rather than its all hit the fan

[Deeps]

A belated response but I've just opened up my smallest FAK which is the one I tend to take unless I'm hill walking or whatever. Without further ado.....

1 x triangular bandage
1 x field dressing ( a cheap one from Israel, not an Israeli bandage)
1 x 7.5 by 7.5 non adherent dressing
15 x bandages (various) (15 by coincidence rather than design)
2 x eye wash tubes
1 x small tube of savlon
14 x steristrip things (2 sizes) (again, just a handful of each (9 small which I think I'd be more likely to use if requred)
2 x sachets burnshield
2 x wound cleaning wipes
6 x alcohol wipes
1 x hand gel
1 x foil blanket
8 x safety pins
2 x pair latex gloves
1 x small tweezers
1 x small clipper lighter
1 x small (aaa) torch
1 x small scissors
1 x packet of assorted meds (brufin, imodium, antihystimine)

I forgot to mention I carry a 'boo boo' kit on me at all times, basically a few plasters, wipes and meds. I've also got a wee screw top platic 'pot' that's full of various meds that can get thrown in with whatever bag I take as a top up.

My next biggest kit is a slightly larger version of the above with extra bandages and meds (a wee bit more of everything) and I take that away up the hills. I'll have a look at that next, while I'm at home tonight I'm passing by as it were.

I'm keen to get your feedback PP, I know these are tailored to the individual but if you can see something that I've missed I'd appreciate your opinion. I reckon I could do with a few more wound cleaning wipes looking at it.

I think it's pretty spot on and obviously suits your needs. Whats the lighter for out of curiosity? Sterilizing?
I would maybe add something slightly more 'trauma' bandage wise and maybe a CAT tourniquet, but maybe i'm overdoing it
I hate the wipes, i prefer saline pods and some gauze but wipes are good for small stuff and I suppose that is what I have been shown so stick to it.

Its funny as the amount of people who say to me when at work, why do we not carry stuff like ice packs, small plasters, wound wipes and so on. I suppose we carry big and gone bad stuff and don't tend to have the delicate first aid stuff so trying to come out of that mind set is difficult and I find myself beefing up a pack of kids plasters with a Tourniquet lol Its good to hear whats in others kits as makes me think more realistic everyday first aid rather than its all hit the fan

What I called 'eye wash tubes' are the saline pods, with the exception of the foil blanket and the hand sanitizer it all fits into a wee pouch that's about 6"X4"X3" roughly so designed to as small as I can practically get it and live with the above in a sealy bag. For anything trauma-ish I'd probably go for the field dressing unless I thought the pad would do. The lighter (and torch) are really back up as I'd have both already. I don't smoke but if I'm going more than a short walk from home I have one in my pocket. The 'justification' for it in the FAK is sterilisation but it also doubles up as a spare. In my slightly bigger pack I have a couple of spare AAA batteries, supposedly for the torch in the FAK but at the end of the day they're spare batteries for whatever, I'm a bugger for redundancy. Having reviewed things I'll try and squeeze an extra couple of 50x50 pads or the like in, along with a few more wipes, thanks for making me go over it.

I've never been trained on a CAT tourniquet and if things got to that level I'd improvise with a belt or T shirt or whatever but personally I don't see that as first aid. I'm aware of my limitations and while I'd do what I could I see that as a step across to serious medical help myself.

I do have ice packs (and sprays), heat pads etc in my 'big bag' along with an overspill. The big bag is something I would take with me in the unlikely event of a 'bug out' for a hurricane warning (I know, I know) or the like and is part of my main med store. I do think that sprains/pulled muscles etc and the like will be more likely than the serious trauma injuries, I bought a sports injury kit as the bones of my FAK's, based on my own experience of what goes wrong, no guarantee's of course but age plays a part, I don't seem to recover as quickly as I did.

I'm not at home much at the moment so I'll try and break down my meatier pack next time I'm back (or if I remember I'll pack it when I head off tomorrow and post the contents tomorrow night). Thanks again for taking the time to respond.

[shocker]

Personally, after a few failures I have moved on from steristrips to the US-style butterflies - they have bigger adhesive pads that are stickier and more resistant to fluids. Also a thinner cross-wound link. Much cheaper than "medical superglue" which tends to be supplied in a single use dispenser and more compact in the FAK.

[medicmark]

well have my personal pouch kit for every day carry, my roll down bum bag with ils kit ( op and np airways), my dixi backpack with als kit and full diagnostics including 3 lead ecg monitor. if SHTF in a big way I also have 3 roll down aid station kits, 2 minor injuries 4 draw units and 2 adult/paed resus 4 draw unit, also have oxygen, AED basket stretcher, extrication board, keds x2 and vacuum mat.

I also now carry on the everyday carry/rolldown kit and backpack what I call help me kits for 2, 5 and 5 people respectively.

simple kit with a pair of gloves, wipe, cpr shield so in a mass cass I can throw it to helpers/ medics without kit to "help me" also carry simple triage cards for 10 people and a few permanent markers, if everything else fails write on the casualtys head like military

I used to go big, then thought bugger that I have to carry it.

[ParamedicPrepper]

well have my personal pouch kit for every day carry, my roll down bum bag with ils kit ( op and np airways), my dixi backpack with als kit and full diagnostics including 3 lead ecg monitor. if SHTF in a big way I also have 3 roll down aid station kits, 2 minor injuries 4 draw units and 2 adult/paed resus 4 draw unit, also have oxygen, AED basket stretcher, extrication board, keds x2 and vacuum mat.

I also now carry on the everyday carry/rolldown kit and backpack what I call help me kits for 2, 5 and 5 people respectively.

simple kit with a pair of gloves, wipe, cpr shield so in a mass cass I can throw it to helpers/ medics without kit to "help me" also carry simple triage cards for 10 people and a few permanent markers, if everything else fails write on the casualtys head like military

I used to go big, then thought bugger that I have to carry it.

See this is my kit! Massive and full of 'advanced' medical kit if you like. I need to be more realistic and look at simple first aid like how many dressings, wipes and the like to manage an infected wound for several days to a week for example. But start with a first aid kit and end up with half a resus room lol

What's the roll down bumbags like medicmark, plenty of pockets for storage? Is it discreet in colour out of curiosity?

Thanks