IFAK

[Yorkshire Andy]

When I say choking he was unresponsive laid on his back blue lips

At which point I called 112 and started dialogue with the ambulance controller as they run through the motions of connecting me , getting my location with the phone on loud speaker

I rolled him on his side tilted head back and the finger sweep released a huge lump of kabab mush after which he still wasn't breathing...

From the first aid at work course 2 years ago, I was told that in the event of a drowning or choking with no breathing to start with 2 rescue breaths as opposed to starting with 30 compressions as the lungs will be devoid of oxygen so all you will do is pump un-oxygenated blood round.. .. On the 2nd breath he offered resistance and begun breathing on his own

by this point they began to give me "first aid tips from the computer screen" by that point i had him breathing

So rolled him using the spine safer recovery position and monitored till help came....

Paramedic said if I had left him and not intervened he would have been dead so i must have got something right as he was now alive breathing and so much so after the ambulance arrived he was ready to fight the world

All i had with me was my key pouch face shield and nitrile gloves.. a pocket mask would have been lovely but there's only so much you can carry on a evening out with your mates... trying to get into a pub with a rucksack of preps past door staff would probably be interesting

[Yorkshire Andy]

Again you can do what you want but that small vial is not enough to toilet an eye or a wound. I think the benefits of a lifestraw outway the benefits of such a small vial of water but to each their own.

when i visited MIU they used the same stuff to irrigate and clean my 3-4 " split shin using one vial and gauze to wipe before stapling me back together with about half a dozen surgical staples .. A life straw is great but if you have no water near by/ if you suck water through it into your mouth how do you then (spit?) the clean water onto a wound?

a sawyer mini would be better with its bladder bag as you could squeeze and rinse but that would just about fill half the pouch on its own ...

[The Ace of Spades]

Add a set of tweezers. Useful for removing thorns, holding wound swabs and they're also required when applying steri-strips.

Ace.

[birds&bees]

when i visited MIU they used the same stuff to irrigate and clean my 3-4 " split shin using one vial and gauze to wipe before stapling me back together with about half a dozen surgical staples .. A life straw is great but if you have no water near by/ if you suck water through it into your mouth how do you then (spit?) the clean water onto a wound?

a sawyer mini would be better with its bladder bag as you could squeeze and rinse but that would just about fill half the pouch on its own ...

It sounds like he was really lucky you were there!!

For the lifestraw I simply meant access to clean drinking water is always important. Infected wounds are a less certain and slower way to die than not having drinking water or worse drinking contaminated water.

[Mad Scientist]

Brilliant work, Yorkshire Andy!!
On the subject of First Aid kit, I just keep a few bits in my handbag:

Triangular bandage, two stretchy bandages, one with gauze. A few plasters/ gauze dressing, burn gel, safety pin, saline, paper and pen. Most of the stuff I encounter is my daughter's friends falling over and scraping knees and elbows. Remember you can ask help from other people, or tell them what to do if you're hurt.