Buy or build a Home First Aid Kit

Medical and Healthcare
Yorkshire Andy
Posts: 8711
Joined: Thu Oct 03, 2013 4:06 pm

Re: Buy or build a Home First Aid Kit

Post by Yorkshire Andy »

jansman wrote: Mon Aug 30, 2021 6:06 pm Kit is good, and necessary. First aid training is better though. Accepted wisdom, such as triangular bandages are old news for instance. If someone has a broken arm, or sprain, the last thing you do is hoist their arm in a sling! Many first aid kits fail to adapt to modern training and thinking.

Used 3x triangle bandages on a smashed collar bone
one to support the arm the other two to tie the arm in he was a big chap and the ambulance would have been 4 hours minimum ... they (triangle bandages) have their uses on occasions likewise one triangle bandage and a butter knife / spanner / screwdriver/ metal pen = DIY Tourniquet :D not my favourite bit of kit but it does have a place likewise a mangled hand = elevated sling to keep injury above the heart to save having the casualty hold it themselves

And it's often even if they are able to self support provides some Mental triggers that they are being looked providing you slide it In carefully and it takes no weight was a standing joke at one time locally that you visit our local minor injuries unit you come out with a sling regardless of what hurt they must have had a shipping container full of them to use up :lol:

There's a lot to be said for covering a wound to prevent the casualty staring at it regardless if it actually needs dressing to control bleeding etc and an added distraction I've often called upon the services of a young lady from the works office who is also a first aider she can do more good than me providing the typical blokes level of support care and sympathy seems to help people in shock :roll: :mrgreen: perhaps the question how you going to unlock your phone now wasn't the best approach as I bandaged up a badly cut finger as the colour drained away :lol:
If your roughing it, Your doing it wrong ;)

Lack of planning on your part doesn't make it an emergency on mine
Nurseandy
Posts: 690
Joined: Sun Jul 29, 2018 7:12 am

Re: Buy or build a Home First Aid Kit

Post by Nurseandy »

One thing I would definitely suggest adding is surgical gloves (don't need to be sterile). Not such a biggy for the home fak where its your own family's bodily fluids but definitely definitely put them in the car. If you come across an RTA (for example) it's a strangers blood/vomit/pus you're dealing with and you dont want to be touching that without gloves.
You can buy a box of 100 gloves from screwfix etc for just a few quid.
jennyjj01
Posts: 3426
Joined: Sun Jun 04, 2017 11:09 pm

Re: Buy or build a Home First Aid Kit

Post by jennyjj01 »

jennyjj01 wrote: Mon Aug 30, 2021 8:06 am
jennyjj01 wrote: Sun Aug 29, 2021 10:45 pm ...Next up I looked to save money ,...
I was misguided
I'm now inclined to bite the bullet and pay a decent amount for a decent kit.
I've decided that I'm NOT going to scrimp at all on quality Just look for the right product first and then do some price matching. That's all for now.
Old habits die hard. I confess that I'm now filled with buyer's remorse. :oops: :oops: :oops: :oops:

In the heat of the moment, and realising we have very little to hand, I purchased a £20 220 piece kit from amazon. I was dazzled by the quantity over quality. :cry: :cry: :cry:
I can see myself giving that away or sending it back or just dumping it in the car. It will certainly go back if anything is within 3 years of expiry.
£20 wasted? Probably.
I think my budget should have been more like £40 or £50. Let's hope I can recover the situation without too much ending in landfill.

Amusingly, I found meds in the old first aid biscuit tin that expired in 1994. Shame on me.
Graceful Degradation! Prepping's objective summed up in two words. Turning Disaster into Mild Inconvenience by the power of fore-thought

Not Feeling Optimistic. Let me be wrong
Yorkshire Andy
Posts: 8711
Joined: Thu Oct 03, 2013 4:06 pm

Re: Buy or build a Home First Aid Kit

Post by Yorkshire Andy »

jennyjj01 wrote: Tue Aug 31, 2021 10:26 am
jennyjj01 wrote: Mon Aug 30, 2021 8:06 am
jennyjj01 wrote: Sun Aug 29, 2021 10:45 pm ...Next up I looked to save money ,...
I was misguided
I'm now inclined to bite the bullet and pay a decent amount for a decent kit.
I've decided that I'm NOT going to scrimp at all on quality Just look for the right product first and then do some price matching. That's all for now.
Old habits die hard. I confess that I'm now filled with buyer's remorse. :oops: :oops: :oops: :oops:

In the heat of the moment, and realising we have very little to hand, I purchased a £20 220 piece kit from amazon. I was dazzled by the quantity over quality. :cry: :cry: :cry:
I can see myself giving that away or sending it back or just dumping it in the car. It will certainly go back if anything is within 3 years of expiry.
£20 wasted? Probably.
I think my budget should have been more like £40 or £50. Let's hope I can recover the situation without too much ending in landfill.

Amusingly, I found meds in the old first aid biscuit tin that expired in 1994. Shame on me.
To be fair that doesn't look too bad but remember they count each individual item :lol:

10 gloves
20 safety pins
20 tiny plasters
20 medium plasters

You get the gist

If the pics are true most of that looks like relience medical stuff which is ok quality
If your roughing it, Your doing it wrong ;)

Lack of planning on your part doesn't make it an emergency on mine
jennyjj01
Posts: 3426
Joined: Sun Jun 04, 2017 11:09 pm

Re: Buy or build a Home First Aid Kit

Post by jennyjj01 »

Yorkshire Andy wrote: Tue Aug 31, 2021 11:12 am
jennyjj01 wrote: Tue Aug 31, 2021 10:26 am Old habits die hard. I confess that I'm now filled with buyer's remorse. :oops: :oops: :oops: :oops:

In the heat of the moment, and realising we have very little to hand, I purchased a £20 220 piece kit from amazon. I was dazzled by the quantity over quality. :cry: :cry: :cry:
To be fair that doesn't look too bad but remember they count each individual item :lol:

10 gloves
20 safety pins
20 tiny plasters
20 medium plasters

You get the gist

If the pics are true most of that looks like relience medical stuff which is ok quality
What I cannot explain is why I paid £20 for a 220 piece 800g kit while the same seller had a 309 piece 1200g kit for 93p more !!!!!
WTH was I thinking?!!!
If frugality was my goal, I should have bought the bigger kit. If wisdom was my goal I should have bought neither.

I've let myself down on so many levels!

Oh hum. At least I've made a start. A worthwhile review of current holdings of meds and kit. Batteries for oximeter and thermometer!
Taking YorkshireAndy's list to Home Bargain and Superdrug this afternoon.
Graceful Degradation! Prepping's objective summed up in two words. Turning Disaster into Mild Inconvenience by the power of fore-thought

Not Feeling Optimistic. Let me be wrong
jansman
Posts: 13605
Joined: Thu Dec 30, 2010 7:16 pm

Re: Buy or build a Home First Aid Kit

Post by jansman »

I think what is really being discussed here is a home MEDICAL kit. Plasters ,bandages,otc medicine etc. And that is good.
In three words I can sum up everything I have learned about life: It goes on.

Robert Frost.

Covid 19: After that level of weirdness ,any situation is certainly possible.

Me.
ForgeCorvus
Posts: 3029
Joined: Fri Feb 08, 2013 11:32 pm

Re: Buy or build a Home First Aid Kit

Post by ForgeCorvus »

jansman wrote: Tue Aug 31, 2021 4:51 pm I think what is really being discussed here is a home MEDICAL kit. Plasters ,bandages,otc medicine etc. And that is good.
Good point.

Can I also add a set of O'Tom tick hooks( Here), really easy to use (even on a wriggly cat )
jennyjj01 wrote:"I'm not in the least bit worried because I'm prepared: Are you?"
Londonpreppy wrote: At its core all prepping is, is making sure you're not down to your last sheet of loo roll when you really need a poo.
"All Things Strive" Gd Tak 'Gar
jennyjj01
Posts: 3426
Joined: Sun Jun 04, 2017 11:09 pm

Re: Buy or build a Home First Aid Kit

Post by jennyjj01 »

jennyjj01 wrote: Tue Aug 31, 2021 11:55 am Old habits die hard. I confess that I'm now filled with buyer's remorse. :oops: :oops: :oops: :oops:

In the heat of the moment, and realising we have very little to hand, I purchased a £20 220 piece kit from amazon. I was dazzled by the quantity over quality. :cry: :cry: :cry:
Well..... The First Aid Kit arrived and my Buyer's Remorse is Assuaged. I'm very happy with my purchase.

I'd low expectations as to quality and BBE dates. Half expecting some Chinese tat. Surprisingly, the components were all good quality with BBE dates from 2024 up to Oct 2025. Most 2025. The case, scissors and tweezers were surprisingly good. No way I could have assembled this kit for this price.

Only two obvious shortcomings: The poly bags that the gloves were sealed in got torn in a zip. : The 220 count was pretty creative. I could just about stretch to 218. And that's the worst I can grumble about.

Bearing in mind this is not a meds kit, I will be adding...
Some Germoline
Some pain killers
Burneze or similar
25mm wide sticky tape
More 10cm dressings
a few more plasters

If the 309 item kit at £20.93 Just 93p more, lives up to this standard, I'd rave about it. I probably bought the wrong one, but I'm still delighted.
Graceful Degradation! Prepping's objective summed up in two words. Turning Disaster into Mild Inconvenience by the power of fore-thought

Not Feeling Optimistic. Let me be wrong
Yorkshire Andy
Posts: 8711
Joined: Thu Oct 03, 2013 4:06 pm

Re: Buy or build a Home First Aid Kit

Post by Yorkshire Andy »

jennyjj01 wrote: Tue Aug 31, 2021 6:57 pm
jennyjj01 wrote: Tue Aug 31, 2021 11:55 am Old habits die hard. I confess that I'm now filled with buyer's remorse. :oops: :oops: :oops: :oops:

In the heat of the moment, and realising we have very little to hand, I purchased a £20 220 piece kit from amazon. I was dazzled by the quantity over quality. :cry: :cry: :cry:
Well..... The First Aid Kit arrived and my Buyer's Remorse is Assuaged. I'm very happy with my purchase.

I'd low expectations as to quality and BBE dates. Half expecting some Chinese tat. Surprisingly, the components were all good quality with BBE dates from 2024 up to Oct 2025. Most 2025. The case, scissors and tweezers were surprisingly good. No way I could have assembled this kit for this price.

Only two obvious shortcomings: The poly bags that the gloves were sealed in got torn in a zip. : The 220 count was pretty creative. I could just about stretch to 218. And that's the worst I can grumble about.

Bearing in mind this is not a meds kit, I will be adding...
Some Germoline
Some pain killers
Burneze or similar
25mm wide sticky tape
More 10cm dressings
a few more plasters

If the 309 item kit at £20.93 Just 93p more, lives up to this standard, I'd rave about it. I probably bought the wrong one, but I'm still delighted.
Did you count the pouch and the first aid advice pamphlet ;) :lol:

You can't get burnease or waspease anymore :( some licence issued years back and it never returned :(

These are good for smaller burns

https://www.screwfix.com/p/wallace-came ... sing/204fx

Or you can get little cafe sauce size sachets of just the gell

https://www.screwfix.com/p/wallace-came ... lsrc=aw.ds which is probably easier to pack



Oh I love the smell of germoline and unlike savlon it's not the same colour as oral b toothpaste or the tube...... You only do it once at half five in the morning out the shower no glasses on and attempt to brush your teeth :shock:
If your roughing it, Your doing it wrong ;)

Lack of planning on your part doesn't make it an emergency on mine
jennyjj01
Posts: 3426
Joined: Sun Jun 04, 2017 11:09 pm

Re: Buy or build a Home First Aid Kit

Post by jennyjj01 »

Yorkshire Andy wrote: Tue Aug 31, 2021 8:11 pm
jennyjj01 wrote: Tue Aug 31, 2021 6:57 pm The 220 count was pretty creative. I could just about stretch to 218. And that's the worst I can grumble about.
Did you count the pouch and the first aid advice pamphlet ;) :lol:
I counted everything including the flimsy sleeve the tweezers were in. Maybe I needed to count each scissor and each of the pair of tweezers, like I did with the gloves :D
You can't get burnease or waspease anymore :( some licence issued years back and it never returned :(

These are good for smaller burns

https://www.screwfix.com/p/wallace-came ... sing/204fx
Really? Thanks.
Oh I love the smell of germoline and unlike savlon it's not the same colour as oral b toothpaste or the tube...... You only do it once at half five in the morning out the shower no glasses on and attempt to brush your teeth :shock:
:lol:
Graceful Degradation! Prepping's objective summed up in two words. Turning Disaster into Mild Inconvenience by the power of fore-thought

Not Feeling Optimistic. Let me be wrong