Algonquin Adventures / first aid kits, what you gots?

**Posted by swedish pimple** 3/23/2017 9:21 am

what do you carry with you tripping,, for a first aid kit? what`s in your first aid kit? basic or more complicated with must have items?

**Posted by dontgroandaddy** 3/23/2017 10:43 am

I made my own kit, and carry it in a squishable waterproof bag. In spite of the contents, it doesn't take up much room, and it weighs nothing.
Moleskin, pre-cut
blister gel & burn dressing 1" x 2 1/4"
duct tape, about 5 yards
safety pins
shears
tick remover
tweezers
irrigation syringe
would closure strips, 1/4" x 4"
Sudafed
Tylenol
Benadryl
Neosporin
burn gel
immodium.....
stuff for 'rhoids....
bandaids 1" x 3"
bandaids, 2" x 4.5"
knuckle bandages
butterfly bandages
conforming gauze 2"
dressing gauze 3" x 3"
gloves
triangular bandage
antiseptic wipes
tape (1" x 10 yards)
"quick clot" - I didn't buy this, I just had it in the house.
finger splints - I just had a couple in the house.

**Posted by tentsterforever** 3/23/2017 10:53 am

A couple of most everything Dgdaddy has, small sharp pointed scissors and a tension bandage for an ankle in case it gives out.

**Posted by ATVenture** 3/23/2017 11:08 am

Wow that's allot!
Mine is basic stuff, and I didn't even carry one for the first few years when I started to back country camp.

-bandaids
-polysporin
-afterbite
-advil
-gauze
-tums
-tweezers
-emergency blanket
-antiseptic wipes
-blistex
-sterile elastic bandage (which I assume is used like a tensor bandage but its much smaller?)

Last edited by ATVenture (3/23/2017 11:08 am)

http://www.youtube.com/user/kayakcamper · **Posted by Uppa** 3/23/2017 11:44 am

This is by memory as I haven't really inventoried it in a while. And by "a while" I mean too long, so I think I'll go through it when I get home today.

Bandaids of various shapes and sizes. Lots of bandaids.
Gauze pads, and a gauze roll or two as well
Wound closure strips
Moleskin
Folding scissors
Iodine
Polysporin
Advil
Benadryl
Tick remover
Safety pins
Some sort of medical tape, I don't really remember what it is.
A long tensor bandage. I've never needed it, but it has so many potential uses it seems worth bringing even though from a size perspective it's about the same as the rest of my first aid kit combined.

ATVenture mentioned an emergency blanket. I don't carry one in my first aid kit, but on shoulder season trips I have one in a pocket of my PFD.

What gets used on most trips: iodine and bandaids. I pick up minor scrapes like a magnet picks up iron filings. Most are so minor I'd probably ignore them if I were home, but letting any wound get infected while camping is a great way to take a lot of enjoyment out of the trip, so I care for them all. I went through a lot of gauze (and iodine and polysporin) on one trip keeping a badly cut big toe cleanly wrapped. Moleskin gets used from time to time - I portage in water shoes on bare feet, so the occasional foot abrasion makes an appearance.

**Posted by Kurt** 3/23/2017 11:48 am

A few years back on the Nip I managed to slip in the river and blow open one of my fingers, right above the webbing, you could see the sinew and fat etc.... I was sitting on shore having cleaned it up, with a bent sewing needle in my hand, just about to start butchering myself, when one of the lads said "do you have any glue?". I just happened to have tossed some liquid bandage in my kit that year (nobody in my house would use it because of the sting). 3 days later we made it out to a hospital, after they removed all the glue (with vaseline), it had no infection and was sutured immediately....I remember looking at the doctor's teensy-weensy suture and thought of the darning needle I had originally planned on using....

.....Anyways, I now have a large bottle of liquid bandage in my kit.....

**Posted by RobW** 3/23/2017 7:39 pm

Duct tape, clean(ish) shirt for compression, thermarest to sacrifice for a splint.

Might have band-aid around somewhere and do keep meaning to add some Polysporin.

InReach and/or cell phone if really serious and evac help is required.

Acetaminophen, ibuprofen and Benadryl are all in the shaving kit. Yeah they count as first aid items too, but they are also 'normal' day to day items too.

**Posted by CanoeClaire** 3/24/2017 8:28 am

Kurt wrote:
.....Anyways, I now have a large bottle of liquid bandage in my kit.....

We always carry Super Glue in our first aid kit. It's just normal super glue from the hardware store and it works great for superficial cuts. It's my husband's preference over bandaids now.

**Posted by Kurt** 3/24/2017 4:59 pm

I'm sold on the glue too and unfortunately I fully expect to use it many times in the future....

**Posted by vanslyke** 3/29/2017 7:04 am

Bandaids
Sanitizing wipes
Purel
Gauze pads
Advil
Tums
Medical tape
Tourniquet

**Posted by CanoeClaire** 3/29/2017 8:24 am

Super effective multi-use first aid kit item: Sanitary Napkin.

Obviously it's nice to have if there are women on your trip who might need it. But, it is also an absorbent and large bandage should you need one.

**Posted by Algonquintripper** 3/29/2017 11:15 pm

This topic seems to come up often around this time of year as folks start to get ready for the season. Always popular and a good time to review and replenish your kit.

Here is a discussion from last spring that is worth a read as well. Includes some good advice from our resident Doc.

http://algonquinadventures.boardhost.com/viewtopic.php?id=404&p=1