Building a proper first aid kit

[Lorgar]

That's assuming you can still move around.
Even a badly twisted ankle can make it almost impossible to return to your vehicle in some terrain.

A colleague of mine has gone through this... He was out camping with his son who is about 8 (not much help in an emergency) and had an embankment of some sort give way under him resulting in a fall and a broken kneecap and tibia.

If I remember right this happened about 800m from his truck/camp, and crawling back took somewhere in the neighbourhood of 4 hours. Good times, hey?

Thankfully they weren't too far from reception and being able to call for help, he was able to drive a short distance to be able to make a call then wait for rescue.

Off topic to this particular point, but on the subject of accidents and first aid, I've also had a friend lose his dog to snakebite while camping.

My point being real s**t does actually happen. Not often, granted, but like every bit of safety gear in my truck I'd rather have it and never use it than not have it at all.

[bladeracer]

My point being real s**t does actually happen. Not often, granted, but like every bit of safety gear in my truck I'd rather have it and never use it than not have it at all.

Yep, I'd rather have stuff I don't need than not have stuff I do need.

[tom604]

My point being real s**t does actually happen. Not often, granted, but like every bit of safety gear in my truck I'd rather have it and never use it than not have it at all.

Yep, I'd rather have stuff I don't need than not have stuff I do need.

fully agree, but you cant carry everything when your going for a longish stroll, too heavy and you may not take it. the red cross makes a four wheel drive kit that with an addition of a couple of snake bite bandages will keep you alive till you get help (i have that one in the car at all times) if your going remote/alone a plb is a good thing to carry, even if it takes help too long to get to you they will at least find your body

[Mitch]

This is all well and good, but do you know how to use everything properly. No use having stuff if you can't

[bladeracer]

This is all well and good, but do you know how to use everything properly. No use having stuff if you can't

I disagree, even if you don't know how to use something "properly", it's still better to have it and muddle through than not have anything at all, and the person you are trying to help, or who is trying to help you, just might know how to use it better than you can anyway.

[Daddybang]

This is all well and good, but do you know how to use everything properly. No use having stuff if you can't

I disagree, even if you don't know how to use something "properly", it's still better to have it and muddle through than not have anything at all, and the person you are trying to help, or who is trying to help you, just might know how to use it better than you can anyway.

Yep I'd rather be caught with it than without it!!!

[Bent Arrow]

There is definitely an argument for having stuff you don't know how to use yourself, albeit up to a limit. Here's some examples......

1. A tool kit. Just because you might no have a clue how to fix your car, the next person that drives past just might.

2. 4WD recovery gear. If I have to snatch you out, I'd rather the wear and tear to be on your gear than mine.

3. Some years ago my son had an accident and got his fingers trapped between a ladder and the frame on a makeshift jetty at a friend's shack on the river. One of the adults on site was a paramedic but didn't have a first aid kit on hand. I did........... Didn't save a trip to hospital, micro-surgery and physiotherapy but it made a difficult situation easier and reinforced to me the need to have a FAK readily available

Ohh and yes, I still can't get my head around a paramedic not having a first aid kit handy at all times. Strikes me as downright stoopid.

[darwindingo]

There is definitely an argument for having stuff you don't know how to use yourself, albeit up to a limit. Here's some examples......

1. A tool kit. Just because you might no have a clue how to fix your car, the next person that drives past just might.

2. 4WD recovery gear. If I have to snatch you out, I'd rather the wear and tear to be on your gear than mine.

3. Some years ago my son had an accident and got his fingers trapped between a ladder and the frame on a makeshift jetty at a friend's shack on the river. One of the adults on site was a paramedic but didn't have a first aid kit on hand. I did........... Didn't save a trip to hospital, micro-surgery and physiotherapy but it made a difficult situation easier and reinforced to me the need to have a FAK readily available

Ohh and yes, I still can't get my head around a paramedic not having a first aid kit handy at all times. Strikes me as downright stoopid.

Agree on all counts..

The several paramedic's I know live and breath it, I can't say I have ever seen them to be more than 10 feet away from a FAK, so I guess I'm a little surprised about that... Bloody lucky you had yours handy though Hope your boys fingers are are as good as new

[Member-Deleted]

I have a big one in my house , one in the hilux and one I take fishing wouldn't be without one also a small one I take
when I used to walk and hunt the scrubs

[Bent Arrow]

There is definitely an argument for having stuff you don't know how to use yourself, albeit up to a limit. Here's some examples......

1. A tool kit. Just because you might no have a clue how to fix your car, the next person that drives past just might.

2. 4WD recovery gear. If I have to snatch you out, I'd rather the wear and tear to be on your gear than mine.

3. Some years ago my son had an accident and got his fingers trapped between a ladder and the frame on a makeshift jetty at a friend's shack on the river. One of the adults on site was a paramedic but didn't have a first aid kit on hand. I did........... Didn't save a trip to hospital, micro-surgery and physiotherapy but it made a difficult situation easier and reinforced to me the need to have a FAK readily available

Ohh and yes, I still can't get my head around a paramedic not having a first aid kit handy at all times. Strikes me as downright stoopid.

Agree on all counts..

The several paramedic's I know live and breath it, I can't say I have ever seen them to be more than 10 feet away from a FAK, so I guess I'm a little surprised about that... Bloody lucky you had yours handy though Hope your boys fingers are are as good as new

Yeah, came as a bloody big surprise to me that a paramedic wouldn't be prepared.

My boy lost some flexibility and dexterity but its pretty good all things considered. The outcome could have been very, very much worse. We are counting our blessings really.

[Homer]

Lorgar, my Fist Aid kit comprises a few Band Aids, a Compression bandage, a bottle of OP Rum and a .45.

Hope that helps

D'oh!
Homer

[Lorgar]

fully agree, but you cant carry everything when your going for a longish stroll, too heavy and you may not take it. the red cross makes a four wheel drive kit that with an addition of a couple of snake bite bandages will keep you alive till you get help (i have that one in the car at all times) if your going remote/alone a plb is a good thing to carry, even if it takes help too long to get to you they will at least find your body

My objective is to just have a comprehensive kit in the truck, it's not something I'd carry with me and I don't want a variety of kits for different purposes. Just want something solid available should the worst happen on a trip.

I have a PLB already too

[Lorgar]

This is all well and good, but do you know how to use everything properly. No use having stuff if you can't

Answered here already.

viewtopic.php?f=70&t=9105&start=18#p147918

[Lorgar]

Ohh and yes, I still can't get my head around a paramedic not having a first aid kit handy at all times. Strikes me as downright stoopid.

That's a bit harsh. Just because he's a paramedic doesn't mean he has to shoulder everybody else's responsibility to take care of themselves.

If he's in a position to help, that's great, but people are responsible for their own well being. If you're not prepared, and you're reliant on others to take care of you, then you get what you get and have no right to complain IMO.

We don't expect tyre fitters to carry around spare tires and change them for everyone they pass just because they work in that industry, do we. If you puncture a tyre and end up stuck on the side of the road because you aren't carrying a spare that's on you.

Don't get me wrong, what happened to your son obviously sucks, I'm not pointing fingers or having a go at him or anyone else, but it's certainly not the paramedics fault, or his responsibility.

I'd be thankful he was there, not criticizing him for not having a kit on him.

[Lorgar]

Lorgar, my Fist Aid kit comprises a few Band Aids, a Compression bandage, a bottle of OP Rum and a .45.

Rum! That's what my kit is missing

[Gamerancher]

I recommend that everyone should do at least "basic" first aid training. Also, even if you have done one in the past, a refresher is always a good idea. A lot of techniques and practices change over time, ( CPR, stroke and snakebite treatment are ones that come to mind ), you need to keep up to date.
If you are even contemplating going somewhere "bush", where there 'aint help within 10 minutes it could save yours or a loved ones life. Most first aid coarses are relatively cheap and even more advanced ones aren't that expensive. Ask where you work, a lot of companies will pay for your first aid training. What price a life?

[Bent Arrow]

That's a bit harsh. Just because he's a paramedic doesn't mean he has to shoulder everybody else's responsibility to take care of themselves.

If he's in a position to help, that's great, but people are responsible for their own well being. If you're not prepared, and you're reliant on others to take care of you, then you get what you get and have no right to complain IMO.

We don't expect tyre fitters to carry around spare tires and change them for everyone they pass just because they work in that industry, do we. If you puncture a tyre and end up stuck on the side of the road because you aren't carrying a spare that's on you.

Don't get me wrong, what happened to your son obviously sucks, I'm not pointing fingers or having a go at him or anyone else, but it's certainly not the paramedics fault, or his responsibility.

I'd be thankful he was there, not criticizing him for not having a kit on him.

If you think so, thats fine....... In my opinion the particular circumstances make it very difficult to justify him not having a first aid kit... The paramedic was staying at his own, relatively remote shack on the river with his wife and two kids, and had invited several of his daughters friends (including my daughter) to stay overnight in celebration of his daughters birthday. The day after the sleep over, we drove out to pick up my daughter and the unfortunate accident occurred whilst we were there. I'd think that a paramedic that doesn't have a first aid kit in either of the two cars that he and his wife had used to drive the group of kids there, or have a kit in the dwelling is rather unusual. I'm not expecting a random stranger to be equipped to deal with an unfortunate set of circumstances. The paramedic had voluntarily taken charge of a group of young children on his property and in my opinion was inadequately prepared. Im not holding a grudge, and I don't blame him for the accident, but do think he should have had at least a basic first aid kit readily accessible. If you disagree then so be it

[Member-Deleted]

Up here in the north west we have a basic rule for taipan bite if bitten miles from anywhere you carry a 1m piece
of string place it on the ground stand over it with feet 1m apart then bend over as far as you can and kiss your
arse goodbye because you aint going to make it back

On a serious note I am a firm believer of first aid box's but it comes to a point of what do you want to prepare for
If you want a perfect aid box you would need a ute to carry it
I have been tied up with first aid in one way or another all my working life and the main things I find you need to control
aid in the bush are bleeds ,breaks, falls, bites ( snake ) and other, heat, cuts, sprains, and one a lot of people forget anything
to do with the eyes ie open pad for anything protruding from the eye, open pad is a circular pad split with a small hole for
the protruding objects
I dare say I have missed something but once you set out what you want to prepare for there are products available from
various places to accommodate your needs

cheers

[Daddybang]

A bit of knowledge about bush medicine doesn't hurt to have either. Lots of plants in this country that can be used. I wil add that ya don't ever use'em unless ya know what ya doing many plants can be helpful or harmful depending on how they're prepped and many plants that look similar can have very different effects.

[Bigjobss]

You are pretty much on the money granddad.
All you really need is a few items to keep you alive long enough to get help.
Whats going to kill you? Bleeding out, some sort of venom and the inability to evacuate (not talking about laxatives here) so breaks and sprains etc hindering mobility.
Wound management is a nice bonus and whilst an infection wont kill you in a couple days you dont want to cut a trip short because of a lack of hygeine.

[Bigjobss]

A bit of knowledge about bush medicine doesn't hurt to have either. Lots of plants in this country that can be used. I wil add that ya don't ever use'em unless ya know what ya doing many plants can be helpful or harmful depending on how they're prepped and many plants that look similar can have very different effects.

A skill I have always wanted to have thanks to Malcolm Douglas, about time I learned a new skill.
I did learn about a native pepper bush in the Vic alps last year and used some when cooking up some freshly caught trout just metres away, that was pretty cool.

[Noisydad]

Chuck in chemical cold pack or two for sprains etc

[Daddybang]

A bit of knowledge about bush medicine doesn't hurt to have either. Lots of plants in this country that can be used. I wil add that ya don't ever use'em unless ya know what ya doing many plants can be helpful or harmful depending on how they're prepped and many plants that look similar can have very different effects.

A skill I have always wanted to have thanks to Malcolm Douglas, about time I learned a new skill.
I did learn about a native pepper bush in the Vic alps last year and used some when cooking up some freshly caught trout just metres away, that was pretty cool.

We have a pepper vine in the rainforest up here but if ya eat to much of it ya end up sh@tting yaself!!
I've run tours around the cape for about twelve years and bushtucker/medicine is a little bit of a obsession with me I love to teach the punters and to learn more every chance I get!!

[Bigjobss]

Learning and teaching are two things a person should never stop doing.

I hope to get up north within the next couple years for a look around the bush for some hunting adventures.

[Daddybang]

Bigjobs if ya ever comin my way give me a shout. Always got a coldie in the fridge and something to throw on a bbq plate.

[Bigjobss]

Bigjobs if ya ever comin my way give me a shout. Always got a coldie in the fridge and something to throw on a bbq plate.

Much obliged, generous offer and one I would take up

[Daddybang]

Bigjobs if ya ever comin my way give me a shout. Always got a coldie in the fridge and something to throw on a bbq plate.

Much obliged, generous offer and one I would take up

No worries. If ya need a property letter to carry ya rifles (saves getting a visitor license) let me know beforehand.