Myxinikela
Scout
- Joined
- Jan 2, 2010
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Most posts are for the bush. My days of bushwhacking under canvas are long past and I confine my activities to a remote hunting cabin. A good first aid kit is no less important here than in the bush. During the season we generally have 6+ aboard, and the kit was developed from 60+ years of activity. The small supplies are kept on a 1X4 shelf, painted red, set between studs, in a hard plastic container from a super market. The bottles are set on the shelf in the open. We have obviously made changes over the years. Everything has been used many times for everything from something in the eye, thru knife/axe mishaps, to chainsaw cuts. Luckily most were met by equipment and supplies on hand. Each showed us where we were deficient and we added stuff. We have sutured with a sewing kit successfully, but not easily. It is incredible how far the human skin will stretch before the needle punches thru, and believe it or not, those needles are not very sharp. I believe we finally have a kit to handle most problems. we could even do an appendectomy with Dr. James beam as anesthetist and teaspoon retractors; not that we ever would; but one never knows. We equipped it with minimum cost by using various sources. I’ll list what we have and where we got it.
FEED STORE
1) We used to have Ace bandages, but they get dirty and lose elasticity. We now have horse leg wraps (bright red) which serve the purpose.
2) A large syringe and needle for irrigating wounds. The syringe is the biggest in the store inventory, and the needle has the largest lumen. This has been cut off to an inch +/- long. Put a wire thru it before cutting to keep it open. We added a rubber tip.
3) Betadine solution (povidone–iodine).
4) A tube of EMT (brought in each trip, will not survive freezing)
5) Cotton swabs in a Glad snack ziplock bag ( plus wife’s cotton balls in an old Rx vial- from home).
6) Small can of Udder Balm (for chafe)
DRUG STORE +/or HOME
1) Tincture of iodine
2) 4X4 gauze sponges. (I actually got a pack of these from a dental office(with permission). Use to apply the betadine and also to cover wounds.
3) A 2” roller bandage, self adhesive
4) Container of assorted sized band-aids (strips and squares)
5) 1X100 Ibuprophin 200 mg (IB has proven more effective than the lesser narcotics, eg codeine.) 800 mg should be the maximum dose at any one time.
6) 1X60 enteric coated aspirin 325 mg
7) 1 small bottle of Pepto-Bismol plus a bottle of 1X60 Alkaseltzer.
8) can of baby powder
9) Melatonin 5 mg (2 at bed time for the opening day jitters)
10) Imodium for diarrhea.
MISCELLANEOUS
1) Xacto knife and blades (Has been used on abscesses and to tease out splinters (A sewing needle set in a dowel handle used also).
2) Suture needles (eyed)
3) A McCormic spice bottle (holds 3/4 cup to the top, and is marked at 1/4 and 1/2 cup. I cup is 8 oz.) ( This is used to make a saline irrigating
solution as needed [with salt and a drop of iodine].) Kept capped in storage.
4)Toothache kit with eugenol and wax (from a friendly dentist) Eugenol is the active principle. 80% of oil of cloves is eugenol and will work just as well).
5) Mosquito hemostat from fishing counter of sporting goods store for holding 4X4s or cotton for swabbing wounds.
6) A stronger hemostat (same source) to hold needles for suturing and/or repair.
7) Tweezers, slant end (eyebrow?) and pointed ends.
8) A shot glass (use with saline as an eye wash).
9) 1/8, 1/4, 1/2 tsp measures from a Thrift Shop.
10) One of the wives made two 2'X2' bandanas, the commercial ones are too small.
Using Gorilla Tape (hung next to the kit) any size dressing can be made.
We have 2 sizes of scissors (One small and one bigger), dental floss, thread (used for sutures), and extra needles in the sewing kit. A list of contents is taped to the box, with reference to the sewing kit supplies.
We have a rule: Anything used will be replaced in good order or you're out for the season (this excepts expendibles). Notification will be made on any supply running low. If you can think of an exigency not covered please let me know, but I think that, after all those years, we are generally set.
FEED STORE
1) We used to have Ace bandages, but they get dirty and lose elasticity. We now have horse leg wraps (bright red) which serve the purpose.
2) A large syringe and needle for irrigating wounds. The syringe is the biggest in the store inventory, and the needle has the largest lumen. This has been cut off to an inch +/- long. Put a wire thru it before cutting to keep it open. We added a rubber tip.
3) Betadine solution (povidone–iodine).
4) A tube of EMT (brought in each trip, will not survive freezing)
5) Cotton swabs in a Glad snack ziplock bag ( plus wife’s cotton balls in an old Rx vial- from home).
6) Small can of Udder Balm (for chafe)
DRUG STORE +/or HOME
1) Tincture of iodine
2) 4X4 gauze sponges. (I actually got a pack of these from a dental office(with permission). Use to apply the betadine and also to cover wounds.
3) A 2” roller bandage, self adhesive
4) Container of assorted sized band-aids (strips and squares)
5) 1X100 Ibuprophin 200 mg (IB has proven more effective than the lesser narcotics, eg codeine.) 800 mg should be the maximum dose at any one time.
6) 1X60 enteric coated aspirin 325 mg
7) 1 small bottle of Pepto-Bismol plus a bottle of 1X60 Alkaseltzer.
8) can of baby powder
9) Melatonin 5 mg (2 at bed time for the opening day jitters)
10) Imodium for diarrhea.
MISCELLANEOUS
1) Xacto knife and blades (Has been used on abscesses and to tease out splinters (A sewing needle set in a dowel handle used also).
2) Suture needles (eyed)
3) A McCormic spice bottle (holds 3/4 cup to the top, and is marked at 1/4 and 1/2 cup. I cup is 8 oz.) ( This is used to make a saline irrigating
solution as needed [with salt and a drop of iodine].) Kept capped in storage.
4)Toothache kit with eugenol and wax (from a friendly dentist) Eugenol is the active principle. 80% of oil of cloves is eugenol and will work just as well).
5) Mosquito hemostat from fishing counter of sporting goods store for holding 4X4s or cotton for swabbing wounds.
6) A stronger hemostat (same source) to hold needles for suturing and/or repair.
7) Tweezers, slant end (eyebrow?) and pointed ends.
8) A shot glass (use with saline as an eye wash).
9) 1/8, 1/4, 1/2 tsp measures from a Thrift Shop.
10) One of the wives made two 2'X2' bandanas, the commercial ones are too small.
Using Gorilla Tape (hung next to the kit) any size dressing can be made.
We have 2 sizes of scissors (One small and one bigger), dental floss, thread (used for sutures), and extra needles in the sewing kit. A list of contents is taped to the box, with reference to the sewing kit supplies.
We have a rule: Anything used will be replaced in good order or you're out for the season (this excepts expendibles). Notification will be made on any supply running low. If you can think of an exigency not covered please let me know, but I think that, after all those years, we are generally set.