Making a Med Bag: What's in yours ?

So after a few accidents,both in the field and motor pool I've found that my issued CLS bag has a lot of extra you really don't need ,most of the time ( chest decompression needles,NPA's Israeli banadges,ect) and our IFAKS don't have enough ( that and your only supposed to uses them when you get shot or something). And with the medics not always around abd most of the first aid boxes missing stuff I went a head and started making my own lil med bag.



So far I got roll gauze,sterile gause pads,the larger size extra adhesive cloth band aids,med tap,self grip tape, Neosporin,an exaco knife with extra blades ( for lancing boils and such,with seems to happen alot in the feild)and a lighter to help with sterilization).Figure it's a good start for basic injuries but I can make stuff work good enough for more serious stuff, until I can get a medic. I've had it for about a week and it's come in pretty handy so far but still need some alcohol and a few other things.

Anyhow I was curious if anyone elese made their own insted of buying one pre made . What's in yours and why ?
Thanks !
God Bless!

What about iodine

I would add dramamine, peptobismal, antacids, definitely the 91% rubbing alcohol, salt, tweezers (preferably the draftmans tool variety, with the fine tip), surgical scissors, Q-tips, saline eye wash, super glue, benadryl, an analgesic and burn spray.

Keith

Get some lukotape and antibiotic cream tubes, surgical tweezers, good small scissors for your first aid kit...lukotape is the best tape for dressings, stays on no matter what.


for your ifak you should add an antibiotic cream tube, trauma shears, clotting agent(quick clot or similar) some hemostats for pinching off arteries and a few gauze pads. Israeli bandages are really good for pressure wraps and of course a cat. I would keep one of those upgraded ifaks in your everyday vehicle and some of the older dcu ifak molle pouches are a lot larger than the current ones. I keep 3 upgraded ifaks in my vehicle for really bad things that may happen and one in my range bag.

#1)Super glue
#2)Benadryl
#3)1" roll Veterinary tape

If you want some more info wolf message me and we can talk and I may be able to help with supplies. However one thing I saw was iodine do not put that in a first aid/airbag

CATS tourniquet

don't forget needle and thread for giving stitches after the super glue has been applied

.

Marty, you need to get that CAT out of the package and get it staged! If you need it, it'll take wayyyy to long to prepare if not.

OUtside of combat, you can do alot with peroxide and a roll of gauze and some white cloth athletic tape. a SAM splint and some basic cloth tourniquets or sterilized bandana type things. popsicle sticks for finger splints. I think the biggest injury i inflict upon myself are bad cuts, animal bites on occasion, and maybe a crushed finger. Doesnt hurt to be prepared but i wouldnt be carrying around a cspine kit or anything. I dont use iodine. Just use the peroxide to wash out cuts and stuff.

Vet Wrap 2.00 at farm store and Maxi Pads ask a few gals for donations (preferably family or good friends.)

Super glue

real scalpel again farm store handle with 10 blades aprox 5.00 you should probably not be lancing boils and such in the field but I would choose a 12 and a castrating blade i think is a 10.
Alcohol for pre wash and peroxide for after. Keep stuff very clean... There is ugly buggs and stuff out there More stuff that we have no natural immunity to than you can shake a stick at....1the Medical guys are there for a reason..

sharpie marker to time and date patients if applying tourniquets ect,,, on the forehead

well I'm doing MOB training right now so every thing I'm getting is from the PX . Again this isn't for me to take over the medics job I just wanted something to help in the situations ( bad cuts while turning wrenches has been kinda common ) we can't get to the medic ,which for some reason seems to happen a good bit.

Maxi pads are a good idea though and the sharpie, never seem to have one of ever. With the achchol should I go with a bottle or whipes ?

Throw in a couple pair of latex skinning gloves maybe.

Yes...vet wrap. As Horn suggested.

In reading this thread earlier, that was exactly my thought too.

Vet wrap is great- sticks to itself, doesn't need a tie down, can be stretched to various pressure needed, and can be used over and over again.

I cant say how much of that Ive used on wrapping horse's legs , and anything else needed. Wrap support in a pinch for knees, large muscle groups strained in legs that need support , even in padding or tying equipment together in make shift inventions in the field.

Lots of great info on here

Here's the new ones we got. Everyone is required to have one and two prepped CATS on there vests at all times but again as you can tell it's just enough to do care under fire,and we're not supposed to use them other wise . That being said I am going to try to get some more shears.
( And sharing pictures of my IFAK isn't against OSPEC I checked lol )

That's one of the ifaks I have in vehicle. I keep a cat on the visor that's ready to go.

Having your pouches/gear on the iotv is convenient......unless you need to ditch the weight and run. Another way is to run a slick iotv and a light molle vest over it. That way you can ditch the weight if necessary and still retain your gear.

But I guess your limited to sop.

See if you can get your hands on some surgical tools, Hemostats, clamps, scalpels, scissors etc, some type of 1st aid creme, And a SNAKE BITE KIT.

Snake bite kit is a good idea, I need to look for a good one to keep handy.

great suggestion.

So your going to haul all this stuff around the trap line? You would be better off hiring a nurse to ride with you. Or just buy a 1/5th of Makers Mark. LOL

OK, for us uneducated civilians, what the heck is a CAT????

Combat Application Tourniquet

Hemostats in various configurations. You can get the alcohol wipes at WalMart for glasses. Not sure what strength they are but it beats none at all. Definitely pre load your CATs or SOF-T. When the blood is spraying isn't the time to be messing with it. The chest seal bandage can also be used if you are using a tourniquet in rain or the patient is sweating heavily. write the time and date on a piece of paper or their forehead and put that chest seal over it. Stay calm and positive.

No just the middle East lol

Wolfdog, before you deploy I would find someone with a vacuum sealer and in every kit you have, those things that can be flattened out to make room for more gear will be awesome. Spend as much time with your medics as you can prior to and during deployment. If you think you don't need something in your kit, rethink that please. One is none, two is one and three means you have a spare.

It is a specially designed tourniquet that can be applied by using one hand only. Pre staging it means getting it as close to ready as possible to apply to your largest limb or a leg application...putting one on your own arm means only one hand is available so that's where the special design comes in. Strap with all Velcro goes thru a buckle and a windless to turn and then a lock to slip the windless into. Basically slip on and then release the Velcro back to the buckle and pull a few times to get it tight. Turn windless until blood flow stops then lock windless. Write down time on time tab.

Israeli bandage is a pressure dressing. It has a cleat on the backside from where the dressing is so you put dressing over wound, wrap around, dressing goes thru center opening in cleat and into cleat...then you wrap the dressing the other way and make sure the cleat is over the wound....this puts pressure on the wound....keep wrapping around to end of bandage and there is a lock on the end that slips over the whole bandage at the top and bottom. So after application it is the same as someone holding pressure on the wound with a hand....the bandage comes wrapped in an outer package and an inner package, the outer package is made from a material that can be used taped over a sucking chest wound as a dressing for that type of wound..

If this is for carrying overseas then forget all the nonsense. A couple cats and maybe a chest seal a set of shears and standard bandages is all you need. Stop the bleeding and take em to the medic. Dont worry about carrying all that other junk. You wont ever use it.

This ^^^^

And to second what Trevis said, Benadryl. Lemme say it again. Benadryl

A simple dose of Benadryl can save lives. I've seen it both in dogs ( snake bite) and people ( bee sting).

CoonsBane, Marty, thanks for the CAT explanation.

www.CampingSurvival.com
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In addition to several wasp stings Benedryl countered my allergic reaction to a sulfa drug that was mis-prescribed. Nurse told me how much to take over the phone and stayed on the line til the swelling in my throat started to go down then called me every half hour for a while. You can take a lot more than it says on the otc bottle and you should learn how much.
Don't leave home without it.

My complete First aid bag can fit in your pocket, the vet tape is good for any kind bandage or splint & can be used as tourniquet, the CA glue takes care of stitches where I never go to the Dr, the Benedryl covers swelling and the allergic shock, even helps with toothache

Anything else is gonna need a Corpsman or a surgeon or is so insignificant as to not matter, so ..., use what the Army spent $12billion to find out what works and what is unnecessary clutter. Rule of thumb is if the item can't do at least three jobs, don't carry it.
Nobody ever needs a standard Band Aide, not even the big ones; those things only work if Mama kisses it better too.
Prior to Superglue's invention, I carried an small glover's needle and some thread. That and some antibiotic ointment could be included, but, in the case of military in the field first aide chances are evacuation will be soon and anything I do might interfere with hospital treatment.

Well Wolfdog if you need all that stuff your going to be In such bad shape you will need help.
Good luck.

....I was gonna say, pint of vodka an roll of lectric tape is all ya need to go into rat trapping harms way.......an maybe a dry pr of socks

Some kind of pain killer/ headache relief. Tylenol. My favorite is Ibuactin.

I went trapping In Canada. I had all this survival stuff set up. I was going to do most of my trapping out of a boat.
My buddy looked at my set up. He went off and came back with a length of wire. He handed It to me and He said This all you need. And said just tie your body to the boat so we can find you In the spring. LOL

Chance favors the prepared.....

I guess If I was being deployed Into combat. I would rather carry extra ammo then meds. LOL
Is that what your getting at Marty.