Emergency first aid kits.

     A lot of people are starting to realize that having an emergency bag (bug out bag, 72 hour bag), or whatever you want to call it is a good idea and there have been many articles and videos on just what should go into these emergency kits. While I could go on forever on this subject from what items to have or leave out to what brands are better than others, I have decided to write a brief article narrowing it down to one particular item, the first aid kit.
     Now, everyone has a different idea of things that should be included in an emergency first aid kit but most agree on all of the basics. Bandages, gauze, alcohol pads, maybe an ice pack, but there is a huge difference between a first aid kit that you keep at home for your children's many bumps and bruises and a kit that you have in an emergency bug out bag. The key word here being "EMERGENCY".
     Your bug out bag is a kit that you have put together to keep you alive in the most life threatening situations you can imagine. Weather you are lost in the woods or stranded in a vehicle off the road in the middle of nowhere, you need to rely on this bag and everything in it to get you home safe.
     I have seen a lot of videos on "25 dollar bug out bags" or "budget 72 hour emergency kits". Not everyone has a great deal of money to spend on these things and I understand that but one area you do NOT want to cut corners is your first aid kit. People, please, do not buy a box of assorted band-aides from the dollar store and think you have a first aide kit in your bag. Any injury I end up with that can be taken care of with a band-aide is not an injury I am going to be that worried about. I am not saying you shouldn't have those on hand as well but what is a box of band-aides going to do for a gash that wont stop bleeding, a broken limb, a sucking chest wound. These are injuries that can and will kill you in a survival atmosphere if not taken care of properly. A million dollar store bandages will never take the place of a properly applied pressure dressing.
     In an ideal setting, your first aid kit should be as complete and inclusive as the rest of your pack. Realistically, I know that its not possible to carry forty pounds of medical gear on top of the rest of your equipment, but here are a few must have's that I think everyone should consider.

     1) Pressure dressings.....If you have a serious wound that has not stopped bleeding after ten minutes or so of applying pressure with gauze or clean cloth you have a problem. Pressure dressings are very cheap and every first aid kit should have a couple of them in it. If you don't have one you can make one a couple different ways. A roll of gauze can be placed (in its rolled up form) on top of the wound and then secured in place with an ace bandage. The roll will apply greater pressure than any bandage and the ace wrap will allow enough flexibility as to not cut off your circulation and essentially turning your dressing into a tourniquet. You can also use a maxi pad, yes you read that right. Maxi pads are super absorbent and designed to stop blood flow. Throw a couple of them in your first aid kit, it will come in a lot more handy than your spiderman band-aides. Here is a picture of what a  Pressure dressing basically looks like.

     2) Peroxide/alcohol.....I'm not talking about the little prep pads you get in kits that are great for cleaning up jr's skinned knee. I am talking about a bottle of alcohol or hydrogen peroxide. In the woods in a survival setting infection can be your worst enemy. You do not want to run out of this stuff. Dressings on serious wounds should be changed 2-3 times per day and should be cleaned properly each time. A whole box of prep pads wouldn't last 24 hours in this type of situation. You can get a bottle of isopropyl alcohol for a buck. Throw a couple of them in there.

     3) Rolled gauze.....Beside the previously mention pressure dressing usage this stuff comes in handy much more often than the pads. Have a few pads in the kit as well for smaller stuff but the rolled gauze does a fantastic job of keeping things tidy.

     4) Quickclot.....This stuff goes by different names but it is basically a powder that can be dumped onto a wound that immediately stops the bleeding by a chemical reaction. It wont be the cheapest item in your kit but it could potentially be a life saver.

     5) Ace bandages.....You should have several of these in your kit in varying sizes. They are great for keeping a dressing in place without causing too much pressure and cutting off your blood flow to that extremity. They can also be used to hold ice packs in place or even make an emergency sling if you had to.

     There are a few other items that don't need as much of an explanation that I feel are must haves such as a pair or two of latex gloves (less chance of infecting a wound you are treating), a pair of trauma sheers to quickly cut clothing away from an injury, finger splints, something you can make into a sling (large square cloth), and a bottle of ibuprofen or aleve (the anti-inflammatory affects help a lot with swelling, reducing pain in injuries like sprains which are very common out in the woods.

     There are a million items that you can put in a first aid kit and everyones kit will be a little different. If you have allergies or are on medication of any kind you should obviously pack some of these meds in your kit as well if possible. (asthma inhaler, blood pressure meds, insulin and the like) and any over the counter antibiotics you can get, these items could make the difference between life and death in a survival setting. Other non essential but invaluable items to have may include sun block and poison ivy treatment. Personalize your kit for your own comfort levels but please include some of these essentials and prepare for the more severe side of first aid.