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[Advice] I'd like to build a first aid kit or two to have in my bag & car - What do I put in it that will be useful in everyday situations? (programming.dev)
submitted 2 weeks ago by to c/edc@sopuli.xyz
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Hey everyone, so I want to have a couple simple first aid kits on hand, for different situations, but I'm at a loss for what would be actually useful to put in there.

Most Spec-Ops-Navy-SAS-Seal-LARPers mainly on youtube that I've looked to for advice on what to put in it go full operator and suggest stuff like tourniquets that I would be extremely doubtful would ever be used in day-to-day situations. Of course its useful to have things you need that one time despite not needing them the previous 99, but I'm trying to be more realistic. (The description at the beginning of the paragraph was mainly a lil jokey for myself :P )

Back to the serious stuff, essentially the way I see it I have 3 distinct categories of "emergency" that I will ever encounter in my region and lifestyle:

  • Day to day (keep in daily bag) such as office at work (for example getting a minor cut in the office kitchen during lunch, or getting a headache that is just strong enough to make me take a painkiller or two)
  • On the streets (keep in car) e.g. if I find a biker/cyclist (mainly delivery drivers where I am) who's had a minor tumble and is scraped up, but otherwise fine. Since most of these guys are migrants, its pretty rare for people in my country to stop to help unless the guy is literally down on the ground not moving. Most will just call 112 and go about their day). In this example something to wipe down the road rash is what I mean.
  • When I go out hiking (keep in hiking bag). I've recently started hiking, but the area I live in doesn't have the super remote areas or any wildlife which is dangerous

Based on the examples above for what I believe are my 3 different levels of emergency, what would you recommend to keep in each first aid kit?

I should note that I'm not first aid certified, though I have suggested to my employer that we go through the training program at some point soon and got positive feedback on the idea (there's a government-funded program for employees in my country to go through various training programs in topics ranging from tech to stuff like first aid)

Thanks in advance, and sorry for the kinda long rambly post

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[–] 4 points 2 weeks ago

Being real? You aren't asking for a first aid kit. You're looking for a minor injury kit, and the difference does matter..

Get a bandaid/plaster assorted sizes box, some Neosporin, and some antihistamines.

Seriously. If you're only looking to carry things that will be useful the most, that's the list. Day to day, most injuries are small scrapes, papercut sized lacerations, and bug bites the kind of stuff you throw a bandied on with some Neosporin, and get on with your day. Or, in the case of a bee sting when you aren't allergic, pop a pill so it itches and hurts a little less.

Nothing you listed is an emergency. It's all minor shit that you don't even need training to handle, though getting enough training to be able to tell that would be a very good idea.

That's the real thing to carry, btw. Training. Doesn't matter what gear you have if you don't know what to do, and of greater importance, not to do. So, kudos on your employer and yourself for pursuing training!

You could maybe add a bottle of spray saline wound cleanser, I guess. That's going to be useful, but it's bigger than pocket sized, so be aware of that factor.

Fwiw, the whole "sas larp" thing? YouTube is full of idiots, but carrying bleed stopping gear isn't larping, it's behind ready to save a life. Emergency services are going to be slower than a tourniquet, period. And not every wound responds to pressure. You get a severed femoral artery, that sucker can pull back far enough that you aren't getting it controlled without a tourniquet, period. Might not even with one.

First aid isn't about tending boo-boos. It's about stabilizing someone long enough for pros to get there and save them. You don't carry that kind of gear because you think you'll use it every year. You carry it hoping you never have to, but can't stand the thought of it not being there if it is needed. That isn't larping. That's preparedness.

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