First aid kits

[rhyno]

Hey guys, I'm looking to improve my hunting kit, and I need to have some basic first aid in it.

I know pretty much nothing.

All of my hunting is done pretty close to home, but some of it is certainly out of cell range. I don't even know where to start on first aid, any recommendations will help.

This will need to fit in my Eberlestock X-1. Which I'm working on stremlining for the future.

Thanks.

[lottie]

I recently found some Molle First Aid Bags on Amazon: http://amzn.to/2gYwGrT

They have some that are fully stocked, but I think I'd rather stock them myself.

[rhyno]

Excellent. I've never even thought of using the Molle on the pack to expand it.

[kobe]

I would recommend something like this to carry on your person, then keep some extra supplies in the vehicle.
http://www.ar500armor.com/medical-kits-epiks/tactical-epiks/ar500-armor-tactical-epik-ifak.html

Admin pull the link if inappropriate.

Basically you want to be able to handle major bleeding for the first hour after the accident occurs, in that time you need to have gotten to the profesionals, all the way down to the small cuts and scrapes.
here is what my kit has:
Bleeding:
Major
Israeli bandage, Gauze with some sort of hemostat agent in it. Chest Vent seal, athletic tape, Tourniquet(get one you can put on by your self if no one is there to help. Marker Write to write time Tourniquet placed on you skin so you can not miss place where your wrote it.
Light
Band-aids, Neosporine, alcohol wipes, Athletic tape
Airway:
CPR Mask, I carry a few extra items as i am trained in there use: Nasopharyngeal Airway (NPA) w/ Lubricant, and a ARS for Needle Decompression.
Tools:
Surgical Gloves, Medical Shears, Medical Clamp, scalpel, Suture kit, Sam splint
ID: Make sure you have and ID that includes blood type and any medical issues such as Allergies, or health issues.

Possible Extras:
A PLB(Personal Locator Beacon), an IV Kit, Solar Blanket, Any Meds you may need or want, sun screen

In the vehicle: Blankets, Food, Water, and note on window of time you left vehicle and when you expect to return and when to notify authorities if vehicle still there. Include a emergency contact number as well as your number.

Sorry went a bit further than you asked but remember your first aid kit is more than what you have on you but also how people are going to find you.

Hope this helps

[dddoo7]

I have a couple of ATS tactical bleeder pouches and like them. They are molle, but they have a Velcro platform that molles to the pack and then then pouch velcros to the platform. That way if you need it quickly you can just undo one clip and pull the whole pouch off of the pack.

[rhyno]

@dddoo7 is there anything in them or is it just a carrier I can't find much on the website.

[dddoo7]

Mine were empty. I have seen bleeder kits sold full before, but some of the stuff in them has an expiration date...so be careful where you buy them if you get them full.

I personally would just decide what you want/need in them and fill them yourself.

[ragnarnar]

I'm going to write this on my computer, then add the pictures on my phone, so if this looks weird at first, thats why.

It sounds like you're looking to do self aid, which is a whole different game than buddy aid.
The number one cause of preventable death on the battle field is something like 90% external exsanguination (bleeding out), followed by 8-9% airway failure and then random other things you can't prepare for in the last 1-2%.

The first thing we want to do is stop the bleeding. First and always.

The way we stop arterial bleeding is with a tourniquet like this one.

http://amzn.to/2ggFPx2

This gets placed two inches at a minimum above the wound on the arm or leg (higher is best; groin or armpit, don't get the boys if its a leg wound) and and tightened by turning the windlas until the bleeding stops. In the entirety of my military service in both training and five combat deployments, I've never met anyone who has applied this to themselves correctly. It hurts that much. I've heard from people who have worn these outside of training that they hurts worse than the actual gunshot. Just something to be aware of.

I used to carry 4 of these whilst in the military. One on the inside and one on the outside my aid kit, one in my "divers triangle" so it was reachable with both hands for self aid, and a "Ranger Ratchet" which is basically a looped ratchet strap that tightens as you work the ratchet.

For hunting one will probably suffice.

Next you want to occlude the artery. This is done by literally stuffing gauze into the wound onto the source of the bleeding if its identifiable. This is done to "put pressure on the wound.'' As Kobe mentioned above, some gauzes have a hemostatic agent in them to aid in clotting.
The quick clot has a clotting agent in it. It's because this guy I'm able to say I've been two knuckles deep in another man before.

This doesn't get used in the torso or gut; if its above the crease of the thigh or the armpit, it should be treated differently.

My theory (and it is that) is that nobody will be able to do this to their self. If you can't put on a tourniquet correctly, why would you be able to do this step?

Moving on from this step, the next thing we do is add more gauze (almost no such thing as too much) then wrap it from the outside with an Israeli dressing or ace wrap to keep the gauze in, the dirt out, and to add more pressure. No pictures on this one, its pretty self explanatory. This is the dressing if you care
http://amzn.to/2gMIPSC

That's extremity wounds in a nutshell. This would work for a GSW to the leg or arm, or if you fall on an arrow or something.

For a wound to center mass, we approach it differently. There's no real way to stop bleeding that I can teach without surgical intervention or a medic standing next to you.

All we can do is stabilize and establish an airway.
If you have a penetrating chest wound, your lungs collapse. This is referred to as a tension phenumothorax.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pneumothorax.

Basically you suffocate and die beacuse you can't breath. If you take a hit to the chest, you compromise your ability to draw air in.

This is a chest seal.

Its basically a sticky as hell sheet of plastic, that gets placed over the entrance and exit wound on the torso or abdomen. In theory this buys you some time as your lungs collapse by keeping the pressure in your chest where it should be.
http://amzn.to/2h2FUpy

After this is installed over the wounds, the next thing would be to decompress the chest. This is done in a manner I won't describe in detail, because it involves sticking a very large needle into your chest in a few specific spots. I haven't found any place to buy these specific needles without a doctors order....
This is what and how if you care. Keep in mind this is a perfect example of everything going right, real world is far less pretty.

Those are the two main causes of death on a battlefield. They kill us in the same manner in which we aim to kill game when we hunt.

I say all this to give you an idea of what it takes to save your life if you're out there alone. Then on top of all that, you still have to walk/limp/crawl back to the truck and get to a doctor. There's no replacement for a buddy in those situations.

I'm not going to cover splinting, or anything like that, unless you want.

I hunt in a group. I have a friend or two within a quarter mile at most times, and radio to connect with them if something goes wrong. I don't worry about a totally comprehensive kit
I carry
A tourniquet, like above.
A small pack of gauze. Not the quick clot.
Tape, duct type. Wrapped around a old gift card and my water bottle.
A rolling sam splint.

I figure a hunting bullet to center mass will kill me outright or very quickly. People are easy to kill.

If I make it through the initial hit what I have above can care for the two main causes of death until I can get to the truck and to the ER. This doesn't weight me down and doesn't take up much space.

I do have advanced medical training, but none of that should be construed as advice or a substitute for proper training.

This is a "IFAK" as issued on my plate carrier. Only thing missing from mine is a fentanyl lolly for the pain if I get shot, and an antibiotic pack for Infection prophylactics.