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First Aid Kit

Pok

27-Aug-2010
1:19:05 PM

So I'm making up a climbing-specific first aid kit. Something to whack in the bottom of my daypack, so it needs to be quite small, hopefully slightly smaller than your average Chinese takeaway container.

So far:
Bandaids
Panadol
Betadine
Stingooze
Alcohol wipes
2x triangular bandages
Compression bandage
One of those non-sticky wound pads (I don't know what they're called)
A4 page with basic first aid instructions

Any other essentials that might come in handy for climbing-related injuries? Sprains, rope burn, bites+stings, etc?

What have you most wished for in a first aid kit?

edit: I always have tweezers handy, with my swiss army knife.

widewetandslippery

27-Aug-2010
1:35:44 PM

On 27/08/2010 Pok wrote:
>So I'm making up a climbing-specific first aid kit. Something to whack
>in the bottom of my daypack, so it needs to be quite small, hopefully slightly
>smaller than your average Chinese takeaway container.
>
>So far:
>Bandaids
useless, get a few of those proper blister plasters

>Panadol
useless, get something with an opiate in it.
>Betadine
>Stingooze
Too heavy and bulky. This is meant to be an emergency kit?
>Alcohol wipes
>2x triangular bandages
Good
>Compression bandage
Good
>One of those non-sticky wound pads (I don't know what they're called)
>A4 page with basic first aid instructions
>
>Any other essentials that might come in handy for climbing-related injuries?
>Sprains, rope burn, bites+stings, etc?
>
>What have you most wished for in a first aid kit?
>
>edit: I always have tweezers handy, with my swiss army knife.

You've got some good stuff there but you left out the only 3 components of my first aid kit:
Toilet paper
Atheletic tape
head torch

daave

27-Aug-2010
1:38:47 PM

On 27/08/2010 widewetandslippery wrote:
>You've got some good stuff there but you left out the only 3 components
>of my first aid kit:
>Toilet paper
>Atheletic tape
>head torch

Couldn't agree more wws. Toilet paper is one of the first things to go into the climbing pack!

alg

27-Aug-2010
1:43:30 PM

On 27/08/2010 daave wrote:

>Couldn't agree more wws. Toilet paper is one of the first things to go
>into the climbing pack!

*unless you climb with daave, who carries 1.3km of bogroll at all times


Sabu

27-Aug-2010
1:49:06 PM

What about an emergency blanket?

On the topic of emergency kits. Does anyone carry a surival kit as well? ie water purification, tools to make a fire, etc.

Pok

27-Aug-2010
1:53:40 PM

On 27/08/2010 widewetandslippery wrote:
>On 27/08/2010 Pok wrote:
>>Bandaids
>useless, get a few of those proper blister plasters

Not sure if I know what you mean.

>>Panadol
>useless, get something with an opiate in it.
>>Stingooze
>Too heavy and bulky. This is meant to be an emergency kit?

I'm thinking for everyday + emergency. To treat stuff that isn't going to stop you climbing, but makes life more bearable. In an emergency, for example, I wouldn't be using panadol, but if you are climbing with someone who has a headache, it can quiet the whining. Same with stingooze on a nasty ant bite, bandaids on a leech bite (ooh, that reminds me, salt...)

>Toilet paper
>Atheletic tape
>head torch

I've usually got this stuff with me anyway. If I'm not planning to be out overnight I've got a small single-led torch just in case. And my little pack of baby wipes is pretty handy, both for cleaning the grit from your hands before taking in food, and cleaning the other end after the food has done its job. Lemon fresh is my personal preference, but that's another topic.

egosan

27-Aug-2010
1:56:00 PM

I try to keep a suture kit on me as well. That or super glue or steri-strips. They all work well for wound closures.

They also make small sterile saline bottles, just the right size for flushing a wound before you sew it up.

Panadol is good for knocking down a fever. For pain relief, useless. If it hurts so little Panadol works, then you don't need a pain killer.

Snake bite, kit? I haven't spent much time a very snaky places in Australia yet, so haven't given it much thought.

Pok

27-Aug-2010
1:59:08 PM

On 27/08/2010 Sabu wrote:
>What about an emergency blanket?
>
>On the topic of emergency kits. Does anyone carry a surival kit as well?
>ie water purification, tools to make a fire, etc.

I haven't had the pleasure of a multi-day climbing trip yet, but I've been on a few bushwalks, and if you are more than a day's travel from civilisation then a survival kit is essential. A topic for another thread maybe?

Pok

27-Aug-2010
2:02:11 PM

On 27/08/2010 egosan wrote:
>I try to keep a suture kit on me as well. That or super glue or steri-strips.
> They all work well for wound closures.

Is that something you'd do in the field? Or just whack a bandage over it and go a few hours to someone to help? This is just going to be a close-to-home kit.

>They also make small sterile saline bottles, just the right size for flushing
>a wound before you sew it up.

Slightly off topic... A friend once told me the best way to clean a wound without saline is to pee in it. Another reason for women to carry a shepee? I don't know if they could get adequate pressure, though. :)

>Snake bite, kit? I haven't spent much time a very snaky places in Australia
>yet, so haven't given it much thought.

Most of these kits are just a few compression bandages, correct?

asavage

27-Aug-2010
2:06:22 PM

If you're talking single day at the crag, and I assume you are give you mention your day pack, what you have listed is overkill and many of the items are useless.

I suggest:

1 roller bandage;
1 triangular bandage;
athletic tape or gaffer tape;

And depending where you go:

lighter;
space blanket;
knife.

If you really want to take pills, piss off the pain killers and through in some anti histamines, as they may actually be of some use in an emergency, e.g. allergic reaction to bee sting.

The antiseptic idea always interests me. Your primary job as a first aider is to control severe bleeding not clean the wound. If you're climbing for the day you’re going to have water. If you feel the need, clean a wound by splash a bit of water about. Infection is really more a longer term thing (day/weeks after) and you can clean the wound properly once you get home / to hosi.

J.C.

27-Aug-2010
2:12:53 PM

off the top of my head, my basic essentials incl: SAM splints (GOLD, make sure you have 1 or 2), bangages, superglue, an assortment of drugs, alcohol wipes, polysporin, leatherman, triangular bandage, survival blanket, a roll of strapping tape, some accessory cord, a lighter, a roll of micropore, some energy gels and a museli bar, a couple condoms, some rubber gloves, a small pad of paper, a couple sharpie markers & a crappy plastic poncho.
i have this kit on hand in the car for cragging or in the pack when im futher afield, and after a couple interesting mornings that required less than inspiring improvised solutions, i now put it in the top of a 150L haulbag of ropes & rescue gear if there happens to be any of those silly base jumpers nearby

One day Hero

27-Aug-2010
2:30:18 PM

On 27/08/2010 Sabu wrote:
>What about an emergency blanket?
>
>On the topic of emergency kits. Does anyone carry a surival kit as well?
>ie water purification, tools to make a fire, etc.

Yes, I carry an emergency blanket + water purifier + firelighters + a #5 camalot on every araps multipitch, just to be on the safe side

Not really! Instead, go with Wide's advice, you can't beat experience........I've heard that he smashes himself up in the bush all the time.

Here's some good tips from the hardman school of 1st aid-

1) If a bandaid can fix it, it ain't broken. Harden the fuch up you pussy!

2) If stingose can fix it, it ain't.........etc.

3) Things which can be fixed with a bandage can be fixed better with a shirt, strapping tape and a stick. Things which require a shirt, tape or a stick cannot be fixed with a bandage.

4) Bleeding is your body's way of flushing the wound. Unless its an artery, let a bit of blood flow, (this advice was given to me by a Hungarian hardman, though it wasn't as gentle when he said it........I find it quite sensible)

5) If blood going everywhere will negatively affect the rest of your climb, close the wound FAST with lots of pressure and tape shut with lots of tape. Hanging on belay is no place to be trying to clean and disinfect a wound, it'll be fine till you get back to the car.

Pok

27-Aug-2010
2:31:47 PM

Those SAM splints look pretty nifty. How small do they roll?

Also, I've never seem the point of a notepad and pencil. It gets included in so many first aid kits... What is it for? Writing a final dying message? Making sure the rescue crew knows you are allergic to peanuts, even if you are comatose? To write a stern letter to the NPWS for not removing all venomous snakes from the park?

Pok

27-Aug-2010
2:37:50 PM

On 27/08/2010 One day Hero wrote:

>1) If a bandaid can fix it, it ain't broken. Harden the fuch up you pussy!
>
>2) If stingose can fix it, it ain't.........etc.

...

6) If toilet paper can wipe it, it ain't worth wipin'.

One day Hero

27-Aug-2010
2:38:21 PM

Forget the Sam splint, how do you explain the first aid frangers to your girlfriend as you set off on a climbing trip without her?

One day Hero

27-Aug-2010
2:40:23 PM

On 27/08/2010 Pok wrote:
>On 27/08/2010 One day Hero wrote:
>
>6) If toilet paper can wipe it, it ain't worth wipin'.

I don't take toilet paper to the crag........just bomb one out in the morning and its taken care of

Pok

27-Aug-2010
2:43:19 PM

On 27/08/2010 One day Hero wrote:
>Forget the Sam splint, how do you explain the first aid frangers to your
>girlfriend as you set off on a climbing trip without her?

That reminds me of a funny story involving a severed finger and a handy condom. Buy me a beer and I'll tell it sometime.

One guidebook I read advised opening the condom and wiping/rinsing all the lubrication off: "It doesn't taste nice if you have to haul water in it." Maybe I should invest in some flavoured ones. I can tell Mrs Pok it's for 'first aid purposes'. Oh no, I can't fit all of these into my kit... Whatever shall we do with the leftovers...

asavage

27-Aug-2010
2:43:30 PM

On 27/08/2010 One day Hero wrote:
>Forget the Sam splint, how do you explain the first aid frangers to your
>girlfriend as you set off on a climbing trip without her?

Emergency water bottle;
Tourniquet;
Lymphatic compression

What can’t they do…


markq

27-Aug-2010
2:49:48 PM

put some tweezers or a needle in there mate

J.C.

27-Aug-2010
2:51:01 PM

On 27/08/2010 markq wrote:
>put some tweezers or a needle in there mate

speak for yourself!

There are 56 messages in this topic.