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-   -   First Aid Kits (https://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hubb/staying-healthy-on-the-road/first-aid-kits-38654)

Bazza 30 Oct 2008 11:14

First Aid Kits
 
Hey all,
Having trawled through a few threads, i haven't been able to find one on First Aid Kits. so maybe its time for one.
Does anyone a have a recommended general list of which items they would include, i understand certain locations would determine items like Malaria Tablets, etc, but those aside, what do you take?

ill look into this a bit further, and maybe post something soon.

The old rule of "if its not used on the trip, don't bring it again" i believe does not apply here!

Keep safe and upright

tommysmithfromleeds 30 Oct 2008 13:49

hey i bought louis kit a from Motorcycle Clothing | Motorcycle Helmets | Motorbike Boots, Leathers, Gloves, Jackets | Motorcycle Parts, Sports Bikes, Touring, Custom Cruising, Motocross
Contains:
Emergency blanket 210 x 160 cm to protect from cold, weather and dirt
2 pairs of 1-way gloves (pretty useful during a breakdown too!)
8 x wound plasters 6x10cm
1 roll of small plasters 5m x 1.25cm
2 wound pads
1 wound cloth 600 x 800 mm
Scissors
and 10 paracetamols and 10 anti midge wipes.

nice and compact, fits inside a mess tin.

buebo 30 Oct 2008 17:16

The Item I've used most in my first aid kit is my hangover cure, which consist basically of a rehydration mixture (like Royal D), Vitamin C, Paracetamol, Caffeine and a healthy shot of Vodka.

Another livesaver is something against Diarrhea. Beeing left by a Bus in Cambodia once while having the Shits thaught me that (Motorbike was getting some work done).

Other than that the usual (and maybe some condoms if you're single).

Grant Johnson 30 Oct 2008 19:05

Medical Kits: links and lists etc
 
Also see:

http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/tripplan/safety

for a lot more info on med kits!

Frank Warner 31 Oct 2008 01:27

Do a first aid course .. that should teach you what you need in a first aid kit.

Here St John do various courses ... I'd recomend the 3 day 'remote area course' - most courses are for teh first 30 minutes of treatment .. the thinking is that help will arive before 30 mins .. depending on where you are going 30 mins may not be long enough .. the 'remote area' course deals with multiple day care ..

butchdiamond 31 Oct 2008 11:50

Hi Bazza, here's my tuppence worth (from a previous thread http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hub...ical-box-37093 which you may find useful):

I used to be part of a military training team, instructing combat survival and casualty management, I am also part of various Search and Rescue teams and I'm a volunteer ambulance officer in NZ so I've been involved with my fair share of accidents and backcountry incidents and injuries.

From my own observations and experience this is my basic medi kit:

Latex gloves
Face mask
OP airway (get specific training)
Painkillers – Codine (or Morphine if you can get it - but make sure you know what you're doing with it)
Shears
Tape
Superglue

Glad wrap / cling film
Personal prescription medicine (if any)


Bandages, splints and pads can be improvised (from clothes, sticks, cable ties, gaffer tape etc). Things like Imodium, safety pins and eye wash are handy but not too important if you don't have space to spare. You can always carry a small sickness kit with these things in, and a more serious trauma kit separately.

Any minor injuries are, well, minor. If an injury won't kill you then improvise and get to help asap. If you have a serious injury, but you're still conscious, the best things to have are a satphone/personal locator beacon and good insurance.

Everyone should know how to fix their bike when it breaks, but what about your body? Good first aid training is a must, it's not just about patching holes and slinging arms - do a course! Don't think of it as "just another ball ache" it's just part of your prep. St John in NZ do good ones as Frank says - if you can afford the time then I would recommend the PHEC (Pre-Hospital Emergency Care) course. I know that Welly has it's own ambos not St John, but they should still run courses somewhere close by.

Don't forget that adventure motorcycling is an ADVENTURE and therefore a "high risk" activity, but serious accidents are still pretty rare. Don't let any of this worry you or cramp your style.

Hope this is helpful. Stay safe.

Butch

ChrisC 29 Nov 2008 22:23

Quick reply for now....
 
First and foremost you need knowledge

What to do
when

How to use the First Aid kit you have to hand/don't have - improvise!


depending on the situation, most people will only just cope with a FA Kit, without they would/will be stuck, and will not have the knowledge, thought process to improvise sufficiently.

It ALL depends on the knowledge you have - level of training
Where you are in the world, and how likely you are to getting to trained help. If say in the middle of nowhere in Africa then the better the knowledge and kit, will make a massive difference. In the UK the first 10-30 mins in an Urban area, and upto 2 hours in a rural/far from help situ, after that the Paramedics will be there - fingers crossed!

Get basic First Aid training - everyone
First Bike/person on scene
Far from Help/Exped First Aid

THe above in that order - everyone should have at least basic first aid traiining, then think about more advanced training dependent upon: your ability to cope, situation, type of training needed, etc.

There are more and more laws coming into play governing First Aid, Med Kits, FA Training, etc - so knowledge through training is the answer.

ChrisC

kinvig 29 Nov 2008 22:39

Get some heavy duty pain killers for your kit!

When I had my accident & broke multiple bones in my foot off road in Kaz those pills came in very useful!

ChrisC 29 Nov 2008 22:47

Depends on......
 
Also Depends on how you travel - Backpacking, Bike - one or two up, Car, van, truck etc, etc

Size does matter!!!

Flyingdoctor 30 Nov 2008 07:24

What if you're unconscious. Having your blood group on your helmet always sounds like a good idea and having your medical history in the local language around your neck too.

GSPeter 27 Aug 2009 22:14

First aid kits, and lots of other travellers toys.
 
Found this site, TravelPharm Online Pharmacy - Anti malaria tablets (inc. Malarone), mosquito nets, repellents & travel accessories, which seems to have both First Aid kits and meds, though I think there might be a problem sending outside UK. My experiences with customs in different parts of the world have often been overshadowed by mutual suspicion and bigotry, and you would certainly have to pay some import duty.
I noticed a designated sterile kit, rather than a handful of syringes and needles, though my experience is that sterile is available if you can pay, and are conscious.
Peter, in Oslo

Zarcero 31 Aug 2009 19:02

I also carry a tourniquet. These are controversial, but I think most of us who were in the military and such were taught how to use them correctly. If you are in a remote area, and bleeding from a limb but still ambulatory, a tourniquet could save your life.

Hindu1936 5 Sep 2009 09:03

We have those little trasnparent envelopes that stic to the side of your helmet. big red cross on the thig and inside is a paper with all relevant info. For wife it is her blood presuremed and for me an allergy to bee stings. I bought them at a bicycle shop for a buck each. and of course there is room for phone numbers in case you are no longer able to contact anyone yourself.

*Touring Ted* 31 Jul 2010 15:38

Also, depending where you are , it could be a good idea to get a sterile needle/iv kit.

I bought one off Amazon for £15.

In Africa, aids/hiv is RIFE and if you're in an accident the chance of you being given a non sterile needle is sadly quite high. They just dont have the equipment in some places.

I also wear a dog tag with my name, blood group, DOB on it etc etc.

CornishDaddy 1 Aug 2010 08:09

Plasters and Codeine
 
The only two things we used from our first aid kit was plasters and codeine.

The codeine we had acted as both a super poo blocker and pain killer - highly recommended to get you through some dodgy moments, when shitting yourself is not practical!

Also ibruprofen is a most, but this lived in the land rover with us as a hangover cure mainly ...


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