First-Aid Kit

Here I describe the comprehensive first-aid/trauma kit I put together, primarily kept in my vehicle.

The kit ended up being a tiered system overall, where I keep many of the most frequently used or most urgent supplies on hand in the “EDC” backpack I carry to and from work, on trips, etc. The second tier is the main kit in my vehicle’s trunk (along with other emergency supplies), which is the main subject of this page. The third tier is at home, which is mostly extra supplies. The EDC kit and the vehicle kit are complementary, but there is some redundancy, like nitrile gloves and band-aids.

Planning

I have bought and used pre-packaged kits before, but none had good enough quality or the right mix of supplies. I’m more comfortable relying on the hand-picked contents of this custom kit since I am more familiar with each item.

I wanted to ensure I’d have no problem getting replacements for the consumables. I want them to be cheap, available from more than one source, and fast to arrive (if shipping is even required). In the past with some proprietary kits, knowing replacement supplies weren’t easy to source has kept me from using things. A kit that I’m reluctant to deploy is not as much use. Supplies I can get from Walmart, Amazon, or similar are best. To further encourage use of the various supplies, I keep extras of most things at home for a two-stage replacement strategy: I can immediately replenish my car kit w/ the spare supplies at home, then I purchase replacement supplies to replenish the backup ones at home.

Additionally, just about every item has a shelf life, so part of assembling the kits was documenting each item’s expiration date and putting in place a system to ensure they’re replaced at that time. And readily-available supplies make it easier to keep up with replacements.

Kit Contents

PPE

Tools

Bandages/Dressings

Other Consumables

Chemicals/Ointments/Misc. Liquids

Medication

Everything is stored in a Condor Rip-away EMT Pouch.

Sources for Supplies

I found these websites and stores to be decent sources for most of my supplies:

• North American Rescue
• LA Police Gear
• REI
• ITS Tactical
• Amazon
• Walmart
• Dollar Tree

Skills

Most of these supplies are not useful if you do not possess at least basic first-aid and CPR training. Some interventions can cause more harm than good, so learning what to do is a top priority.

I took two courses from the American Red Cross:

• Adult/Child/Baby First Aid/CPR/BLS
• Severe Bleeding First Aid

The online versions of each class is $30 and can be completed at your own pace. They take you through interactive scenarios in which you must respond to various emergencies. I learned a lot and revisit the material every now and then (there is no expiration on access).

Reference

In addition to the American Red Cross classes, I read a few informative books and found useful info all over the web, so I’ve pasted all my notes and links here:

• A Comprehensive Guide to Wilderness and Travel Medicine by Eric A. Weiss
• Immediate Care of the Wounded by Clifford C. Cloonan

• A good place to start for a very basic kit: PrepMedic basic first aid kit video. Amazon recommendations:
  • SWAT-T
  • Roller Gauze (12) 4″x4yd $8.14
  • 5″x9″ Trauma Pad (5) $5″x9″ $3.96
  • CPR Face Shield (5) $6.25 (seem really cheap – one from vehicle kit was much better)
  • NPA
  • Chest Seal $12.60 for one, non-vented. Vented is same price for two.
• Wirecutter Best First Aid Kit for Hiking/Outdoors
  • Recommends Adventure Medical Kits Mountain Backpacker – $40
  • For budget kit, recommends same one as vehicle guide below.
• Wirecutter Best Gear for Vehicle Emergency
  • Recommends First Aid Only First Aid Essentials Kit – $17
• Wirecutter – Best Emergency Preparedness Supplies
  • Recommends Adventure Medical Kits Sportsman 300 first-aid kit or 400
  • Need extra triangle gauze – $8.16 / 12
  • Need extra 5″x9″ trauma pads – $3.76 / 5
  • Need extra nitrile gloves
• Prepmedic How to Build a Home FAK video
• Prepmedic Build a Car First Aid Kit video