“Quick Grab The First Aid Kit!”
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There are many pre-packaged first aid kits (FAK*) out there, but I believe you should build your own. To help you do that I’ve included what I do, and don’t, include in my own personal FAK; my choices are based on over 10 years working in emergency medicine as both an Army medic and a civilian paramedic. When it comes to first aid kits (FAK*) I definitely believe in the KISS principle of: keep it simple stupid. My primary goal, for these kits, was to be able to stop bleeding–big or small–quickly and efficiently. Almost all items in the kit are related to that purpose – this is essentially a prepper personal trauma kit.

What is in our Personal Trauma Kits

• cravat bandages – I believe cravats are the cornerstone to any FAK. I use them as pressure dressings, tourniquets, to dress wounds, and as slings – if one isn’t long enough, tie two together (or three). I prefer white ones so you can see if blood is soaking through, the military type are green which is good for camouflage, but bad to see blood.
• 3×3 gauze pads (it’s what I had, 4×4 would be fine too)
• assorted size band-aids – Because common things happen commonly and it’s important to control small bleeding also.
• Quik-Clot Combat Gauze – A lifesaving product when it comes to bleeding. Applied correctly you can stop almost any bleeding in less than three minutes. (It’s expensive though, about $15 each.)
• Wet Ones antibacterial wipes – To clean away dirt, grime, and blood.
• Gorilla Tape (Gorilla Glue’s version of duct tape, without the sticky residue) – We made our own rolls containing about 25 feet of tape. It costs less than medical tape and works better. Always ‘tab‘ the end of any tape to make it easy to find and unroll. (If you already have medical tape, use the two-inch variety.)
• trauma shears – Heavy-duty scissors to cut away clothing or cut bandages.
• rubber gloves – I don’t believe gloves are essential, especially when working on family members, but they’re nice to have. They help protect you from blood borne diseases, i.e. HIV or Hepatitis (put in a couple of pairs, they can tear).
• pouch – I like a clear one so it’s easy to see contents, but any small pouch will work.
• red carabiner – (This is a ‘Trace original’). You/or someone else will have to be able to quickly find your FAK while blood is flowing. The red carabiner is attached with a cord to the FAK, then it is clipped to the outside of your backpack. When the FAK is needed, find the carabiner, open the closest zipper and pull out the kit attached to the cord. (We also use this on our BOB.)
• LED keychain flashlight (not pictured) – These things always happen in the dark. Yes you have one on your keys (EDC), but it’s good to be redundant on some things.

That’s it, pretty simple and small; if it’s too big, people won’t carry it. Sarah keeps hers in her work backpack and the kids’ are in their school packs. All our kits are the same, so any family member could easily grab any kit and know what it contains. Could it contain more? Sure. There are even some items that would be nice to have that I didn’t include because of space. There are also many other commonly included items that I didn’t include because I  don’t believe they are necessary.

What’s Not In Our Kits:

• medications – Though some OTC meds are nice to have available, they don’t belong in here.
• alcohol or iodine wipes – The antibacterial wet ones are much more effective at cleaning, and less caustic on the sensitive damaged skin.
• cold or heat packs – They’re useful, but they’re not about stopping bleeding. They also take a lot of space.
• suture kit (or steri-strips) – Even if you have the knowledge to use them, wounds shouldn’t be closed until they are thoroughly cleaned. They should never be closed in the field.
• sterile gloves – Why? Yes you should have gloves, no they don’t need to be sterile.
• first aid manual – When blood is flowing it is not the time to be looking things up. Learn the basic skills required and leave the books at home.
• CPR mask – We’re focused on stopping bleeding, if they require CPR–and you choose to do it–the mouth-to-mouth method can be used.
• medical tape – It’s more expensive and other types work just as well.
• emergency survival blanket – Space blankets sound good in theory, but they’re not so great in practice. They also take up too much space in a small trauma kit.
• pre-cut eye pads – Overly specific item that can be improvised if needed.
• abdominal dressing – Too big.
• antibiotic ointment (i.e. Neosporin) – Clean the wound as best you can with the wet ones, then dress it. Worry about a more thorough cleaning and ointments, if necessary, later.
• burn cream – Again, nice to have, but not in this kit.
• Israeli Battle Dressing – I love these things (and have them in my home and BOB FAKs), but they were too big for this kit. I believe a properly applied cravat bandage can achieve the same goal.
• ACE Bandage – I also like these a lot, but again too big. If you use them, wrap carefully to avoid tourniquet-like pressure – unless that is what you’re trying to do.
• gauze bandage roll – Nice to have to dress a wound, but takes a lot of space.

Now build your own FAK. Think about what you are preparing for; remember back to injuries you, or others, have had and think what would have helped you treat those wounds. Put in what you want, know why it’s there and know how to use it – through practice, not just in theory. Own your FAK.

(Update: Since putting this list together I have also added a Combat Application Tourniquet (CAT), it’s a true 1-handed tourniquet that can be used on both upper and lower extremities. Also a pair of heavy duty tweezers (Uncle Bill’s Sliver Gripper Tweezers).

(Friday: What We Did This Week To Prep)

*For my list of abbreviations and other information, open the above ‘Check Here…’ page tab.