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NewbiePermalink Reply by Talbert de Jong on July 20, 2010 at 10:41

It would be good to attend a first aid course. I did a quite extensive one about 10 years ago at school in Royal Vegas.
My certificate that came with finishing the course has well and truly expired, but I still find most of the knowledge I picked up then is still dwelling in my head somewhat today.
Google free first aid courses nz and see what comes up.... there are some out there.

My first aid kit I made out of a little black camera bag from the 2dollar shop on which i painted some red crosses and "fist Aid" with red paint. I keep all the stuff in a waterproof bag inside it.
It contains:

Latex gloves,
siscors,
tweezers,
antiseptic wipes,
quick bandage 12x12 cm,
stretchybandage,
solid bandage,
antiseptic cream,
tape,
some tissues,
triangular bandage,
couple of non woven swabs in different sizes,
a small strong plastic bag,
pannadol,
a small first aid booklet, Pretty important!
a heap of plasters 10+,
steri strips ( not sure what they do hold wounds close?),
safety pins,
compeed anti blister plasters (AKA second skin) A MUST HAVE IN MY PACK! blisters on heels suck when you have a lot of walking to do!

If you don't want to do a course, do buy a good first aid book (to keep at home) (st Johns) and READ it... twice......
I read mine from time to time for the "oh Yeah that's right's "...

I'm not a health professional or anything by the way! and am Only stating what i keep in my kit.
the whole thing weighs just under 270 grams. well worth it!

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NewbiePermalink Reply by zakk tustin on November 6, 2010 at 3:17

hi mate, steri strips are good to have in your kit. they are used to hold cuts together. they can be used for long periods as long as the wound is not to deep and you change them every 2-3 days. the are used when a band aid will not do the job. for severe cuts superglue or a surgical suture should be used but steri strips will still do the job. Ive used them quite a few times, for example when my father had a operation to fix a hornier which was exactly in/under his belly button (sorry for childish term) i would daily put on 3-4 steri strips then a gauze pad and micro pore tape. hope this very long reply has helped. as lo are they the plastic see threw ones ore the micro pore type ones?

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TohungaPermalink Reply by John Humphris on July 2, 2012 at 12:07

Hi... Like Ryan my personal kit is bare bones. Some hypoallergenic paper tape to hold wounds together or cover  scrape. A #14 wound dressing bandage for major wounds. These two are always in my pocket when hunting or day trips, anything else can be improvised or the wound care can wait until I get home. For longer times or when providing cover for a group then my kit is much more comprehensive. I think that if you have had some experience with triangular bandages they are really versitile and can be a wound dressing, light cover for feet, hands or head, narrow or wide bandage, or ties to imobilise a fracture. 2 plastic bags (shopping or bread) are excellent for people with blisters on their feet. Put two bags over their socks and all the friction goes and the person can usually carry on. Now days gloves or other barriers are a necessity - If I don't have gloves or other barrier and you are bleeding then my safety comes first... It may affect my whole family and not just me to catch something. (up to 30% of people on the East Coast have or are carriers of HepB. Don't let your children drink from shared bottles, or share smokes).  

I think that First Aid in the outdoors needs to be more comprehensive than urban first aid. Not harder but you need to be able to look after someone for an extended time and take control of the whole incident and not just the one injured. I also think the NZMSC first aid book is a good one... as far as first aid books go. 

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AdminPermalink Reply by Ryan Johnson-Hunt on October 29, 2010 at 8:02

The first aid kit I carry is a bit "bare bones" and isn't as comprehensive as a full kit which is always a better idea if you have the room. The kit contains stuff related to the activities I do and the injuries I have a large chance of inflicting on myself.

Cuts/scrapes: Antiseptic cream, steristrips, needle & thread, gauze, sticky dressings, tape, broad spectrum antibiotics

Burns: Parafin gauze, antiseptic cream, stick dressing, tape.

Headaches/wasp stings: Panadol, codeine.

Broken limb: A stick and my leather belt or duct tape for a splint

Splinters: Needle and razorblade

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NewbiePermalink Reply by deanz on July 13, 2012 at 0:54

Here is a link to basic Wilderness First Aid and Survival instructions by Adventure Medical Kits (2 sheets):

 

 

and here is a Comprehensive Wilderness one (200 pages)

 

 

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