Ultralight Trauma Kit

[snarlbuckle]

This isn't a review as much as it is a request. I'd like to build a very small and light trauma kit. What I need here is advice from people who have worked in places where such a thing is often used. If you are an EMT, Soldier, Medic, or a Doctor, then you probably have some good advice regarding what to put into a minimalist trauma kit. Everyone is welcome to comment of course.

In a nutshell: "What essentials would you pack in an ultralight trauma kit?"

So far my only inclinations have been:
1) Suture kit
2) tourniquet
3) quick-clot
4) possibly one of those nose tubes (nasal pharangeal something?)
5) Electrolyte drink powder + iodine tablets

[protus]

TQ, HH compressed qauze, ace wrap, IZZY ,gloves, IPA/OPA and 2nd TQ

[Matt In Oklahoma]

The trauma kit sold at JRH on here is hard to beat for weight. It's easily modified with additions or subtrations. It's a lot lighter than what i was carrying. The suture is a last resort and not what i carry in a trauma pack. Suturing will come later after cleaning and antibiotics. Quickclot, Celox and other like products are a must IMO. The kit can also be modified for climate such as hand warmers in cold and cold compress in heat.

[Jeremiah2913]

you're on the right track

I would add straight and angular forceps if not included in suture kit and ammonia inhalers. Liquid iodine and above all education. Unlike Matt I believe that a trauma kit is exactly that and not first aid. Quick-clot is great but don't expect it to hold it's ground with much activity. Slipped off a 20' bluff and caught a 5" gash in my right leg. The quick clot prob saved my life but I still lost a lot of blood and barely made it out of the 15 mile hike to my vehicle. I was too disorientated to drive but found power for the cell phone to call for help.

[claymore]

If you don't buy the kits that Matt told you about at least make a list of the items.

[UncleJak]

Mine always contain some type of pain reliever like Tylenol or Advil.

[snarlbuckle]

Using various sources of information, I've finally come up with a preliminary list of what will go into my trauma kit. I started by using my tried and true process of brainstorming likely scenarios, picturing what I would want if each of them occurred, and finding ways to fulfill those desires ahead of time. Here is the list of gear that I eventually came up with. I'm also including a color coded letter of which situations each item would be used for.


ACE bandage LFC
sterile gause LC
Quickclot LC
butterfly bandages L
Asprin LFCA
stronger painkiller LFCA
splint (paracord+sticks) FC
antihistamine (claratin) A
anti-diahrea pill DA
electrolytes DA
ioine tablets DA
ethanol (for sterilization) LC
antibiotics (pill) LCAO
forceps LO
smelling salts (ammonia inhalants) O
gloves LCO
superglue LO
Lanolin O

Laceration
Fracture
Compound Fracture
Dehydration
Major Allergic reaction
Other


You may notice that I decided against the suture kit. After some collaboration, a good point was brought up that doing so could introduce too much bacteria to the wound. Instead, I chose to use a combination of various bandages and superglue (same stuff as liquid bandages). The benefit of this method is that such products can also be used for other purposes.

Edit: Now that I think of it, why don't I have a few of these kits in various places? It would probably be wise to keep one not only in my rucksack, but also in the car and house. Accidents don't just happen on the trail.

[snarlbuckle]

I've learned a few tricks in my research, and they are things I'm sure all of you would be interested to know

1) Baking Soda and Charcoal powder are your friends. Both can be used on venomous stings, bites, etc. and will absorb some of the venom. They are also helpful in fighting overdoses. And I've heard that they're good for stopping bleeding (though you still need to thoroughly clean a wound before attempting suturing).

2) In the absence of a strong painkiller, you can use the multiplier effect of aspirin and alcohol. Supposedly a normal dose of aspirin and two shots of liquor will do the trick. USE THIS ONLY AS A LAST RESORT, and study the effects it has on your blood before you use it to dull pain from an open wound. Since I use Everclear (95% food grade ethanol) as my sterilizing solution, I can also use it for this purpose in an extreme emergency. Keep the charcoal handy in case of an overdose.

3) A pharmacist straight up told me that I can't buy the supplies needed to treat a compound fracture or deep laceration over the counter. The local feed store gladly sold me everything I need to treat very nasty wounds (like castration) on cattle. DO YOUR RESEARCH before you use anything! There can be serious complications for using veterinary medicine on humans. This is a method to use only in as a last resort, and if you ever use it on anyone but yourself, you'll probably get sued or worse. That said, this stuff seems to be very effective and it is dirt cheap compared to an equivalent product at the pharmacy. In reality though, I'd rather have veterinary medicine than nothing when I'm a few days away from the nearest medical care.

4) Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think you can create a weak betadine solution using iodine tablets if you don't have anything else to sterilize a wound. Again, this should be used as a last resort.

5) ALWAYS know how all of the medicine in your pack reacts with all of the other medicines in your pack, and how each of them effects your blood. For instance, if I'm bleeding I probably don't want to use aspirin since it is a blood thinner.

Having said all of that, here are the current contents of my 'trauma kit':

ACE Bandage
Sterile Gauze
Moleskin
Veterinary Wound Powder
10cc syringe of Oxytetracycline @ 200mg/ml concentration (Don't use this all in one spot!)
Iodine Tablets
PA+ Tablets
Foreceps
Butterfly bandages
Superglue
Aspirin
Loratadine
Benadryl
Charcoal Tablets
Ethanol
Gatorade packets (electrolytes)
Paracord (tq, splint, etc)
Nitrile Gloves

[snarlbuckle]

I just got back from my backpacking trip to Eagle Rock Loop with my lovely girlfriend Melissa and my dog Rex. I was surprised that by the end of our trip, we had used the kit three times. Before I continue though, I need to mention that a friend had stopped by and let me pick through an extensive old first aid kit of theirs, and some of those things got shuffled in with what I already had. Following is a list of what we used from this kit on our hike.

1) Electrolyte pill

The most underrated item that I packed and subsequently needed was an electrolyte pill. Pay attention here, this is important. Our first day on the trail, we tackled a bunch of mountain ridges in quick succession and guzzled plenty of water to stay hydrated. Toward the end of the day, we found that a stream we were depending on had dried up, so we went over the next mountain ridge to find water. What we didn't realize was that due to the sheer volume of water we consumed (something like five gallons total), we had nearly washed out all of our electrolytes. We weren't holding water anymore, and between a lack of electrolytes, a lack of water, and extreme exertion, we had become seriously dehydrated. Finally we found another flowing mountain stream, and we were very quick to filter out the water and rehydrate. Trouble was, we were still incoherent and exhausted. Melissa had it especially bad. Everything she drank went straight through her, so couldn't stop the feeling of not being able to think straight regardless of how much she drank. We even tried using some Gatorade powder to help her regain her electrolytes. Nothing was working, but she is a smart girl so she went to the trauma kit knowing that we had packed an electrolyte pill. She took it, drank a little more water, and started to recover slowly over the next hour or so. That one little pill proved invaluable.

Folks, dehydration is nasty. It takes away your ability to think and you don't even realize it until it is too late. Preventing and treating dehydration doesn't just involve water as we proved. You also need your electrolytes! Don't make the same mistake we did, use salts in conjunction with water to keep yourself coherent! Gatorade is great for prevention, but won't save you if you are severely low on electrolytes. Keep an electrolyte pill handy just in case. As an aside, don't plan on using food to solve a major electrolyte deficit. Another side effect of being so dehydrated is that you loose all of your appetite.

2) Claratin + Aspirin

As you might expect, we were bitten by small bugs and our joints were sore from walking with lots of weight. These two simple drugs helped us overcome some of the swelling that would normally result, and thereby improve our recovery. Keep lots of this stuff around whenever you go outdoors.

3) Local anesthetic + Lanolin

Rex's paws were getting pretty raw by the third day, and when I noticed it I immediately began treatment. I may not have needed to use the local anesthetic, but he was obviously in pain and I thought it would help. The lanolin based veterinary lotion is designed for exactly this sort of problem, and it seems to have really helped him to heal his raw paws.

[610Alpha]

thanks snarlbuckle for sharing your experience.

[Matt In Oklahoma]

Rex's paws were getting pretty raw by the third day, and when I noticed it I immediately began treatment. I may not have needed to use the local anesthetic, but he was obviously in pain and I thought it would help. The lanolin based veterinary lotion is designed for exactly this sort of problem, and it seems to have really helped him to heal his raw paws.

Great experience and thanks for sharing. Got a question for whomever. Can moleskin be used on dogs?

[Klayton]

Matt: two things that hinder moleskin on dogs, one, they are furry little boogers = you must shave the area you are applying moleskin to, two, dogs will always attempt to remove something that is not part of them that you attach to them (thus the elizabethen collar dogs are forced to wear to prevent chewing and licking)...

That being said, why are you wanting to add moleskin to a dog? I used some on my hawks as extraprotection on their toes during squirrel hunting, still not sure if it helped or not, LOL...

[Matt In Oklahoma]

That being said, why are you wanting to add moleskin to a dog? I used some on my hawks as extraprotection on their toes during squirrel hunting, still not sure if it helped or not, LOL...

I was looking at the story above and at my spoiled pug and wondering if adding padding to the pads would help the little tenderfoot

[snarlbuckle]

I tried putting some moleskin on my dog, but it didn't stick. I have yet to find a good way to protect my dog's paws. The only thing I came up with so far was to dry them after each river crossing.

[Klayton]

I tried putting some moleskin on my dog, but it didn't stick. I have yet to find a good way to protect my dog's paws. The only thing I came up with so far was to dry them after each river crossing.

We use dog boots, no lie, actually dog booties to protect their paws from too hot asphalt, and when we were in Maryland and we had snow/ice everywhere helped keep their little toes from chapping from the weather extremes. Takes some time for they accept the booties, but once they do, they look like dogs running with sneakers on, LOL