Comments on: Bug Out First Aid Kit Ideas and Checklist

By: Brian Symons

Brian Symons — Wed, 13 Sep 2017 15:56:47 +0000

Pens & Paper
A few suggestions about pens & paper.
A notebook & pencil are in most first aid kits but you can update that a little.
There are many “waterproof paper” notebooks such as “Rite in the Rain” which will not be affected by moisture or rain. A quick search for waterproof paper notebooks on eBay showed more than a dozen manufacturers’.
If you wish to use a pen instead a pencil then I suggest that you get the Fisher Space Pen. You don’t have to use Fisher Pens – you can get the refills to fit a wide range of pens so you can use whatever pens you wish.
The reason for Space Pen Refills is because they never dry out so they will ready for use when you want them. The refill is really a high-tech system. The special ink in a sealed cartridge pressurised with nitrogen, a perfectly round carbide sphere for the ball point, makes for a pen that will write in almost any condition. The Space pen refill writes at -30 degrees F or -34 degrees C to +250 degrees F or 121 degrees C, underwater, & at any angle, even upside down. It comes in several thicknesses & many colours.
Lastly, a note about marking pens if you want them for your kit. Some of the Staedtler Lumocolor Permanent Markers will not dry out even if the cap is left off for several days. I have only started to use these in the past few months so I cannot really comment on that feature, but I have found that they keep writing if you have them open for quite some time while most others need recapping for a while before continuing to use them.
I think that the “dry safe” Staedtler Lumocolor should last longer in storage without drying out & they are not any more expensive than many other pens.
Regards,
Brian

By: TamGif

TamGif — Tue, 01 Aug 2017 16:12:58 +0000

There are a couple of items that I keep in all of my first aid kits that are not listed here. I buy the tiny bags made for individual pill doses and label them with the content and dosage. Since I often have small children with me I make sure to have chewable dosages of the basics, Benedryl, ibuprofen, Tylenol, and pepto-bismol. I also ALWAYS keep UNSEASONED MEAT TENDERIZER in every kit( i put a teaspoon in a small zipper bag) just add water to make a paste and put a bandaid over it to hold it there. An enzyme in the tenderizer help with almost every type of sting or bite that I have come in contact with. I have not tried on venomous snake bites so I wouldn’t go that far. However I have used it for bee, wasp, & yellow jacket stings as well assassin bug and brown recluse bites. Very effective!

By: TraumaDog

TraumaDog — Sat, 10 Jun 2017 20:01:19 +0000

In reply to James. While instant icepacks are a good thing to have, they suffer from a couple of problems. First off, they have a smaller bag inside them holding water, which could break if not packed well, making your icepack useless when you desperately need it. Second, over time, the ammonium nitrate in the pack will clump together and lose it's effectiveness. If you want to have these packs, I recommend getting a few of them, cutting them open and dumping the ammonium nitrate into Ziploc bags (I recommend the freezer bags as they are stronger, and spend the money to get the best there is. This is not a place to pinch pennies). Then all you have to do is add water, shake, and Viola!!! Instant cold pack. Not to mention it takes up much less space and weight in your pack.

By: Dave Sunhammer

Dave Sunhammer — Mon, 10 Apr 2017 21:07:03 +0000

A lot depends on exactly “what” you think you are prepping for. Zombie apocalypse or a couple days out of power or a few days lost in the woods. (I use “zombie apocalypse” as the cover-all for any really long-term event.)

One thing I never see on any list is salt. Most people, for a few days lost in the woods, it probably doesn’t matter. But I have naturally low salt and sweat it out quick. I’ve dropped out in 100F heat because of it, so a couple salt tabs are pretty much mandatory. And that leads to basically “know your PERSONAL medical needs and remember to pack some.”

REI has bottles to little single packs of chewable electrolyte tabs. If you are prepping for the big one… best get yourself a salt block at least. The human body needs “some” to survive.

By: Rebecca Cox

Rebecca Cox — Mon, 02 Jan 2017 07:27:29 +0000

A lot of great information on this page. I’m new to the Prepping/Being Prepared group.Thanks for the handy info. There were a few things on this list that I didn’t think to put in my first aid kit, And just wanted to say Thank You. -Becca