Medical emergency bags: What’s best for you?

Hello my friend and welcome back!  In today’s post, we’re going to look at first aid and medical emergency bags.  Should you buy one, or put together one yourself?  It’s a really good question.  Sit back and grab a cup of coffee while we visit.

As Preppers, we all know the value of a good medical kit and most realize that you need more than one type, for different type of emergencies. There are many types of bags on the market ranging from a few dollars to thousands of dollars.  You can also create your own at your house and save a ton of money as well.

First, let’s take a look at the different types of emergencies, and the differences which make them unique.

Basic cuts and scratches – We have all been hunting or camping and done something stupid which forced us to look for the first aid kit. Sometimes you need one for just a band-aid or maybe a little antiseptic.  For these types of emergencies, a small, simple well stocked first aid kit is all you need.

I looked at several on the market and decided that I would rather build my own.  It wasn’t the price of the kits that influenced me to do this, but the fact that I wanted it to be tailored to my needs.  After all, I just can’t really see me walking around sporting a band-aid that has little colored animals on it.  I’m more the camouflage colored band-aid type. 🙂

I was able to make my own for about $20 by buying much of the individual items for it either online or at the dollar store.  Using a small camo pouch that I picked up at a sporting goods store, and fillng it with these items, gives me the opportunity to adjust the contents to my needs.  I tend to be little rough, so cloth band aids seem to last much longer on my skin.  It’s the little things like this that compelled me to make my own and I wear it when I’m camping or just out in the forest.

The Trauma kit – This is the pouch that I keep attached to the outside of my bag for emergencies.  This kit contains items like compression bandages and tourniquet.  There is also items to handle severe bleeding for when your boo-boo is caused by a .223 passing through your body.  You know what I mean, the kind of thing where you would need several band aids and a box of clear wrap to close it up?

Again, there are many of these on the market, but this is where they begin to really get pricy.  If you are unsure what you should have in a trauma kit, take a look at what is included with the premade kits and make your own list of items that you want to include.  I would invest in a couple of good Israeli compression bandages and a good tourniquet as well.

The thing about a Trauma kit, is that when you need it, you need it bad and you will want to have what you need, at the time.  Don’t cut corners on this one because your very life could just depend on what you have in it.  Spend a little money and either buy a kit already made or make one yourself.  You will want to mount it on the side of your pack or somewhere where you can get to it quickly, but not have it in your way when you don’t need it. I made mine and bought most of what I needed online at Amazon .com and saved quite a bit over the premade ones.  It has everything I need and nothing I don’t.

Platoon size medical kits – In our group, my wife is one of the medics.  Notice I said medic and not Dr., that’s because while she can handle many medical emergencies, she really shines when it comes to herbal medicine.  Because of this we have several large medical bags that contain extra medical supplies and medicine as well as a few things that the average grunt doesn’t need.   It has meds for headache, diarrhea, constipation, and other common needs.  Of course this is not the bulk of our medical supplies, but the items that are only needed occasionally and in limited amounts.

The bottom line here is that there are many options out there whether you buy yours already made or build it like I did.  The trick is to have a distinct group of medical emergencies in mind when you get them.  If you take the time and do your research and plan out what you need, then you will be well on your way to having the medical kits you need to survive when the time comes.

I guess that’s it for today and I hope today’s post has helped in some small way.  Until next time, stay safe, stay strong and stay prepared.  God Save America!

-The Sargent-