UGH!!! Why is it so hard to find out what I need in a first aid and trauma kit?

Hello my friend and welcome back!  I recently had a reader send me and email asking “UGH!!!  Why is it so hard to find out what I need in a first aid and trauma kit”? And this my friend, is the topic of today’s post, so grab a cup of coffee and have a seat while we visit.

WOW!  I can totally feel her pain.  When I first started Prepping, I had the same problem.  Of course being a guy and being raised in a world where your father would tell you “Just rub some dirt on it, it’ll be ok!” I didn’t worry quite so much as some people do, I’m sure.  However, my time in the Military and in Law Enforcement taught me that not having what you need, when you need, it can lead to death.

The last thing you will want is to be digging around in your first aid kit or trauma kit and suddenly realize that you don’t have what you need to save a life,  or even deal with broken bones or gunshot wounds.  The problem is what do you put in them?

First you need to realize that there are different types of kits, made for different situations.  You will need to first ask yourself where you plan to use it and what types of emergencies you want to use it for.  For example: Will you be using in the same location all the time or is it something you will need to be able to carry with you as you walk or hike?  What type of emergencies do you plan to treat with it?

The first aid kit used in the same place all of the time and is primarily for treating cuts and scrapes will be a lot different from one that you will carry with you for battle wounds, cuts and broken bones.  I think you can see the difference, but that still doesn’t tell you what you need to have in it.  Now, if it’s just for the cuts and scrapes and is to be used in a single place and not carried around, then any good First Aid kit should do you just fine.  You may however want to supplement it with any over the counter items you prefer like Tylenol or Excedrin.

Now if you are looking for something to treat more serious wounds with the ability to travel with it then you are looking for a Trauma kit.  A Trauma kit is one more suitable for treating life threatening injuries in the field.   Now don’t get me wrong, you can have both types of kit’s, but if weight is a factor and in most cases it is, then you may want to make your own and combine them in such a way as to reduce the weight while still allowing you to be able to treat even the smallest injury.

If you’re not really worried about scratches and such then I would just go with a Trauma kit.  Now bear in mind, that all Trauma Kits are not created equally.  Many of them simply look to profit off of the name so that they can charge more for the low quality crap they put in them.   I won’t name any names, but if you have looked at them before then you know exactly what I mean.

So what exactly should a good Trauma Kit have in it?  While many people have different ideas, this is what I have in mine :

Small bottle of Tylenol , 2 Bandage Strips 2”x o3” , 10 Triple Antibiotic Packages, 5 Antibiotic Cream Packages,  5 Butterfly Strips, 2 Burn Aid Packages, 2 Bandage Gauzes, 2”x 5yds.,  1 SAM / Universal Splint, 2 rolls Elastic stretch Bandages,  1 EMT Shears, 7.25”, 2 Triangular Israeli compression  Bandage,  1 Pair of Tweezers,  2 Bleed Stop Bandages,  1 Tourniquet,  2 Multi-trauma dressings,  1 Scalpel handle  #34, Sterile Pads( nonstick ) 4”x 4”, 2 Scalpel Blades, suture needle and thread, 4 Sterile Pads, 2”x 2”, 2 Abdominal Pads, 5”x 9”, 2 Eye Pads 1 Pen Light 5 Alcohol Wipes, 2 Suture Sets , 5 Iodine Wipes,  1 small Tape Roll, Adhesive, 1” 15 Antiseptic BZK Wipes, 5 Clean Wipes,  2 Ammonia inhalant tubes, 1 CPR Mask, 1 Irrigation Syringe, 1 Instant Ice Pack,  1 Calamine Lotion wipes, 2 Halo patches, 2 Pairs Latex Examination Gloves,  1 small bottle of Hand Sanitizer, 10 Cotton Tips swabs,  1 Hand Soap.

I keep it all in a small bag attached to the back of my pack with a first Aid patch on the outside of it for easy identification.  While this list may not be right for you, it would serve as a good list for anyone to work off of as they build their own Trauma kit.  Now before I get any nasty comments about how many of these items not being suitable for people with no Medical experience.  To these people I say that when you are dying, you would rather have someone with no experience try to save you than not.  You do what you have to do and that’s all I’m going to say about that.

To my readers, I hope this helps answer your question about First Aid and Trauma Kits.  If anyone out there has any helpful suggestions, then please add them in the comment area below.

I guess that is it for today and I hope you have found today’s post helpful.  Until next time, please stay safe, stay strong and stay prepared.  God Save America!

-Sarge-