Making a good first aid kit

Every so often I focus a bit more on medical preparedness, and having the right supplies on hand to deal with actual things that are likely to happen to us here. From my experience, generic first aid kits haven't provided things that my family actually uses, so I've been refining our first aid kits over time to find a selection of things that works well for us. I am wondering if others are doing the same, and if you'd like to share your thoughts here.

What is in your first aid kit? Do you have just one kit for everything? Or a selection of different smaller kits for different purposes?

What would you define as absolute essentials to have on hand?

What extra things would you definitely want to have on hand, if hospitals were not accessible?

This may not be the best of replies. My wife and I are both RNs.  And, we used to live deep in the north woods of MN. So, this is going to be an extreme for most:

AED (defibrillator)
AMBU Bag
IV ...D5W and saline
Stapler and staple remover
Stich Kit
Butterflies
NG Tube
Surgical kit
Surgical dressings
Surgical gown, mask, booties, gloves etc
Kling Gauze
4x4s
2x2s
Tape
Assorted bandaids
Various topical antibiotics
Suitable emergency medications ...legally prescribed
Various braces
One large OTC first aid kit
Eye wash

I like John's list.

Since I built our kits the only items we have used are the IV; lots of bandages, assorted bandaids, gauze, tape, surgical dressing, and gloves.

Since we are in the boondocks I also have a burn kit and dental kits.  So far unused.

My favorite part of a first aid kit is the knowledge and experience associated with using the items :).

Ah,  I forgot to mention the dental kit.   What is in your burn kit Anne?

I can't remember what is in the burn kit.  It is bolted to a wall.

It was a professional kit for a business.  

It is old now so I am not sure how good it is.

Something else I thought of is a good basic first aid book.

Unfortunately, mine got buried under lots of stuff in storage.

Maybe I need to buy a new one.

I have read here on the forum that a good one is "Where There is No Doctor":

https://www.amazon.com/Where-There-No-Doctor-Handbook/dp/0942364155

I also have had kits for years and notice that I only have had to replenish:
-topical antibiotic cream and povidone iodine packets
-micropore tape (great for blisters/hotspots on feet, as well as emergency clothing repairs)
-bandaids
-MATCHES, of all things. i have the old "in case of disaster" matchbox in there and it has come in surprisingly handy.

I should mention I have a catheter kit.  I am working on getting a good 24 hours of O2.   It is about a 2 hour drive to a real hospital.  I want to build in an overnight fudge factor for weather issues.

I've tried to plead my case over the years as to what I believe belongs in a first aid kit.  I got arguments.

A first aid kit is for *emergencies*.  Stop the bleeding.  Stop the allergic reaction.  That may be it!

Others over the years, in multiple forums, recommended things like Pepto Bismol, burn cream,  nail clippers ... stuff that belongs in a bathroom medicine cabinet.  With that and related stuff, the first aid kit would quickly become large and unwieldy, and it'll take longer to find the QuikClot.  (It's hidden under the Drownproofing pamphlet!)

A first aid kit, I've concluded, is a personal thing, and most folks want an all-encompassing kit, 100+ items.  

When we built our first aid kit, it was a backpack.

Something that we could grab and go.

I still feel the grab-and-go kit is a good idea.

Think about natural disasters in your area.

What would cause your family to be evacuated?

What would you need in a kit if you had to leave on foot?

What would your family need if they were staying in a rescue shelter?

Just some food for thought.

In my purse first aid kit, I always have tamanu oil, tea tree oil and/or ointment, bandages, antibiotic ointment, arnica pellets, and usually a few ibuprofen or similar pain reliever tablets.

Tamanu is for burns, and I've saved multiple people a lot of pain with that. It is really amazing for both pain relief and healing of burns.

Now that my youngest are 10yo (twin boys) they don't need a bandaid _every_ time we are away from home, but it's still often enough.  😁

We have a kit in the car that is more extensive, too.

I carry a full tote into work every night.  In addition to allergy meds, caffeine, pain killers, and chewable tums (and all of these have been needed by at least one coworker in addition to times I use them) I have heating pads, kt tape and regular medical tape.  Bandaids, saline, gauze, scissors, tweezers and antiseptic creams are in the company's many first aid kits. The only times I have needed more than these, I needed actual doctor's care.

Our medical cabinet at home is actually far more extensive though we have stopped short of John's level of preparation.   Mostly of my medical thinking goes into prevention. In case of burns I dig in the fridge for the mustard.  Half an our of plain mustard sitting on a burn and not only does it have less blistering, it's pain free and doesn't start hurting again later.

Bandaids 17 assorted sizes, antibiotic ointment 2, alcohol prep pad 2, iodine prep pad, wetnap, moleskin, tweezers, latex glove, triangle bandage, menstrual pad. All this fits in a sandwich ziplock and is flat enough that I don't even notice it in my pocket.
In my car I also keep a rescue breathing mask with 1 way valve so you don't get throw up in your mouth while doing CPR.
In my car I also have an OTC first aid kit, but I think it's 1/2 junk, I tried using the Ace bandage to wrap someone's ankle and it was literally no help.
It's a toss up weither the bandaids or the menstrual pad has been used more. Countless times another female in the group "hey my period came early does anyone have pads?" And 1 time someone sliced there shin slipping on barnicales and the pad was the only "bandaid" large enough.

Essentials:

Cayenne powder--used as a styptic (stops bleeding when sprinkled on); put into tincture if necessary; stops bleeding internally or externally; can "wake up" person with stroke or heart attack--this last one I've heard about.

But I have used cayenne powder on sliced by broken glass hands (mine) during covid lockdowns--I did not want to go in for stitches.  Yes, it burns a bit, but it worked.

Covered it with a bandage and if it starts to bleed again (like if you bang it), reapply.

I know a holistic vet (Dr. Patrick Jones, Homegrown Herbal School of Medicine) who used it to revive many animals that were in shock after being hit by a car.

Honey--wound dressing, to keep infection out, moisture in, helps healing.  Also used it on a severe burn on my hand.  Took the horrendous pain out very quickly.

You can get these at most grocery stores, so even in societal collapse, if meds are not available, or if you eschew them, these are pretty cheap and multi-purpose, and tested over centuries and by our ancestors.

A study on honey:  (pasted from here)--https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3188068/

Ann Burns Fire Disasters. 2007 Sep 30; 20(3): 137–139.
Published online 2007 Sep 30.
PMCID: PMC3188068
PMID: 21991084
Language: English | French

Topical Application of Honey for Burn Wound Treatment - an Overview
M. Subrahmanyam
Author information Article notes Copyright and License information Disclaimer
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Summary
The use of honey in the treatment of burn wounds is discussed and an attempt is made to assess honey's current status as a burn wound dressing. Various kinds of honey are considered, as also the history of its use for this purpose since ancient times. The scientific reasons for honey's appropriateness in burns treatment are reviewed and an account is provided of the main benefits of such treatment.

Keywords: TOPICAL, APPLICATION, HONEY, BURN, WOUND, TREATMENT, OVERVIEW
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Introduction
The use of natural products to enhance wound healing is a common practice in many parts of the world. A survey conducted by Hermans1 in 1998 to review worldwide use of different treatment options for burns found that honey was used in 5.5% of instances, while 1% silver sulphadiazine was the preferred treatment for partial-thickness and mixed burns. Since that time, a number of scientific research papers have testified to the beneficial effects of honey in controlling infection and promoting burn wound healing. This paper makes an attempt to assess the current status of honey as a dressing in burn wounds.

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What is honey?
Honey is a mixture of sugars prepared by honey bees from the natural sugar solutions - called nectar - obtained from flowers or other plant secretions. By inverting the sucrose in the nectar, the bee increases the attainable density of the final product, and thus raises the efficiency of the process in terms of caloric density. By the addition of enzymes and the evaporation of water contained in it, honey bees transform it into a sweet liquid.

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Types of honey
Honey is either unifloral or multifloral, depending whether the honey collected is from the same plant source or from plant sources of various types. The colour and thickness of honey depend on the source - thus honey may be dark-brown, black, etc. The contents of all honey are more or less the same: sugars, e.g. sucrose, fructose, minerals, and vitamins in addition to various enzymes such as catalase, invertase, and diastase.

There are two main types of honey, apiary honey and forest honey. Honeys produced by the Indian hive bee, Apis cerana indica, and the European bee, Apis millifera, in apiaries and collected by the modern extraction method are called apiary honey. These are transparent and free from foreign materials. Honeys produced by the rock bee, Apis dorsata, or from wild nests of Apis cerana indica in forests and collected by the crude method of squeezing the comb are known as forest honeys. These honeys are turbid owing to the abundant presence of pollen, wax, brood (bee larvae), parts of bees, and plant materials. Extra filtration of the honey is necessary to separate the suspended particles. Granulation is a natural process of the crystallization of honey's glucose content, and granulated honey can be made liquid by slight warming.

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Purity of honey
Visual observation and layman tests are not reliable for the ascertainment of the purity of honey. A simple test to detect adulteration of honey is to heat 10 g of it with sodium bisulphite and barium. If barium sulphate is precipitated, sugar or jaggery is present in the honey.

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Honey as a medicine
The medicinal properties of honey have been known over the years. The Indian medicine system Ayurveda describes honey as the nectar of life and recommends its use in the treatment of various ailments such as diarrhoea, ulcers, etc.4 Honey is used as a nutritious food, recommended to be taken along with lemon juice and hot water early in the morning.3 It was used as a component of beauty creams and for embalming the dead in Egypt.

Honey has been used as an adjuvant for accelerating wound healing in ulcers, infected wounds, and burns. It has also been used for storing skin grafts. In 1933 Philips6 mentioned the use of honey in burns and described it as the best natural dressing. In 1937 Voigtlander7 used honey to treat scalds and stressed the relief of pain and honey's soothing action.

Studies in animal models have demonstrated that honey leads to faster healing and reduced inflammation than controls in infection-free superficial burns and full-thickness wounds and in wounds experimentally infected with Staphylococcus aureus.8 There are case reports describing burn wounds not responding to conventional treatment which healed when honey dressings were used.9 A retrospective study of 156 burn patients treated in a hospital over a 5-yr period (1988 to 1992) found that 13 patients treated with honey had a similar outcome to those treated with silver sulphadiazine.

Prospective randomized controlled clinical trials have proved that honey treatment leads to significantly more rapid healing of superficial and partial-thickness burns than that achieved with silver sulphadiazine, polyurethane film, amniotic membrane, and potato peel.2,11-20 However, in full-thickness burns, early tangential excision and skin grafting were found to be superior to honey dressing.

In superficial and partial-thickness burns, honey treatment of burns has resulted in an effective control of infection that is much better than that achieved with current standard treatment, silver sulphadiazine, and other substances.21-23 Thermal injury is an oxidative injury. There is increased free radical activity at the site, resulting in increased lipid peroxidation, which is responsible for scarring and contractures. In burns the early application of honey mops up the free radicals and reduces such scarring and contractures. This may also explain the reduced depigmentation after honey treatment compared to silver sulphadiazine and other methods of treatment. Decreased pain during dressing changes, decreased inflammation, and the promotion of healthy granulation have been shown to be further benefits of honey. Wound swabs taken before and after honey treatment and conventional treatment have shown significantly reduced rates of infection, indicating that honey sterilizes wounds and promotes early granulation.

The components and features of honey that are relevant to wound healing are as follows: viscosity, water content, sugars (primarily glucose and fructose), antioxidants, a wide range of amino acids, vitamins and minerals, glucose oxidase, which produces hydrogen peroxide, and gluconic acid, which gives honey an acidic pH of 3.2 to 4.5. Hydrogen peroxide is produced only when honey is diluted, as glucose oxidase is inhibited in undiluted honey - this provides most of the antibacterial activity of diluted honey (in undiluted honey the high osmolarity prevents bacterial growth) and improves local nutrition, because of levulose and fructose.

This results in early wound healing and decreased hospital stay, thus contributing to honey treatment's cost-effectiveness. Honey is cheap, non-toxic, and non-allergenic, it does not stick to the wound, and it provides a moist environment conducive to rapid burn healing.

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How to use honey?
In minor burns, it is recommended to pour tap water immediately on burns, as this reduces the temperature. Afterwards, honey can be applied. Depending on the area, 15-30 ml of honey can be applied directly onto the burn wound or soaked in gauze before application. Occlusive or absorbent secondary dressings are applied to prevent honey from oozing out, and the frequency of dressing changes depends on how rapidly the honey is diluted by the exudate, which declines as treatment progresses.

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Which honey?
Honey obtained from both unifloral and multifloral sources is useful. Unprocessed, undiluted honey has been used in clinical studies and the response has been good. The floral origin of honey and its antibacterial potency appear to make no difference to the effectiveness of honey in the treatment of burns and wounds.

The free radical control by honey, due to its anti-oxidant effect, limits damage and subsequent multi-organ dysfunction. Honey's anti-bacterial action, low pH, high viscosity, hygroscopic effect, and its hydrogen peroxide content all play a combined role in honey's effectiveness in burns treatment. Honey provides a moist environment for optimum healing conditions.

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Is it necessary to sterilize honey?
Honey can be sterilized by gamma irradiation without any loss of its anti-bacterial effect. Standard tests have proved honey to be sterile and so far no clinical study has shown any complication, such as allergy, after its use in wounds and burns - thus honey can be used unprocessed and undiluted.

In a systematic review of clinical trials of honey in burns and wounds, Moore et al.25 and Molan26 concluded that honey was superior to other treatments and suggested there was biological plausibility for this.

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Conclusion
With the increased number of reports on the use of honey in burns and wounds, honey as an alternative treatment for such injuries is gaining increased acceptance from clinicians. However, discussion about the type of honey to be used is still ongoing, as also about the need to sterilize the honey before use. Further prospective randomized studies using various types of honey with varied properties may help to standardize the particular type of honey to be used. Present evidence supports the finding that honey, thanks to its various modes of action, is useful in superficial and partial-thickness burns.

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References
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(I'd recommend raw, organic honey if you can get it...normal practice is to spray the hives with mite killers, fungicided, and antibiotics, I believe...)

You can get cayenne powder in bulk at a health food/natural product store.  It may clump if you live in a humid environment.  In that case, buying or filling capsules may help.

I keep my powder in the fridge, for longer storage, and a smaller container of it for first aid (replaced with fresh stuff every now and then.)

NOTE:  Having it in something that you can open with only one hand is something to consider...I found that out with one hand weeping blood!  Would have been neater if I had thought of that ahead of time...!  :O

John’s list is pretty good. Any and every kit should also include a tourniquet. At least in my experience as a combat veteran and fire fighter.

Tape, gauze, tweezers with an attached magnifying lens, salt, diaper ointment such as desitin, st. John's blossom oil, plantain leaves, epsom salts,gloves, gauze pads, scissors. Duct tape is very useful coupled with a towel or pillow it can be used to stabilize a broken bone. In case of severe bleeding it can hold a pad of cloth in place to keep pressure on the wound. St. John's wort blossom oil and the juice from crushed plantain leaves can heal wounds, burns , stings, bits remarkably well. Salt dissolved in water or sprinkled on a wound can help heal. A simple wet with salt water gauze covered with a dry gauze layer and taped over a wound which is an effective way to draw the infection out. Salt water poured into an eye can often wash out an irritant
Epsom salts are a good solution for magnesium deficiency which is present often when there is any kind of spasm from asthma to cramps.

As in most things, what is in a kit is highly individualized. I suspect that the more remote one is, the more developed the kit can become.  If one lives close to a quality hospital, a store bought 1st aid kit will do. If one lives in a location when one can be isolated for weeks at a time, then a kit can  be forced to become more elaborate. Snow storms, ice storms, tornadoes, hurricanes, floods, and fires can change the universe in a hurry.  

I agree with a lot of the sentiments here, but band-aids simply don't work for me. It's way too humid, I'm way too rough, and the cost to coverage ratio is poor even if they would stay on, which they don't. I've been using white 3M brand duct tape for almost two decades and keep a variety of things for pulling splinters, cleaning, and covering wounds which are then wrapped with duct tape. Obviously each persons kit will be different for their situation, but for me 3M duct tape is the first component of every emergency kit. There are lots of brands out there, but the 3M tears easily enough while being strong, the adhesive makes it stick to itself very well without being too messy, and best of all you can get dozens of yards of the stuff for the same price as band-aids. The elasticity of the 3M tape also lends it to wrapping up wounds near joints so when you run out of free movement it stretches a bit instead of tearing too easily, or completely limiting range of motion like many other brands with higher tensile strength.

I have taken old pieces of PVC, cut them down and cleaned them up, and wrap several yards of the tape around it and put it in various bags and toolboxes. Once the big roll gets low, I flatten it out and stuff it somewhere convenient. Obviously a full roll would be unwieldy for most situations, so those tricks allow me to keep enough on hand in a smaller space. I also have the tape in red for flagging long stuff sticking off the back of a vehicle, and a small roll stashed in a vehicle can be used for that, holding things down, various repairs, or even to get the attention of others if you are in distress. If you broke down without a phone and knew you were safer staying with your vehicle, you could tape SOS on the vehicle to grab the attention of someone who could help or call for help. I've given out a few small rolls to people to keep in their vehicles for emergencies and it definitely comes in handy. I'm very frugal with how I use it, so one full roll lasts for years.

Wrapping wounds in the red tape will get you tons of attention, which is why I got the white color as well. I've never had anyone question me about the white tape.

My most valuable item in my fist aide kit is homeopathic arnica montana,, its for bruising and swelling due to injury. Invaluable when concussion is suspected. Another homeopathic remedy in my first aide kit is Ledum palstre,, good for insect bites & bee stings. Homeopathic remedies do not interfere with any other medications one might be taking & works nearly immediately. Another amazing cure is vinegar for burns, any kind of burn, heat, chemical, sun, etc. Submerge burn area in vinegar & it first takes the pain away,  then can literally  reverse it, to leave no sign of the burn. If the burn area cannot be submerged in vinegar, then a towel sopping wet with vinegar can be laid on the burn instead. Amazing!!! One experience with a very bad burn, the vinegar started to heat up from drawing the heat out of the burn, the pain started to return, so to cool the vinegar, I placed the dish of vinegar on a dish of ice, relief once again. I held the burned hand in vinegar for 3 hours, when I finally took it out, no pain, no redness, no indication of a burn at all. SPREAD THE WORD OF THIS INCREDIBLE CURE!!!

Other good thoughts are Coban, also known as vet wrap.
Will stick to itself, doesn't need tape, gentle on fragile skin.
You can buy it on Amazon or tractor supply.

If you happen to receive a prescription for mupirocin ointment from your physician, this is the best topical antibiotic treatment ever.  If used early on burns, bites, scratches, etc, it will quickly treat infections and prevent cellulitis and abscesses. It will treat methicillin resistant staph aureus and does not promote antibiotic resistance.

Also contact lens solution can be used as an eyewash or for wound irrigation.
Same for IV fluid.

Alligator forceps can be purchased online to remove foreign bodies from small spaces. Splinter forceps are also great although I usually use a 25 guage needle on my own splinters.

A good headlamp very helpful to shed light on whatever you are working on.

Benadryl gel good for itchy bug bites.
Tylenol, Advil, Pepcid, Prilosec are always good OTC's to have on hand.

Telfa nonstick pads great for dressings.

A prescription for ondansetron orally disintegrating tablets very helpful for nausea. If you ever get this from your doctor for gi upset, save the leftovers for future use.

Hi Annette,

Welcome to Permies.

Vet combat medic, herbalist, and midwife here.

I carry:
ACE wraps multiple sizes
Coban
4x4s (which can be put smaller if needed)
1 large surgical dressing
Hemostats
EMT shears
Herbs (charcoal capsules, yarrow tincture, black salve, green salve, chamomile flowers, and peppermint leaves )
Rescue Remedy flower essence blend
Small tin of salt
Wound closure strips
Paper tape
IV - LR and Saline - these are bagged in 1 gallon bags with the start kits which then serves as a trash bag
Suture kits
Multiple cravats
Sharps container
Eye cup
SAM splint
Hydrogen peroxide (usually in the water bottle pouch of the big aid bag)
Alcohol pads
Single use ice packs (we have more risk of heat injuries than cold injuries)
Disposable gloves in medium and large

I usually carry additional items for emergency birth care
Ambu bag FOR NEWBORN
Angelica, Shepherds purse (for immediate postpartum needs)
Gallon bag for placenta (do not cut cord unless absolutely needed in emergency situations)
Receiving blankets
DeLee catheter (only in emergencies, babies do NOT need suctioned right away...this annoys the SHIT out of me)
Additional hemostats

How its works bag wise - I have a large aid bag that holds the bulk of these and 1 small MOLLE pack that attaches to the front of the bag and pulls of for quick removal (mainly trauma needs). Both bags that red crosses on them so that anyone can see that its a first aid kit. Each section has all the things you need for the emergency so you can just unzip that section and have everything you need. Pouches labeled. Restock is kept in a green tote (herbal first aid color and we have no other green totes for quick grab and easy to describe to someone else). Midwifery bag is separate.

If hospitals weren't accessible - I would probably end up carrying things like Lobelia to help open lungs and Skunks cabbage for extreme n/v.  I am considering a backboard, litter, and c-collar but haven't had enough of a need to get them.

I do carry an HGB/HCT analyzer, blood glucose monitor, UA strips, a very nice pulse ox (with newborn leads as well, checks for CCHD at 24 hours with newborns), BP cuff, stethoscope, pediatric stethoscope, and fetoscope. Not first aid BUT if hospitals aren't available they can be wonderful tools to help us help someone. Some of these strips expire and either don't work with the machines OR can give false readings so I am mindful of that.

I don't carry any pharmaceuticals or o2. Too difficult to restock is hospitals aren't available so I train to know what to do without them.

When I teach, I always teach how to provide good care with what is around and then when you have a good kit, it just makes it easier.

Thanks for the reminder, I need to order from fresh IV kits.

Raven Annasdottir wrote:Vet combat medic, herbalist, and midwife here.

I don't carry any pharmaceuticals or o2. Too difficult to restock is hospitals aren't available so I train to know what to do without them.

When I teach, I always teach how to provide good care with what is around and then when you have a good kit, it just makes it easier.

Thanks for the reminder, I need to order from fresh IV kits.

What part of Kentucky are you in? Do you often teach? After I get moved to WV can I arrange to take a class?
I have long embraced the use of natural/herbal/alternative healing substances; my kids consider me the Medicine Woman of the family, though they are now grown with children of their own. Having lived in the cities of So Cal nearly all my life, there are plenty of herbs I've read about, but have neither grown or used, and many of those will grow back there. We move in March.

Our Prep for Power Outage in a Little Old Trailor in Eastern Pennsylvania,
Where we would lose water, heat, and cooking ability.   (We would also lose refrigeration, but not a concern if our trailer becomes one.

     Water: Gallons of Jugs of Water (to flush toilet), Spring Water to Drink, Squirt bottles for rinsing off dishes.
     Hot food: to help keep us warm, if loose power and therefore heat.
          Stew in electric CrockPot... which is insulated and should keep food hot for 4 hours of more.
          Hot Tea, wrapped in my yogurt making 'cooler', so we don't drink cold stuff that will make us colder.

  Hot water bottle can hopefully get at least one hot water bottle filled from the water in the hot water tank, before loosing water pressure, to help us stay warm, until the power comes on again.

I think each circumstance calls for different preparations.
           

Looking through the lists folks have made, I have one thing that that hasn't been listed.  I always have a dark colored washcloth.  I find that the most often used items in my car med kit tend to be the bandaids, pain killer (either Ibuprofen or Acetaminophen),  chocolate, and the benadryl.  Since I tend to be known for having whatever is necessary for *insert emergency*, bleeding children seem to be handed to me a lot.  If kids see the blood, they freak out a lot.  If you use gauze, telfa, whatever that is white--it increases the intensity of the redness leading to small kid breakdowns.  Dark cloth hides the blood and lowers extreme reactions.  Then a piece of chocolate tends to solve any number of problems!  This system of reaction also does fine with squeamish adults...  

John F Dean wrote: It is about a 2 hour drive to a real hospital.  I want to build in an overnight fudge factor for weather issues.

This is one of the reasons that - just - a First Aid Kit might not cut it for a lot of people.
For instance someone mentioned a bottle of Pepto and another a jar of honey. That is going to make a 1st Aid Bag huge.
SO, how about a Personal Responder bag, along with a BOB, of course?
I can all but guarantee that IF you have to drive an hour or two or three to the nearest hospital, by Murphy's Law, the weather will be the worst weather day of the year. What happens when the snow is so deep that you cannot drive through it? What happens when you are stuck on ice and cannot move it is so slick? What happens when you lose control and hit the ditch?
IS just that 1st Aid bag going to do you much good?
Just some thoughts from ME to get you thinking about long term situations rather than just a short term - stop the bleeding routine.

What happened during your last major emergency? Were you prepared for what happened overall?

As I expected.

Cindy Haskin wrote:
What part of Kentucky are you in? Do you often teach? After I get moved to WV can I arrange to take a class?
I have long embraced the use of natural/herbal/alternative healing substances; my kids consider me the Medicine Woman of the family, though they are now grown with children of their own. Having lived in the cities of So Cal nearly all my life, there are plenty of herbs I've read about, but have neither grown or used, and many of those will grow back there. We move in March.

I'm in central KY. I don't have any herbal first aid classes scheduled for 2023 yet. They'll be posted on www.havenshirewild.com when they are scheduled though. There will be less classes offered next year because I've got something big in the works!

Erika Bailey wrote: a dark colored washcloth. ....

Amen! My daughter had massive nosebleeds throughout her childhood (no logic, no reason, stopped when she hit about 18) and I used to buy navy blue cotton bandannas and have them everywhere for just this reason. By about age 8 she was able to handle it by herself but everyone else would be running around screaming.

Alina Green wrote:Essentials:

Cayenne powder--used as a styptic (stops bleeding when sprinkled on); put into tincture if necessary; stops bleeding internally or externally; can "wake up" person with stroke or heart attack--this last one I've heard about.

But I have used cayenne powder on sliced by broken glass hands (mine) during covid lockdowns--I did not want to go in for stitches.  Yes, it burns a bit, but it worked.

Covered it with a bandage and if it starts to bleed again (like if you bang it), reapply.

I know a holistic vet (Dr. Patrick Jones, Homegrown Herbal School of Medicine) who used it to revive many animals that were in shock after being hit by a car.

Honey--wound dressing, to keep infection out, moisture in, helps healing.  Also used it on a severe burn on my hand.  Took the horrendous pain out very quickly.

You can get these at most grocery stores, so even in societal collapse, if meds are not available, or if you eschew them, these are pretty cheap and multi-purpose, and tested over centuries and by our ancestors.

I just want to mention that some people (I among them) are allergic or extremely sensitive to cayenne. Even at the lowest concentration as in an arthritis pain releif cream, I get an extreme skin reation that would make the wound much worse. Since there is a safe alternative available, a ferrous powder variously named, both in drugstores ("Woundseal") and farm/animal supply stores ("Bloodstop"), I would keep that on hand in a first-aid kit for using on others at least.

Raven Annasdottir wrote:Vet combat medic, herbalist, and midwife here.

I carry:
ACE wraps multiple sizes
Coban
4x4s (which can be put smaller if needed)
1 large surgical dressing
Hemostats
EMT shears
Herbs (charcoal capsules, yarrow tincture, black salve, green salve, chamomile flowers, and peppermint leaves )
Rescue Remedy flower essence blend
Small tin of salt
Wound closure strips
Paper tape
IV - LR and Saline - these are bagged in 1 gallon bags with the start kits which then serves as a trash bag
Suture kits
Multiple cravats
Sharps container
Eye cup
SAM splint
Hydrogen peroxide (usually in the water bottle pouch of the big aid bag)
Alcohol pads
Single use ice packs (we have more risk of heat injuries than cold injuries)
Disposable gloves in medium and large

Hi Raven,

Thank you for this detailed post.

I'm curious about your small tin of salt - is that for cleaning wounds? Hydration? Other purposes I'm not aware of?

- Casey

Casey Pfeifer wrote:

Hi Raven,

Thank you for this detailed post.

I'm curious about your small tin of salt - is that for cleaning wounds? Hydration? Other purposes I'm not aware of?

- Casey

Both.

Gary Numan wrote:I've tried to plead my case over the years as to what I believe belongs in a first aid kit.  I got arguments.

A first aid kit is for *emergencies*.  Stop the bleeding.  Stop the allergic reaction.  That may be it!

Others over the years, in multiple forums, recommended things like Pepto Bismol, burn cream,  nail clippers ... stuff that belongs in a bathroom medicine cabinet.  With that and related stuff, the first aid kit would quickly become large and unwieldy, and it'll take longer to find the QuikClot.  (It's hidden under the Drownproofing pamphlet!)

A first aid kit, I've concluded, is a personal thing, and most folks want an all-encompassing kit, 100+ items.  

I guess that depends how we define first aid. Diarrhea can be deadly. Heat attack and stroke can be deadly. So remedies for those in my opinion have to be in the kit. Plus having bad pain is an emergency in my opinion too.

I keep a commonly used things kit with me and the little kids. It's the same kit for the car and for camping.

lavendar oil for burns
vet wrap and arnica homeopathy tabs for sprains
tobacco for stings , great vasoconstrictor, prevents venom from spreading
bitters for car sickness, I use gentian
Oregon grape tincture for antiseptic and some kinds of poisoning
charcoal caps for other types of poisoning
bandaids, gauze, medical tape, small knife
Rescue Remedy or another nervine for grounding, and a lollipop
an extra waterbottle, salt, travel soap, the saltwater is for washing sand out of eyes, stings less than plain water

My husband has medic training and gave me a trauma kit for the car, for shoot-outs and car accidents, but I don't know how to use half the stuff.

For not accessing hospitals, it really depends on why. I keep a huge herb cabinet and herb garden, and try to keep expanding my knowledge of locally available medicinal plants. The most likely problem, in my mind, when I'm not feeling very pessimistic, is a temporary unavailability of medications, rather than hospitals being closed, so I try to keep in mind the most common critical prescriptions and what are some work-arounds.