Welcome to DK Preppers: A place to discuss practical ways to get through emergencies, both short term and long. Topics may include skills for growing, storing and sharing food, lost and historical skill sets, sustainability issues, living and leaving safely, and growing community. Everyone is welcome, and the comments are open. We have open threads weekly.
A couple months ago, we discussed being prepared with your medications. I really hope everyone is putting away a dose or two of your prescription meds whenever you can, especially once a month when you refill, by refilling a day or two early if you insurance allows it. The GOP is heartless, and you need to prepare.
Besides your prescriptions, everyone should have a first aid kit or seven. One for your home, one for your car, one for your sports bag, one for your purse. I actually have two first aid kits at home and two in my car: a little one with band-aids, first aid cream, and disinfectant, and then a larger one for more serious injuries. In my car, I keep the little one in the glove box, and the bigger one in a bag with the spare tire. At home same thing, a little one in a kitchen drawer, and the more extensive one in a tin with my preps.
You can purchase kits that are all put together for you, but I’ve found that it is less expensive, usually, to purchase it all myself, and put together my own first aid kits.
A basic Micro First Aid kit for my house, purse, and car has:
- band-aids, various sizes
- tiny scissors
- tweezers
- disinfectant
- triple antibiotic cream
- allergy pills
- ibuprophen
I like this little kit because it contains what I need for 90% of all the scrapes, owies and boo-boos that my family has. Its easy to keep stocked, and very handy. I buy the items at the dollar store, and will spit them between the car kit, my purse kit, and the kitchen drawer kit.
For a larger kit, you’ll want a bigger container. Here is a kit list from The Red Cross. This is suggested for a more indepth home kit for a family of four:
- 2 absorbent compress dressings (5 x 9 inches)
- 25 adhesive bandages (assorted sizes)
- 1 adhesive cloth tape (10 yards x 1 inch)
- 5 antibiotic ointment packets (approximately 1 gram)
- 5 antiseptic wipe packets
- 2 packets of aspirin (81 mg each)
- 1 blanket (space blanket)
- 1 breathing barrier (with one-way valve)
- 1 instant cold compress
- 2 pair of nonlatex gloves (size: large)
- 2 hydrocortisone ointment packets (approximately 1 gram each)
- Scissors
- 1 roller bandage (3 inches wide)
- 1 roller bandage (4 inches wide)
- 5 sterile gauze pads (5 x 5 inches)
- 5 sterile gauze pads (4 x 4 inches)
- Oral thermometer (non-mercury/nonglass)
- 2 triangular bandages
- Tweezers
- First Aid Instruction Booklet
I would include a flashlight to that list, just in case your injury happens when the electricity is out- a very likely time for an accident.
Here are some other links to list of supplies to get you thinking:
Anatomy of a First Aid Kit – Red Cross
Checklist for a First Aid Kit – E How
First Aid Kit Checklist – Checklist.com
First-Aid Checklist – REI
OSHA First-Aid Kit List of Required Items – E How
These are all for home first aid kits, and are good starting points. However, if you are into being prepared for as much as possible, you may want to have a separate kit for bigger injuries.
According to SkilledSurvival.com, for a survival first aid kit, you might want to have three parts to your kit. One part for the basics, which is just a more extensive version of your home kit. This is a kit to aspire to. If you are like me, it will take some time to get a kit as complete as this one put together:
Tools
- First aid book with pictures.
- Tweezers
- Thermometer
- Q-Tips
- Large trauma shears
- Nail clippers
- Scissors
- Scalpel with blades
- Stethoscope
Over-The-Counter Medications (Recommended numbers included)
- Ibuprofen (Advil), 20+
- Acetaminophen (Tylenol), 15+
- Aspirin, 15+
- Anti-histamine, x10
- Immodium/Loperamide, x10
- Sudafed (or an equivalent), x10
- Throat lozenges, 10+
- Bismuth tabs, x20
- Oral rehydration, x3
- Dramamine, x10
- Stool softener (laxative), x15
- Lotion and Cream Kit
- Antibiotic ointment (Neosporin or equivalent)
- Hydrocortisone
- Miconazole/Anti-fungal
- SoftSoap: For wound cleaning
Blister Treatments
- Molefoam
- Moleskin
- 2nd skin
- Medical tape
Wound Treatments (Recommended numbers included)
- Nitrile gloves, 4+ pairs
- Irrigation syringe
- Sterile gauze pads, 5+
- Medical tape
- Band-Aids, 20+ (various sizes)
- Alcohol wipes, 15+
- Ace Bandages, x2
- Triangle bandages, x2
- Tegaderm, x2
- Steri-strip or butterfly closures, 3+
- Sam-splint moldable foam splint
- Israeli bandage
- Suture kit
- Iodine
- Tourniquet (be sure you know how to use this safely. Tourniquets are serious business).
Many of these can be purchased at your local drug store, but don’t forget to check out the veterinary supply section of your local farm store too. They’ll have many of these, and more cheaply than a drug store, usually.
The next section of your survival medical kit is for prescription medications. While many preppers are comfortable with having these medications in their stores, you may not. That’s OK. I personally have a small store of antibiotics, since I’ve experienced having an infection and no ability to see a doctor, and have thought through the risks. If you want to have prescription medications on hand, here are some suggestions. Individuals seeking to build an advanced medical kit should consider including some prescription medications. These drugs require an advanced understanding of medicine to administer. But if you have access to these supplies and have reason to believe you will need them in the field, prepare yourself accordingly.
- Epinephrine 1mg: Treats severe allergic reactions.
- 1ml small syringe with needle
- Ciprofloxacin 500mg: Treats infections, also given to individuals exposed to anthrax.
- Azithromycin 500mg: Treats atypical mycobacterial infections and bacterial infections of the heart valve.
- Bactrim d.s. 160/800mg: Treats bacterial infections
- Amoxicillin 500mg: Treats infections or stomach ulcers.
- Flagyl 500/400mg: Treats bacterial infections.
- Fluconazole 100mg: Prevents and treats certain fungal infections.
- Asthma Inhalers: Albuterol is a basic prescription drug that people carry who have difficulties breathing.
- Vitamins: Pack your favorites, or pack them all. Multivitamins are handy for saving both space and weight.
- Epinephrine: Mentioned before in the prescription section. Epinephrine is a medication for severe allergic reactions. It usually requires a certification to administer to another person (except in the case of a life-threatening emergency).
- Small toy or puzzle: Children can be distractions, and in medical emergencies, they can often be a danger to themselves. Keeping a small toy or puzzle to calm a child down, or to offer comfort can be as good as any medication for agitation or distress. It can sometimes even work with adults.
Then there are some general toiletries that are important to have in your kit:
- Toiletries: Just a razor, deodorant, a toothbrush, and toothpaste can make a huge difference in survival. Having extra hygiene supplies never hurts.
- Other various personal medications
- Purell
- Sunblock
- Camp soap: For hand washing.
- Aquamira or other iodine tablets (for water purification)
- Bug repellent
- CPR pocket mask
- Lighter/waterproof matches
- flashlight
Add to this your personal store of the medications you take. If you have migraines, asthma, or any of those intermittently acute illnesses, be sure to have a stash of medications in your kit.
A couple of micro first aid kits can be put together for a few dollars with items from the dollar store and containers you have on hand. In a purse, a mint tin makes a good place for a tiny kit.
This week, look over your first aid kits. What can you add? Do you need to update it? What are you using to hold it? I’d love to see photos! Post them in the comments.