Topic: First Aid Kits - Inventory List and Interest Thread

[Corndogg]

Injuries always seem to occur during jams, it comes with the territory. While more serious injuries should be treated immediately by a doctor, its definitely good to be prepared for some of the smaller stuff. I always keep some First Aid supplies in my bag or cargo pants pocket, for myself and to share with others just in case. I typically carry:

Parkour First Aid Kit
- 4x Small and 4x Large Band-Aids
- 4x Butterfly/Suture Band-Aid Strips
- 2x Medium Sterile Gauze Pads
- Roll of Adhesive Cloth Tape
- 4x Antibiotic Ointment Packets
- 2x Antibiotic Wipes
- Tylenol (2x adult doses)
- Advil (2x adult doses)
- Benadryl (2x adult doses)
- Small card to write your personal emergency contact info on, plus other notes (maybe insurance number, closest hospital, family doctor etc)
- Bandana
- Small Folding Knife (e.g. Swiss Army Knife)

Other possible items to include:
- Liquid Bandage
- Moleskin (either donut stickers, or if sheet then must include Scissors)
- Tweezers

There's obviously tons more First Aid supplies that could be included, but this is what I think the bare minimum is - a small and simple kit that you can throw in your pocket and is light enough to run with. This should suffice for those minor scrapes and accidents, and at least hold you over until you get home and can clean and dress it better.


So a few questions:

1) Who here carries First Aid supplies, and what do you carry?

2) What other items would you recommend adding to this list? Remember, going for simple, minimal but useful here. I skipped iodine and burn cream. What about electrolyte tablets and other stuff?

3) Would you be interested in buying a small First Aid Kit if available here on APK or other parkour sites?

    

[Corndogg]

This was posted on SFPK a while back, can read more there - http://www.sfparkour.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1616

Saw Tim's post as well:

Here's my list:

• Water bottle (for jams I carry a Camelback bladder inside my backpack)
• First Aid kit:
  
  • Bandaids,
  • Iodine,
  • Neosporin,
  • Wound Wash liquid,
  • Tape,
  • Gauze

The 1st aid kit may look a bit extreme, but I'm an old guy and when I get hurt it lasts forever.  I neglected a shin scrape and it's taking forever to heal.  So I like having stuff with me so I can take care of my wounds immediately.

[Alex B]

I have seen a few good articles about making first aid kits that fit into altoids tins. but those were always much more comprehensive than is needed just for training. I bet I can squeeze all of the stuff listed on the first post into an altoids small tin...off to walgreens!

anyway, its a good idea nonetheless. if you dont have a real first aid kit its easy to make your own.

[max eisenberg]

most important thing is your MIND!

never leave home without it, it tells you when something is too big for you and it lets you think about the situation thoroughly before you leap.

other than that, water (lots of it) and i guess some band aids if you want. i usually prefer a shirt until i get home, i mean if i get cut enough to bandage it im not going to continue training so i might as well just wait till i get home.

[Corndogg]

I bet I can squeeze all of the stuff listed on the first post into an altoids small tin...off to walgreens!

I just threw it all into a Ziploc bag and then folded it in half.  Very small and light!



I agree 100% that the most important thing is your mind.  That said, accidents happen.  Since I made my kit I haven't had to use it myself, but I have had to bust it out ~5 times so far for others.  Sometimes people come from quite a ways away and can't get back home quickly, so a little first aid is definitely helpful.  I recently beefed it up with a bandana, tape, gauze and knife when we had a fairly bad accident, someones shin got caught on a small piece of metal jutting out from a rail and made a good sized gash, way beyond Band-Aid size.

Not to mention I'm an Eagle Scout, so Be Prepared! 

[TraceuseDS]

If I'm just going out for a little bit and trying to keep things light I'll just bring my mini-first aid kit (pretty much the same stuff listed above) and one of those tiny bottles of hand sanitizer.

If I'm at one of the bigger jams or happen to have my backpack along I'll often throw in a single-use ice pack - the kind that comes in a plastic wrapper and doesn't get cold until you open it up. We've had a couple of sprained ankles that really could've used one of these!

[max eisenberg]

I bet I can squeeze all of the stuff listed on the first post into an altoids small tin...off to walgreens!

I just threw it all into a Ziploc bag and then folded it in half.  Very small and light!



I agree 100% that the most important thing is your mind.  That said, accidents happen.  Since I made my kit I haven't had to use it myself, but I have had to bust it out ~5 times so far for others.  Sometimes people come from quite a ways away and can't get back home quickly, so a little first aid is definitely helpful.  I recently beefed it up with a bandana, tape, gauze and knife when we had a fairly bad accident, someones shin got caught on a small piece of metal jutting out from a rail and made a good sized gash, way beyond Band-Aid size.

Not to mention I'm an Eagle Scout, so Be Prepared! 

aye, i see your point. i almost always train alone or with a friend whos just shitting around, therefor i rarely think of others safety. i guess its nice having that luxury, then again its not so nice training alone haha.

[Mark Toorock]

I get laughed at frequently for the amount of stuff in my backpack. In addition to first aid, I have immodium, tums and gas-ex. Fortunately I've not had an emergency that required the immodium or gas-ex

I also carry dramamine for those unexpected boat rides

I then have a list of survival stuff, which may need a separate list, but
Compass
Dryer lint (for starting fire)
Magnesium block (for starting fire)
Water purifying tabs
Mini-tool with no blade (so it can go on airplanes)
Powerbar - a very dense source of calories if you need "survival food"
fishing line and hook - can be tied around a stick and use a worm

I have a survival book that is not in my backpack, but a quick guide is a good idea to keep with you.

Oh yeah, one of those $2 rain ponchos - I keep one in my camera bag in case I need ot make it waterproof in a hurry and one in my backpack in case I need protection from wet weather.

Emergency blanket (silver foil heat retainer type)

Hand crank flashlight - also has an attachment that can charge my iphone from cranking - pretty darn convenient!
this device also has an alarm, flasher, and fm radio. All for $10

i'd also say that carrying a small guide to first aid would be a good idea - in case we get into something larger than a scrape  in a place where a trained first-responder is not available - it sucks when someone is hurt and all you have is guesses. My cpr card tells me how many breathes to pushes so I don't have to remember

[turtlekarma]

are bandages really practical?  I mean maybe if you're done for the day, then bandage it up... but if you're still gonna be moving around aren't the bandaids kinds useless?  the only things I carry around are sterile gauze swabs and some rubbing alcohol to disinfect. 

[Casey Boatwright]

I would be interested in purchasing one if it came in a close fitting pouch that strapped to me somewhere that would effect my movement or get squished in a roll, like side of thigh or like obliques or maybe partial shoulder chest spot, kinda like a backpack strap.

[Rowe]

Super glue. It mends cuts better then suture-bandages, can fill in ripped callouses, and is always good for a little shoe repair.

[Mark Toorock]

Nice one Rowe!!

As for bandages, they keep more dirt from getting in, and most can be wrapped with a bit of sports tape to hold them in place while continuing to train.

[Mitchell Lewis]

-Band-Aids, variety of sizes and kinds.
-Gauze
-Athletic tape/medical tape to wrap around the band-aids when training has to continue afterward
-Hydrogen Peroxide for the bad wipes on gravel, dirt, unsanitary places in general. Sometimes it burns like hell, especially if it's a hand injury, but it definitely sterilizes the area.
-Fingernail clippers
-Neosporin/Polysporin
-Scissors
-Tweezers

I don't actually carry a medkit, but once I get home I have yet to receive an injury these can't handle. At one point I thought I was going to lose a hunk of finger tip due to a bad wall run, or at the very least need stitches. Didn't go see a doctor. Four weeks later and the band-aid/medical tape/neosporin treatment, it's almost like it never happened. I have slight scarring, but the human body's ability to heal is astounding.

[Carissa V]

Holy cow....I feel incredibly unprepared and everything now. Everyone else on this post is like "Yeah I pretty much carry around an entire hospital in my backpack, plus some dramamine and water purifying tablets and on and on and on"
I am a relatively accident prone person, but I usually just carry around a couple bandaids, maybe some gauze pads (if I remember), and a water bottle, which doubles for drinking and cleaning-out-cuts purposes.
And.....the end.
Although... I do have to ask: I know a lot of this stuff is really helpful and can be used to probably perform open heart surgery in the middle of a busy city, should the need arise. But, where's the point where you're just carrying around a ton of extra stuff? I mean, have you ever honestly used all of the stuff you carry around in your backpack, all the time? I'm not trying to be mean or whatever, I'm just curious if it's actually necessary or helpful to carry around all that stuff.

[Corndogg]

I then have a list of survival stuff, which may need a separate list

Oh man you don't even wanna go there!     

Some of my emergency and survival gear - http://www.sfparkour.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1114&page=2#28

[Corndogg]

Although... I do have to ask: I know a lot of this stuff is really helpful and can be used to probably perform open heart surgery in the middle of a busy city, should the need arise. But, where's the point where you're just carrying around a ton of extra stuff? I mean, have you ever honestly used all of the stuff you carry around in your backpack, all the time? I'm not trying to be mean or whatever, I'm just curious if it's actually necessary or helpful to carry around all that stuff.

You definitely have to find a balance, and it's a personal choice on the trade-offs between carrying a lot of stuff vs. having nothing.  In my daily life I have a ton of gear that's broken up into different layers and kits, all which complement and synergize with each other.  Some of the stuff I have never used, some I hope to never use, some I use pretty regularly.  As Max said, 1st is your mind, so in that sense you should have first aid training first, and first aid gear second.  But having that training and practice, I do like to be prepared for as many situations as possible.  So I found the right balance of functionality, size and weight, usefulness etc and assembled the right gear for my purposes.

For those less "hardcore"  just be aware of those times you say to yourself "Dang I wish I had a ______ right now!" and let that be your guide to what you want to carry going forward.

[BrMays]

So a few questions:

1) Who here carries First Aid supplies, and what do you carry?

2) What other items would you recommend adding to this list? Remember, going for simple, minimal but useful here. I skipped iodine and burn cream. What about electrolyte tablets and other stuff?

3) Would you be interested in buying a small First Aid Kit if available here on APK or other parkour sites?

    

So I'm NOT paranoid, I guess! 

1.) I was always getting stuff in my eye, so I started carrying this kit last summer.  It beats having nothing on-site when someone needs it and seems to help the whole idea of Parkour being a safety-conscious discipline.   

2.) Electrolyte tablets aren't a bad idea.  It might be a good idea to carry sweets in case anyone turns out to be hypoglycemic.  Hand warmers wouldn't hurt this winter either.

3.)  I like the sound of that.  We could do that (or at least plug theredcrossstore.com).  It's tough to find a first aid kit that works well with PK jams.  Current inventory...


Main Pouch:
- Nitrile gloves (3 pairs)
- CPR barrier
- Biohazard bags (6" x 6")
- Ibuprofen (200mg each)
- Antacid (420mg each)
- Alcohol wipes (ouch!)
- Antiseptic wipes (w/ BZK antiseptic)
- First Aid creme (w/ Lidocaine HDL)
- Mercuroclear Antiseptic/Anesthetic
- Gauze wrap
- 7 x Gauze pads (3" x 3")
- Waterproof first aid tape (15 feet)
- Triangle bandage
- Other stuff (band-aids, tape, swabs)

Shotshell holder:
- Hand Sanitizer
- Wound cleanser (or insect repellent for the summers)
- LED Flashlight
- Eyewash fluid (118ml)

[Fletcher Hawke]

I've got a camping mini first aid kit that I carry anytime I go train or to a jam (or damn near anywhere else).  It's smaller than my hand and designed to strap on a belt.  It lives on the strap of my camera bag now.  Came with an assortment of bandages, gauze pads, iodine etc. 

I added:
 NewSkin,
 med tape,
 a teensy pocket knife,
 and extra sterile wipes.

 Apparently a little carmex too at some point.

I don't think I've been to a jam yet where the new skin and/or tape didn't get used.  Most of the rest, not much at all; but it's there if needed.

[Corndogg]

Had to use tape to splint up a sprained thumb yesterday!

[BrMays]

Well there you go!  A few supplies here and there and that kit is already starting to pay for itself!   

I've gotta try some of that Newskin stuff.  A lot of times, I'll delay putting on a bandage just to avoid the trouble of keeping it on.  (Maybe the same could be said for most athletes).  And I'm not exactly diligent about those smaller, dismissable cuts and scrapes.  So is that stuff pretty good?

I'm trying to work together some kind of winter variant of the kit.  Lately, I started having trouble with the kit freezing and spoiling some of the contents in the process (actually had the ointment burst not too long ago).  That, plus the general wetness of snow really limits where it can go--which...kind of defeats the purpose of making one in the first place.  If anyone knows of an insulated first aid kit that comes in reasonable sizes for Parkour, I'm in the market for one.