Hi all,

I'm new on the board and I got a question I couldn't find an answer to in the past topics. So here it is:

I'm setting up a good emergency kit for this summer. I work in an outdoor sports camp (mountain bike, white-water kayak, that sort of stuff). Last year, I've been there with an average kit and I'm glad nothing bad happened. The resort as an A-one medic station and a qualified staff (and we are hooked-up with the nearest hospital) but whenever we get away for a few days, in the mountain, we're pretty much on our own.

So, I would like to know if you had some references, like very complete lists of what should be in a good kit or good ems gear adresses where I could find kits. I like to "customize" them but a good kit to start with can't hurt.

Also, I was wondering if you have heard about Tegaderm bandages by 3M. I got them from a nurse last year and was quite impressed by them. They literaly melt away on the skin. Very good for scorched knees and the like although I wouldn't use them on open wounds!

I posted this here because I thought that few people would know better than PJs:).

Not a PJ, but work in EMS and a great source for ems gear and 1st aid kits (either fully stocked or empty and supplies in bulk is galls.com They have several different options under $100 that are stocked fairly well to deal with common injuries and combined with some basic wilderness medical knowledge will care for a fairly major injury as well. They also have a few tactical medic kits that while I wouldn't recommend getting stocked (they're set up for dealing with tactical style injuries) they are designed to be worn during high intesity activity.

Thanks, KS!

Sounds like you need a light weight kit oriented toward Wilderness Medicine. This will have to be put together piece by piece as no one sells them I am aware of. The ones from Galls Inc. are pretty much generic. Ideally it should conform to your level of training and experience. For instance, you don't need epinephrene and atropine unless you have ACLS training but it might be handy to have some Asprin and Nitro tablets if you suspect someone is having a heart attack. Balance the potential good with the potential harm. I would advise you to consult with an MD or Paramedic in your area and after considering the potential illness or injuries you may encounter with the distance/time to nearest hospital you would be in a better position to determine what to include in the kit.

DeepEyeSix -
You could also check out the following link to Medical Adventure kits. I saw these in REI and they looked to be fairly complete.

http://www.gps4fun.com/main_amd.html

Bill Kober

</font><blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">quote:</font><hr /><font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Originally posted by william:
<strong>Sounds like you need a light weight kit oriented toward Wilderness Medicine. This will have to be put together piece by piece as no one sells them I am aware of. The ones from Galls Inc. are pretty much generic. Ideally it should conform to your level of training and experience. For instance, you don't need epinephrene and atropine unless you have ACLS training but it might be handy to have some Asprin and Nitro tablets if you suspect someone is having a heart attack. Balance the potential good with the potential harm. I would advise you to consult with an MD or Paramedic in your area and after considering the potential illness or injuries you may encounter with the distance/time to nearest hospital you would be in a better position to determine what to include in the kit.</strong></font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">I agree 100% and talking to MD's and Paramedics has its perks. You get A LOT of good info for free and sometimes they will give you free stuff. My mom works in the medical feild so I get boxes of Nittro (spelling?) gloves for free, dressings, medical tape, and anything I want that they have extra. I cant remember what its called but its a stick with a chemical on it and when you put it on a deep laseration or wound it chemicaly burns it and closes it up and I could get that if I wanted to but I wont untill I have my EMT done along with a few others. People these days are lawsuit happy. Just talk to the Pramedics with a smile on your face, be yourself and they will help you out.
Start out small then get more training and more stuff and dont use anything unless you know what it is intended for and if the injury calls for it. I would also check out wall-mart and plases like that, you can get a lot of stuff very cheap. One things you may want is a burn cream and a anti-ich cream or spray for bug bites. When my team is is the woods doing our thing we allways have people crying over a bug bite or sun burn or something and since you work at a sports camp I am sure you get a lot. I would also stick with a SMALL kit, I carry a nice sized medic back on top of my ruck just because on a mission sometimes we are stuck out there for 3 days and have multiple casualties so I cant run back to the fort and get more suplies and be back in 5 minutes <img border="0" title="" alt="[Smile]" src="images/icons/smile.gif" />
Chamberlin
Woodland Search and Rescue Team Leader (I am NOT a PJ)

Thanks for all the advice, guys! Very appreciated.

Oh, and when I said "PJs" at the end of my 1st post, it was just to fit in the context(of the board, site, etc). I'll take all you can throw at me! You never learn enough!

</font><blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">quote:</font><hr /><font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Originally posted by DeepEyeSix:
<strong> I'll take all you can throw at me! You never learn enough!</strong></font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">HUYYAAAA!!!!! Keep that attitude and it will get you far in life <img border="0" title="" alt="[Cool]" src="images/icons/cool.gif" />
Chamberlin

Not an EMT, Medic or PJ but I've found some outstanding adventure/military gear at the US Calvary website. I'm not sure about the e-mail address. They have some all inclusive med-kits that are excellent. I've ordered several things for backpacking/hiking from them. Just a suggestion...

Conterra Inc. makes packs/gear designed for Ski Patrollers, EMS, and Tactical Rescue. Consider asking a ski patroller for advice - especially a Nordic patroller. They are often out in the backcountry and carry complete, but lightweight aid kits. I believe the textbook that patrollers use has a list of recommended first aid items. Remember, though, that training is far more important than what you carry. A medic who knows his stuff can do more with a roll of duct tape than a layperson could do with an entire ambulance. Just my $.02.

"That Others May Live"

Jmyesis: Thanks, I'll get in touch. I ski alot in winter, shouldn't be hard. Had never thought about it.
"A medic who knows his stuff can do more with a roll of duct tape than a layperson could do with an entire ambulance."
Very good point, indeed!

Ben: I'll be checking that!

Chamberlin: Thanks, I do my best.

</font><blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">quote:</font><hr /><font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Originally posted by DeepEyeSix:
<strong>
"A medic who knows his stuff can do more with a roll of duct tape than a layperson could do with an entire ambulance."
</strong></font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Good point <img border="0" title="" alt="[Smile]" src="images/icons/smile.gif" /> .
I start my EMT/Firefighter training Saturday so hopefully everything will go well. Then its off to swift water rescue, more steep angle rescue training, then off to Urban Search and Rescue School, and then after that I can go to Paramedic and HAZMAT school if I want to and trust me I will. The nice thing is is that all my schooling is being paied for by the department and they are paying me to go to school at the same time <img border="0" title="" alt="[Smile]" src="images/icons/smile.gif" />
Chamberlin

Good luck Chamberlin! Keep us updated!

</font><blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">quote:</font><hr /><font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Originally posted by DeepEyeSix:
<strong>Good luck Chamberlin! Keep us updated!</strong></font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">Will do man.
I am going to a different department now so Saturday will not happen. This department is less then 5 minutes away and I know the Cheif and a few other guys. All my schooling is still free and since I have a extencive back ground in WSAR and all of the other stuff I get to take refresher courses in CPR, first aid, and a couple of other things instead of the full courses so my training time will he shorter. I also get paied while I am in school (3 days a week) then after EMT I will be doing the firgherfighter and all the other stuff I mentiond along with some sort of SCUBA school the guy mentioned and this will all be done by August <img border="0" title="" alt="[Eek!]" src="images/icons/shocked.gif" /> . I will also be on a Ambulance crew every Saturday night as far as I know.
I just cant wait till I get into the swift water rescue training.
I know all of this is nothing like PJ training but for a civilian its not bad. Then next summer its off to AF basic and SP tech school or Medic tech school.
Later
Chamberlin
This summer is going to be a blast!

This is not the damn "good luck" forum. Knock this crap off. Topic closed.