Basic kits, recommendations?

[Ak_guy]

Can someone recommend different "level" kits? Basically a "3 person home" kit, "3 family" kit, etc.

I need some guidelines on what to keep for my family, etc.

IE, 1 bottle peroxide, 20 band-aids, etc. ALso, what items expire and need to be changed out and at what interval?

thanks!!

[Goldenspurholderx2]

When buying medications for a "put away" kit I now write in magic marker real big on the bottle the expiration date then rotate that medicine to the general use medicine cabinet 6 months before it expires. I also buy big generic brand bottles of Ibuprofen and Aspirin with some small baggies to give out a couple of days worth of medication to a family member, that way my main bottle doesn't leave the kit. I have found that if you buy your medications at Wally World as opposed to your local grocery store the shelf life is longer, probably due to Wally World moving product faster. It depends on your level of training what items you may want to keep in your kit. I have everything from items to treat the common cold to working on a collapsed lung. As a minimum here are some things I'd recommend:

1 bottle 1000 count 325mg of generic aspirin
1 bottle 1000 count 200mg ibuprofen
Immodium AD
Zycam
Pepto tablets
Benedryl
Icy Hot

These will cover most common ailments.

Variety pack of band aids
Neosporin with pain relief(can double as burn cream)
4x4 gauze pads
water proof medical tape
tincture of Benzoin(good for getting tape and band aids to stick to sweaty skin, like on your foot)
some rolled gauze
some ace bandages
Purell hand sanitizer
2 bottles of peroxide
1 bottle of alcohol

That covers most of your everyday "owies"

First aid manual
dedicated sliver tweezers
Good EMT shears
latex gloves
small LED flashlight with lithium battery
thermometer, if you have babies then rectal and glycerin
If you have kids try to get an epi-pen, usually you won't know if they are allergic to bees until they get stung and you are sitting at the emergency room.

That's a good start for hardware

Cough drops
sore throat lozenges
Alka Seltzer

Basically comfort items

I can't give real quantities because I treat my medical supplies just like food, water, ammo, and fuel. More is better. If you can't use it all then maybe trade or create some good will in the neighborhood by helping out a family with a sick child if found in a SHTF situation. When I do my grocery shopping I just pick up one or two items every time to add to my kit.

This is by no means "all inclusive" but a good starting point.

[Jonas Parker]

I'm not sure that " Neosporin with pain relief(can double as burn cream)" really should be used for serious burns. I tend to be of the "sterile saline" irrigation and bandage school of burn treatment. As far as EMT shears, I'd make sure you have a good pair of surgical scissiors first. Most of your recommended meds can be purchased as the generic house brands at Wal-Mart at a considerable savings

[Goldenspurholderx2]

I was thinking first degree burns. Yep, I always buy generic when I can but don't always know the names.

[Goldenspurholderx2]

What can surgical shears do that EMT shears can't do?

[Jonas Parker]

What can surgical shears do that EMT shears can't do?

Debride wounds, remove sutures. Check the post on surgical scissors and go to the link. Removing sutures with EMT shears would be like trimming nose hair with a bolt cutter...

I'd also recommend triangular bandages (don't buy them). Go to the local fabric store and buy two yards of muslin, fold in half and cut, then fold the individual pieces corner to corner and cut again. You'll end up with 4 triangular bandages for slings for about 50 cents each. If you want to get fancy, store each in an individual sandwich-size Zip-Loc freezer bag.

Also, add a couple of dozen large safety pins to your kit to hold slings and bandages securely.