First Aid Kits

“I have been backpacking for 25 years plus. Years ago Indiana Camp Supply had a diverse array of First aid supplies you could purchase, to build your own kit. What ever happened to Indiana Camp Supply??? Does anyone have web sites where you can purchase items just for the Backpacker??? I know there are many already made up kits sold by Campmor, REI, etc,... Building your own first aid kit , you control Quality, Quanity, Weight,Diversity, and other items special to your needs.
last edited: 12/11/04 6:51:24 PM”

“I pieced mine together from various kits from REI, Campmoor, and the local drugstore.
REI has these little kits for about $5.99 each. One is first aid and contains bandaids and ointments, anti-septic wipes and such. The other I got has moleskin and little scissors and stuff specific to blisters. Topped it off with a snake/insect bite & sting kit, an ace bandage, a few extra odds and ends from drugstore(gauze, tape, etc...). Stuffed it all into a little pouch from campmoor that was $1.99(and it actually says "First Aid" on it!). Put the whole thing together for about $25. Small, light, and probably more than I'll ever need.
last edited: 12/11/04 7:24:34 PM”

“A google search led to
Newsgroups: misc.survivalism Subject: Sources.List rev 0.25 From ...

at

http://www.logicsouth.com/~lcoble/dir9/source25.txt

which shows:

Indiana Camp Supply (general camping, medical)
Loveland Colorado
Phone 303-669-8884
"A large collection of medical and first aid items for back country use ICS has changed ownership, and isn't in Indiana now. Don't know if anything else has changed). ICS is also a
publisher of backcountry-related books."”

“I bought a cheap first aid kit from Wal-Mart that had a nylon bag. I filled it with stuff from the pharmacy department. You don't need backpacker specific items, just some small ziplock bags and small plastic bottles.

Mine contains:

Lip balm
Ace bandage
neosporin
cold-eeze lozenges
ibuprophen
decongestion pill
burn gel
breath-right strips
sterile bandage
day-quil tablet
benadril tablet
tweezers
dental floss
MRE toilet paper
needle & thread
wash-n-dri towelette
Q-Tip
Cotton balls
safety pin
medical tape
bandaid
alcohol
foot powder
mole skin
tiger balm”

“The first and only first aid kit I ever bought, from an outfitter store, I noticed months afterwards that most of the medications included had passed their expiration dates prior to me even buying the kit.”

“Thanks nowslimmer, I have always built my own kit and always wondered were Indiana camp supply had gone. I am new here in thebackpacker.com forums and a great deal of information is here. Thanks again.”

“I use a campmor bag but generally stock it myself. While I have some heavy duty MD supplied stuff in there, I mostly use ADVIL (ibuprofin) for my knee's after a long day. Immodium can be helpful too, but haven't had good luck with generic medicines. Maybe it's qwuality control because the same ingrediants are listed. These same MD's vapor lock when I swallow ibuprofin dry. I get an extended sermon if I don't follow with vast amounts of fluid & recommendations of grossly invasive proceedures or I'm gonna die. I tell them I'm gonna die then. What I asked what antibiotic to bring, they ALL suggested soap & water first for a wouund. Grusgingly, bacitracin if I 'must' have an oitment. I like superglue for slices but bring butterflys with me.Needle & thread. I have sewn up others, but find it difficult to sew myself. I like cloth bandaids over plastic. Clove Oil for a toothache. Snake suction kit. Ace bandage. Synthetic tape. Moleskin. 4x4's. Triangular bandage.Waterproof spiraled Mini-firstaid book. AOL CD for signal mirror. 4 1/2yd bandages. A whistle because people become very horse quickly when lost. To me, a compass & map are the best first aid. A lot of people get hurt when they are tired, thirsty, hungry, disoriented from being lost.
Even if you don't know how to effectively use a compass, it beats walking in circles. THe opposite direction you entered the woods is good. Gotta go out to eat breakfast with the kids & grandkid now.”

“So far it's just duct tape, some sort of antibiotic ointment and a small bottle of antinflammatory analgesic. To this point my (arrogance?) experience as a Corpsman suggests I can improvise most everything I need. However, I'll be carefully watching this thread to wisely add or subtract.”

“my first aid kit:
always have a couple of small sterile bandages.
sometimes i bring asprin.

i have duct tape on my trek poles.

what else could you want?”

“I used to use a premade firstaid kit but it was too dang heavy. Now I have my survival bag, that goes with me on all trips. I found a small 8x10 dry bag with a roll top it has everything i need in case of emergency.
Supplies:
Bandaids various sizes
Ace Bandage
Gauze pads
Bactin wipes
Mole skin
Aleve
rolaids
Tylenol PM
2 Oxicotton
small leatherman mirco with sciccors
Zip ties
SS wire
LED squeeze light
metal spark
matches
TP
Compass
Knife
Power bars 2
string
Whistle
Space Bivy
And a few other odds and ends

I figure if I keep everything in this bag it will be dry and I can just grab the red bag if needed.”

“I re-invent my first aid kit every couple years. I include a toothache/filling kit in case one of my crowns comes off or filling falls out.

My wife is a pharmacist and I restock from her store at employee discount. That helps.”

“i did piece mine together too.
first aid (not the emergency kit)consists pretty much out of:
prescription strengh muscle relaxer
tylenol 3 (or codein, not sure anymore)
regular iproprophin
tweezers
bandages various sizes
moleskin
neosporin (single packs)
alcohol pads
gauze
imodrin (or however u call that)
benadryl
medical tape
little ductape
sylnylon repair patch (for my blisters)


I know i forgot something, but that's pretty much it.”