Who carries a first aid kit while shooting ?

[Horiontal Jogger]

I have one in the car at all times and have done since we had some extra's delivered at work in January 2003.

Happy 21st to me. Not the same kit I might add.

 

[Neil54]

I carry one in my car.

 

[JonnieP]

I received a first aid kit as a Christmas gift. It’s actually a full-blown trauma pack with compression dressings, trauma packs and tourniquets, the full works. I’ll let a few extra adhesive dressings, antihistamines and some painkillers and I’ll be good to go

 

[Airgunner87]

I cut my finger open once at blackbrook after borrowing a knife to cut a cable tie, I didn't realise quite how sharp the knife was, it was a little embarrassing but I taped it up and sorted it a home.

 

[gdavison]

Carry a bog standard kit in the main car and add in half a dozen triangular bandages as when we did our diving medic courses the instructor explained a triangular bandage has a million uses from supporting an arm, to being a makeshift bandage, to a binding on a splint, to a face cover etc etc. Have another small first aid kit in the backpack from when we used to do a lot of walking

Surprised no one mentioned carrying a pocket mask for CPR, I have a couple in the car from when we taught diving. More efficient than mouth to mouth and of course if using the valve much improved cross contamination protection

Good thread as its reminded me I need to do a date check on our first aid kits both in the car and the house

 

[Kola]

I might have some.paracetomol in the gun bag some where but thats it.

What are people doing that they think they'll need a full trauma kit??

For me it is like insurance, I hope to never need it but I prefer to have it.

Same reason I carry a handgun and spare magazine as I type this.

Cannot speak for the UK or anywhere else for that matter, but the chances of me needing any of the three, or all three together at some point here in South Africa is high enough for me to want to be prepared.

 

[confidis]

Chunky of Blue roll in pocket at all times for emergencies .

 

[DeadManDan]

Always keep a kit in the car, haven't checked the used by dates on it in ages....

Useful fact if you have stuff in the kit gone past it's used by date, if the bag is still air tight it's still sterile and can be used. The use by dates usually refer to the plastic degrading and not being airtight anymore.

If in an emergency though, feel free to use our of date stuff on me!!!

 

[Redboat01]

Always keep a kit in the car, haven't checked the used by dates on it in ages....

Useful fact if you have stuff in the kit gone past it's used by date, if the bag is still air tight it's still sterile and can be used. The use by dates usually refer to the plastic degrading and not being airtight anymore.

If in an emergency though, feel free to use our of date stuff on me!!!

I have found that old dressings can degrade significantly, even if they are still sterile i.e. no strength, wont unfold etc. Best to use the old stuff for training.

 

[Gap-Shot]

Adding a tiny bottle of Anbesol in a kit, is a great topical anesthethic for pain relief.

 

[Flinty]

@gdavison brings to mind a very good point," First aid training" How many of the people who are carrying these super trauma kits have had the training to use them? personally, I have had quite a number of CPR courses 1 refresher per year over a number of years, but sadly none for about the last 25 years since I changed Jobs, that's the total of my training, I only have a basic kit in the car and would not be qualified to use anything else.

 

[ChrisBee]

Old habits die hard, I have a full trauma kit in my range bag, on my person I always carry a compression bandage, 2x spencer wells forceps and CAT when using powder burners or knives and axes.

 

[Inca]

Used to carry one in my van when still working, field engineer, but only good for cuts etc. Never had the need to use it. One Friday morning, off to a major weekend job, kidney stones made their presence known. Phone in sick and a colleague took the job. He then lost the end of a finger when the magnets from a hoofing big linear motor grabbed a rail he was changing. Felt rather guilty about that.

 

[Telbert]

@gdavison brings to mind a very good point," First aid training" How many of the people who are carrying these super trauma kits have had the training to use them? personally, I have had quite a number of CPR courses 1 refresher per year over a number of years, but sadly none for about the last 25 years since I changed Jobs, that's the total of my training, I only have a basic kit in the car and would not be qualified to use anything else.

I renewed my Emergency First Aid at Work qualification last November. As mentioned, its something i think is important to have but hopefully never need. I witnessed dozens of accidents at work over the years and luckily even the most serious injuries have been mitigated by prompt first aid by someone that knows what they're doing.

 

[Si_B]

@gdavison brings to mind a very good point," First aid training" How many of the people who are carrying these super trauma kits have had the training to use them? personally, I have had quite a number of CPR courses 1 refresher per year over a number of years, but sadly none for about the last 25 years since I changed Jobs, that's the total of my training, I only have a basic kit in the car and would not be qualified to use anything else.

Your spot on - training is as important as having the kit to hand. The BASC developed an enhanced Emergency First Aid at Work course with a company Call of the Wild based in Sth Wales. This includes training on dealing with the trauma injuries that could occur when around guns, chainsaws etc.
I’ve kept this up to date since leaving the army and also arranged for my team at work to do it last year.

 

[Lightning22]

Carry a bog standard kit in the main car and add in half a dozen triangular bandages as when we did our diving medic courses the instructor explained a triangular bandage has a million uses from supporting an arm, to being a makeshift bandage, to a binding on a splint, to a face cover etc etc. Have another small first aid kit in the backpack from when we used to do a lot of walking

Surprised no one mentioned carrying a pocket mask for CPR, I have a couple in the car from when we taught diving. More efficient than mouth to mouth and of course if using the valve much improved cross contamination protection

Good thread as its reminded me I need to do a date check on our first aid kits both in the car and the house

Compression only CPR has been the standard for quite some time now, hence the reduced emphasis on masks and face shields.

 

[urbanxi]

Actually in the field I carry nothing more than plasters - anything worse than a small cut I'm not fixing myself!

 

[jev]

There's a professional fully stocked and checked kit on the range, there's a list of people having done first-aid training, why should I bring anything but some paracetamol?

 

[Sarge]

I have quite a comprehensive field kit in the truck or at the range 'just in case'.

'Just in case' has happened a few times, never shooting related, usually me being ham-fisted when it comes to setting up hides or other non-shooting activities, but very occasionally someone will hurt themselves bad enough to make me feel happy I have it.

But I also ticked the basic kit box as I know there is out of date paracetamol in the kit too.

 

[wiltshirejohn]

These days I only ever shoot at home but - I ticked option 2 in the selection list. That's kept in the car in an old ammo box.
In my chainsaw overalls I keep an "ambulance dressing".
The contents of the kit are informed not only by the 'Emergency First Aid at Work' courses of 20 years ago (now retired) but also the specialist course developed by BTCV (British Trust for Conservation Volunteers) for people yomping around the countryside wielding axes, billhooks and chainsaws etc. (I used to do hedgelaying and a bit of coppice work and always carried the ammo box)

The idea for an ammo box for storage came from the instructor on the BTCV course. He was a tutor at an agricultural college and told his students of the indestrucablity of said boxes, saying "you could drive a tractor over 'em".
He came back from lunch one day to find his personal box now had tractor tyre marks all over it