I'm putting together a med kit for a bit of an expedition this summer, and I'm trying to find a good way to store and protect pills and ampules on the road. I've looked at a few kits, but they're all either rather bulky or do little to protect and sort the meds. Can anyone suggest any products or even some tips and tricks for keeping things sorted and safe while hiking. It's a 1300km hike, so weight and bulk are a factor.
Wilderness med kit suggestions
- Thread starter gnosis
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We use a small tackle box lined with felt.
redundantbassist
Nefarious Dude
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irishboxer384
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Hey mate, i agree with @Tigger, a small and hard plastic case lined with felt/cotton wool is ideal for the amps. You shouldn't have to worry about the sorting for them so much since you're only going to be carrying a certain amount of amps and will know them like the back of your hand (I assume).
Personally I pack a medpack within a bergen (backpack). Like one of these:http://www.chinookmed.com/mas_assets/zoom/01278.jpg
and I keep it immediately under the topflap inside one of these:
http://cdn.nexternal.com/armynavy/images/1bergen.gif
That way any emergency you literally unclip the backpack and your entire medpack is good to go...without taking out your sleeping system, food, water, warm/cold gear etc.
Personally I pack a medpack within a bergen (backpack). Like one of these:http://www.chinookmed.com/mas_assets/zoom/01278.jpg
and I keep it immediately under the topflap inside one of these:
http://cdn.nexternal.com/armynavy/images/1bergen.gif
That way any emergency you literally unclip the backpack and your entire medpack is good to go...without taking out your sleeping system, food, water, warm/cold gear etc.
wanderingmedic
RN, Paramedic
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Just curious, what drugs are you carrying that need protection? A small plastic tackle box lined with felt works well, but take this with a grain of salt, I don't really carry ALS meds in the backcountry. If I carry anything, I can stuff a IV start set (macro drip, 20 G & 18 G catheter, syringe with 25 G needle) 1:1000 epi ampule, zofran, advil, and benadryl in a plastic bag and then into an empty nalgene. If I use sharps, the nalgene can double as a sharps container.
I don't like to carry much because I really don't see the point in the backcountry. Some gloves and improvising go a long way for most things. Here's the way I look at it now: If I need to perform any ALS intervention in the backcountry, the patient probably is not going to make it anyways. If access to transport is going to be >2 hours, I just don't think much in terms of drugs is going to be useful. If it's cardiac they're are dead. Major trauma they're dead.
I don't like to carry much because I really don't see the point in the backcountry. Some gloves and improvising go a long way for most things. Here's the way I look at it now: If I need to perform any ALS intervention in the backcountry, the patient probably is not going to make it anyways. If access to transport is going to be >2 hours, I just don't think much in terms of drugs is going to be useful. If it's cardiac they're are dead. Major trauma they're dead.
irishboxer384
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Epi, amiodarone, hydrocortisone, snake anti-venom, scorpion anti-venom, diazepam, metoclopramide etc etc...main reason for protection is when the kit gets packed into a very cramped backpack (because of all the other equipment), to be able to hike comfortably over that sort of distance everything needs packed in tight and of decent weight distribution. You're correct to a point in how useful certain treatments will be of course, but on the other side of things if you have a job to do people would be a bit confused as to why you don't bother to use everything in your power/inventory to treat them
I like the idea of a tackle box; It's not something I had thought to really look into that much. I'll certainly be looking into the options there.
I haven't finalized the list yet, but acetazolamide, diphenhydramine, dimenhydrinate, ibuprofin, epi, three day course of cipro, loperimide, maybe acetaminophen. They'll all need sorting and protecting; over the course of 1300+km, even pills will take a beating and probably a soaking. I won't be carrying cardiac drugs for a number of reasons, mostly because I won't be in many places that people with cardiac histories would be.
Thanks for the advice, folks. If I might hijack my own thread a bit, does anyone have any experience with the CAT tourniquets or similar products? We don't use them up here, but they seem to be well thought of elsewhere. Would you consider them worth the size/weight for a wilderness pack? I'm normally hesitant to use carry more specialized equipment, but if anyone has had any experience with the cat vs. improved tourniquets, I'd love to hear it.
I haven't finalized the list yet, but acetazolamide, diphenhydramine, dimenhydrinate, ibuprofin, epi, three day course of cipro, loperimide, maybe acetaminophen. They'll all need sorting and protecting; over the course of 1300+km, even pills will take a beating and probably a soaking. I won't be carrying cardiac drugs for a number of reasons, mostly because I won't be in many places that people with cardiac histories would be.
Thanks for the advice, folks. If I might hijack my own thread a bit, does anyone have any experience with the CAT tourniquets or similar products? We don't use them up here, but they seem to be well thought of elsewhere. Would you consider them worth the size/weight for a wilderness pack? I'm normally hesitant to use carry more specialized equipment, but if anyone has had any experience with the cat vs. improved tourniquets, I'd love to hear it.
irishboxer384
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Definitely worth bringing a couple and they weigh next to nothing. Best to ensure they are covered inside something (as opposed to attached to exterior of you/your gear), so they don't get crusted in mud/rain.
MonkeyArrow
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I'd definitely say its worth carrying 1 or 2 dedicated tourniquets. They are very lightweight and are very useful in a bleed, especially when time to a higher level of care is extended. I know that the US military uses the CAT, but anecdotally, having dealt with both the CAT and the SOFT-T, I'd recommend the SOFT-T tourniquet. They are very intuitive to use and they have a metal windlass (as opposed to a plastic windlass, which can snap). They cost about the same, too. Personally, I carry the SOFT-T in my kits.
wanderingmedic
RN, Paramedic
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I've used the SOFT-T, SWAT, and CAT. The service I am with now uses something else..and the name escapes me. A lot of the guys I go hiking with are vets, and it makes them happy to see the CAT since that is what they were trained on and issued. I currently carry the SWAT in my personal kit because it can easily double as a pressure dressing. However, I think the SWAT is more intended for penetrating trauma than amputations. The SWAT also expires.
In regards to your initial post, I was just at Home Depot, and they carry tackle box type "tool organizers" that are exactly what I use. They are only ~$2-$3 depending on the size you get, and are in the tool box section of the store.
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you can't beat a small Pelican case for durability. You can fit a handful of vials or ampules along with foam padding.
These work well:
http://www.trevorowenltd.com/pharma_kit_bag.htm
You can let out a stitch to make the loops bigger for larger stuff if needed.
http://www.trevorowenltd.com/pharma_kit_bag.htm
You can let out a stitch to make the loops bigger for larger stuff if needed.
I started to build my own kit until I found out about adventure medical kits - https://www.adventuremedicalkits.com/medical-kits.html?ideal_uses=64
Purchased the ultralight and watertight .7 because I go on kayak overnight trips, I'd recommend the mountain series weekender or larger kit and you can always add/subtract for weight and personalization.
I buy refills of individually packed meds - diphenhydramine, acetaminophen and loperamide hydrochlorid. I also make sure to have some electrolyte tablets and iodine for water purification during the summer.
I rarely get into my kit but haven't lacked anything so far going with AMK.
Purchased the ultralight and watertight .7 because I go on kayak overnight trips, I'd recommend the mountain series weekender or larger kit and you can always add/subtract for weight and personalization.
I buy refills of individually packed meds - diphenhydramine, acetaminophen and loperamide hydrochlorid. I also make sure to have some electrolyte tablets and iodine for water purification during the summer.
I rarely get into my kit but haven't lacked anything so far going with AMK.