First aid kits are not all created equal. Some contain a variety of useful tools to treat major injuries. Others are glorified band-aid boxes for little boo-boos. The latter is probably enough to cover 99% of the problems a parent might encounter running errands with the kids, and I have yet to need anything more advanced in the library. However, if you are hiking, hunting, building an emergency kit, or working with power tools and machinery, you need the former.
I suggest spending money on quality equipment whenever your life or the lives of others are on the line. There are complete paramedic kits, military individual first aid kits, and the like on the market. You can also build your own from scratch by sourcing the components you want over time. In this post, I want to explore a middle ground with a $25 Trauma Pak I can add to the other supplies I have already.
Let's take a look at the contents to see whether it was a good value or not, and consider what else might need to be added to make a complete first aid kit!
Contents
The bag must be torn open, but has a Ziploc-style seal. Inside, I found:
- A small roll of duct tape.
- A bagged pair of nitrile gloves so you can protect yourself from pathogens and protect your patient from whatever is on your hands.
- Alcohol prep pads
- A triangle bandage made of flimsy cloth
- Quik Clot gauze to stop bleeding faster
- Various sponges and pads in paper packaging (keep dry!)
- A roll of gauze tape
- First aid instructions
Value
On its own, the Quik Clot currently runs around $16, meaning $9 for packaging and the remaining contents, which seem to all be marked, "Made in China." A quick look around Amazon indicates they can be bought in bulk for around $1 apiece, so there may be a bit of a price premium on the bundle pack. That said, this is a one-and-done deal in a water-resistant, durable bag you can stuff into a backpack or cargo pocket.
If you want to outfit several emergency kits for family, church groups, scout troops, etc. it might be better to buy in bulk and build kits as a group activity so everyone is on the same page and has the same gear. On the other hand, if building an individual kit, it might be better to buy higher-quality components. This is convenient and fairly complete, so it is still a decent middle ground.
Suggested Additions
- Tourniquet or Israeli bandage for severe injuries.
- Ace bandage for sprains, strains, or securing splints for broken bones.
- Moleskin for blisters.
- EMT shears or other heavy scissors to remove clothing impeding wound treatment.
- Tweezers.
- a pocket mask, NPA, and/or OPA if you have training in using these tools.
- Burn ointment and insect sting relief cream packets
- An instant cold pack
- Assorted basic bandages, including fingertip and knuckle specialty shapes, because basic boo-boos still happen, too.
Further Thoughts
Whether you buy one of these Trauma Paks or assemble your own kit, remember to hope for the best while preparing for the worst. Failing to plan is planning to fail, and while it's no fun to consider disaster, a little preparation goes a long way toward reducing the impact should you find yourself in trouble. It could be the difference between a good story and tragedy.
I have taken some basic first aid and CPR classes, and strongly suggest you do the same. Tools are no good if you can't use them properly. Do you know how to start the breathing, stop the bleeding, and control shock? What training and tools would to recommend to those building more advanced first aid kits, or expanding a cheap kit to cover more serious injuries?
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