First aid kit for cycling

[quixoticgeek]

It looks like the pack of plasters I was carrying in a zip lock bag in my bike bag has finally self destructed. And looking at the dates. It was all out of date anyway.

This means it's time to redo my bikes first aid kit. And given I'm wanting to venture a bit more of the beaten track. I think i want a bit more than a dozen plasters and some paracetamol. I'm just not sure what I want to have in my FAK.

So. Do you carry a first aid kit on your bike, and if so. What's in it ?

J

[nobby]

Cass Gilbert once posted what seems an adequate one for off road. In American but easily translated.
I haven't got the link but I have a .rtf file that I can send you if you'd like.

[perpetual dan]

Yes, I do. It started as a small outdoor shop first aid kit. I keep it in the same place as the toolkit.

These days it contains: elastic bandage, elastic tube bandage (though I forget why I thought both were a good idea), some dressings, some plasters, some antiseptic wipes, micropore tape, safety pins, anti histamines, scissors, whistle. There’s usually some sting cream and some savlon too, I suspect they went out of date.

Enough to patch up minor bumps so that I can either carry on or get to civilisation. If I’m at the mercy of / providing help till a professional arrives then it’s mostly helping to stop bleeding.

[L CC]

I've had first aid training and that's the most important thing I carry.

In my pack I have

• Paracetamol
• Antihistamine
• tegaderm
• compressed towels
• antibac handwash
• soap slivers
• immodium
• cocodamol
• tranexamic acid
• naproxen
• KT tape
• cystitis sachets
• ibuprofen
• emergency blanket
• blister plasters

Most of those I wouldn't offer anyone else and are carried for specific issues I know I or the other person on the bike may have. Scissors and tweezers are on the multitool.
I wouldn't bother with bandages- what are you going to need them for? It's generally as good a job to stabilise anything with the victim's clothes. Same for plasters- I only use them at home to stop the blood from kitchen cuts dripping into food/ white clothes/ sheets. Outside I don't care.

[fimm]

I don't have one on the bike, though I keep thinking I should. I do have one when I'm hillwalking, which contains (from memory)
Plasters
1 larger wound plaster thing
a triangular bandage
elastic bandage
couple of antiseptic wipes
paracetamol
safety pins

Plus other emergency bits and bobs like string, a penknife, a tampon (having read someone's comment somewhere that they can also be used to absorb blood in ways other than that which it was designed for....) and a spare headtorch.

Note that when you are out on the hills you are looking at a much longer wait for assistance than if you are on a road somewhere.
For a bike kit I'd probably have just plasters, paracetamol, safety pins and maybe some bandage.

It is quite nice to cover up small scrapes just to stop yourself getting blood everywhere - I did this on Saturday, as it happens, having scraped my hand on a rock. I once skinned all 4 knuckles on the fingers of one hand by falling while holding a walking pole(!) - again it was nice to cover up the bleeding.

[perpetual dan]

...
I wouldn't bother with bandages- what are you going to need them for? It's generally as good a job to stabilise anything with the victim's clothes. Same for plasters- I only use them at home to stop the blood from kitchen cuts dripping into food/ white clothes/ sheets. Outside I don't care.

I think I saw the bandage as holding a dressing on, or supporting a sprain. If there's a break then either I'm getting help, or using clothes (hence safety pins).
Plasters, might be good where I'm carrying on and don't want it getting dirtier, or useful on a blister.

[Cudzoziemiec]

Unlike fboab, I have merely thought about first aid training, then been told not to by the people organising it, so I only carry plasters and perhaps paracetamol. I suppose a bandage might come in useful potentially. Off road with a long wait in wind and rain maybe one of those foil bivvy bag things? Never thought of plasters going out of date. I suppose they lose their stickiness?

[grams]

Cuts and scrapes are fairly likely on any trip especially if you're a clumsy sod. They might not serve much medical purpose but it's always nice to be able to clean up the blood and stick something over them.

I have merely thought about first aid training, then been told not to by the people organising it

I did a half-day course and found it pretty useless. Basically multiple variations on "keep the patient safe until the ambulance arrives". You're probably better off watching some youtube videos.

[L CC]

I did a week long course- though admittedly First Aid At Work is not Mountain Rescue.

What you guys are using bandages/dressings plasters for...

tegaderm does better

[quixoticgeek]

I did a week long course- though admittedly First Aid At Work is not Mountain Rescue.

In the UK I had (now expired) qualifications sufficient to crew ambulances. So in that regard I have the training, even if I'm out of practice. The problem is, I'm used to operating with a fully stocked ambulance to hand. So I'm a bit out of touch with my FAK provision.

On big stuff where I'm a long way from help (last case was Road To Hell), I tend to have a trauma dressing that I tape to a tube somewhere. This allows me to do something about bleeding if I have a major cut, this can happen falling on a branch, etc... I like to have some burn gel, either for sun burn, or of I burn myself on my cook pot.

J

[canny colin]

Many years ago ,I went on a first Aid refresher course & was asked to take in my first aid kit. The instructor went grey when he saw my craft knife & bic pen . I explained they where for cutting flesh in serious burns cases & performing a tracheotomy. ( I don't think I would have the balls to do it know )  I had been given the kit off the chief surgeon of the Reme when I attended a fast boat handling course . That was an eye opener. I once came across a bike crash on the Otterburn range . A chain wheel (I think)) had cut through the femoral artery  , I manged to stem the flow with a bike pump & then dressings . The lads went off in various directions to try and get help or a signal . Luckly they bumped in to some Belgian paras  & the casualty was air lifted to hospital . Some times roads are as barren as mountains , for phone signals & help. My most used item is bite & sting cream .

[Kim]

My list is quite similar to fboab's.  It's mostly about dealing with (in order of probability) allergic reactions, digestive woe, minor cuts and grazes, splinters, blisters and specific medical conditions.

The one thing I'll spell out is "slightly more plain water than I expect to drink".  You never know when you'll need to flush something out of an eye, wash away the poo, remove dog-slobber before it turns into hives or clean a wound.

Serious injuries I tend not to worry about too much.  It's only a bike ride.  Possibly worth installing What3Words on your phone if you're riding in rural England... 

I think there's an unscented sanitary towel lurking in my touring kit with the spare Trangia o-ring and the Ortlieb patch kit.  Best dressing for road rash or insect bites scratched raw in your sleep.

[nobby]

I did a week long course- though admittedly First Aid At Work is not Mountain Rescue.

I'm used to operating with a fully stocked ambulance to hand.
J

There some decent sized trailers available

[T42]

I always carried one on long rides, but for the tootles I do now I make do with paracetamol, a trinitrin spray, a foil blanket and bog roll. Folding scissors, a whistle and a couple of 1m20 boot-laces with spring toggles are always in the HB bag anyway. You never know when you're going to need to tie something up.  I always have plain water along, too.

For a longer trip (speed the day!) I'd probably pick up a 10€ FAK from a petrolhead shop.

[arabella]

Hmmmm
a tissue up my sleeve (often used)
some plain water (I don't generally drink all of it between refills)
space blanket
a sachet of sugar and a sachet of salt (for rehydration mix)
is probably it, unless you include saliva

my FAK at home is probably less comprehensive than some of those mentioned upthread (bite stuff, very old bandages, washed and re-rolled and a tube of savlon last used mumble years ago, you get the picture)

[T42]

A styptic pencil might be an idea for small nicks.

[nuttycyclist]

Being an expert fettler accident prone I have first aid kits in most rooms, all of which contain out of date crap.  I also carry a few plasters in my wallet (which have come in useful at random times such as walking into a supermarket shelf).  I have had "first aid at work" training in several jobs and hobbies, one course in particular had a section for gunshot wounds.

I asked for advice in here/previous here/previous previous here/or it may have been earlier and got advised not to bother carrying a first aid kit when on an audax.   I still have it and for a long ride chuck it in although it is no doubt going to be of no use if I need it.  I have a newer one (because it's in a smaller tobacco sized tin with Thomas the Tank engine branding) that I try to remember to drop in a pocket when I take the children out.

I've just grabbed the bike one (Lifesystems Trekker First Aid - which is a small and handy pouch with a belt loop).  It contains:-
gloves
assorted plasters, with big ones seeming to be more prelavent than smaller ones, some with peppa pig logos.
foil blanket
antiseptic wipes
wound dressings
finger bandage with plastic applicator
micropore tape
scissors
three bandages
oral anesthetic paste (expiry July 2012) - I do not know why this is in there
small pot of sudocreme - dunno the expiry date but I double dipped from the main pot into the travel pot well before 2012.

I now need to re-pack all this into the bag.    I am thinking that I need to re-plan, and in the main I'd just take antiseptic wipe/wound covering/bandage/plasters/sting cream and that should suffice for most injuries/anticipated injuries that myself and family have had when out and can be dealt with.

I have checked the smaller red first aid travel pack I first grabbed, but that contained a pair of snow chains for my shoes.

[ravenbait]

I've got the waterproof version of the Lifesystems Trekker First Aid, to which I've added my epipen (rubber band to the outside), antihistamine, ibuprofen lysine, gaviscon, steristrips, a resuscitation mask, and some wound spray. I also have a small tube of hycosan night, because my artificial eye gets really dry and painful and the KY jelly recommended by my prosthetics dude stings like buggery, and some hycosan extra dry for my regular eye, which gets tired. I've got some Elastoplast Star Wars plasters, which are surprisingly good (I only wanted the BB8 tin).

I've done the full three day first aid at work course, along with first aid at sea and first aid for divers. I've maintained first aid qualifications for about 30 years now. Mostly because I'm incredibly accident prone.

Sam

[Zed43]

I like to have some burn gel, either for sun burn, or of I burn myself on my cook pot.

Could also come in handy after sliding down the tarmac at 63 km/h dressed in thin lycra...

After crashing two weeks ago I am also re-evaluating my FAK. I'll probably add a 12x12cm field dressing, 2-3 8x10 metalline (non-stick) compresses and some tape (using duct tape on my skin doesn't appeal much). There's already the tiniest of Leatherman tools with adequate scissors in the "bike tools" pouch.

Not exactly FAK, but getting Tetanus shots beforehand? Never came to my mind until my GP asked about it today (and then remembered it was one of the shots I got 1 1/2 year ago  when I was prepping for a trip to Bali).

What's the verdict on spay-on wound cover? From the very little experience I've had lately, I would think you would need to clean / desinfect the would pretty thoroughly as the spray-on stays on and cannot be removed with water and soap.

[nuttycyclist]

....
What's the verdict on spay-on wound cover? From the very little experience I've had lately, I would think you would need to clean / desinfect the would pretty thoroughly as the spray-on stays on and cannot be removed with water and soap.

I use it a lot.    Stings like buuggery and doesn't work on an open wound (read the instructions).     I mainly use it to keep cuts free from dirt after they have finished bleeding and because a plaster will fall off.

[phantasmagoriana]

....
What's the verdict on spay-on wound cover? From the very little experience I've had lately, I would think you would need to clean / desinfect the would pretty thoroughly as the spray-on stays on and cannot be removed with water and soap.

I use it a lot. Stings like buuggery and doesn't work on an open wound (read the instructions).     I mainly use it to keep cuts free from dirt after they have finished bleeding and because a plaster will fall off.

I use it too, but my main reason is an irrational fear of plasters (I will not use them, ever ). I've never bothered with it out and about, though, and just tend to keep it at home as the can is a bit bulky.

For my "outdoors" FAK, I have a little tube of Liquid Skin, which I have yet to put to the test.

[nuttycyclist]

I've moved a lot more to micropore/similar tape than plasters.   When I (nearly) cut the end of my toe off a year or so back I mainly stuck the end back on with tape and then used the finger bandage* to stop the tape being rubbed off. 



*<looks at the I'm such a div thread...>   The old first aid kit I have just emptied and described contains finger bandage.  When I (nearly) cut the end of my toe off I went to three pharmacies trying to find finger bandage.

[Tim Hall]

I keep meaning to get some of that dressing holding on netting, so I can pretend I'm in the TdF after a crash. (One of tandem club friends has some and used it on her patrner after he went A over T on some slippery paving.)

I also fancy getting a few of those roll things the dentist puts in your mouth which the blood donor people use to put pressure onto a plaster, ever since Tiny My Newt, of Cyclechat fame, pierced her calf with a chainring when we were looking at a Cold War bunker.  I improvised with I can't remember what.

[nuttycyclist]

Ha!  that reminds me* of last time I improvised with first aid.    Garmin mount had snapped so I used a latex glove to tie it on.  Cycling partner said it looked like a johnney.





*not sure why, but.

[lissotriton]

A tick removal tool is often useful.