First aid kit for cycling

[quixoticgeek]

... elastic bandage, elastic tube bandage (though I forget why I thought both were a good idea) ... whistle ...

QG, you mention going off-road. A whistle can help someone hear you farther than you can shout for help.

I have my inreach. Hitting the magic button is the option of last resort. A whistle is not going to be much use to me where I'm going, it's 100km between villages. But, for all that, i do carry one.

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.

Plasters are useful to stop a wound getting worse.

Bandages are useful when things go to shit. I carry a trauma dressing that can be used to control a big bleed until the whirly bird gets there.

I have ordered a Lifesystems Nano FAK. Mostly for the bag, will supplement it a bit.

J

[quixoticgeek]

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...

Might smart a bit...

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.

I'm thinking I may replace my UK purchased and much out of date FFD with one of these:

https://www.ehbo-centrum.nl/eerste-hulp-traumazwachtel-10-x-20-cm-p-5402.html

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).

Where you were going, I would have made sure to get FSME first (That's TBE for the Brits). I had tetanus many years ago. I wonder if I should investigate a booster.

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.

Would alcohol, either as IPA, or hand gel dissolve it?

J

[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.

Would alcohol, either as IPA, or hand gel dissolve it?

J

YES (based on personal experience).

I usually have to reapply at least once a day as it wears off, whether with body movement/water&soap/time expired.    I usually make a point of reapplying after the daily shower in the hope it'll last until the next one - but may need to reapply in between.

[Tim Hall]

A tick removal tool is often useful.

I've got tick removal tweezers in mine. I used them the other day.

(To assist in the reapir of my 18mm-250mm zoom lens)

[Cudzoziemiec]

The last time I got bitten by a tick, I pulled it out with tweezers. A bit of it stayed in my skin but nothing happened. The time before that, which was the first time I'd knowingly had one (and possibly the first time ever, as they're said to be increasing their range), I didn't know what to do, so went to a pharmacy, who said go to A&E(!), who took it out with funny shaped tweezers; not the things you see advertised as tick removers.

[CarlF]

https://www.ticktwister.co.uk/

No use for fixing zoom lenses.

Far better than anything else I've tried for removing ticks- even really tiny ones are dead easy to deal with.

[ravenbait]

https://www.ticktwister.co.uk/

No use for fixing zoom lenses.

Far better than anything else I've tried for removing ticks- even really tiny ones are dead easy to deal with.

Agreed. Our dog picks these buggers up with scary regularity, despite the Nexxguard. The tick twisters are the ones that have worked the best out of all the ones I've tried. Which is all of them. Including the crappy credit card one and the one that looks like the business end of a fancy pyrographer.

Sam

[quixoticgeek]

Arrived in the mail today:



Have opened it up to have a look, then defeated it in single combat to get the inner bag in the outer bag. It is not easy to do. There's a little space in the top to add some burn gel, an pain killers.

The one thing I do need to work out tho, is where to mount it on the bike. Needs to be easily accessible with one hand, and not risk me getting blood on too much stuff... Also want it out the spray of the wheels. Will have a think.

Thanks everyone for suggestions so far.

J

[sparklyfish]

The one thing I do need to work out tho, is where to mount it on the bike. Needs to be easily accessible with one hand, and not risk me getting blood on too much stuff...

QG: did you find anywhere good to mount the first aid kit?

I have just re-done my paediatric first aid today for work. Which made me think a bit more about the hodge-podge kit I carry on my bike! Any other recommendations for an off-the-shelf pack?
I'm mainly thinking that the bag is the useful bit, as the contents can be changed/supplemented.

[Cudzoziemiec]

Pending QG's answer: this would seem to be an ideal case for one of those top-tube bags usually marketed as suitable for snacks. Or for a teeny-weeny frame baglet, just strapped into either the head tube/top tube junction or the seat tube/top tube.

[hbunnet]

Nothing to add to good suggestions here, especially checking things in date.

The British Red Cross phone app is worth having.

[drossall]

Good kits are going to vary between activities. Start with the injuries with which you might most probably have to deal. So, when cycling, gravel rash, if you're unlucky a broken collarbone or upper limb injury, and so on. So wound cleaning, large and medium dressings, triangular bandages, and so on.

[ElyDave]

Last year on KAW I fell onto a rock, and split the skin on my shin. I did a reasonable job of cleaning it with fresh water from my bottle by the side of the trail, and dressed it at my b&b that evening from my FAK. It still went manky however, and required a course of antibiotics.  My FAK now includes iodine soaked gauze.

Generally the rest of the kit is for minor crap like blisters, small cuts etc, but also includes a trauma bandage just in case, perhaps even for use on others.  The most useful course i ever did was a Hostile Environment Course, where the first aid part was entirely  focused on major trauma, stopping somebody dying before a competent person can get to them

[quixoticgeek]

QG: did you find anywhere good to mount the first aid kit?

I have just re-done my paediatric first aid today for work. Which made me think a bit more about the hodge-podge kit I carry on my bike! Any other recommendations for an off-the-shelf pack?
I'm mainly thinking that the bag is the useful bit, as the contents can be changed/supplemented.

So I have a T4 trauma dressing tapped with insulating tape to the bit of metal that joins my tailfin to the seat post. Then I have a lifeventure nano first aid kit attached to the food bag that's attached to the underside of my aero bars.

J

[Pickled Onion]

I carry savlon, sun cream, deet, tissue paper.

When I did have a nasty crash, I used my merino base layer to stem the flow of blood, tying a knot with the sleeves. I dare say other injuries would be fine with a combination of the above and imaginative use of whatever's to hand, at least long enough to get proper help. Perhaps one of those tiny thermal blanket/wrap things would be a good addition.

[quixoticgeek]

I carry savlon, sun cream, deet, tissue paper.

When I did have a nasty crash, I used my merino base layer to stem the flow of blood, tying a knot with the sleeves. I dare say other injuries would be fine with a combination of the above and imaginative use of whatever's to hand, at least long enough to get proper help. Perhaps one of those tiny thermal blanket/wrap things would be a good addition.

Depends a lot on what you expect "long enough to be" when I started this thread I was about to start an event where I expected to be north of the artic circle and often 100+km away from the nearest settlement. If I had to make my own way to help that could be 5+ hours. Best case for a wheeled ambulance is probably 1.5-2 hours at the furthest points from civilisation. Having the inreach device was a critical part of my safety setup. If I've opened the first aid kit for anything much more than a plaster, I'm probably pressing the magic button. In which case I am also probably gonna deploy a sleep mat, sleeping bag, and maybe a space blanket (carried in addition to first aid kit).

The approach taken if riding in most of the UK or Netherlands is very different from when in more remote parts of Scandinavia. The sort of injury where you improvised a dressing from a base layer, are exactly why I have the T4 dressing taped to the underside of my tailfin.

J

[mrcharly-YHT]

Clingfilm and micropore tape.

A substantial amount of clingfilm takes up very little space. It is the best thing for covering burns (easy to get if you are camping), and should be applied over the burn then cold water poured on top. Means you can use not sterile water for reducing heat.

It can also cover big grazes. Cheap, compact and easy to replace if you use it. Over a big gash, you can then improvise a pressure bandage from cloth.

[drossall]

The approach taken if riding in most of the UK or Netherlands is very different from when in more remote parts of Scandinavia. The sort of injury where you improvised a dressing from a base layer, are exactly why I have the T4 dressing taped to the underside of my tailfin.

I did a REC2 (remote emergency care) first aid course for Scouts recently. I'm no expert, but that was exactly the point made repeatedly - that your kit, and decisions, are going to be different half way up a mountain and hours from help, from if you're likely to be falling off in London, never more than 30 minutes from a hospital.

[Kim]

Clingfilm and micropore tape.

A substantial amount of clingfilm takes up very little space. It is the best thing for covering burns (easy to get if you are camping), and should be applied over the burn then cold water poured on top. Means you can use not sterile water for reducing heat.

It can also cover big grazes. Cheap, compact and easy to replace if you use it. Over a big gash, you can then improvise a pressure bandage from cloth.

Have you used modern PVC-free clingfilm thobut?  If I've got a proper burn I don't want to be faffing about with recalcitrant clingfilm when I could be applying coolth.  If you've still got some of the proper stuff, it would be worth putting aside for this purpose.

Agreed on the micropore, and it's part of my usual touring kit.  While I'd be perfectly happy using insulating tape or duct tape to staunch the flow from a proper bleeder, micropore wins hands down for the sort of long-term adhesion you need to protect irritating minor injuries like insect bites and blisters.

[Jaded]

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

Tegaderm is the bees knees.

[Kim]

Tegaderm is the bees knees.

On a similar not, the Opsite equivalent are pretty good TTAW.  When the Lovely Nurse™ gave us some spares for barakta's spectacular hip wound, I took great pleasure in squirrelling a couple away in case of future road-rash.

[MattH]

Other than basic normal stuff (plasters, wipes etc.) my cycling related add-ons are micropore tape and some kind of non-sticky graze coverer like melolin or hydrocoloid dressings. Tegaderm looks interesting. On long stuff I'll also carry some strapping tape, having suffered from an achilles problem years ago. Not needed that in anger since 2009-ish, but it tends to get packed just in case.

[L CC]

When doing any risk assessment the calculation is likelihood vs consequences.
A lot of the kit lists above are focusing on the consequences. I could not live with that level of fear of the massively unlikely in my cycling life. I suppose this is how I use statistics and probability in my daily life.

[Kim]

After an mountain bicycle incident a couple of weeks ago, I've distributed a few more of those compressed disposable flannel things around my luggage and made a note to err on the side of carrying more water for off-road riding.

On the basis that minor grazes may require some sort of attention that can't safely be provided if your hand has landed in a steaming fresh source of coliforms.   

[Paul H]

I've added a couple of plastic vials of eyewash to my kit, yes I know plain water is 99% as good but getting it to dripple from water bottle to eye isn't so easy.  I had the remains of some insect lodged in an eye and it took several goes to remove it.  One thing to do that to myself, I wouldn't have wanted to do it to someone else without the appropriate kit. I also considered adding a small mirror, though I could have used the phone's camera if it had occurred to me at the time.