Bike First Aid Supplies

[Artista]

Do you carry first aid supplies on your bike? If so, what do you carry?

[KnottedYet]

Yup.

In a ziplock bag: 1 pr gloves, antibacterial wipes, a few sizes of bandaids, gauze, tape, glucose. I need to get a Laerdal mask and some steri-strips one of these days, and I'd really like one of those instant coagulant pads.

I always ride with a pannier or bar bag, so I've got the room for a kit.

The most important thing is my cell phone. I'd rather call in the professionals for anything more than a minor boo-boo... they have really good kits!

[Aggie_Ama]

On my mountain bike. Just a store bought first aid kit but it is pretty big so anything you might have in a home kit. I always carry my cell phone even when racing. DH doesn't and it drives me crazy! I should get a small kit for my road bike. They sell ones that are small, I have seen them in the LBS.

[azfiddle]

I keep some band-aids in my bag... I'd be in trouble if there was a real first-aid incident..But the band-aids have been useful a few times

[OakLeaf]

Nope.

Anything serious means 911 (or hopefully surviving to kick myself for not carrying a SPOT, if I'm out of cell range). Anything minor means it can wait until I get to a convenient store to wash, bandage, or ice it.

As far as lubricating blisters, I do carry a 1/4 oz jar of shea butter that I use as for chamois cream, and it works on blisters too if I should need it. There's a couple of nitrile gloves in my seat pack, that are mostly there for fixing rear tire flats or anything else that means I have to touch the chain - but they could come in handy if I have to touch someone else's blood. I always wear a bra, so if I need a piece of cloth to put pressure on someone's wound, there's always my jersey. I think it would be very unusual for a bici accident to result in life-threatening external bleeding though - I don't think I've ever heard of that happening.

[tzvia]

Learned my lesson after having to assist an MTB'er who had a compound fracture just above the ankle. Luckily I had a tampon that he used to stuff in the wound (I almost barfed right there), but I did not have any gauze bandage. Now I do.

Johnson & Johnson makes a mini 'kit' in a small plastic box with band-aids and wipes and such. I added gauze, aspirins (for heart attacks and strokes), two tampons, small vial of iodine and two large 2"x3" band-aids. Too much to fit in the little box, so put the box and the extras in a zip-lock and put it in an under-seat bag. Made one for each MTB and the commuter. The ziplock can also be cut open and used to keep dirt out of a bad wound like an open fracture.

On the road bike, I just don't have much room as I don't have a back pack to put the phone and repair stuff in. So I made a small kit. 3 alcohol wipes, 3 regular band-aids, 2 large band-aids, small vial of iodine and a few aspirins. I'm thinking If I need more, I am on the street and can get to a mini mart for more. Worse than that, I can call for help. It's when I am on the MTB that I need to be more self sufficient.

[ny biker]

I keep band-aids in my seat bag. Also a tiny bottle of hand sanitizer. That's all I have room for.

[PamNY]

I'd really like one of those instant coagulant pads.


Are those readily available to the general public? I'm not out of 911 range on my bike, but I am when camping/hiking.

[OakLeaf]

http://www.amazon.com/CELOX-Temporary-Traumatic-Treatment-10-Pack/dp/B0032UY9BQ/ref=pd_cp_hi_1
http://www.amazon.com/Quikclot-Advanceed-Clotting-Bleeding-Packages/dp/B001BCNTHC/ref=pd_cp_hi_2

[Becky]

I do carry a first aid kid on my mountain bike, but not on my road bike.

I looked at commercially-available kits, and decided that they didn't have what I thought I might need, so I made my own in a ziploc bag.

[Bike Chick]

I used to carry one of those Johnson & Johnson kits on my road bike when I first started riding but it seems that with every bag change, I kept going smaller. Now I just have room for 3 bandaids and some alcohol wipes. I always have a handkerchief in my jersey pocket that I have used for just about everything.

[PscyclePath]

Carry the first-aid items that you are most likely to need, and are trained to use. I do a lot of volunteer work as an LCI and National Mountain Bike Patroller, so what I carry may be a little over the top for most, but over the years I've found there's a use for each item.

Here's a wonderful little resource to get you started thinking: http://www.utahmountainbiking.com/firstaid/ What I carry on a normal "just-riding-around" ride is pretty much the same as what they're calling the "biking boo-boo" kit, in a zip-loc baggie. Brave Soldier also markets a very nice, compact little kit that they call the "Crash Kit," focusing mostly on treating road rash & similar abrasions. Both fit very nicely in the center jersey pocket; you'd never really know they're there, but they are there when you need it. When teaching classes and leading group rides for beginners, I carry a little larger kit that has a few more bandaging items, some basic OTC meds -- such as aspirin -- and a CPR kit.

Probably the most important thing you can do is get some basic first aid training so that you can recognize problems, and take the appropriate steps to deal with them. The LAB "strongly recommends" that LCIs get some sort of first aid certification, and the NMBP requires it, so my teaching buddy and I both went to the Red Cross' Community First Aid course... probably one of the best uses of $65 I've done in a while. My annual recertifiation is coming up in May, and what the most cost-effective deal is looking like now is to go ahead and take the RC's instructor course... they're really looking for volunteers right now...

A cell phone is always a good thing to have (the response sequence is Check the situation, Call for help, then Care for the victim).

[Miranda]

From working at the gyms as a fitness instructor, I have the basic training of First Aid and CPR/AED through the American Red Cross.

I own kits I carry on my gym bag that are cpr barrier mask, and basic first aid. Kinda interesting to see what they select to put in both. I purchased mine independently thru the Red Cross. But, the training does show you how to make do with common items you might not think of vs traditional medical items.

I carry my cell phone. Which also is a smart phone with GPS. Plus, my bici pc is a Garmin w/GPS. Handy to know where the closest land mark is, or gas station that might have supplies etc. Besides call for help.

I used to carry supplies in my road bag. Now I don't. My crash on the road bike was a much needed trip to the ER. Thus, the cell phone covered that one.

I carry steri-strips in my mtb gear. That I've crashed and used before I got outta the woods.

Also, I have asthma. I carry my inhailer with me always. I own / wear a RoadID bracelet which also notes this medical condition. In the event I didn't have enough wind to speak it out for myself.

[Karma007]

Motrin, Tylenol, a couple Wet Wipes, an extra hair band, and my cell phone. Always. I also let someone know my route, especially if I'm riding solo.

[soprano]

The only first aid item that I carry 100% of the time is After-Bite. I seem to run into fire ants about once a summer, and that stuff is amazing. (Although I *have* gotten myself home with 40 fire ant bites on one foot, it really wasn't fun.) Other than my cell phone and RoadID, I don't have room for anything else. I agree with OakLeaf that anything serious is going to mean a phone call, and from experience I know that I can tough out minor stuff. My normal riding patterns never take me out of cell phone range.

When touring, I carry a purchased first aid kit similar to this (http://www.rei.com/product/695383), some chemical ice packs, a snakebite kit and some water purification tablets. Since I'll be touring in colder climes this year, I'll probably add one of those reflective blankets.

[Artista]

There is a bunch a great info here. I'll use the suggestions to beef up my first aid kits, (one on the road bike & a second for the mountain bike).

One of the items that I haven't seen mentioned, but I use a lot, is a little tin of salve. I've used it to keep a bit of road rash comfortable during the remainder of a ride. The salve will even stem minor bleeding. It works as a balm for wind chapped lips & cheeks. And, it has come in handy to clean chain grease off my hands with something slightly abrasive like a tissue.

Another item that I keep in my kit is a $20 bill in case I need to buy other emergency supplies during a ride. I used to carry my debit card but frequently forgot to return it to my wallet after the ride. Carrying cash saves me from having to remember the card.

[sundial]

I keep a first aid kit in my bag when I mountain bike and bandaids/antibacterial wipes on the bike. One of the products that I highly recommend is QuickClot (http://www.quikclot.com/?gclid=CO3os8GP6qcCFU1f2god6Dh1ZQ). Think of it as a chemical tourniquet that rapidly halts bleeding from punctures, tears and abrasions. :cool:

[TrekTheKaty]

Great ideas. I also do the ziploc bag of band aids, wet wipes and aspirin. I also have a small bottle of antiseptic rinse. Once I scrapped my knee and all I had was two bottles of sports drink (note, to self--one bottle sports drink, one bottle water). Besides, you can guarantee dirt or gravel to be involved :-(

Oh, and an small bottle of backup sunscreen and bug repellent wipes.

[Grits]

I want some of the Quik Clot travel packs. There have definitely been a couple of times when we could have used that on a ride. I've never seen it in stores. Do you know of any that carry it, or should I just order it on line?

[Crankin]

The one thing I always carry is a tube of antibiotic ointment. It has helped avoid scars and trouble in many instances, and not just for me. I generally wash a cut/ minor road rash with water from my bottle and spread the ointment on. I also have a couple of band aids, too, which I have used on occasion.
On our first tour, we were crossing a main street in Austria, as the cycling path crossed over to the other side of the street. I am not very good at hard right turns, and instead of unclipping and dabbing my foot down, to get up the curb cut, I turned my wheel too much and ended up rolling right down a pretty steep ravine, into woods full of brambles. Since I had brought my own saddle bag to put on the rental bike, I just took out my little tube, spread it on my leg, and, I was off. The leaders never even knew what had happened, until I told them.

[Catrin]

hmmm, good information everyone. I did not do this last year though I should have. Since I am moving to a larger Camelbak, there will be room for a small kit and will consider what to add to it.

Am considering the bike boo-boo kit (http://www.utahmountainbiking.com/firstaid/), the price is certainly right!

Is there anything missing from this kit that I should add to it? I should mention that most places I ride does not have good cell phone reception...at least not with AT&T...

[Trek420]

On todays ride to the farm market I happened on what looked the aftermath of a head on crash. Did not see the crash itself just two cars with significant front end damage and lots of debris in the middle of the road.

The 3 people involved (two adults and one teenaged male) were seated at the side of the road.

Luckily they seemed ok but all 3 had small cuts and bruises on their face, arms and legs.

As I pulled up, stopped and parked the bike I asked the 3 crash victims if they needed help. No response. One of them was on the cell phone but I could tell he was calling a friend and not 911.

Three people had stepped out of a nearby office to see what happened, another guy walked across the street from another office.

None of them had called for help. :mad:

So I did.

I have the local PD in cell phone memory, got right through, gave the address. Dispatcher asked if anyone was hurt, I said I only see minor abrasions and bruising but the teen is visibly shaking. I have no medical training but thought he could either be scared or in shock. Let's get them some help. Dispatcher said help is already on the way.

Then I grabbed my woefully small first aide kit. Antiseptic wipes, band aids, passed those around ... and it solidified my feeling that; you get first aide kits for others, not you.

I'm passing these out, let's get these wounds cleaned up. I start with the guy who has a kid. He seems obviously more injured than the other driver who says "I have cuts too".

Dude, I'm on a bike. One with an awesome rear rack equipped with Wald wire basket :) I have a wallet sized first aid kit. Dude, you have an SUV. You don't even have a bandaid :confused: and you're wanting more of them from me? Ok, here.

I could hear sirens and lights from all directions, the guy who'd come over from across the street actually had a radio that picks up police dispatch. We both could hear the cavalry being called to the scene.

I waited for traffic to clear and got back on the road. Now off to shop for a new kit from the Red Cross store.

Maybe this one: http://www.redcrossstore.org/Shopper/Product.aspx?UniqueItemId=76

[Catrin]

Trek - did you get this kit from the Red Cross?

I am thinking about first aid supplies for the mountain bike. Not that I am planning on pushing beyond my skill level, but there is certainly more of a potential.

Right now I just have 5 large bandaids - I always seem to need the large size...and a little spray bottle of triple antibiotic ointment. Trying to decide if I need one of the quick clot packs - so far I've seen nothing on the bike that caused bleeding. Even the dog bites really did not bleed...

[Bethany1]

I hadn't thought of having the phone number for the local police dept. If you have a medical condition, write it down and the medications you are on just in case something happens. A lot of cell phones have ICE (In Case Of Emergency) numbers highlighted in red if someone needs to call a loved one.

I need to add a first aid kit and the ideas are great.

[owlice]

Then I grabbed my woefully small first aide kit. Antiseptic wipes, band aids, passed those around ... and it solidified my feeling that; you get first aide kits for others, not you.
This. Definitely this.

(And Trek, good job with the accident!)

In my first aid kit:

Band-aids in various sizes
Bactine wipes
Regular handwipes
Neosporin
Gauze pads
Pain meds (aspirin and ibuprofen)
Benadryl
Latex gloves (so I don't need to go through my saddle bag to get the other pair)
Chamois butter
Sometimes (depending on the riding): Cortisone cream (I have heat rash issues sometimes)
Sometimes (depending on the weather): Mylar blanket (I keep a couple of these in the car, too)

All in a Ziploc bag.

[Trek420]

Trek - did you get this kit from the Red Cross

Yes, I got 3 kits; home, car, commute bike.

Since writing about that incident I've taken the Red Cross CPR/First Aid course. Now I want to get some of those cool CPR masks. I hope I never need to use one but our instructor (retired from 30+ years as a fireman) humorously peppered in stories from his career that people needing CPR often toss cookies at some point. :rolleyes:

It's a great way to get supplies you want AND benefit the Red Cross. They need our help now and since an emergency can happen any time we never know when we'll need them.

http://www.redcrossstore.org/


I hadn't thought of having the phone number for the local police dept.

If you call 911 from your cell phone you reach highway patrol in most states. Here in sunny CA that's in Sacramento. They will then transfer you ... hopefully ... without dropping the call ... hopefully ... to your local police/fire/medical.

Unlike a land line they will not know where you are. Be prepared to give directions and the details they need to help you. I know some of you may say "but I have GPS, I have a smart phone with a mapquest ap, they'll know ....". This is not CSI, they will not know where you are. Your smartphone might tell YOU where you are if YOU are lost or confused. You still have to tell the fire dept.

So skip that first wait by adding the local police/fire and medical numbers for the cities you work, live and or ride in. That allowed me to just say "I'm at the corner of this and that street, there's been a car accident, we have 2 adults and a teen injured ...."

Program local emergency numbers into a land line phone too just in case the 911 system goes down. It rarely does but could.


A lot of cell phones have ICE (In Case Of Emergency) numbers highlighted in red if someone needs to call a loved one. Someone here on TE who is or was an EMT said that unfortunately EMT's will not just grab your cell phone and dial the ICE numbers. Sadly as a sign of the times some are trained that you don't know what that number is, it may be a trap to them.

However they will look for your Roadid or equivalent so do wear that if an accident happens and you can't speak.

[Tokie]

I especially would encourage you all to include Benadryl - it will help reduce pain and inflammation from bee stings (or other stinging insects). I usually take ibuprofen and Benadryl as soon as I can when I get a bee sting. It helps. tokie

[jessmarimba]

Not so much first aid - but a good idea, at least when mountain biking or road riding in remote places (*ahem* mountains of CO where phone reception sucks) - carry a whistle or flares or some other way of attracting attention. If you wreck on an unpopular trail or go over an embankment beside a road, you want someone to find you!

[Catrin]

Not so much first aid - but a good idea, at least when mountain biking or road riding in remote places (*ahem* mountains of CO where phone reception sucks) - carry a whistle or flares or some other way of attracting attention. If you wreck on an unpopular trail or go over an embankment beside a road, you want someone to find you!

Good idea this - most of where I road-ride has terrible cell reception. There isn't much in the way of embankments around here, but of course that changes in southern Indiana where I will be riding my mountain bike and doing some hill road-training. I will add a whistle to my list.

[owlice]

Acorn whistles (http://www.sciencetoymaker.org/acorn/assembl.html) are really loud; this is one of those "things one learns how to do as a kid" that I think is great to know, because you can do this with anything of the same sort-of shape, from bottle caps to .... well, acorns! And they are LOUD.

[ttaylor508]

+1 on carrying band-aids and wipes. Just took a good spill at mile 32 of our 100 mile ride this weekend, no band-aids in my bag. Luckily there were three cute fireman pumping gas where I crashed and they were kind enough to fix me up. One note, the band-aids are useless unless you are able to clean the area with wipes or something as they won't stick to sweaty sunscreened skin. Also, I am going to pack a variety of sizes (especially large ones) as the standard band-aid would have done nothing to help as the wound was too big.