First Aid Kits

[MomOnBike]

I just bought a smallish commercial kit at Scheels. It seems complete enough. Tape, various potions and pills, some covering wounds type stuff in various sizes, even (I just checked) gloves - and an instruction sheet. As I recall, it wasn't terribly expensive, either. It even keeps my rule of not hauling anything I don't know how to use. Good stuff.

[Irulan]

the most important ingredient of any first aid kit is the knowledge of what to do in the event of a first aid emergecncy. All the bandaids in the world do not make up for training.

irulan

[massbikebabe]

I carry a fanny pack with pretty much the same stuff as Sadie, but I also carry a suture set in case anybody gets a deep cut and I have an inflatable splint should something get the look of broke. The fanny pack gets to be a drag around my waist but when I get sick of it my DH takes it for a short time!

karen

[spazzdog]

I have an REI kit that I added some stuff to (pain meds, antibiotics). It's generally in my gear bag in my jeep... no where to put it on the bike. I may improvise something though.

[Adventure Girl]

the most important ingredient of any first aid kit is the knowledge of what to do in the event of a first aid emergecncy. All the bandaids in the world do not make up for training.

Great point!!! I took the Red Cross basic first aid / CPR course. I hope I never have to use it, but I feel better having taken the class.

[Adventure Girl]

Here's another tip that's slightly on point for this thread. I keep a few of those chemical ice packs in my bike bag in the trunk of my car. I don't want to carry them on my bike, but they're sometimes nice to have when you finish your ride. Getting ice on an injury quickly can really help.

[bounceswoosh]

It even keeps my rule of not hauling anything I don't know how to use. Good stuff.

Wow! That's about the opposite of my philosophy. I carry tons of tools and figure that *someone* will know how to use them. So far that's held true, and I've been able to help many riders out of nasty jams just by having the right tools along.

[snapdragen]

I've only got vitamin I and sunscreen in my seat bag. The Suby has a nicely stocked first aid kit, including space blanket. The big band-aids came in handy when I was attacked by the defective Shebeest chamois.

[MomOnBike]

bounceswoosh sez:

I carry tons of tools and figure that *someone* will know how to use them.

Ah, that's the difference. I ride alone a lot. Very often there is no *someone* but me. On organized rides, having a complete kit could make a difference.

I took a CPR course when I worked for heart docs (office rule - all employees were to know CPR). What I learned was that you don't want me working on you, or anyone you care about. I kept "killing" my "patients". It's much better if I keep out of the way and get the paperwork together.

[MightyMitre]

Wow - you're all very organised. I never take anything first aidy when I go out. Admittedly I don't ride on my own all that often, but even when I do I don't take anything. Neither do my riding friends ( as far as I know).

The only thing I always take with me that might just sneek in under 'first aid' is plain water, even if I've got energy drink as I figure it could come in handy for squirty grazes, rinsing eyes, that kind of thing.

Not very well prepared I s'pose but then I mostly road ride, and England is so little. I live in the south which is very densly populated and it's pretty much impossible to ride anywhere deserted. There's always a passer by or a house near by - even on the quieter lanes.

[bounceswoosh]

Ah, that's the difference. I ride alone a lot. Very often there is no *someone* but me. On organized rides, having a complete kit could make a difference.

Well, I mountain bike (no road bike as yet), and when I ride alone, I choose popular trails. That way, if something happens, I have a good chance of getting help.

[Irulan]

Well, I mountain bike (no road bike as yet), and when I ride alone, I choose popular trails. That way, if something happens, I have a good chance of getting help.

please tell me you at least know how to fix a flat.

[amg]

In addition to some of the things mentioned, when mountain biking I also carry a Sam Splint and an elastic bandage. A Sam Splint is a folded formable splint, not sure what it's made out of, but figured it would be handy if I was somewhere with no convenient sticks (my mtb bike pump is too short to be pressed into use).

Oh, and my cell phone. Even if it doesn't work on the trails, if the group is big enough someone can get sent out to the road or to somewhere it works to call for help and direct any Search and Rescue people should it be that bad of a situation.

A handy thing to take if you're doing a first aid course is to get a transportation endorsement (not sure if it's called the same thing in the US). That teaches you how to stabilize someone to transport if you need to pack them out of somewhere yourself.

[bounceswoosh]

please tell me you at least know how to fix a flat.

Yeah. Well, not patch, but I carry spare tubes and spent a whole day last summer practicing changing tires.

But there are plenty of mechanical problems I might need help with. Last year I had trouble with my disc brakes. I believe I'd have been able to fix them today, but at the time I couldn't. Someone on the trail helped me adjust them ... he honestly didn't know all that much about what he was doing, either, but between the two of us at least I could brake.

[short cut sally]

Hi, I ride 95% of the time with co-workers,all nurses, so between us we have a little of everything..band-aids, bacitracin ointment, guaze, kling..and most important, each has a cell phone. Not sure if there will always be reception, but if the spill is that bad, all the bandages and ointment aren't worth a darn. I do like SadieKate's suggestion of coban. That would be better than any roll of kling thought of being..suprised none of us have thought to take that along. Maxi Pads, they have more than one use.. We also have one of those betadyne scrub brushes (in the vehicle though)..We all have sunscreen and lip screen in our vehicles, sunscreen does expire which is something I learned last year. So update regularly! We will be adding more to our stash, as we just all purchased bigger "packs" for under our seats. Looking forward to reading for more ideas as what to add to the first aid supplies. Thanks for the ideas already..shelly