First Aid Kits

[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.

[Melody]

I still haven't come up with a first-aid kit for the bike, but I really need to do it. I keep one at home and in my truck, plus the race car and whatever service vehicle we're using has one too.

One thing I do add, generally, is a one way CPR valve. This helps in preventing the transmission of pathogens, just like a glove does. What's nice is that you can get them the size of little itty bitty keychains.

I also agree with Irulan. Having the knowledge and thus being able to use all of these tools is important. I'm also a ham (and routinely carry a radio with me too while riding) and I'm involved in emergency service stuff. I'm trained in first-aid, CPR, and even certified to use the AED.

Now if only I can get my husband trained.

Mel

[SimpleCycle]

I've got a first aid kid in my pack when I commute, and I've stopped to help others out. But I don't have one on the road bike, where I probably need it most. I've thought about it, but I'm already carrying so much junk, and I can't really imagine what would be most helpful and what would be not helpful at all. There are a few places we ride that are out of cell range, where there aren't many passers by, that would be very bad places to have a medical emergency and no first aid equipment.

I do always have extra food and water, because the most likely medical emergency we would experience would be heat exhaustion/stroke. But I really should think about a first aid kit for my seat pack. It would need to be small. If I have a first aid kit in my car, house, and backpack, I should certainly have one on the bike.

[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.

[Technotart]

Coban is great stuff!!!!