Whats in YOUR First Aid Kit?

[Michael Palozzola]

Here's a question for any avid outdoors man. Whats in YOUR First Aid kit? Is it a store bought? a home made? a combination of both? What would you not be caught dead (no pun intended) without in the wilderness? And I'm not talking STRICTLY first aid but what is in your "Survival kit?"

[Kim Gass]

I am not a man so am ineligible to answer.

You need a method to make fire, shelter and have drinking  water.  And to shield yourself from the sun.

I have a PLB on me as well as a whistle and compass and matches and waterproof lighter. I wear long sleeves and long pants and carry a bandana and sun hat. I have flares and a signal mirror.

I always wear my PFD. I also have two waterproof charts. One is in my ditch kit worn on me.

Never lose your water! I do not have a desalinator.

Otherwise the usual.

sunburn treatment

sunscreen

moisturizer

Nu skin

tampax in zip loc (trauma dressing) 

assorted waterproof bandaids

Duct tape for when the bandaids dont stick

Marine radio does not quite fit in the fanny pack,

Immodium, ibuprofen,antibiotic cream, benadryl cream

My approach is that should I lose my craft I will want to be found. The PLB is well worth it. Someone is going to have to pick me up. I can't walk out.

[Michael Palozzola]

I apologize Kim i didn't mean anything by the Outdoors man statement. :(

[Kim Gass]

No problem. I worked in a Fire Department for 27 years. We were all "guys"!

[Michael Palozzola]

Ive been meaning to get a PLB

I am curious what do you use for waterproof chats. I am having a VERY hard time finding charts from this decade, the "best companies" published last in 2006 from what I can find so what's out there that is accurate and reliable?

What is Nu skin?

Tampax can also be used very efficiently from what I hear as tinder in a Must have fire scenario

[Swamp Hunter]

 I see what is in a mans kit is different than what a woman would need lol. Moisterizer would be the last item on my list. Sunblock however might be something I would add if I were out on the water. My kit is homemade.

 

I drove out to the Loop Road yesterday to help a friend with an electrical job. I changed a breaker and the job was done and I found myself with the rest of the day to kill.. I took a walk down Gator Hook Trail toward Roberts Lakes. It seems with me its always an adventure. What I found near the trails end would make another story on its own that I may tell later.

 

 Here is what happened. Im apparently getting old and tired and dragging my feet, on the long walk back, I tripped on a cypress knee and fell on my walking stick. A sharp protrusion stuck deep into my arm.  I was able to pull it out and wash the dirt out with swamp water. I had bandaids but they were too small and wouldnt stick. I guess any cloth would work but I should add some wrap around gauze or tape. Thank goodness I missed the artery.

Lesson learned to make sure there are no sharp protrusions on my hastily made walking stick. It was just for spider webs but the accident could have been much worse. My arm is healing fine today but I have blisters on each heal..

[Swamp Hunter]

A handgun is high on my list but I guess I wouldnt be caught dead without my knife, toilet paper, lighter, flashlight, bug stuff, and compass. I am really starting to depend upon my GPS which went dead in a few hours yesterday. I carry a maglight so I exchanged the 2 AA battteries so spare batteries is a must.  Im starting to realize how important water can be in the middle of a dried up swamp. A survival blanket doesnt take up any space.

 

Sorry Michael I couldnt contact you for the day hike. I expected to be working all day. I saw quite a few snakes, all poisonous. This may be a future problem with the hogs in severe decline.

[Michael Palozzola]

I'm still building my "ultimate" Survival Kit, and it is slightly dependent upon the exact trek. But my current survival pack consist of:

Bandage(like an ACE), Bandaids, Duck Tape, Sun Screen, Benadryl, Aspirin, a Snake bite kit, Bug Spray, Iodine tablets, Cotton balls rolled in Vaseline, Water proof matches, Fire steel and fixed blade knife, Signal Mirror, and Emergency Blanket.

My non negotiable pack items

Survival Bracelet (~25ft of 550 para cord), Machete, GPS, Headlamp,  Leatherman, Extra batteries (both AA and AAA), water filter, compass, small trowel or shovel(machete can be used to dig in a pinch tho), PLB (once I actually manage to purchase mine), Marine Radio (once I actually manage to purchase mine)

I have been playing heavily with the idea of a pistol, useful for defense as well as hunting if in a absolute survival situation.

[Swamp Hunter]

What kind of snake bite kit do you carry and do you think it will help?   After reading up on it, I no longer carry mine. I no longer carry a shocker either.

[Michael Palozzola]

The snake kit I have is the sawyer extractor, I've never had to use it or done any serious deep research into it. What did you find? and what is a shocker?

[Amazon Bill]

Try Waterproof Charts. The shop is in Punta Gorda, FL with many local retailers around the state. They produce fishing charts based on the NOAA nautical charts and reproduce the NOAA charts. Priced at around $29 they are very durable and are quite flexible. They are not a plastic covered paper, the synthetic material is actually waterproof. I use Waterproof Chart #40F, Whitewater Bay / Everglades. See attached screen grab. The F is for fishing type. It also has the chickee gps locations on the map. I used it to navigate the backwaters in Hells bay, Roberts River and back to Pearl Bay.

http://www.waterproofcharts.com/

[Swamp Hunter]

I have not been bitten either but I have witnessed a few. Most bites that I have witnessed are called dry bites and the snake injects little venom. I guess its like a warning to stay back.

I have however witnessed a few bad ones. Getting the patient to the hospital fast is the best option.

The effectiveness of an extractor is effectively null, unless the extractor is applied within seconds of a bite. I  personally don't bother even having one in my snakebite kit. If I were to be bitten, I find it highly unlikely I would be able to retrieve the extractor, apply it to the wound, and use it all in the space of 2 or 3 seconds.

If you have ever been injected with pain medication at the hospital, you will realize how quickly the medication spreads. Its a matter of about 5 seconds at most. Maybe a few seconds longer if an intramuscular injection. 

Its best to stay calm but this is understandably hard to do. When an Indian was bitten, he would sit down on the spot and relax. He would spend the night at that spot.

 

I used to carry a homemade shocker that I fashioned from a BarBQ grill. It will zap you. There was a rumor going around that some missionaries saved lives by holding onto a spark plug wire. I also knew a fellow that said it saved his dogs. But there is no evidence that this is effective either. Those that did well were possibly bitten with a dry bite.

 

At this point there is no cure other than antivenom but I dont know anywhere it can be obtained.  The best cure is prevention. I always look down every step.

Google some snakebite images it will scare you.  Warning image attachments not for the squemish.

[Swamp Hunter]

If this is not enough to scare you, read Justins Rattlsnake bite.  For some reason there is a need to slice the arm open at the hospital. I knew of someone that been through this with a moccassin.  http://www.rattlesnakebite.org/

 

Wild hogs eat a lot of snakes. I expect a profusion of poisonous snakes in the Big Cypress. Im not sure if Pythons will eat other snakes but maybe.

 

If you are bitten, be sure to remove all tight fitting items like rings or watches. My friends arm swelled up like a football. He also collapsed.