SAR First Aid Kit

[KempoEMT]

What would you want in a Search and Rescue First Aid kit. I am starting to get into my counties Search and Rescue team, and wondered what anyone has in their first aid kit.

[BossyCow]

I'm not usually the one to post the "How to do a search" reply.. but this is not a big thread with a ton of posts and this topic has been covered sooooooooooooo many times that even I have to say something.

[LucidResq]

I agree with Bossy Cow, but I'll give you a little hint (not sure if I brought this up in the last discussion or not)

I created the first aid kit that I carry on SAR missions mostly for my own personal use. The number of times I've needed a little first aid has greatly outnumbered the number of times I've needed to give first aid with just my kit (rather than having the SAR team's medical equipment at hand).

My first aid kit fits in a sandwich-sized zip-loc bag and contains:

-extras of my prescriptions
-tampons
-hand sanitizer
-bug spray
-band-aids, some gauze, neosporin, tape, etc
-moleskin (from personal experience duct tape is actually better for blisters, but not as compact)
-sunscreen
-various OTCs - cold medicine, excedrin, etc
-hydrocortisone
-tweezers
-toothpaste/brush
-visine
-contact solution, eye wash

Honestly, you don't need a bunch of stuff to treat a patient. Your team should provide some medical equipment and even though it might take a little while for that equipment to get to you should you have a find, you'll find that most patients in SAR are very stable - they're either dead already or not going to die anytime in the near future. You can always improvise too.

[BrianJ]

My kit consists of:
handful of 4x4s
SAM splint
some combination of roller gauze + ace or coflex
roll or two of 2 inch athletic tape
BP cuff and scope
warm packs or cold packs depending on the time of year.
Shears
Alcohol prep pads
CPR mask

Not really much, our team has a med pack that goes in on all rescues but for searches, or if going in before the truck arrives, I've found this is enough to treat most things. When I hike/climb I carry the same kit minus the bp cuff and cold packs.

[KempoEMT]

d'oh!! I totally forgot about search. :sad: my bad. I will do better next time

[John E]

bring up the irony of forgetting to do a search for a SEARCH and rescue question but I just couldn't bring myself to do it...;^)

If you're wanting something to carry for your own usage, you've gotten some good ideas already, if you want something that's pre-packed, I'd look at some of the Adventure Medical Kits available at outdoors stores and online. They're usually at least reasonably priced, come in compact cases and depending on which one you get, should give you most everything you need.

John E.

[tatersalad]

-moleskin (from personal experience duct tape is actually better for blisters,

if you take some of the backing from computer labels, cut out an appropriately sized piece and fold in half with the label side out then wrap with duct tape, you can get a pretty good amount of tape in a very small package. B)

[BossyCow]

Our SAR unit furnishes Thomas packs. There is one carried by each team in the field. Your response kit should be issued by your unit and should have all the basics covered.

I carry as part of my own FA supplies, everything listed in the previous posts, minus the cold packs/hot packs. Instead of a hot pack, I carry a ziplock baggie filled with de-icer. It's lighter, takes up less space and doesn't burst accidently warming up my socks for 10 minutes. When needed it can be added to any water and becomes a heat pack that outlasts any of the commercial packs I've tried. I double bag it so I don't end up with the stuff all over everything.

The only other thing I'd add is one of those foil emergency blankets. In my opinion on a SAR it's one of the best tools around for the money . It can be used as a reflector, cut up for flagging tape, made into a makeshift shelter, you can use it as a sling/swath, wear it under your coat for extra warmth, sit on it if the ground is cold. It's compact, weighs next to nothing and can be purchased for under a buck.

[BrianJ]

Along the same lines as the foil blanket, one item I have found very useful is a cheap fleece throw blanket (3/$10 a most walgreens or CVS) works well as padding for patients on the stokes, able to wrap around a cold patient, and can be used in an overnight shelter.

To clarify my last post; we carry the medical bag in on all rescues where we have a good idea of the patient's location. On searches the med bag stays in the truck and we deal with minor medical out of our pack. If we need the med bag we can call for it.

My advice is to wait until you go through your teams orientation trainings and listen to the experienced members about what they carry, don't go out and buy a bunch of things right away; know what items work well in your area. For example I live in tucson, az our county covers from ~2000ft elevation to ~9,000ft elevation, what I carry is going to be much different that people that live further north and experience actual cold weather. We have some calls that take place within 10 minutes of the road and others that are a five hour hike to scene.

Whatever you do enjoy doing SAR, I've met some of my best friends through it.

[LucidResq]

The only other thing I'd add is one of those foil emergency blankets. In my opinion on a SAR it's one of the best tools around for the money .

Absolutely. I actually carry an Adventure Medical emergency bivvy, which is admittedly less versatile than just a regular emergency blanket but much better for keeping warm.

It's not unheard of for a SAR team to be benighted in the field unexpectedly, so make sure you're prepared to spend a night out.

[emt.dan]

I am just a casual hiker, no SAR, but I carry a bivvy of my own FA supplies. For me its a weight-benefit analysis-- so over time, I have scrapped a lot that weighs too much, I dont use, or can be combined with something else. I dont think I have added anything new in a few years (apart from replacing used items), just taken things away.
Although I dont have it in front of me, some things I can think of off the top of my head that havent been mentioned include:
2-3 garbadge bags (light, so many uses)
2-3 Cravats (ditto)
Matches/popsicle sticks
a little notebook + pencil
1 OPA (useful not just as an airway)

It sounds random, but everything has a purpose.

[BossyCow]

At our local county fair last summer we put out lists and examples of the 10 essentials. We conducted a sort of informal poll, asking passers by if they went out into the woods and what did they bring with them.

It was surprising how many people would say.. 'my cell phone' or just 'water'. We showed them how little space the 10 essentials take up. For those that don't know, they are:


Map
Compass
Flashlight
Food/water
Change of clothes
Rain Gear
First Aid Kit
Pocket Knife
Matches
Fire Starter/Tinder


A lot of people assume that their GPS will serve as both map and compass, but a day of geocaching can eat a battery pretty quickly. Also, in our neck of the woods, we don't always have the ability to acquire satellites through the canopy of trees. Old fashioned map and compass are always going to work.

Food doesn't need to be elaborate MREs or freeze dried meals. It can be as simple as some high protein snacks in a baggie.

Flashlight/headlight plus extra batteries or bulbs.

Change of clothes, socks especially. I keep a set of underwear, socks, a fleece shirt and a pair of sweatpants in one of those food saver bags. Suck the air out and it takes up surprisingly little space and is also kept waterproof. Dry warm clothes are your best defense out in the woods.

Raingear can be a large garbage bag. This also serves as a makeshift shelter, not to mention something to use for trail clean up, packing out someone else's garbage.

Knife, first aid kit and matches sort of speak for themselves. But tinder is often crucial. It can be difficult to start a fire on wet ground when all the surrounding wood is soaked. (Did I mention I live near a rainforest?) I carry a small baggie with dryer lint mixed with petroleum jelly. The best tinder I've found ever. It's free, light and I have an endless supply available.

We are in full swing of the mushroom picking season. We usually have to go find a mushroom hunter or two per year and this year is a bumper crop of wild mushrooms so business should be brisk!

[mycrofft]

1. Flashlight needs to be LED, or have the type of bulb which does not have two little wires, and which uses regular batteries, not little disk batteries. If you can't change the bulb or the batteries by braille with cold hands, forget it; mostly you will turn it on when it is dark, and when you turn it on is when it will fail. (Sorry, Minimag).
2. SPARE knife. SPARE compass. Neck lanyards on them. Matches in two places.
3. Water treatment aids, if only a tin cup to boil it in and some clean nyon stocking to screen it. Eight and a third lbs per gallon plus container...gets very heavy to pack water.
4. For just a few days out, I used to use cornnuts, jerky, and slimfast bars. If you have any dental problems, forget the cornnuts except to bait game. A few teabags are a good deal too, in a baggie. Hot tea is good, and teabags can be used as astringent tannin compresses for skin troubles. Someone says you can burn tea to repel mosquitoes, but it draws Englishmen.

Weigh (no pun intended) the extra effort and decreased results from using improvisational supplies against their light weight and smaller size...or are they lighter and smaller? Examine your preconceptions. Think "robust".
Oh yeah...
5. A couple of those joke birthday cake candles which don't blow out, for fire starting. Alcohol wipes can be used as a little lighter lamps too.

[BossyCow]

Are we talking what the normal person needs to bring out for a walk in the woods or are we talking the NASAR 24 hour pack? Because those two are very different.

[KempoEMT]

Are we talking what the normal person needs to bring out for a walk in the woods or are we talking the NASAR 24 hour pack? Because those two are very different.

I'm talking about NASAR 24 hour pack.

[BossyCow]

NASAR 24 and 48 hour pack lists are both available on the net.

http://www.nasar.org/nasar/downloads/NASAR_SARTECHTM_II_MINIMUM_PERSONAL_EQUIPMENT_LIST _11_2004.pdf

[mycrofft]

Bring a little extra of something important to share like batteries or toilet paper. Terrific team builder.

[yowzer]

As other people have said, specifics vary based on your group's requirements and where you're at. For example, my area gets mostly lower leg injuries (Common everywhere) and climbers who become fallers. Pack accordingly. I carry a c-collar. Someone in, say, Kansas, might not have as much need for one.

I'm about ready to give up on sam splints -- cutting a foam pad down and using it works just as well if not better (Standard size sam splint on a lower leg fracture?), and the pad has a bunch of other uses too. Prepackaged triangle bandages are roo small to be useful. Get a sheet from a thrift store and cut it up. (Works better on an ambulance too. Just try to stick with white sheets.)

Whatever you do, don't spend a lot of money on setting up an aid kit until you've finished your group's training program and talked to some experienced members about what they carry. If you're lucky, it's an organization that has its own field aid kits that go up and you won't have to have more than a personal kit.

[yowzer]

I carry as part of my own FA supplies, everything listed in the previous posts, minus the cold packs/hot packs. Instead of a hot pack, I carry a ziplock baggie filled with de-icer. It's lighter, takes up less space and doesn't burst accidently warming up my socks for 10 minutes. When needed it can be added to any water and becomes a heat pack that outlasts any of the commercial packs I've tried. I double bag it so I don't end up with the stuff all over everything.


That's a neat little trick. I'm going to have to try it out.

[yowzer]

NASAR 24 and 48 hour pack lists are both available on the net.

http://www.nasar.org/nasar/downloads/NASAR_SARTECHTM_II_MINIMUM_PERSONAL_EQUIPMENT_LIST _11_2004.pdf

Hmm. There's some odd stuff on that list. Personal climbing equipment (Does NASAR II also include rope rescue training?) but not a helmet? Wire? Water purification optional?

Quite a few differences from what I'm used to on top of that, but eh. If it works, and there are different ways of doing stuff like packaging up someone on a litter...

[BrianJ]

Hmm. There's some odd stuff on that list. Personal climbing equipment (Does NASAR II also include rope rescue training?) but not a helmet? Wire? Water purification optional?

Quite a few differences from what I'm used to on top of that, but eh. If it works, and there are different ways of doing stuff like packaging up someone on a litter...

How about the two mandatory quarters to use that wilderness payphone? I thought that list was lacking many items that I use all the time; and had many that seemed worthless.

[yowzer]

How about the two mandatory quarters to use that wilderness payphone? I thought that list was lacking many items that I use all the time; and had many that seemed worthless.

That one raised an eyebrow, but I didn't see much point to going through the checklist and saying "That's odd" or "We don't require that but I can totally understand doing so" or "Yeah, that's the same" for everything. T his is an EMS forum, not a general SAR one, after all...

[BossyCow]

That one raised an eyebrow, but I didn't see much point to going through the checklist and saying "That's odd" or "We don't require that but I can totally understand doing so" or "Yeah, that's the same" for everything. T his is an EMS forum, not a general SAR one, after all...

We've revamped the list for our stuff. Water purification is mandatory on ours, but the ropes and hard hats are not. Our high angle stuff is in the SAR pack and is not part of our basic 24 hour pack. We do include a set of prusiks, just because we use them for sooooo many things. The 24 hour pack is supposed to be just enough to provide protection from the elements in the event that you have to search overnight.

[SpudCrushr]

I'm an EMT-B, plus I'm also in the Civil Air Patrol. (auxiliary of the Air Force) Anyway, I'm our team's medic. I'm also staff (squadron medic) at a major search and rescue school. Pics of my bag below...

Basically a thermomiter, mole skin, med shears, assorted gauze, tweezers, ice/heat packs, space blanket, sharpie, plastic bags, gloves, antiseptic, alcohol wipes, BP cuff, 'scope, splints, duct tape, C-collar, sun screen, chap stick, rescue mask, etc

Feel free to PM me if you have any more questions. I can also get you a list of recommended items for the team medics if you want.

http://i281.photobucket.com/albums/kk228/SpudCrushr/IMG_8115.jpg
http://i281.photobucket.com/albums/kk228/SpudCrushr/IMG_8116.jpg

[Oregon]

I'm always throwing things in or out of my SAR pack med kit. I don't carry a c-collar, I always figure I can make one if I need it.
I'm always using up my coban...I know, duct tape works fine, but my patients are always my fellow team members, and they expect a certain level of care.
I always try to use whatever stuff the reach and treat team packed in...the company pays for their supplies, and I buy my own stuff.

Oh, on a side note, last weekend I found that my brand (maybe all of them) of nitrile gloves burns really fast. Really really fast. Keep hands in nitrile away from open flame.
Fire certification + sharp knives = lots of bloody gloves and no biohazard bag. So I "dropped" them into the fire...poof.
Not as cool as smearing stuff with hand sanitizer and lighting it, but impressive.

[SpudCrushr]

I'm always throwing things in or out of my SAR pack med kit. I don't carry a c-collar, I always figure I can make one if I need it.
I'm always using up my coban...I know, duct tape works fine, but my patients are always my fellow team members, and they expect a certain level of care.


True, you can improvise a C-collar, but it just fits so perfectly around my med bag...

[BossyCow]

Coban weighs a lot less than a roll of duct tape. I keep some duct tape rolled around one of the emergency blankets. Weight is always going to be a consideration when you are carrying those supplies up switchbacks and down game trails.

[SpudCrushr]

Coban weighs a lot less than a roll of duct tape. I keep some duct tape rolled around one of the emergency blankets. Weight is always going to be a consideration when you are carrying those supplies up switchbacks and down game trails.

But you can also use duct tape for making shelters, securing the patient to a stokes basket / litter, making an improvised litter, etc. Basically, I already have it, may as well use it.

You made a good point about weight though. It all depends on how much you can carry, how fit you are, and if you are going out in the woods for multiple days, or just to rescue your patient.

I hope you don't think I'm trying to correct you or anything. From looking at your certifications I'm sure you know more than me. Just adding my opinion =)

[yowzer]

But you can also use duct tape for making shelters, securing the patient to a stokes basket / litter, making an improvised litter, etc. Basically, I already have it, may as well use it.

A man after my own heart. You can never have too much duct tape. :D

[LucidResq]

I like duct tape for blisters too. Works better than moleskin.

[SpudCrushr]

I like duct tape for blisters too. Works better than moleskin.

Yeah, just just have to be careful not to pull the skin off, exposing the blister.

Duct tape works best when placed over hotspots to avoid the blisters from forming. That's probably what you meant... Just stating that for the lurkers that may not know.