If you could have only 5 things in a first aid kit for the boat, what would
they be?

If you could have 10, what would you add?

(General first aid kit, not something specialized for a diabetic, heart
patient, hemophiliac, etc)

If you could have only 5 things in a first aid kit for the boat, what would
they be?

1. Latex gloves - (avoid contact with blood)
2. Band aids
3. Neosporin
4. Gauze
5. First Aid manual

If you could have 10, what would you add?

1. Scissors
2. A tool for cutting hooks
3. Tweezers
4. Elastic Ace bandage
5. Thermal blanket - (Hypothermia)

"CCred68046" wrote:

If you could have only 5 things in a first aid kit...

1. Latex gloves - (avoid contact with blood)

Personally I don't understand this. Sure I understand that contact
with the blood of others exposes one to any disease (etc.) they
may have. But I know most of the people on my boat. And
most of them I'm 99% sure don't have anything I can catch.
Sure I'd have latex gloves and a CPR "breathing barrier"
if possible. But if I could only have 5 items, this would not be
one of them.

My theory here waffles between covering the
minor items that are very common and covering the serious
items that are hopefully uncommon. On the one hand I
*know* someone will need sun-block or get a headache
out there and be happy I have something for that. On the
other people aren't going to die of that. So maybe it's better
to have gauze & bandages to stop bleeding.

The other main thing about packing a boat first-aid kit
(or toolbox) is to select items that can have multiple
uses. Sure, band-aids are nice, but if you have limited
room gauze & tape will do the same job are are useable
for other purposes. Etc.

Also, is water and sun-block something that you just "have"
on the boat and is not part of your kit? Well, I'm going to
answer this as if you ONLY have what's in the kit.

1. Water (Lots) - For dehydration & cleaning wounds.
2. Sunblock - Solution to prevent a common problem.
3. Gauze - To stop bleeding & cover serious or minor wounds.
4. Very sharp knife - To cut any entanglement + many other uses.
5. Thermal Blanket - Hypothermia, sun block, many other uses.

If you could have 10, what would you add?

6. Tylenol / Advil, etc. - General solution to discomfort problems.
7. Anti-bacterial something - for cleaning wounds
8. Some kind of wide web strapping that could be used
to wrap & hold gauze on but that could also be used for
other things. Similar use as medical-tape but useful for
other things like tieing thing together.
9. Sugary food/energy bar. For some sustanance / diabetic.
10. Um....hard to select just one last item.

On Sun, 11 Jul 2004 16:06:30 +0000, Gould 0738 wrote:

If you could have only 5 things in a first aid kit for the boat, what would they
be?

If you could have 10, what would you add?

(General first aid kit, not something specialized for a diabetic, heart patient,
hemophiliac, etc)

Interesting question!

First, I hate band-aids. I figure if the wound is small enough to be treated
with a bandaid, you can "suck it up" and let your body practice healing on its
own. Anyway, you can easily make one from a bit of TP and tape.

Second, some of the stuff mentioned I wouldn't consider "firstaid", but I have
on my boat: sunscreen, Tylonal/asprin, Gravol, sharp knife, etc.

Non-First Aid things that would help:
- Sunscreen, Vitamin E (I find it relieves sunburn)
- Tylonol/Asprin
- Gravol
- Sharp knife, scissors, tweezers
- TP (not sterile, but pretty clean!)
- tape
- long thin things to make splints (anything from galley utensils to boathook)
- Blankets, source of heat (hypothermia!)
- Clean, fresh water
- Baking Soda (to releive acid burns)
- Ice, towel

One thing to remember: on a boat (especially a sailboat), you may be hours, even
days, from "professional" medical help (As opposed to most SOFA training where
the Mantra is "get medical help immediately")

So, my List:
1. Gauze pads
2. Triangular bandages
3. Polysporin
4. Gauze tape
5. "first aid" stickytape (donno what its called)

For 6-10, more gauze pads and triangle bandages! (maybe some tweezers: I can
never find mine!)

Lloyd Sumpter
"Far Cove" Catalina 36

On Mon, 12 Jul 2004 07:19:01 +0000, Lloyd Sumpter wrote:

On Sun, 11 Jul 2004 16:06:30 +0000, Gould 0738 wrote:

If you could have only 5 things in a first aid kit for the boat, what would
they be?

If you could have 10, what would you add?

(General first aid kit, not something specialized for a diabetic, heart
patient, hemophiliac, etc)

Interesting question!

First, I hate band-aids. I figure if the wound is small enough to be treated
with a bandaid, you can "suck it up" and let your body practice healing on its
own. Anyway, you can easily make one from a bit of TP and tape.

Second, some of the stuff mentioned I wouldn't consider "firstaid", but I have
on my boat: sunscreen, Tylonal/asprin, Gravol, sharp knife, etc.

Non-First Aid things that would help:

Forgot one: VHF Radio!

Lloyd Sumpter
"Far Cove" Catalina 36

I'll to the the list already offered by others: A Spyderco rescue knife or
something similar. The blade is half straight and half serrated. The point
of the knife is rounded. It's designed for EMTs who often need to cut
someone's clothing off without cutting the person, hence the rounded point.

"Gould 0738" wrote in message
...
If you could have only 5 things in a first aid kit for the boat, what
would
they be?

If you could have 10, what would you add?

(General first aid kit, not something specialized for a diabetic, heart
patient, hemophiliac, etc)

"Doug Kanter" wrote in message
...
I'll to the the list already offered by others: A Spyderco rescue knife or
something similar. The blade is half straight and half serrated. The point
of the knife is rounded. It's designed for EMTs who often need to cut
someone's clothing off without cutting the person, hence the rounded
point.

"Gould 0738" wrote in message
...
If you could have only 5 things in a first aid kit for the boat, what
would
they be?

If you could have 10, what would you add?

(General first aid kit, not something specialized for a diabetic, heart
patient, hemophiliac, etc)



Aspirin (pain and heart attack first aid (give 4))
Imodium (stops the runs)
Dramamine (seasickness)
Benadril (antihistamine good for bites stings etc)
insect repellant
eye wash
pliers to remove hooks
knife
sun screen
zinc oxide
gatorade (heat exhaustion)
iodine
bandaids
oxygen if scuba diving (100% oxygen for bends, near drowning and carbon
monoxide poisoning)
extra water (doesn't need to be in the kit but store a couple of bottles
under a seat)
ace pressure bandage for shark bites

Don't forget condoms, in case you rescue a female captain who needs
attention from an amateur gynecologist. :-) And maybe a couple of those
little bottles of wine.


"Jeff Rigby" wrote in message
...

"Doug Kanter" wrote in message
...
I'll to the the list already offered by others: A Spyderco rescue knife
or
something similar. The blade is half straight and half serrated. The
point
of the knife is rounded. It's designed for EMTs who often need to cut
someone's clothing off without cutting the person, hence the rounded
point.

"Gould 0738" wrote in message
...
If you could have only 5 things in a first aid kit for the boat, what
would
they be?

If you could have 10, what would you add?

(General first aid kit, not something specialized for a diabetic,
heart
patient, hemophiliac, etc)



Aspirin (pain and heart attack first aid (give 4))
Imodium (stops the runs)
Dramamine (seasickness)
Benadril (antihistamine good for bites stings etc)
insect repellant
eye wash
pliers to remove hooks
knife
sun screen
zinc oxide
gatorade (heat exhaustion)
iodine
bandaids
oxygen if scuba diving (100% oxygen for bends, near drowning and carbon
monoxide poisoning)
extra water (doesn't need to be in the kit but store a couple of bottles
under a seat)
ace pressure bandage for shark bites

(Gould 0738) wrote in message ...
If you could have only 5 things in a first aid kit for the boat, what would
they be?

If you could have 10, what would you add?

(General first aid kit, not something specialized for a diabetic, heart
patient, hemophiliac, etc)

Sunblock
Aloe vera
Water
Aspirin
Meat tenderizer (only if it's a salt-water boat)