What's in your EDC First Aid Kit?
This past weekend, I've have the (mis)fortune of using my EDC first aid kit, which is just a simple $10 pouch for minor scrapes and burns. I have never needed to use a first aid kit outside the confines of treating small paper cuts and other terrifying but usually harmless injuries. Still, given the nature of the outdoor activities I enjoy doing and my repertoire of "hold my beer" moments that are well-documented by various scars on my body, I decided when I was putting my first EDC bag together that I would have a good use for a first aid kit sooner or later.
Eighty rock climbing sessions, forty night time runs, five swing dance nights, three hiking trips, two chemical splash accidents, and a trip to Hawaii later, I finally found my arch-nemesis in the form of an oddly-placed crack in the pavement of a parking lot. To spare the details, I was away from home, in a building that didn't have a basic first aid kit, and bleeding from my toe. Despite the nearly comical escalation of the slapstick events, I needed to take care of it immediately. This kit included three antiseptic wipes as well as an alcohol pad, all of which went into cleaning the injury and the knife I was using at the time. I also used the pain relievers to reduce swelling, as well as some band aids and ointments. The best part was, I didn't need to find a bathroom, didn't need to run around to look for clean paper towels, and I didn't have to wait around until I was able to get home to tend to a minor injury. Something to take away from this is that if you have an EDC bag, it should be with you all the time, not just when you anticipate that you might need it. How many times do you expect to need to treat a bleeding toe in the middle of a parking lot? And more importantly, it's never a bad idea to keep a first aid kit with you. I have kept this trauma pack and this first aid kit in my EDC, but have just added The Elite First Aid Trauma Kit #1, partly because I wanted a slightly beefier medical kit and partly because it's only $24.99. This MOLLE pouch is the perfect size for the LA Police Gear Zombie Hunter Bag next to the L1 Operator Flashlight and the 5.11 VTAC Nylong Bottle Carrier. What's in your EDC first-aid kit?