First-aid kit ideas for motorcycle trips

[Casper]

I'm working on putting together a first-aid kit for my motorcycle travels. The key is it has to fit in a tank bag or tail bag. Here's what I've got so far:

- standard strip bandages

- butterfly bandages

- liquid bandage

- gauze pads

- medical tape- cling wrap

- moleskin (or other blister pads)

- QuickClot

- antiseptic wipes

- antibiotic cream

- tweezers

- scissors

- painkillers

- breathing barrier (for safe CPR)

- non-latex gloves

- duct tape

- hand sanitizer

What would you add to the list?

[MidgetTodd]

I'd remove the quick clot and pain killers as both are not very effective and add some Saran Wrap or other cling type food wrap.

Direct pressure is better for bleeding than quick clot

Pain killers usually do not touch the pain from a good injury and are not effective until 30 mins or so and by that time you should be in a squad

The cling wrap is excellent for open wounds and especially a chest wound that may have punctured a lung. Cling wrap is excellent for covering road rash too until proper cleaning and treatment can be had

[shittygsxr]

I would keep the painkillers, not for the emergency, but for when you are sore after a long day

[Casper]

I'd remove the quick clot and pain killers as both are not very effective and add some Saran Wrap or other cling type food wrap.

Direct pressure is better for bleeding than quick clot

Pain killers usually do not touch the pain from a good injury and are not effective until 30 mins or so and by that time you should be in a squad

The cling wrap is excellent for open wounds and especially a chest wound that may have punctured a lung. Cling wrap is excellent for covering road rash too until proper cleaning and treatment can be had

Never would've thought of cling wrap. Added to the list.

[Casper]

I would keep the painkillers, not for the emergency, but for when you are sore after a long day

That's what I was thinking. Not necessarily for emergency pain, but for the soreness or a pop-up headache.

[MidgetTodd]

I would keep the painkillers, not for the emergency, but for when you are sore after a long day

I wouldn't know about that, I trailer everywhere

[Casper]

I wouldn't know about that, I trailer everywhere

qft

[Bad324]

That's what I was thinking. Not necessarily for emergency pain, but for the soreness or a pop-up headache.

shit I keep motrin in the bike at all times for both these

[ReconRat]

I have a pint of sterile saline in mine. 100ml vials can be found.

Also bee sting topical antidote. (you know who you are)

Gatorade for dehydration

Cold packs

Hot packs

Glow stick

Elastic bandages

Small sable paint brush

A hiking kit is similar.

Main motorcycle injuries are foreign objects in eyes, burns/sunburns, minor cuts and abrasions.

[99FLHRCI]

This is probably to large of a list (I will bold what I would carry) but, according to my First Responder course, the suggested contents of an EMR (First Responder) Life support kit are as follows:

Patient examination equipment:

1 Flashlight

Personal Safety Equipment:

5 pairs nitrile or latex gloves

5 face masks

1 bottle hand sanitizer

Resuscitation equipment:

1 mouth-to-mask resuscitation device

1 portable hand-powered suction device

1 set oral airways

1 set nasal airways

Bandaging and dressing equipment:

10 gauze adhesive strips 1"

10 gauze pads 4"x4"

5 gauze pads 5"x9"

2 universal trauma dressings 10"x30"

1 occlusive dressing for sealing chest wounds

4 conforming gauze rolls 3"x15"

4 conforming gauze rolls 4.5"x15"

6 triangular bandages

1 roll of adhesive tape 2"

1 burn sheet

Patient immobilization equipment:

2 (each) cervical collars: small, medium, large or

2 adjustable cervical collars

3 rigid conforming splints (structural aluminum malleable [sAM] splints) or

1 set air splints for arm and leg or

2 (each) cardboard splints 18" and 24"

Extrication equipment:

1 spring loaded center punch

1 pair heavy leather gloves

Miscellaneous equipment:

2 disposable blankets

2 cold packs

1 bandage scissors

Other provider equipment:

1 set personal protective clothing (helmet, eye protection, EMS jacket)

1 American National Standards Institute (ANSI) approved reflective vest

1 fire extinguisher (5 lb ABC dry chemical)

1 Emergency Response Guidebook

6 Flares

1 set of binoculars

Hope this helps!

[OsuMj]

Also bee sting topical antidote. (you know who you are)

This was the first thing I thought about. I had a bee get wedged in a fold on my pants while I was riding. Stung the heck out of my leg and I couldn't do anything about it. I'm allergic to some bees and I just had to wait till I got home and had a nasty swollen rash halfway down my leg by then.

Eye drops wouldn't be horrible if you ever get dry eyes. I've also almost taken a grasshopper to the eye too. It was about 1/4" away from my eyeball, so probably coulda used eye drops then.

[ReconRat]

This was the first thing I thought about. I had a bee get wedged in a fold on my pants while I was riding. Stung the heck out of my leg and I couldn't do anything about it. I'm allergic to some bees and I just had to wait till I got home and had a nasty swollen rash halfway down my leg by then.

Eye drops wouldn't be horrible if you ever get dry eyes. I've also almost taken a grasshopper to the eye too. It was about 1/4" away from my eyeball, so probably coulda used eye drops then.

I do carry sterile tears in a little bottle. Works quite well.

That and a few minor items should be there even without a first aid kit.

[jch82]

Might not be first-aid related, but I usually bring along some Pepto tablets in case you get into some food or something that doesn't agree with you.

[MeefZah]

My kit has been tweaked over the years as I have found that most stuff in a commercial first aid kit isn't applicable to motorcycle travel. I also am a firm believer in keeping it small and simple; and I recognize that a first aid kit is only really going to be useful for the more minor injuries. Thus, no need to carry a Sager splint for a possibly femur fracture; that would be beyond the relm of treatment that I could administer on the side of the road.

My kit contains a pair of gloves, a micro CPR mask, a ziploc with a few asprin and benadryl, 4X4 dressings, 2X2 dressings, 1 5X9 trauma dressing, 2 rolls gauze, a few bandaids, a pocketknife with a pair of tweezers, 1 roll tape, a few alcohol prep pads, 2 triangular bandages, safety pins. I carry this in the saddlebags on a trip.

Seperate from my first aid kit, in a ziploc in my tank bag, I keep one pair gloves, a few more band aids, and a few asprin, and Blistex.

[Tigerpaw]

I would not use the QuickClot powder. Instead, the QuickClot bandages. The powder has been found to do more harm than good, during removal.

Extra cell phone battery, or one of those chargers that uses double A's.

[max power]

All you need is the duct tape. Ok, the cling wrap too. Sucking Chest Wound!!!

[Gixxus Christ!]

Super glue, duct tape, tequila.

/thread

[Tigerpaw]

WD-40 for things that are supposed to move, but aren't.

Duct Tape for things that are supposed to stay, but aren't.

Jameson for everything else.

[TopLeft]

Dermabond and 1 Epi-pen. These 2 items (3rd being vitamin "I") have been unfortunately the most used in my kits (hiking, scuba, etc). Granted the Epi is more likely in aquatic encounters but invaluable to those in need.

[TopLeft]

I'd remove the quick clot and pain killers as both are not very effective and add some Saran Wrap or other cling type food wrap.

Direct pressure is better for bleeding than quick clot

Pain killers usually do not touch the pain from a good injury and are not effective until 30 mins or so and by that time you should be in a squad

The cling wrap is excellent for open wounds and especially a chest wound that may have punctured a lung. Cling wrap is excellent for covering road rash too until proper cleaning and treatment can be had

Your background may prove insightful with this: witnessed the copious use of table salt to help coagulate a nasty cut. Sure it didn't feel good, but damn it worked fast! Then she used duct tape over unused glove (latex?) for pressure.

[MidgetTodd]

Menstrual pads are useful for controlling blood loss. Compress a wound with one and hold it in place with some wrap/tape. Tampons are also excellent for bloody noses.

..just sayin'..

True story, I have used both in a pinch

[MidgetTodd]

Your background may prove insightful with this: witnessed the copious use of table salt to help coagulate a nasty cut. Sure it didn't feel good, but damn it worked fast! Then she used duct tape over unused glove (latex?) for pressure.

It will work, anything grandular will work. Advised, NO.

Anything you use to stop bleeding ultimately has to be removed. Removal of Quick Clot, Salt, Sand ect will be painful at the least and depending on what is used "quick clot" will usually make the wound worse on removal as is usually takes a lot of digging to get it out. Any kind of cloth or gauze along with direct pressure is best. When the time comes to remove cloth or gauze you just have to soak it with saline solution and it comes right off. If you can't stop it with direct pressure and a good dressing then pouring something in it isn't going to work either, it's tourniquet time at that point.

[Gixxus Christ!]

I've used styptic pencils before, looks like a stick of chalk, you moisten with water and apply to wound. Helps clot and won't leave granules behind. I've never used it on any serious deep cuts or large scrapes tho...and it stings like a bitch.

[JackFlash]

Where I work, you will drown in your own puddle of blood before you are attended to, so I made up my own kit. Good or bad, right or wrong, this is what I can remember putting into it. Maybe something on this list can be added to your list. I've used some of these items for myself and others. So far, it seems to have more than what I've needed.

Adhesive bandages of varies sizes plus ones for knuckles and fingertips

Triple antibiotic ointment

Band-Aid Hurt Free Antiseptic Wash

Sterile Latex-Free gauze pad 3 in x 3 in

Gauze roll - sterile 4 x 131"

3M Coban Self Adherent Bandage Wrap

Paper surgical tape

Adhesive wound closure strips

New-skin liquid bandage

Burn relief gel with lidocaine

Instant ice pack

Bausch & Lomb Eye Wash

Tylenol (acetaminophen)

Advil Cold & Sinus Caplets

Nitrile gloves

scissors

fingernail clippers

sharp tweezers

magnifying glass to find small metal splinters

flashlight with extra batteries

I've broken down amounts of items into smaller quantites so that everything fits into a 3" x 8" x 12" box, except for the flashlight. A roll of paper towels makes a clean work surface.

.

[Howabusa]

That's what I was thinking. Not necessarily for emergency pain, but for the soreness or a pop-up headache.

I don't ride without a bottle of pain killers. It's sucks getting old!