Prudent Prepping: First Aid Additions

The dust has settled and the First 72 Hours have passed. Follow along as I build a long term plan via Prudent Prepping.

I had a small emergency recently that had me digging into my car First Aid kit. It wasn't anything serious, but it showed me I need to go through all of my kits and inventory and update the contents as needed. What happened was a cooking mishap that resulted in a smallish cut. That in itself would not be a problem, but the injured person was on blood thinners and the cut just would not stop oozing.

I carry an all-purpose First Aid kit in my car, so I pulled it out and looked for some bandages. I had several different choices, but nothing too different from what was being used and not doing the job already; what was needed was a good, old-fashioned butterfly bandage, I thought, but there were none in the box. I do have butterflys in other kits, but not in my car box. 

Since I didn't have what I wanted in my kit, and even that might not have done the job, the decision was to head to Urgent Care for a professional decision. Which, after review, turned into 2 stitches. 

Afterwards I did what I normally do, which is head to Amazon! I bought two things. However, before I get into the details:

I am not a Doctor. Anything you read is my personal opinion and in no way should you rely on the information as useful for saving, treating, diagnosing any and all conditions.

CURAD Waterproof Butterfly Bandages

https://amzn.to/3k39V6v

I've had other brands of butterfly bandages in the past, but this was offered as a 2 Pack at a reasonable price, so I ordered it.

 From the Amazon ad:

• Thin comfortable backing
• Moisture resistant
• Close and secure small wounds and incision
• Strong adhesive for stability and support

Since this is two packs of 12, one is going into my car kit and the other is going in the First Aid kit that will be carried in The Purple Pack. (More on that later.) 

The main benefit of butterfly bandages is that they are easy to apply and don’t cause any pain when you apply them. The downside is they aren’t very good at treating serious cuts. Stitches can be needed if the cut goes deep into your skin, whereas butterfly bandages only hold the wound closed at the surface.

3M Steri-Strip Reinforced Skin Closures

https://amzn.to/2LZ5Mny

I've not used these personally, but I've seen them used on others and they were recommended to me as a good second choice if the cut is in an area that might get some movement or flexing. These were sold in a bulk pack of 20, so the same thing is being done with these as was done with the butterfly bandages: half for me and half in the PP. 

From the Amazon ad: 

• Provides wound support and increases the tensile strength of the wound compared to sutures
• Sterile, breathable and comfortable to wear
• 1/2" x 4"
• Hypoallergenic adhesive 

 Since I have not used these, I went looking for online info and found a very easy guide to the use, care and removal of Steri-strips here on a page at WikiHow. 

Both of these bandages are going to be used by me in 'Last Resort" situations only, and wounds will be looked over by the professionals as soon as possible.

New First Aid Kit

I'm pretty lucky in that Purple Pack Lady is a trained nurse (but not currently active/licensed) and knows why First Aid supplies are needed; she just needs to be sold on carrying supplies. Again, I do understand her point -- we will be doing things together -- but her job takes her driving and not having even a basic kit in her car bugs me. So I bought her the Swiss Safe 2-in-1 First Aid Kit (120 Piece) + Bonus 32-Piece Mini First Aid Kit.

https://amzn.to/3s2PdXd

This is a fairly standard First Aid kit, with the addition of a small (very small) personal kit as a bonus. The sturdy zippered container is red, to make it easy to find and the pockets are mesh, so supplies are visible.

From the Amazon ad:

• ★ NEW & UPGRADED FOR 2021: 2-in-1 Premium First Aid Emergency Kit with 120 medical grade items.
• FULLY STOCKED: Organized interior compartments provides quick access. Rugged, sturdy, high density.
• INCLUDES MINI-FIRST AID KIT: Amazingly small, lightweight Mini Kit with additional 32 medical items.
• MULTIPURPOSE: Perfect for any occasion or events - family, home, workplace, emergencies, outdoors.
• 100% MONEY BACK GUARANTEE: Swiss Safe Guarantees customer satisfaction or receive a 100% refund

This a good sized case, 9 x 3 x 6 inches, large enough to hold extra items, like the Large Hyfin chest seals I ordered last year, before really looking to see there were different sizes. Other additions are still to be determined, but one will be a tourniquet of some sort. Stay tuned!

Recap And Takeaway

• It's better to discover you need something in town than finding you desperately need something in a real emergency.
• Different wound closures are sometimes needed in certain situations and I like having options!
• Three things were purchased this week, all from Amazon.
1. Two 12 packs of Curad Waterproof Butterfly Bandages, for $4.99 with slightly longer than normal delivery through Prime.
2. One 20 pack of 3M Steri-Strip Skin Closures, for $14.99 with Prime.
3. And the Swiss Safe First Aid Kit for $24.79 with Prime.

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Just a reminder: if you plan on buying anything through Amazon, please consider using our referral link. When you do, a portion of the sale comes back here to help keep this site running!

If you have comments, suggestions or corrections, please post them so we all can learn. And remember, Some Is Always Better Than None!

NOTE: All items tested were purchased by me. No products have been loaned in exchange for a favorable review. Any items sent to me for T&E will be listed as such. Suck it Feds.