September Preparedness Month (23)

 Today's small task will be to assemble a small first aid kit. Consider this a short term common ailment kit. This isn't a SHTF trauma kit with quick clog, and surgical tools that you don't know how to use, this is a practical everyday I've got a cut, burn, or splinter kit.

My practical first aid kit includes:

• Fabric Bandaids (knuckle, strip, and fingertip) with a few large ones thrown in.
• Triple antibotic ointment for cuts
• Moleskin for blisters
• Small mirror and tweezers for splinters and things in the eye
• Individual packets of Advil, Aspirin, and/or Aleve (Doan's is nice too!)
• Hotel soap (to clean poison ivy urushiol)
• Silver Oxide for burns (ask pharmacist)
• Benadryl
• Heart burn medication
• Carmex lip balm in the canister
• Baking soda self made packet (for bee stings)

I'll go into a bit more detail. The Urushiol oil from poison ivy is about as cleanable as axle grease, so wash affected area about 4 times with lots of friction and perhaps a washcloth within a few hours of contact. If a rash does develop, then relief can be sought by using very hot water (as hot as you can stand without burning yourself) to flush the area. The relief will be last a hour to four hours.

Silver Oxide is available from your pharmacist without a prescription, but be warned that it cost about $30 a tube. I told mine that I wanted a tube for a backpacking first aid kit and he was very helpful. You can get a prescription from your doctor to have insurance cover part of the cost.

Baking Soda for bee stings? Make a paste with water and apply to the bee sting area, and as the paste dries, it will draw the poison out of the skin.

So, this is our basic first aid kit...What do you have in your wallet kit?

One task every day, one small task....for a better prepared community - K