Off The Shelf “Wilderness” First Aid Kits

A look at two off the shelf first aid kits sold at REI.

[@Mila_BK]

Great video. I’m really glad that the focus of the video is that these FAKs aren’t used for life threatening scenarios and combat situations. These kits are for people who are hiking and camping, where the chances of suffering a gunshot wound is extremely slim. I work out in the woods pretty extensively and always carry one of these in my pack and my truck. Any wilderness first aid course worth its salt teaches how to improvise splints, stretchers, etc. and when you’re outdoors where weight matters, being able to improvise these tools is much more effective than carrying them with you. Some stuff I personally always carry if I don’t have a full IFAK with me is hockey tape, water, and some kind of multi tool. I’ve had to deal with situations where myself or a coworker has been injured and that’s all I’ve had, and it goes A LONG way, trust me. Having something to clean/flush a wound (water, tweezers or knife), and something to wrap a wound efficiently (hockey tape, some gauze or clean cloth) is all you need in 90% of scenarios you’ll run into. Definitely be familiar with any kit you’re carrying, and just remember that knowledge and practice will save a life. I won’t say that I’d prefer a booklet to a course, but I’d prefer a booklet to nothing. Stay safe!

[@fearsomefawkes6724]

Love how practical this is. I watch a lot of pepper channels, but sometimes they fully lose the plot. I don't need every FAK I have to get me out of the deep woods alone after surviving a bear attack. I need something that will stop a minor wound from becoming infected and turning into a major wound.

[@CarbonModZero]

I love the adventure medical kits, for the money they’re a great value and packed well to deal with common non-traumatic injuries. I frequently find myself using them even at home

[@Doc_Egan]

Good video as always. I'm a big fan of using one of these kits as a base and adding to them. I always have 2 parts to my med kits, trauma/TCCC and boo boo. It's important to have IFAK supplies for emergencies but you also need the boo boo stuff. Honestly I have given out a lot more bandaids and Tylenol than tourniquets and pressure dressings. You still need both but some people think an IFAK is all you need on a trip in the woods. It may work for trained military personnel who can suck it up and push through discomfort for periods of time but it's not going to work for most people. Plus even our IFAKs still have bandaids in them. Adventure medical has a wide rage of kits with increasing capability as you go up in price. Some of the more expensive ones do have packing gauze, Quick Clot and tourniquets. They even have some trauma or IFAK like kits. I do like that the normal kits have a lot of minor would care supplies especially in the bigger kits. That is a lot of the work that I have actually had to do in the field. Great video as always.

[@thomasarmstrong9327]

I mostly think of such kits as "owie boo-boo" kits, fine to clean and cover minor wounds and reduce chance of infection, but not much good for more complicated/traumatic injuries. That doesn't mean they're worthless, by any means, even if it seemed to me that they pad the piece count with a lot of trinkets that I've never needed in my years working as a car mechanic or carpenter. No, I'm not a first-aid expert, even if I've taken some employer-required courses and keep having my EMT spouse teach me stuff informally.

[@jamescummings5222]

I would love to see a video on age based medical kits. I’m working on building kits for my kids 5,7,and 10.

[@palierto]

Great rundown/walkthrough. I picked one up before a trip a few years back which just stays in my travel backpack for the everyday bumps and bruises.

[@PrepMedic]

Perfect reason to have one

[@robch4414]

The BIG design flaw in that .5 medical kit for solo expeditions is that opening it and accessing the materials inside is such a damn fiddle, and needs both hands to do. When one of the most probable types of injuries in the bush is a deep cut to hand or finger, a kit that is easy to rip open one-handed (even at the expense of waterproofness) and quick to sort through the contents (rather than just empty everything out) is a fundamental priority IMO.

[@scarling9367]

Love some of these kits. I got the Sportsman 400 from Adventure Medical. Decent kit for camping or home use. Got the green kits for each of my cars. My only gripe is the latter doesnt have bandaids, but they are resealable.

[@mikezeller7967]

I love the explanation of quality of life vs saving a life.

[@RE-ue6oz]

These kits, limited as they are, can be used as a basic boo boo kit or for a hike. I usually add some better guaze, quikclot, a TQ, and some other items and it is OK for certain situations.

[@joshualariviere6045]

I like Adventure Medical Kits, they do a pretty good job for a big box store FAK. I’ve had a couple different ones before I started making my own to suit my specific needs.

[@torrent7]

I've never heard of anyone carrying an IFAK (with a CAT/quikclot/nasal airway/etc) on a backpacking trip. Of the hundreds of miles I've hiked, I've never even heard of a situation that'd require it. Not saying it can't exist, but seems exceedingly rare. You're almost certainly better off carrying extra water than an IFAK, or maybe a pair of hiking sticks. Consider of the thousands of people who hike the Pacific Crest Trail, deaths are exceedingly rare. Here's the stats: 6 - Falling 3 - Heatstroke 2 - Drowning 2 - Cars 1 - Falling trees 1 - High altitude pulmonary edema (HAPE) (unconfirmed) 1 - Unknown I'm not saying don't carry an IFAK, but rather people should consider the relative risk of say not carrying enough water or falling compared to bleeding out. Maybe carry a Garmin inReach as well.

[@hubriswonk]

You have never been backpacking with me. My kit will save my or your life. Your list of possibilities are the most common, but it's the unknown I prep for. I am more worried about animal attacks, compound fractures and accidental self inflicted knife/gun shot wounds.......the basics can be easily avoided, but these will kill you quick in the backcountry. You mentioned falling trees, but twice in the deserts near Moab I have had rocks whizzing by from above at ballistic speeds. And I carry not one, not two, but three tourniquets.

[@mybrother1350]

@@hubriswonkImagine how unlucky you’d have to be to need to use three tourniquets on yourself. At that point I’d put it on my neck lol!

[@hubriswonk]

Need for one TQ on myself would be bad and two would be horrific! About 10% of the time 2 TQ's are needed to stop one bleed. My EDC IFAK has two and I have the older TQ's in the mass casualty bag as well.....so I actually have total 6. Completely separate kit for the range. @@mybrother1350

[@Greatgadgetsgear]

@@mybrother1350 lol right? But I think he also goes with others who may need them. Never hurts to carry because the one time you don’t and need it, you’re dead.

[@ReeseMacalma]

Thanks a lot, Sam!

[@petesheppard1709]

The off the shelf kit I like the most is the 'Trauma Pak' by Adventure Medical, which was also shown on the REI rack. I tend to buy them like TQs to have stashed around, since it is oriented towards more severe wounds, and not just boo-boos. I looked through your archive, but didn't see a review; would you do one for this kit?

[@zacharyrosser9916]

Great content

[@kevin7jazz]

Preparing for the backcountry. Do you have a vid on what you consider to be the essential first aid and IFAK kit?

[@iamallright9957]

Thanks for the videos and reviews…I watch pretty regularly and have learned a lot. I make my own IFAK from NAR supplies…do things like cheat seals, tourniquets, gauze, pressure bandages have a shelf life? It’s expensive so wanted to ask…quick clot I know does.

[@frenchroast1355]

Watching your vids has lit a fire under my butt to become more knowledgeable on this stuff. Have put together a couple IFAKs and took an online stop the bleed course with the hands on course in the future. Do you have a vid that covers trauma 1st aid where it might be days before you could get professional help? I'm thinking infection protection, how long can a wound be packed, or considerations concerning a tourniquet in this situation.

[@EBMisKing]

The first kit could work if you were to add a TQ (SOFT etc), packing z-fold gauze, and some sort of occlusive.

[@battleborngrafix4640]

In a pinch, those QTIPS could help with a make shift splint

[@Lonewolfpack]

Bunch of adventure medical kids make some decent wilderness first aid kits

[@Greatgadgetsgear]

Id like to see you review Adventure medical again. The pro the series, the field pro or the ultralight .9 kits. You should look at all they have to offer before picking one to actually use on trail. They have some decent kits but you can’t just walk in a grab off the shelf without knowing what you’re buying.

[@illAvized]

Video idea: First, i would like to say your videos are good and very insightful. Anyways, I've been wondering if you have thought about or already have made a video regarding an officer down or active shooter kit? I am a police officer and have built my own officer down kit, which can clip onto my keyring holster. I am curious if i should add or remove things based on what your recommendation. The idea behind the kit is to treat myself and maybe another officer during an officer down/active shooter incident. Thanks

[@peterkukolik8402]

Thanks.

[@MrFooqair]

This is a great vid. I have the Adventure Kit Backpacker and I'm the go to guy at work for cuts, burns and headaches. I've burned through it all and now I use it as the base, but inside are a box of Curad's, Neosporine and a bottle of Excedrine Migrane! I cook at a restaurant and have the Blue Force Trauma Kit Now and a CAT, but fortunately, never used any of it. The Adventure Kit gets used almost everyday. Bought it at Sportsman's Warehouse. Thx for all the great content!

[@protect.live.survive.4177]

Ty for sharing🎉 but where’s the rainbow unicorn bandaid 😢

[@bloodgain]

When are you going to partner with someone to make purpose-made (EDC, car/go-bag, hiking, home, etc.) PrepMedic-approved kits? I'd buy a kit from/by you even if it was a partial kit with an insert for "add these things to this kit" with space to store it.

[@dlbade01]

I have the yellow 0.9 kit. In the bag I've added some quick clot, compressed gauze, cpr shield, and chest seal. Then I add this to a bigger kit depending on my needs. I've seen them 50% at Dick's recently, but I'm already feeling saturated with first aid kits.

[@hubriswonk]

Add two tourniquets! About 10% of the time one will not stop the bleed.

[@dlbade01]

@@hubriswonk tourniquet is in my bigger kit that this goes into. Maybe a swat-t would fit in this smaller bag, but I'd probably have to swap out some of the other additions.

[@christopherhancock9041]

What do you think of NOLS wilderness kits?

[@julianalvarez2242]

Hey i was wondering if the etq is worth carrying or just simple combat gauze?

[@austinmwalker]

Most avid backpackers that are not ultralight elitists keep the yellow adventure medical kit in their packs. I've personally carried one on all of my hikes and have used a lot of what's contained to make the hike more enjoyable, which is really the intended use case for these packs.

[@mybrother1350]

I despise ultralight elitists with a passion!

[@IcemanSK]

Hey Sam, I really appreciate your videos. I'm a social worker and work with the homeless population. Naloxone spray recently became an over-the-counter med in California. I was able to get some through a program at my county library. I'm trying to figure out the best way to edc it. The packaging is a bit bulky, but I don't want to risk accidental discharge of the spray by carrying it outside the packaging. I currently carry it in a nylon pouch marked Naloxone inside my small edc backpack. Are there any other ways (pouches, bags, etc) to carry 2 doses of Naloxone that you're aware of? Any suggestions? Thanks!

[@meowpurrr]

i think this is a good kit for quality of life things, however, it in my opinion should be supplemented with at least a tourniquet and/or some packing gauze/celox.

[@frugalmum7943]

We call those 'boo boo kits'. The bags are handy. High vis and ultralight.

[@pawebaluta896]

No gloves in the yellow one?

[@ireneqq2300]

im surprised there is no adrenaline shot!

[@leowolfgang2831]

hey Sam I bought some quick clot about 4 years ago and it expired. I know packing gauze is good after the expiration date if it is still vacuum sealed but is my combat gauze just trash now? Thank you!

[@jaykneegarner2479]

As long as the packaging is fully sealed it will be fine to use. Epi pens are actually good for at least 2 years after their expiration date. I’d be popping one or at least a via/needles l in a emergency kit.

[@leowolfgang2831]

@@jaykneegarner2479 Thank you.

[@scarling9367]

Plus, if you got more than one, open up the oldest. It'll be a good indicator of the condition of the others and you can get some training and familiarization of your gear.

[@Nostradankus]

Regarding cleaning your ears, I'd actually rather use the syringe and flush my ear than use the Qtips and risk packing down whatever earwax or dirt is obstructing my ear canal. Though ear flushing with cold water is really uncomfortable and will give you serious vertigo for a moment.

[@DawidKellerman]

Hi Sam I have to do like a first aid/station in a warehouse/workshop I have experience of something like that for mines and under ground.. do you have any takes?

[@zfjames]

Check out NAR's stop the bleed cabinet setups and supplement with a basic boo-boo kit. Buy an AED if you can remotely afford one.

[@DawidKellerman]

@@zfjames I have a older Zoll M-Series if you add pads it can lock to AED. I use it with paddles yes poor countries can't fork out for pads..But for this I will get some. Thank you for the comments what do you thing about having a spine board or scoop. Oxygen - we have access to a emergency mix water and powder for about 20min of oxygen (cylinder rental will kill you! here)

[@zfjames]

@@DawidKellerman Sorry for the delayed reply - check out NAR's quiklitter for a really rapid deployment option. You shouldn't move someone unless it's necessary to get them out of immediate danger unless medical professionals tell you otherwise to protect the patient if you have access to medical care via ambulances

[@DawidKellerman]

@@zfjames No Problem you pointed me in the direction I needed.. I am ILS in my country..

[@joaquinconwi404]

Do a rhino rescue ifak

[@tribalismblindsthembutnoty124]

regarding diphenhydramine, my husband is allergic to a few things and more than once, before we got an epi pen, chewing three of four of those saved his life. Once, he had a reaction to an antibiotic and his throat almost closed, he had hives over his whole body, he was vomiting, and the benadryl stopped him from dying until the ambulance got there. He for sure would have had a heart attack and died without it.

[@PrepMedic]

The Benadryl did not do that actually. There is good data that shows no life saving effects of Benadryl. It might have made him feel better but it absolutely didn’t save his life.

[@kevinxue3098]

No! you didn’t mention that those trauma shear won’t last long😭 4:42

[@PrepMedic]

I have let the internet down forever lol

[@Greatgadgetsgear]

@@PrepMedic 🤕😂

[@ddh137]

DON'T CUT DOWN!! lol, feathers EVERYWHERE!

[@orbyboy123]

Not a trauma kit by any means, but seems like a decent booboo kit though.

[@ryanyager7]

Nah.. your kit should always have a torniquette, even if you're just hiking, when you need it you need it right this second.

[@Engineeringpreparedness86]

As a standalone, kit? I wouldn’t recommend these for hiking. At all. These kits are purely overpriced “ouch pouches.” As Sam said, augment these kits with a TQ or wound packing gauze; hell , even a NAR emergency ETD for $5 would help.

[@mopseydocks6014]

Why do you keep reviewing these types of kits? We all know they are over priced. You should be promoting putting your own kits together. It’s cheaper and gets the right items without waste.

[@PrepMedic]

For a fair number of "these types of kits" it isn't cheaper (I have done cost breakdowns in several videos showing that). Additionally I have tons of videos discussing making your own kits, feel free to check them out. Finally, a lot of people's time is worth more then the potential cost savings of building your own, especially if they are not medical and don't know exactly what they should be carrying. I would rather buy a kit all day every day that comes neatly packaged and put together.

[@rexmasters1541]

Those kits are junk. If you have ever been deployed and seen graphic wounds you will laugh at these junk kits. Build your own and do it right.

[@jacobkrout1627]

Do you have $1000 you can give me?

[@Taco577]

@@jacobkrout1627definitely cost less than 1000$ lol however I do admit it gets very expensive prob like 100-200 for a legit kit I would imagine

[@Nacreous01]

It depends on what your use case is, for combat yeah its junk, for hiking where you are most likely to get scrapes, small cuts, blisters, hypothermia, ticks and animal bites, it's fine. I agree that making your own is always the best option but for some it simply doesn't make sense. After all these are marketed as outdoor/hiking first aid kits and not combat ones.

[@i.need.feet.6521]

because when I go camping with little timmy and tamantha I expect to go head first into a warzone.

[@PeterKnagge]

In my opinion just like bug out bags a lot of beginners start with an off the shelf kit & build it as their needs, experience, budget allows. There's no point buying an expensive custom made kit if you don't know what you need & you'll most likely never use it. Sometimes it's just easier to try and avoid dangerous situations instead of going through life full send no shame.

[@ericthomas9915]

[@Delevian-]

I've been using super glue to get my bad wounds together. I'm sure it's not right but I didn't know they had stitch kits until recently