When is the last time you checked your First Aid kit?

[TritonGlenn]

Something I never seem to think about until I need it - my First Aid kits. I've got one in each of the vehicles, one in my boat, and one at home. When do I check the contents? Usually when I'm frantically searching for an item in one of them.



Well, today was that day. I went to set up my hunting spot this morning, and when I tried to set up the pop-up blind, I looked right at the little orange warning tag. It says something to the effect of "Pull from rope or eyelet only. Do not place hand or fingers in hub center. Injury may occur". Immediately after glancing at it, I... (Wait for it) ... Placed my finger right in the middle of the hub, at the immediate moment it was popping out with force. Caught the tip of my finger, crushing the nail and ripping a huge chunk of skin and flesh. I did a nice little dance with my finger still stuck in the blind, all the while cursing and trying to get myself unstuck from the beast.



Now I'm bleeding, trying to quickly get my keys from the cab, then get into the tool box in the bed (after today, I'm no longer keeping it there - I have no idea why I put it there to begin with), and then searching through it to find something to stop the bleeding and bandage my finger. I finally got the bleeding stopped and my finger bandaged. Watched the tip throb under the fingernail - oh yeah, I'm losing that one probably - even though I drilled it and relieved the pressure and pain when I got home.



After the fiasco, I started realizing that my First Aid kit has 4 year old bandages, expired Tylenol and aspirin, expired burn salve and antibiotic ointment, etc... The list goes on. It was also very disorganized from previous uses, so it took me a while to find what I needed to fix myself up this morning. A trip to Target on the way home took care of the expired and missing items. I bought extras and fixed all the First Aid kits when I got home. I'll fix my wife's when she comes home tonight.



So, as a reminder, check those First Aid kits - you never know when you are going to need them, and even if you have one - if the item you need is missing or past it's useful effectiveness date - you're out of luck.



All the best,

Glenn

 

[Ken Sabin]

Hey you mean EVERYONE doesnt have a Supervising Nurse, RN at the hospital ER ?



She keeps mine, all 6 of them, well stocked.(Both trucks, both boats, the camping gear, and the motorcycle)

 

[cq]

I hope I am not stepping on a toe, but I thought that was one of the items that you checked before taking your boat out for the first time after being put up for the winter.



We always check the boat, motor and trailer, plus all safety equipment (First Aid Kit, Fire Extinguisher, Life Jackets, Anchor and Line, Mooring Lines, Throwable and Line, Flares/Flag, Whistle, Paddle, etc.)



I got hit once for having a small tear in one life jacket, if the Officer wanted he could have written me a ticket, but he had been checking me for years and let me slide. This Officer would normally check all items the first time he stopped me at the beginning of the year after that he would just wave me on or if I had someone with me that he didn

 

[TritonGlenn]

Ken S,

Unfortunately, no, I don't have a nurse stocking mine. I wish! She probably knows what is needed more than the average person. Consider yourself lucky!



cqbacker,

Yeah, you're right. It should be one of the items I check not only prior to taking it out for the first time each year (and I don't put mine up for the winter), but often enough to know what is in it. Same goes for stuff like the expiration date on flares. Not that the flares will stop working on the expiration date, but not having current ones will get you a ticket. But things happen, and I don't remember to do things quite as well as I have in the past. I'm trying... but it doesn't always occur. My apologies if I offered some advice that some think wasn't necessary. Just trying to help. Have a good weekend.



All the best,

Glenn

 

[eric nichols]

I checked mine last week.....right after I pulled the crankbait out of my arm.



Eric

 

[cq]

The grandkids are the ones that keep me up to date on all my safety equipment.



cq

 

[Eric Fleming]

Sams Club has a awesome first aid kit for $20. I buy a new one every year put the old one in another location or give it to family. Something to think about, a length of small diameter nylon rope and a 10 inch stick is a good addition to any first aid kit. I have always put this in mine for tourniquet's, I finally used it for the first time when my buddy decided to clean fish on the boat at 40 mph. Sliced 1 finger clean off and a large slash across the hand, I keep my filet knives sharp. I also used the tylenol for his Wifes head, she fainted and hit her head. Yee-Haw!!!

 

[T AMBURGEY]

Checked mine after reading this post no out of dates needed some bandaids and neosporene.