caorach
Well-Known Member
First of all I have to say a big thank you to Andy who posts as Moray Outfitting and who offered a first aid kit as the "prize" in his recent thread on such kits:
http://www.thestalkingdirectory.co.uk/showthread.php?29763-First-Aid-Kits-Views-please
To my amazement I won and the first aid kit arrived with me within a few days, along with a very informed letter from Andy answering all my questions. The reason for my slight delay in posting is that I was away in Glasgow for a few days and I was stalking yesterday so an ideal opportunity to field test something that I don't actually ever want to use.
As Andy said on the thread the kit is based on the webtext small first aid kit:
http://www.forestandhill.co.uk/epag...ectPath=/Shops/es140362/Categories/Safety_Kit
However, he has customised it slightly for the wandering stalker and has added a few larger "ambulance dressings," blister dressings, blue food safe plasters, a foil emergency blanket, sterile saline for eye wash etc, saches of antiseptic liquid, and some more robust gloves. I might have missed a few things but it seems to me to be pretty complete and deals with both the "comfort" type things and also the larger trauma events. Andy suggested I get some celox clotting agent but said that he doesn't supply this and he also listed some tablets which might be useful to carry but which he doesn't supply.
The kit comes in a robust soft pouch designed to fit on a belt, in a pocket or on a rucksack strap and Andy has added enough to the standard kit that it doesn't all quite fit in the pouch - his idea seems to be that the stalker can modify and adjust to suit their ideas and priorities so carrying only what they need. I've already decided to ditch the scissors for example as I always have some with me on my multitool and also because they are quite hard in the little pouch and I'd worry they might rub and wear or puncture some of the other stuff in there, specially with all the crawling about us stalkers do.
I decided to put one of the additional ambulance dressings Andy sent into the pocket of the smock I wear when stalking so it is always with me just in case I might forget to put the pouch on my belt when heading out. It weighs nothing and takes up very little space.
The pouch is quite big to carry on a belt - there is a lot in it - and I wasn't sure how it would sit on my belt. I carry my knife, torch and multitool on my left hand side so I put the pouch on the right. The webbing on it will allow either a horizontal or vertical fit. After a little fine tuning as concerns position it actually fitted very well and didn't cause me any problem either when crawling or when driving as getting comfortable in a car seat can often be a problem with things on your belt.
Although I had an entertaining and rather long day of stalking I didn't manage to shoot anything - luck really isn't with me at present and, of course, with hinds being out of season anything I'm getting into a position to shoot turns out to be a hind while I can never get in a position for a shot at a stag. While getting out of the car and trying to close the door quietly I managed to shut my thumb in the door. Now, it wasn't an injury requiring a first aid kit as I didn't burst my thumb and all I have is a black nail this morning. None the less I considered the situation and had I of given the thumb a good bang and burst the skin then I had everything I needed in the kit - including a suitably sized conformable dressing.
So, based on my experiences to date - I had been considering a first aid kit anyhow - I'd say that the kit Andy has made up for me is pretty much ideal for the stalker and while I am sure there will be some fine tuing (celox, asprin etc) I think it will have a full time spot on my belt while stalking in future.
http://www.thestalkingdirectory.co.uk/showthread.php?29763-First-Aid-Kits-Views-please
To my amazement I won and the first aid kit arrived with me within a few days, along with a very informed letter from Andy answering all my questions. The reason for my slight delay in posting is that I was away in Glasgow for a few days and I was stalking yesterday so an ideal opportunity to field test something that I don't actually ever want to use.
As Andy said on the thread the kit is based on the webtext small first aid kit:
http://www.forestandhill.co.uk/epag...ectPath=/Shops/es140362/Categories/Safety_Kit
However, he has customised it slightly for the wandering stalker and has added a few larger "ambulance dressings," blister dressings, blue food safe plasters, a foil emergency blanket, sterile saline for eye wash etc, saches of antiseptic liquid, and some more robust gloves. I might have missed a few things but it seems to me to be pretty complete and deals with both the "comfort" type things and also the larger trauma events. Andy suggested I get some celox clotting agent but said that he doesn't supply this and he also listed some tablets which might be useful to carry but which he doesn't supply.
The kit comes in a robust soft pouch designed to fit on a belt, in a pocket or on a rucksack strap and Andy has added enough to the standard kit that it doesn't all quite fit in the pouch - his idea seems to be that the stalker can modify and adjust to suit their ideas and priorities so carrying only what they need. I've already decided to ditch the scissors for example as I always have some with me on my multitool and also because they are quite hard in the little pouch and I'd worry they might rub and wear or puncture some of the other stuff in there, specially with all the crawling about us stalkers do.
I decided to put one of the additional ambulance dressings Andy sent into the pocket of the smock I wear when stalking so it is always with me just in case I might forget to put the pouch on my belt when heading out. It weighs nothing and takes up very little space.
The pouch is quite big to carry on a belt - there is a lot in it - and I wasn't sure how it would sit on my belt. I carry my knife, torch and multitool on my left hand side so I put the pouch on the right. The webbing on it will allow either a horizontal or vertical fit. After a little fine tuning as concerns position it actually fitted very well and didn't cause me any problem either when crawling or when driving as getting comfortable in a car seat can often be a problem with things on your belt.
Although I had an entertaining and rather long day of stalking I didn't manage to shoot anything - luck really isn't with me at present and, of course, with hinds being out of season anything I'm getting into a position to shoot turns out to be a hind while I can never get in a position for a shot at a stag. While getting out of the car and trying to close the door quietly I managed to shut my thumb in the door. Now, it wasn't an injury requiring a first aid kit as I didn't burst my thumb and all I have is a black nail this morning. None the less I considered the situation and had I of given the thumb a good bang and burst the skin then I had everything I needed in the kit - including a suitably sized conformable dressing.
So, based on my experiences to date - I had been considering a first aid kit anyhow - I'd say that the kit Andy has made up for me is pretty much ideal for the stalker and while I am sure there will be some fine tuing (celox, asprin etc) I think it will have a full time spot on my belt while stalking in future.