WetLeather Motorcycle Rider Information

Other contributors:
Carl Paukstis
Kindly Nurse Havoc
Art Ellison
Rob Kindred

Buy Johnson & Johnson or other major brand to get a nice container and
maybe a little useful content. Then double what you spent in order to
get REAL content. Get enough QUANTITY of each thing to last a weekend
in camp or a hard afternoon's ride while hurting.

Add your first-aid kit to your checklist before a ride. Seems obvious,
but even medics on the EMS squad sometimes roll up in their personal cars
and realize that they didn't reload 4x4s, tape, gloves, etc. after the
last call/drill. Also, some meds, like Advil, have an expiration date,
so check that as well.

Mandatory contents:

• Standard 4x4s
• Tape By default, 1" surgical tape. But then some folks are allergic and need paper tape. Just a comment.
• Scissors - preferably "trauma shears". They can cut through most everything, and the edge closest to the patient are designed without a point on them.
• Band-Aids in 1" and Butterfly
• "Space blanket"
• Antibiotic ointment - Individual rip-open packets of or a smallish tube of Neosporin
• OTC pain relievers - Get all 3 major ones (aspirin, acetaminophen, ibuprofen) in case somebody's intolerant of one or another.
• Motrin 800's AKA "Ranger candy" or "Ducati Touring Candy"
• Cervical collar. When using cervical collars, whenever possible have someone holding the head still. While they limit motion, c-collars only limit motion, not entirely stop it.
• Two inflatable splints, arm & leg. When applied over bare skin, they will often cause a burn - always use a "stockingette" over the skin (but don't actually hide any wound).
• Combat dressings, AKA civilian "Abdominal dressings" - get tape, too if you go this route, but genuine "combat dressings" are at all the military surplus stores, they're handy because they have cloth tie-downs attached. A couple "cravats" (triangular cloth sling-bandages) are handy too. Or one o'them pink-plastic-wrapped sanitary napkins - they sop up blood quite nicely.
• Non-Latex surgical or exam gloves If space permits, have gloves in sizes other than your own. Other people may stop and help, and your larges may not fit their bigger/smaller hands as well.
• Goggles - if you can spare the room. Blood/fluids don't always ooze/drip out or wounds.
• Disposable CPR mouth covering device (they have them keychain size)
• Rolaids or similar Pepto-Bismol tablets, etc.
• Your favorite "head cold" medicine or antihistamine.
• Quickie first aid book.

 

Optional niceties might include

• Cough drops or throat lozenges
• Dramamine
• Tweezers
• One-time-use scalpel
• Nail clippers
• Splint material - Popsicle-stick type, or preferably a Sam Splint (tm) or two. Cheap & very effective. They take only a small bit of volume for the potential use.
• Co-Flex or other type flexible bandage; holds 4x4 or other dressings in place, but sticks to itself, not the patient. Also called "Koban" (a brand name, could be spelled with a 'C'). You have to watch it with some of the bandages like Coban which can stretch and can actually be put on too tight and cut off circulation, resulting in the necessity of amputation if left on. (not a pretty thought)
• Curlix (can't remember the spelling) is the modern version of the old gaze roller bandage. It can form to your bod better.
• Sewing kit - Bachelor's/travel type. Not really for field suture, but COULD be used in a pinch, and handy to have along ALWAYS, like in your First Aid kit. The local AAA Office likely has a Very Good one of these along with other cute travel stuff, possibly including your starter first aid kit, on display in their "travel store" racks. A Good one is no bigger than an old-fashioned matchbook.

 

Do untrained folks run any risk mucking with a cervical collar?
KNH writes:
Good Sam laws protect you to a degree but IMO this is the most important
item on the entire list. If you ever need it you'll be glad you had it.
One recommended source: www.Galls.com

A differing view from EMT Art:

On the subject of cervical collars: On an ambulance, they carry 5
sizes. People come in different sizes and then there are kids.
Let's see--we used Stiff-Neck collars (the best kind) and they came in
pediatric, small, medium, large, and no-neck, so which size you
gonna carry? Huh? They have newer more adjustable collars, but you have
to know how to adjust them. We had to go through training to learn to use
them. A c-collar improperly placed by someone who has no training in the
technique can end up really ugly.