Three Types of First Aid Kits to Have on Your Boat
Three Types of First Aid Kits You Should Have on Your Boat
I bet you’re thinking “Three first aid kits? I really need three first aid kits?” Yes, three…and that’s just the minimum. You could have more. As the owner or captain of your vessel, it is your responsibility to keep everyone on board safe. It should be your absolute top priority. But accidents happen - we all know that. No matter how safe or careful you try to be, someone may still get hurt. Don’t you want to be as prepared as possible for when those moments occur? That’s when having three different kits will be of importance. Each kit should be set up to serve its purpose under different scenarios. Let’s go through one-by-one and talk about your first aid kit set up.
1. The Everyday Kit
This first aid kit is going to be a pretty standard kit; one that you have probably seen or have used in the past. It is set up to take care of those small, everyday boo boo’s quickly. I’m talking small cuts and scratches, bug bites, splinters, minor burns…you get the idea. It should be easily accessible and relatively compact in size. The last thing you want to do is be fumbling around trying to get to your first aid kit, bleeding all over your boat, all in the pursuit of a band-aid. Our everyday kit is about the size of a make-up bag and we keep it under the sink in the head for easy grabbing. First aid kits and bags like the one we have come pre-assembled and are readily available at most pharmacies or big-box stores like Target and Wal-Mart. This one from Amazon comes with a smaller travel kit which is great for shore excursions. Whether you buy a pre-made first aid kit or create one yourself, make sure it is clearly marked as a first aid kit. You can put all the supplies into any suitable container you’d like, but you want it to be easily recognizable. If you create a kit in a bag that is not typically associated with first aid or is unmarked, someone may easily overlook it.
2. The Comprehensive Kit
This is your “oh shit” kit and I hope you never, ever have to use it. This first aid kit is for more serious injuries and will therefore be more equipped and larger than your everyday kit. This kit should be filled with supplies to treat the most serious injuries you can think of and its contents will vary depending on where you will be traveling, the activities you plan on doing, and any personal health concerns you may have. You want to be able to address deep cuts and wounds, broken limbs, serious burns, and excessive bleeding just to name a few. There are many companies out there that make pre-assembled comprehensive first aid kits that can fit the bill as your boat’s large kit, but they do come at a cost. For some, that dollar value is worth the time and energy you would save gathering the supplies yourself. Plus, many of the kits are designed for the outdoors or marine environment and come in waterproof or water-resistant material. If you decide to assemble this kind of kit yourself, you are going to have to do some shopping around for the items you may need. Going to your local corner pharmacy is not going to cut it. Medical supply stores and online vendors are going to be your best bet for finding the items needed. Keep in mind the container or bag you will keep all the supplies in. It should be clearly marked, easily carried with one hand ( i.e. not too heavy and have a handle or strap to make transportation feasible), and potentially be waterproof or water-resistant. Injuries do not always occur when you are right next to your first aid kit and therefore it’s going to have to be transported to the injured person which could mean a dinghy ride to shore. A lot of the supplies in this bag may be overlaps of what you have in your everyday kit as well but it’s better to have them in both kits. Things like gauze pads, band-aids, tweezers, etc., should be in all kits. You do not want to have to grab two separate bags to treat an injury because you did not have the supplies in both of them. I also recommend keeping some kind of first aid reference book or chart in this kit to aid with any questions you may have when treating an injury. Marine Medicine: A Comprehensive Guide by Eric A. Weiss and Michael Jacobs is a good book to have in any kit.
3. The Ditch-Bag Kit
Every ditch-bag should have a first aid kit in it. Period. If you are abandoning ship, something catastrophic has happened. There is a high chance that the people on board are already injured or may become injured on climbing in to the life raft. Along with some basic first aid items, this kit should be equipped to treat deep cuts and wounds, stop bleeding, and secure broken limbs. The goal is to keep the injured person alive until help can arrive, which we all hope will be quick. This kit should be portable and definitely in a waterproof container/bag of some kind. It should fit into your ditch-bag easily and always be stored there because in an emergency situation you want to grab just one bag and go. You should also keep a laminated first aid chart or book in this kit as well. Outside of being able to treat injuries, you also want to maintain a few days supply of any regular prescription medications you or your crew may be taking. There are many medications people take that should not or cannot be stopped abruptly and if you have some in your ditch-bag first aid kit, that won’t be a concern.
Other First Aid Kits You Should Consider
Depending on your travels and what onshore activities you do, there are a few different first aid kits you may want to consider putting together. These are just a few examples
Dinghy kit – A first aid kit that lives in your dinghy in a waterproof container. This can be a small kit that’s readily available to treat some small cuts and scrapes and handle some bug bites or bee stings on shore. It’s a great idea to carry this in the tender if you have kids onboard because they are always falling down and looking for band-aids to cover those boo-boos. Some dinghies have a little locker space in the bow which is a perfect spot to stash a small first aid kit. If you don’t have a space to store one or are staying in a marina, consider something like the next kit below…
Small travel kit – This is a small first aid kit that can be tossed in to a purse or backpack if you’re going to be walking around town or running errands onshore. It could be the same as your dinghy kit and you just transfer it into whatever bag you’ll be taking to shore that day. Again, great idea to have something with you if you have little kids running around - or a clumsy adult!
A kit for hiking/biking/kayaking etc. – This would be a first aid kit that’s created specifically for any activities you may be participating in. It should be designed to be easily transported with your gear or equipment that you’ll be using that day. Again, this could be the same as a small travel kit that you personalize for your needs and you just shuffle it from bag to bag depending on what you are taking with you that day.
It’s Better To Be Overprepared
Just as you should with fire extinguishers, always talk to your guests and crew about where any first aid kits are stored should they be needed. If you are the one injured, you want them to be able to respond quickly and not waste time searching every locker and cabinet for supplies. You can choose to assemble your first aid kits yourself or buy one of the many pre-assembled ones that are out there. Either way, it’s better to be over-prepared than not. After 5 years aboard, the thing I retrieve most from our first aid kits is band-aids. Here’s to hoping that’s all you have to use every once in a while too!
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