Let's Revisit The SHTF Med Kit From 2014, Shall We?

 

So 11+ years ago, we gave Baby Brother a blueprint for a SHTF Medical Kit. (He's still a smiling idiot, and after getting the list, never did another thing about it.) But we were wondering where, with inflation, the current price point for it is.

FTR, it was circa $850 in 2014.

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1. The divider set and lid liner for your Pelican 1600 case

$153.15 268.95

1605EMS EMS Accessory Set (Lid Organizer and Divider Set) | Pelican Official Store

2. Quickclot ACS Gauze Pads Quickclot EMS Dressing

(3) X $9.99

https://www.chinookmed.com/06734pa/z-medica-quikclot-ems-4x4-dressing.html

3. Quickclot Combat Gauze Rolls Quickclot EMS Rolled Gauze

(2) X $25.30

https://www.chinookmed.com/05245/quikclot-ems-rolled-gauze.html

4. Asherman Chest Seals

(2) X $14.80

https://www.chinookmed.com/12102/asherman-chest-seal.html

5. Combat Application Tourniquet

(4) x $29.99 $31.59

https://www.chinookmed.com/01294/c-a-t-tourniquet-gen-7.html

6. NP Airways 1 ea 28Fr/30Fr/32Fr/34Fr

(3) X $3.74 $3.99

(1) X $5.00

https://www.chinookmed.com/02120pa/nasopharyngeal-airway.html

7. Surgical lubricant for using NP Airways,  (6) 3gm packets

$4.95 $1.04

https://www.chinookmed.com/?page=item&id=801520

8. SAM Splints

(2) X $12 $12.50@

9. Israeli Emergency Bandage 4"

(4) X $6.29 $8.95

https://www.chinookmed.com/05130/israeli-emergency-bandage-4.html

10. Israeli Emergency Bandage 6"

(4) X $6.56 $9.35

https://www.chinookmed.com/05131/israeli-emergency-bandage-6.html

11. PriMed Compressed Gauze Bandage Responder Compressed Gauze Bandage

(6) X $2.44 $2.98

https://www.chinookmed.com/023297/responder-compressed-gauze.html

12. Israeli Emergency Abdominal Bandage

(2) X $12.12@ $17.87@

https://www.chinookmed.com/05150/israeli-abdominal-bandage-8-wide-w-12x12-pad.html

13. Muslin Triangular Bandage

(6) X $0.47@ $8.75@

https://www.chinookmed.com/05001pa/berry-compliant-cravat-triangular-bandage.html

Nota bene: And these are the cheapest ones. This is govt. contract ripoff pricing. Go to WalMart or the local fabric store, buy about 4 yards of the cheapest olive drab or dark brown cotton broadcloth you can find (or repurpose 3 old bedsheets), and cut it into triangular bandages yourself. Fold or roll each to a compact size, and put them into 6 ziplok snack bags. And save yourself $40 out of the $50+ buying them would cost. If you're paying 9 bucks apiece for triangular cravat bandages, you're rich, an idiot, or both.

14. BZK antiseptic towelettes (100 bx)

$3.44 $9.50

https://www.chinookmed.com/05111pa/antiseptic-towelettes.html

15. Povidone-iodine prep pads (6s)

$6.88 10 X $1.33

https://www.chinookmed.com/01911pa/povidone-iodine-prep-pads.html

16. Bottles of Bactine and Betadine solution (3-6oz.)

$10@

WalMart, CVS, Target, etc.

17. Burn kit

$61.95 (2) x $35.99 

https://www.chinookmed.com/01402/chinook-burnpak.html

18. Water jel burn gel

(12) X $0.53 $8.16

https://www.chinookmed.com/500000/burn-jel-2oz.html

19. Triple antibiotic ointment (Generic Neosporin, 6 x 0.9gm packets)

(3) X $4.30 (12) X $1.82

20. Military casualty space blanket

(2) x $19.67 $15.99

Casualty space blanket

 21. Band Aids Assorted (100)

$9.49 $8.48

Band Aids Assorted (100)

Band Aids 1"x3" (100)

$8.29 $9.33

Band Aids 1" x 3" (100)

Band Aids Extra Large (10)

(2) X $5.49 $4.15

Extra Large Band Aids

Knuckle Bandages (40)

$3.49 (4) x $4.14

Knuckle and Fingertip Bandages 10+10

Butterfly bandages (100)

$5.99 $7.99

Butterfly bandages

22. Self-adhering 3" 2" bandage wrap (36)

$30.59 $136.44

https://www.chinookmed.com/200017/coban-wrap-bandage-elastic-tan.html

23. 1" First Aid tape        silk (12s)

$14.19 (12) X $1.75@

silk first aid tape

                                            plastic (12s)

$12.99 (12) X $6.09@

plastic first aid tape

24. Gauze sponges 4"x4" (200)

$5.69 $8.46

4"x4"s

                                    2"x2" (200)

$1.69 $6.88

2"x2"s

25. Gloves, nitrile

$10

WalMart, CVS, Target, etc.

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Around $850  $1200, out the door.

There's 11 years of inflation for you. Over 40%, although some items decreased in price, the total for almost the same load-out has gone up. 

And all the links are updated. You're welcome. Here's the rest of the OP. Best wishes.

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You can trim back some of the spendier high-speed tactical stuff to save a few bucks, but it's your ass (or someone near and dear to you), and I don't think you want to run out of supplies before you fix all the holes.

 

Notes:

Drop the money on the divider. It's the reason the EMS Pelican is another $150. It gives you small clear pockets for the small stuff, and 18+ pockets in the bottom for the big stuff.

 

I set this up so you could handle the most likely emergency problems (cuts, punctures, burns, sprains & fractures), including the TCCC {look it up!} supplies most likely to save your or someone else's life if someone catches a cowboy load at the range, as well as GSWs after the Zombie Apocalypse. Dual utility.

The plain gauze, tape and band-aids are for the far more frequent little stuff, to prevent turning it into bigger problems.

 

I didn't source (but you should add) two things:

* A good AAA LED headlamp, because you'll really appreciate light and both hands free when it's dark. My personal favorite ( I have 3 of them) is the Petzl Tactika Plus Headlamp. I get mine at REI for about $46 or so. http://www.rei.com/search?query=petzl+Tactika

Runs on 3 AAA, has a red lens that flips on or off, and has 4 light settings - econo, medium, bright, and flashing.

* * * 2025 UPDATED INFO: The current comparable model now goes for $129.95:

Petzl three-level red light and strobe headlamp  * * *

 

* The other thing is a good disposable CPR face shield, so you don't swap cooties in CPR. I'd get one in case you need to do CPR on family members, or them on you, but otherwise, I can't see you doing rescue breathing on anyone not on the cover of the Sports illustrated Swimsuit issue, so I left it out.

 

Until such time as you re-acquaint yourself with First Aid, bear in mind that it's still mostly what you learned in boot camp in the prehistoric era: Stop the bleeding, start the breathing, protect the wound, and treat for shock.

 

Direct Pressure, Pressure dressing, elevate the limb, tourniquet (don't be shy - unlike in the 1980s, they now know tourniquets like the CAT applied early is a lifesaver for bleeding extremities).

For minor holes, pressure with the 2x2s or 4x4s, then clean with the BZK/Bactine (same thing, except Bactine has low-dose lidocaine to make it sting less!), clean any penetrating trauma with Betadine and sterile non-preserved saline, then sterile dressing and clean bandage. pressure and pressure dressings, including Israeli bandage, or plain old ACE wraps, and if necessary, a tourniquet as well.

 

Airway is simple once 911 isn't an option: either a nasal trumpet, lubed outside with the Surgilube, up one or both snotstrils will open it, or they're going to die.

If you want to learn about TCCC needle decompression, and cricothyrotomy airways, we can talk. There are actual military/medical training vids on YouTube right now.

 

But outside of civilization, you aren't going to save anyone with CPR after 30 minutes, unless they were immersed in frigid water. If they stop breathing for other reasons, and you can't get them breathing again after half an hour, and help isn't on its way, that's probably a hint to go through their pockets for loose change, and collect one of their dogtags.

 

And in any victim unable to move around afterwards, whip on those space blankets, either for shade, or for warmth.

 

I also left out things like C-collars and anything diagnostic, until such time as you learn how to use it.

If you get a wild hair up your ass, find out who's doing basic EMT training at the local CC out there, and consider doing the class.

Training is the only thing you can't pull out of a kit, and some things, you just have to learn.

 

If you want, I can teach you how to measure blood pressure in about 20 minutes, but you need a stethoscope (A $20 Sprague works fine) and an adult cuff (manual, with a squeezy bulb, not one of those pieces of electro-garbage.) Let me know, anytime you want. One of the $60 fingertip pulse oximeters gets you pulse and O2%. Add a good thermometer, and you've now mastered the same triage vitals done in every ER from coast to coast.

 

A couple of good tweezers for splinters (a flat set, and a pointy set) are always a good idea, and you can grab those at any decent drugstore. Several small sewing needles work great for working out splinters and shallow stuff imbedded at the surface of the skin. An X-acto knife if you're feeling daring. Note that the large burn kit has a pair of good EMT shears in it, to use anytime you need to cut clothes open or off, so no need to buy a separate one.

 

*** 2025 UPDATE: That's changed. They're not in the current kits. Buy a pair of good, SHARP EMT shears. ***

Resist the urge to get a "kit, instrument, surgical". They're overpriced, under-useful, and you could get better instruments just by visiting a gun show.

And unless you know what you're doing, you don't need the toys to go poking around in holes, or start yanking things out until you know what they're into. Anything deeper than your range of sight needs to be left in a hole until someone with better training decides whether it can come out or not, verstehen sie?

 

When you get the box, and the goodies, not everything on that list can or should fit inside it. And adhesives don't like hot cars. So put some of the items inside, and replenish as you use them, or annually check them and replace the crusty ones.

 

DO put the kit in your truck, because if you need it at a shoot, or on the highway, it won't do you any good at home on top of the gun safe, right?

 

I hope you have stashed/are stashing a cushion of any family Rx meds by any means possible, including "oops, I lost my meds and need a whole month's replacement!" provided you're footing the bill, or any other legal way possible. Cycle through the overstock first in/first out, so you eventually always have 3-6 months of fresh stuff in reserve. Imagine a major earthquake, and no pharmacy for a month or three. Let alone anything more dire.

 

Note also I didn't include any meds except topical wound stuff.

I'm a big fan of getting the unit dose packages of whatever you already use, like Tylenol, Motrin/Advil, Tums, Pepto, and anything else. OTCs don't magically go bad after three years, so don't throw them out, just don't give them to anyone not related to you by blood. Except for certain antibiotics, most pills remain useable for 10-30 years if stored properly (cool, dark, dry).

 

Don't forget sunscreen, chapstick, and high DEET percentage bug juice.

Any questions, fire away.

 

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