The following advice was compiled by me, a pediatric nurse and former first responder, to help create a first aid pack that is appropriate for the typical adventure motorbike rider. Although it’s something you hope you never need, a decent kit might save a life in an emergency. This five-step approach will teach you how to put together a first aid kit correctly, where to train in case you need it, and why practicing is far more crucial than having a fancy first aid kit.
Step 1: Determine what you must study.
To what extent do you need or want to be prepared? Your response to the question is particular to you. Many first aid training courses including Extreme Motorcycle First Aid Wilderness First Aid and General First Aid are offered by organizations like the Red Cross. In the end everything boils down to the same concepts. Lacking any prior training? Get general first aid training first; the skills you acquire from it will come in handy in daily life whether or not you are riding.
Step 2: Obtain quality instruction
You’ll need fewer pieces of equipment the better your training is. Training will make it much easier for you to improvise, maintain composure under pressure, and make fewer mistakes overall. We have tourniquets, for instance, which are used to halt severe bleeding from wounds like arterials. But with the right instruction, you can quickly learn how to create a tourniquet from scratch. Put another way it is better to have everything but insufficient training than to have everything but insufficient training. If you don’t know how to utilize it your first aid kit might not be very helpful.
Step 3: Be real
It is unlikely that a serious accident will occur where the victim will need to be tourniqueted before they bleed out. That being said, you must be prepared for everyday mishaps. It’s easy to become enthusiastic about emergency helicopter extractions in the middle of the night during Wilderness First Aid training. The majority of us, though, will probably be pulling ticks rather than engaging in such an event. The key takeaway is that being ready for little occurrences is just as crucial as being ready for one big one.
Step 4: Essential Items for a First Aid Kit
The most crucial guideline for (severe) first aid is to not act heroically! This holds true for your kit as well. Take only equipment you are familiar with using. Don’t carry tourniquets, adrenaline, or strong painkillers if you aren’t qualified to use them. Nevertheless, do pack things you think you might need and that you won’t likely have easy access to in the locations you’ll go. It is not necessary to carry emergency antibiotics in populous first-world countries. However, see a specialist doctor for advice and recommendations (as well as the medications you may lawfully cross borders with) in places like the Amazon jungle, African deserts, or even riding a few days away from large towns in the Americas.
Step 5: Completely assemble your first aid kit
The last step is to appropriately pack your first aid equipment. This essentially indicates three things:
- Make sure to keep it in a convenient spot and to utilize it there consistently.
- Verify the bags’ (or their) waterproofness thoroughly. If they become wet, most first aid supplies won’t work so well.
- Locate a method of organizing that suits you. Continue reading for our system’s recommendations and more.
