IFAK — Individual First Aid Kit
Prior to COVID, I had already put together a number of Emergency Packs and IFAKs together for friends and family.
And each year I go through everything to check their status and see if there are any improvements or upgrades that I feel are needed. I do this during the holiday season because things are generally slower then plus many items tend to be on sale.
This is my example of an IFAK. I keep one of these in my car and pull it out and carry it when I go on hikes. My assumption here is that for this activity I am relatively near my vehicle where I have access to more gear should it be needed. As of this writing, I've never had to do more than treat a moderate cut and that individual was then transported to the hospital by their friend. I keep one of these in my car and give away the others I put together. I also recommend that these be kept in that person's vehicle.
The goal of this IFAK is to treat minor injuries from strains to cuts and abrasions.
Keep in mind that your needs may be different to mine. Consider this post as a starting point for you to build your own.
Item Descriptions - Top Left to Bottom Right
The IFAK Pouch itself - These particular pouches are 6.3" Tall x 2.7" Deep x 4.5" Wide. I’ve built other IFAKs that used larger pouches.
Mylar Emergency Blanket - I consider this a must-have item in any IFAK, Trauma Kit or Emergency Pack.
Orange Half-Roll of Duct Tape - I cut a piece of flat aluminum to just wider than the tape and about 5.5" long. I then unroll the Duct Tape and re-roll it on this aluminum strip. It is a bit time consuming and sometimes a complete PITA. However, this is another thing like the above that I consider a must-have item. I mean, really... If you can't fix it with Duct Tape it probably can't be fixed. ;)
Two 4" rolls of stretch bandages. Immediately below these are five (5) Rayon Coin Tissues. These can be opened up with a few drops of water. They are absorbent and could be used for wound packing or as re-usable cloths. Bio-degradable but NOT flushable.
One 3" and one 4" Self-Adhesive Elastic Bandages.
24" Padded Aluminum Splint - Another must-have item.
Small Break-Away Utility Knife - I always carry a small Victorinox Pocket Knife on me. But these blades are sharper in case you need to say, cut fabric.
Triple Antibiotic Ointment - Self explanatory.
A Baggie with Large BandAids, Small Gauze Pads and Small Alcohol Pads.
A Baggie with smaller assorted BandAids.
Two Extra Large Surgical Dressings.
Again, this is what I have settled on. You might choose some of these items but place greater emphasis on other things that are missing from mine.
Shown below is the loaded IFAK described above with the Trauma Kit and its Accessory Pouch that I keep at home. I also have another Trauma Kit and Accessory Pouch that I keep in my car along with other First Aid supplies.
In a future post, I’ll break down the Trauma Kit.