(from March 1997, edited for 2002) This is the first in a series of edited reprints of articles of particular interest from 25 years of past Wing Worlds. In many cases, text, illustrations, graphics and layouts have been updated

If you’re carrying a first aid kit on your bike, congratulations! I commend you. But is your first aid kit going to do the job for you when you need it? Is yours a typical “over-the-counter” kit suitable only for home emergencies such as minor cuts and scrapes, or is it equipped to handle the emergency situations we’re more likely to encounter on the open road?
Dave McElderry and I posed these questions at an Ohio Chapter OH-N get-together. We found many participants carry a first aid kit, but most had never given them much thought as to the contents. They had no idea if they were equipped to handle the fractures, dislocations, severe bleeding or other injuries that might be sustained by motorcyclists, motorists or pedestrians. Thus this article.
Before we begin, I want to make it clear the suggestions I make are based on knowledge I attained as a full-time firefighter/paramedic and should not be construed as representative of GWRRA or any established first-aid organization’s curriculum. So much for the disclaimers.
All of the suggested items can be purchased at reasonable cost at a local pharmacy or through any emergency medical services (EMS) supplier.

First aid kit in zip-closure bag measures nine inches square, four inches deep, weighs one and a half pounds.

First aid kit contents (clockwise from 10 o’clock): Pocket mask, assembled; Pocket mask protective container; Flashlight; Shears; Tweezers; Cold pack; Kling bandages (3); Sterile gauze pads; Adhesive bandages (various sizes); Cloth tape; Triangular bandages (2, with safety pins); Sanitary pads (wrapped). Not shown: water.

Surgical Gloves. Because of the many infectious diseases found out there in trauma land, always glove up before treating anyone in an emergency situation. Gloves are easy to tear while donning, especially while you’re nervous, so always carry extras. Surgical gloves have limited shelf life, so replace them periodically. I suggest each Chapter buy a box or two for its participants and replace them annually. Most men require the large size; most women require a small or medium size.
Pocket Mask. You should avoid mouth-to-mouth CPR if possible. Pocket masks are the answer. They’re compact, light, and provide excellent ventilation while eliminating direct mouth-to-mouth contact.
Trauma Shears. Many emergency situations require you to see the injury site to effectively treat the injury. You may need to cut through several layers of heavy clothing. The scissors found in many “over-the-counter” first aid kits aren’t capable of this. Trauma shears are designed specifically for cutting though thick clothing, shoes, boots, and seat belts with minimal effort.
Triangular Bandages. Great for immobilizing arm and shoulder injuries…. Most first aid kits supply one or two, but they may be small and prove inadequate for your needs depending on the size of your patient and the nature of the injury. Carry several.
Cold Pack Compress. Cold packs help reduce the selling and discomfort associated with many injuries, especially those involving joints. They’re activated by striking the pack with a fist, mixing the bag’s contents—ammonium nitrate and water. The resulting chemical reaction causes the cold pack to chill immediately and remain cold for 30 to 40 minutes. If direct application of a cold pack is too cold for comfort, simply wrap it in a triangular bandage and reapply.
On a personal note, a cold pack enabled me to get home on the Wing one day after a wasp evaded my windshield and glasses and stung me next to my eye. I was able to reduce the swelling around the eye to the point my vision wasn’t affected, allowing me to continue on.
Trauma Dressings. The thin 4 by 4-inch dressings found in most kits won’t be much value if you encounter a major bleeder. Instead you’ll need larger, thicker pressure trauma dressings. Disposable sanitary napkins are cheap, sterile, and highly absorbent, and do the job well.
Kling®. You’ll need something to secure your pressure dressings in place. Kling is a good answer. It comes in rolls of from one to six inches in width. It clings to itself to secure dressings in place by unrolling it around the injury site. Taping the end may not be necessary; I do anyway for peace of mind.
Medical Tape. Available in one or two-inch widths; the two-inch tape can be torn lengthwise if desired.
Here’s a trick of the trade: peel back half an inch from the end of the roll, then fold the end onto itself, sticky side to sticky side. This creates a small pull tab that’s easy to grasp even with gloves on. (Try unrolling a new roll of tape some time when you’re nervous and wearing gloves and you’ll see why I mention it.)
Bottled Water. While not sterile, it can be used to flush an eye or an abrasion. Also useful for countering dehydration.
A Small Pen Flashlight. Helpful in dim light conditions and close-up illumination of injuries.
Alcohol Wipes. Quick disinfectant protection as needed.
Tweezers. Useful for delicate work hindered by gloved hands.
So much for what you should carry in your well-stocked kit. Now let’s address a few items that may be taking up valuable space that are of little or no value and may actually complicate the job of the emergency room staff you should eventually see.
Gels, Salves, Creams, Ointments. The use of any of these is normally contradicted. In most cases, these “treatments” must be scrubbed off by ER personnel. I have never used any of these items during my years of squad work, and they do not appear in written medical protocols under which my department operates.
Elastic Wraps and Bandages. Though many people like to carry them, elastic wraps may cause complications if improperly applied. As with any bandage, make sure you don’t over-tighten and impair circulation.
Bulky Packaging. Some people carry anywhere from 50 to 3,000 Band-Aids® of various shapes and sizes in boxes that contain 75 percent air. Not me! I tuck a few Band-Aids away, then give that box the ol’ “File 13.” If you must carry the box, make it work for you by carrying your sterile gloves in it.
I carry all of my first aid equipment in a zippered transparent plastic bag that works perfectly for me. I can instantly find what I’m looking for without having to dig through the whole bag to find something. Saves time, especially when that proverbial “road dirt” is hitting the fan.
I hope I’ve provoked some thought about first aid kits. If yours doesn’t allow you to utilize your first aid skills to the max, remedy the problem. Your training and equipment go hand-in-hand; one is useless without the other. Hope for the best, but always be prepared for the worst.
Again, all suggestions are based on personal opinion. We welcome your input on this subject via letter or e-mail to Wing World.