I was one of those kids who had more fun playing with the empty box than playing with whatever toy or gizmo my parents gave me. In this case, the box is the gift, but it’s pretty cool anyway. If you are building your own medical kit, this waterproof box is a great place to start. This was exactly the same type of box used for general-purpose first aid in military aircraft and boats. Originally, this box held a 317-piece kit designed for front line trauma as well as basic first aid, but feel free to design your own. To get started, the original kit contained:
- (1) Hand Sanitizer
- (1) Surgical Tape 1-inch x 10 yards
- (1) Triangular Bandage, 40x40x56 inches with two safety pins
- (1) Bleedstop Bandage
- (2) Conforming Gauze 4-inch x 4.1 yards
- (5) ABD Pads, 5×9 inches
- (5) Burn Cream Packs
- (20) Pain Reliever (2 Tablets per packet)
- (100) Bandage Strips, 1×3-inches
- (2) Instant Cold Packs
- (20) Antiseptic Wipes
- (1) Multi-Trauma Dressing, 12×30-inches
- (1) Universal Splint 36 inches
- (5) Pairs of Latex Gloves
- (1) Field Dressing, 4×7 inches
- (1) Elastic Bandage, 6 inches
- (150) Sterile Surgical Gauze, 2 x 2 inches
At 11×9.5×7 inches, this box fits perfectly in a trunk or marine seat console. You don’t have to worry about it getting wet—the rubber gasket is water tight and securely seals your items inside for extended periods. The lid has a beveled label saying First Aid Kit General Purpose. The handles on the front and back are steel and the creases in the lid and bottom allow for securely stacking boxes without the risk of sliding.
If you are a prepper, you will find uses for many of these containers. The surplus medical box is ideal for storing valuables such as IDs, money, food, and even ammunition. The gasket seals spillage inside if something breaks during transport and the steel latches secure the gasket in place. These things can roll around in the back of a truck in any climate, and the heavy-duty construction will hold up to the elements.
Have you made your own first aid kit? What type of box and supplies did you use?
I bought one of these many months ago and was somewhat disappointed on arrival. They should tell you in the description that it’s plastic. My first impression from the catalog picture was that it was aluminum. Also, the latches did not seal the lid very tight either. I took them off and with two pliers bent the metal part that connects the latch to the lid about 25° to make it tighter. It took several attempts but finally bent them to an angle where it seals tightly now. If you don’t mind going through all that, and consider it’s plastic, for $17, it’s still an O.K. deal. (I later found it for only $10 at a different supplier, so shop around)
Gary, CTD is not the only place that carries this type of item, search the web, hit pawn shops and Army surplus stores.
Keep in mind this has been set-up to encourage communication and help each other out, of course CTD would also like to make a sale, but don’t approach chat sites like this as a bait and switch scheme.
G-Man, real good points you brought up, have you found a good supplier for the quick clot products? hope you would share.
I bought one of these “little” boxes last year. I will say several problems surfaced once it arrived: It is too small to be able to hold more than a’few’ bandaids and small sundries. The latches are flimsy and tend not to pop-over when latched. The water proof seal is almost non-existant. The plastic will not take very much pressure on the top or bottom, while the sides will absorb some abuse or small direct pressure at points. My ultimate conclusion: this is a nice “little” vehicle first aid kit with limited uses. But other than that — GARBAGE and a TOTAL WASTE OF MONEY!
Two of the most important first aid MUST-HAVES that are often never included or considered is Super Glue and some type of hemostatic clotting agent. Super Glue can be used in place of stitches for rather severe cuts. Pads designed with a hemostatic clotting agent like the ones manufacture by QuickClot will save lives by immediately stopping major bleeding at the arterial level. They even make a version for pets and large animals. Consider all the various post-apocalyptic scenarios in which your pets and animals could become severely injured which could lead to their death and what that could mean for your own survival prospects. For example: imaging the loss of a hunting dog or a guard dog after an attack. Or consider a severely injured horse which could be your primary means of transportation. Even cows needed for milk could take a bullet while you’re defending the ranch. OK, I’m trying to be humorous, but it’s something to keep in mind.
These really sounded neat and got me all primed up to order at least one to try out! Well just for everyones info and much to my disapointment,when I went to CTD web sight it said “Product no longer available.” Very poor time to publish the article IMHO. And also as I found out from reading the reviews they were made of thin plastic.
It is funny that this post happened today. Sat afternoon my UPS driver made a delivery, inside there was 3 of these identical boxes. I have ordered and utilized these and used ammo cans for years. They are great for storing anything that you don’t want to get moisture, varments or spiders into. I will always use some silicon spray on the gaskets to keep them from dry rotting over time. I also put a moisture absorbing packet inside to keep condensation from building up inside the cans due to temperature variants.
They also stack well and take up a minimum of space. Don’t forget to put some form of label on the outside, preferable on the front, so you know what is in each one so you don’t have to dig through 20-30 of them to find what your looking for. I use a code system so only my wife or I will know what exactly is in each one. You don’t want snoopy neighbors or guests knowing what you have stored away.