My BUSHCRAFT IFAK (Individual First Aid Kit) Contents 

Hi Craig, The single most important piece of medical kit one can have is knowledge. Beyond that obvious observation my kit very much depends on what I am doing. For day hikes my medkit is basically a bandaid and my cell phone. When I sailed the entire length of the Great Barrier Reef where you can literally be 800 miles and a full week from the nearest tiny village, my kit contained full runs of 4 different types of antibiotics, suture kits, morphine, scalpels, tourniquets, dental tools, Epi-pens, Steristrips, an AED, and an expansive and expensive lot of other stuff that would generally only be used under the direct instruction of a doctor via shortwave radio if necessary. Lest you think that I am insane, that collection was put together through multiple lengthy consultations with several doctors (to whom I am forever indebted for spending hours with me) and included significant training pertaining to what I should and should not attempt on my own and a crash course on what to expect if I had to do something under the direction of a doctor remotely. VERY sobering stuff but we did our best to be prepared for anything. When I day hike with my cats I turn into a mobile veterinary clinic and have a separate first aid kit for them which includes blood clot, bandages, emergency backup harness, tick remover tool, syringes, sedatives, snakebite kit, booties, cat treats, water, etc. What can I say- I take my cat daddy job very seriously. :) Excellent video as always. You have a lot of very good ideas and valid points. Always a pleasure seeing what you come up with next! And oh, did you mention superglue? Take care, be well and all the best from California :)

Whats missing you ask,saline solution,neosporin antibiotic cream,which you cant buy in the UK, but readily available online,small scissors, a thermometer for shock,heat and cold injuries,the small mirror is a good idea if your phone packs up the tick removal tool is great,had a go on fb lately for you trying to get subbers on this network,you dont need to,it stands its own merit,really good clip thank you

Great video. As a former ambulance officer for the British Red Cross , I was regularly on first aid and ambulance duties for around 15years in my younger life . I gained vast experience and was often called upon by various centres and branches of the Red Cross for the more high risk events . This in turn lead up to doing regular ambulance duties with the local ambulance service. 1 thing I noticed that you dont carry but I for after a personally traumatic experience. My father had a fatal heart attack on the street corner . I was soon called upon to see to him . I tried to resuscitate him for over ten minutes till the ambulance arrived. He had what he thought was a long lasting Cold . I wasn't afraid of resuscitation on him as he was a clean living man . I then caught this Cold from him . It soon developed and went to the doctor to see what to do. After blood tests, it turned out to be a long term but otherwise harmless virus. I was given the appropriate medication and it soon was sorted . Since then I have always carried some sort of resuscitation mask or face Sheilds in my 1st aid kits in the hope that I dont need to use them . Another thing that I have noticed which you talk about was some of the equipment that some people carry when they are trained use them . One lad that I work with as a security officer is he carries a suture kit . Not trained or qualified to use but says if needed he would happily sew various wounds up as his mother had taught him some sewing techniques. He was told by a police sergeant that its not illegal to carry medical equipment but if he uses it when he isn't trained , he will be soon arrested and charged with GBH and various other offences. Keep up the good work and stay safe and well.

Burn soother will be added to my kit looks like a good bit of kit. being first aid trained with tq and like yourself ex forces too I carry a tourniquet with an Israeli bandage, but other then that very similar med kit.

You do excellent presentations.

Nice presentation, better to have all the right gear than no idea, and for the situation you will be in, I carry a quite large trauma kit in my car, and yes I can use it, but would never think of taking any of it back packing even with an axe, no tool has ever caused an injury, only the incompetent using it,. Many thanks. Nige

Great video, another point to add is after you get training, you need to regularly practice/train what you've learned, its not a lot of good if you only do a training course once every year or 2 and thats it, I've lost count of the amount of people that tell me "oh yeah I've had training but I can't remember any of it", if you carry TQs, pressure dressings, samsplints etc then you really should regularly practice applying them, and under stress, goes with all items in your kit, the more comfortable and efficient you are with your kit, the better you'll be if you really need it.

As requested: Nothing for sprains and broken limbs. I carry cohesive and triangular bandage. Also provides more tension than the Israeli bandage. For axing I also bring TQ and more bandaging material/israeli dressing. Hunting in groups I add the full on trauma kit because every single year people who hunt in groups shoot each other.

Will add the tick tweezers and burn soother. I have level one (most basic) first aid training and my kit is a small store bought first aid kit. The additional items are stippling powder and an instant ice pack. I recognize the limitations of my skill set so don't carry stuff I can't safely use.

Excellent video , always carry a crepe or compression bandage call them what you like for sprains , magnifying glass or use your compass , a head torch , compeed / moleskin plaster , Tempa-Dot thermometers , pair of shears ( cutting through clothing , webbing etc ), Lighter ( disinfect a needle to remove a splinter ) , a cpr mask , I also carry the burn soothe I agree excellent stuff .

Great video. Very concise, and engaging coverage of IFAKS. I carry pretty much the same equivalent items at the moment (apart from the Bonjella - good idea) - with the addition of small shears, dioralyte, SAM splint, sling bandage for breaks/sprains. I have a range of different sized kits depending on trip duration, car camping, etc though. I do carry small addons of combat tourniquets, quikclots, and Israeli dressings mostly, because, well, axes eh?.

Smashing Craig, I will add the tick remover and burn soother to my own kit

Great video. My kit is similar to yours. The only two differences are gauze swaps and eye wash.

Celox gauze is a good shout too. Not only can you use it as packing but if you soak it in water it becomes a self cooling burns dressing.

Not got burn/ gel dressings. Have now 👍

I love your thoughts on this topic. There's no way I'm putting a needle into anyone, let alone try to open an air way. I totally agree that you shouldn't really carry anything above the training level of everyone in the group. As always, love the video and I always look forward to the next one! The only thing I carry above what you have is an ankle bandage. I have bad ankles from running track in high school, so having something should I roll my ankle makes me feel confident that I could wrap up and eventually make it back to the vehicle.

Thanks Craig, great video. I'm finally going on one of Adam Gent's courses this month and really looking forward to it. Thanks for the burn sooth recommendation. My kit is very similar. I also have a large bore IV cannula, some local anaesthetic/syringe&needles and sutures. I don't have dental repair kit. I guess if I was going into real remote wilderness, I'd learn how to use and carry one. Cheers!

Thanks for a top video Craig & clearly a well thought out kit. Your point about carrying kit commensurate to current skill set is so important. Some items I’ve seen toted, unless in a true wilderness or military context, probably won’t ever be needed & should only really be carried with appropriate training. I do have a similar philosophy to beefing up options if carrying an axe but leaving out when on a simple day hike. I think one of the best bits of ‘kit’ we can all carry is a heightened awareness & the steps we can take to prevent injury when using something like an axe. Of course everyone is fallible so having basic preparedness makes good sense. FYI, I was expecting your daypack to chip in on the vid. It was sporting a cheeky grin the whole way through. Cheers Craig :)

Considering my first aid training was intensive💪🏻 but was in 1980. Your RAF pouch could have a pair of scissors in it, for various cutting tasks, tapes bandages etc. Great thought 💭 out Video.

Hi Craig, Thank you again for sharing your knowledge. Due to Covid I have included two disposable face masks and some extra gloves in my kit. One mask for me and one for the causality in the event that I am treating someone else. Only apply the mask to the causality if appropriate to do so and stay safe. These strange times we are in aren't going away for a while. All the best, Tony in Dublin

Hi Craig. My first aid kit has plasters but it’s primarily foot focussed - leucotape, dressings, wipes and a small pair of scissors. I also carry antihistamine tablets as hay fever can strike mid-way through a hike, and it can be a miserable experience.

🍀🍀🍀✌️😎✌️🍀🍀🍀✌️🌍✌️🍀🍀🍀 perfect 👌. Thx 🚑

Burn sooth - cracking idea

Ditch the blue tweezers and get a metal set off the wife if necesery they work better them plastic ones dont work that well. some viles of sailine would not go a miss to clean wounds and cool burns burnshield is good used by mod and ambulance service.not knowing how to do something does not mean you cant carry stuff like a scaple if you need surgery and had a surgon he can use it,its like an AED if you carry one and have a caridac areest you cant use it but hope someone would know how to use and they are a lot easer than you think get trained.a good basic kit a maxi pad would serive you well when working with axe evaq8.co.uk/Dressings-Wound-Care/maxiflex-trauma-dressing-extra-large-bandage-with-multiple-uses.html

A small mirror is handy , and I always carry plasters in my wallet.

What about a pair of small scissors in the general backpack kit?

you carry the mouth sore cream which i do not, it's a good idea.

Stop that flashy in out zoomy thing ! . . . It's not right man 😂