nicks, cuts, bumps and bruses – What’s in our medi kit and an Injury report
I initially thought that 30 band-aids would be enough for any travel medical kit. After a week and a half in Thailand, and several ”I told you soes” later (thanks to Kevin), my thoughts have changed.
I strongly recommend a bulk band aid kit from Costco with no fewer than 150 band aids for any trip to south east asia lasting longer than two weeks. We both have sustained cuts, scrapes, blisters, scratched-raw mosquito bites, and more. Aside from using an obscene amount of band-aids in such a short time, Kevin has a habit of hitting is head everywhere! Asian people are short. Kevin is tall. If you are over 5′7”, watch out!
Items in our travel kit we have used:
- Band-aids
- Antiseptic towelettes and/or Hydrogen peroxide
- Antibiotic ointment/cream
- Tons of Ibuprofen
- Tweezers
- Lidocane + Aloe Vera
- Tiger Balm
- DEET
- Sunscreen
- Pepto (and not enough of it)
Things we have in addition:
- Epi-pens
- Tylenol cold/flu
- Anti-histamines
- Claritin
- Gauze of many sizes and shapes
- Medical tape
- Safety pins
- Sutures/syringes/ sterile needles / IV catheters
- and much, much more (this may be the heaviest thing next to the tent itself in either of our packs)
Injury Report:
Kevin:
- Several gashes on his feet – swimming during low tide. Coral rocks hurt!
- Micro cuts on hands and feet – don’t try to hold on to the rocks.
- Blisters on feet – From wet shoes and low cut socks
- Bumps to the head – On buses, bathroom door frames, random hanging pieces of metal, street signs, vendor carts.
- Busted knuckle/gashed fingers – Taking his shirt off too close to the ceiling fan. It was an all metal fan spinning at mach 7. He fell straight to the floor! My heart dropped! I thought his hand was cut cleanly off!
- Several moderate stomach aches
David:
- Micro cuts on hands and feet – from the rocks
- Flip-flop blisters – don’t carry packs and wear flip-flops for long distances.
- Blisters on hands – hand washing and drying clothes. The detergent is really caustic and makes your skin mushy. Maybe what i purchased wasn’t detergent. After all, I don’t know how to read Thai.
- Scratched bloody mosquito bites. *I’m a scratcher*
- Two day long stomach illness – from something bad I ate.
Whoa caustic detergent that gives you blisters and makes your skin mushy!?!?!?!?
You know, that stuff might be lye – does it make your skin feel really slippery, without getting real foamy? Not good for washing clothes
kevin it sounds like your slowly bleeding to death in the jungle if you want me to send more bandaids i will what part of the world are you in now your mom and i are in delaware whatching the pumpkins fly
@CJH
oh shit….we are sooooo using lye
@pcloud
we are in pai, thailand….way up near the burmese border. about to head back to changmai, then a 17 hour bus ride to laos. THAT should be interesting….
as for the bandaids….thankfully we found more. and, remarkably i got hurt less in the jungle then i do stepping in to a bathroom in a guesthouse. sigh…
oh, by the way, are you still considered and internot?