First Aid Kit

I have a first aid kit, of course. Although I tend to think that it's a bit lightweight. There are no hypodermic needles [1], for a start but I wonder (read: I hope) that's not so much an issue these days. To be honest, if I'm in a state where I need some kind of an injection would I be capable of indicating and would the local doctor be bothered rummaging through my kit? [2]

So it's got the usual collection of bandages and sterile whatnots. The sorts of things that someone who knows what they're doing will find a use for.

My gut feel is that if blood is pumping out then pressing something, anything, on the wound to prevent further bloodloss will be more beneficial than fannying about looking for the ideal gauze. Otherwise, wait for a doctor.

What I'm really saying is that I should have gone on the multi-day remote first aid and first on the scene courses.

I should have gone on motorcycle maintenance courses too. But we're not here to beat up on me. Are we?

Elsewhere in the medicine bag are: various non-branded tablets for stomach calming and ibuprofen; more liquid soap; more lip balm; a tub of vaseline; insect repellent; industrial strength insect repellent and more anti-histamene (mostly Benadryl and some Beconase) than is probably legal.

The vaseline (steady!) is for the chafing I seem to suffer where the folds of my lardy ass meet my upper thigh whenever the weather gets properly hot. I'm not sure why I get it there rather than say along the line of the edge of the seat. What I do know is that suitable quantities of vaseline makes your boxers stick to you in an odd way.

Water Purification

Water purification is a bit of a mess. Bugs and viruses need filtering or poisoning (iodine in the old days, chlorine dioxide as now mandated by the EU) because they get through the filter or boiling or zapping with a UV stick. Or all of the above. What a mess!

However, someone pointed me at the LifeSaver bottle which by the ingenious trick of using a filter smaller than a virus means you only need use the LifeSaver bottle and be on your way.

You do wonder why no-one had thought of this before.

There is, however, a terrible design flaw. To fill it you tip it upside down and fill it through the base. Empirical study reveals that the contaminated water readily flows down the sides of the bottle and over the top. The top does have a sealed cap but that sealed cap is now covered in contaminated water which you're doomed to flick accidentally over the teat when you try and break the very stiff seal. I think I need to buy a simple plastic jug for filling the bottle.

I was thinking about what sort of value for money I might get from this device (given it has a finite shelf/usage life) when I realised I have previously juggled my bottled water supplies so that I have enough left lying around to brush my teeth twice a day, even in hotels. Well, no need for that anymore.

I should be able to fill up my CamelBak as well though given it filters at about 0.5l/m it'll be a little exercise in itself each morning. Still, if I can avoid adding to the plastic mountains in each country as I go through, I can surely spend five minutes pumping in the bathroom...