Given the pending pandemic and trying to think of everything before it gets here, can anyone recommend a good, complete and well equipped first aid kit (found one that appears to be a pretty good one for $20 at Wal-Mart but would like to know if there are others out there that would have more goodies, if it costs substantially more that's fine but let's say not more than $100.)

I'd also like recommendations for medical treatment manuals that cover everything from burns to breaks to what-have-you.  Again, cost isn't terribly important.  I don't need to know how to cover open-heart surgery, just thorough coverage of basic to semi-obscure treatments.

Since I'm posting on this topic, are there any good sites where one can obtain MREs in bulk?

Thanks in advance,
Scott

Given that most kits are pretty generic, you could put your own together, though that can be time-consuming. Can't help you on pre-made kits.

As for premade kits you can check places like galls.com/easearchresult.html?searchaction=1&path=All%20Products%2F%2F%2F%2FUserSearch%3Dmedical%20kits%20%3B%3B%20Venture%5Fid%3D503185 which have a good variety form basic first aide to full BLS kits.

One book I picked up years ago is THE EMT HANDBOOK OF EMERGENCY CARE by DJ Arneson/Maureen Bruce.  The book is pretty easy to use for someone that has no training in EMS and keeps everything simple.  

We b ought stuff piecemeal til we had everyhing we thought we needed. I put more thought into the car kits.

Pre-made kits tend to have a lot of stuff you don't need. You'll get more bang for your bucks if you assemble your own. Here's my "minimum essentials" list:

__Butterfly closures ("Steri-strips")
__Gauze pads (for serious bleeding)
__Medical tape
__Tweezers
__Moleskin
__Betadine (antiseptic)
__Ace bandage
__Aspirin
__Ibuprofen (for pain)
__Imodium (for diarrhea)
__Vicodin (for severe pain)
__Epinephrine (for anaphylactic shock)
__Temporary dental fillings
__Personal medications
__Educate yourself



As for MRE's, once again they contain a lot of things you don't need, and once again you can get more bang for your bucks. If you already have a spoon and you don't need your food to survive a drop out of a helicopter, buy Mountain House freeze-dried in the large cans. There was some kind of trouble with group buys here, but you can still find them on other sites.

This is from my Four Wheel Drive Club

Here is a list of what should be carried in a complete first aid kit. The kit should be designed to cope with problems when medical service is hours or days away.

In addition to the kit people should take a wilderness 1st aid coarse. Most first aid classes are taught with the assumption that medical attention is minutes away. Wilderness classes teach what to do when medical help is days away. Many junior colleges offer wilderness classes.


Standard First Aid Kit – The cheap $10 kind
Knife
Safety Scissors- Good ones to cut clothing away.
Matches
Plastic bags
Soap
Tweezers
Heat/Cold Packs
12 to 60cc syringe – Great for flushing out wounds
Tape – Duct and medical
Small Bottle of Aspirin
Bottle of children’s aspirin
Roll of Tums
Blister kit
Pepto Bismo tablets
2 Small ace bandages
Topical antibiotic cream - such as Neosporin
Large ace bandage
Deck of Cards
Mirror/signal device
Batteries – whatever size your flashlight takes
A good first aid book  - not the free ones places give away
Sunscreen
Non-Stick Gauze Pads – 2” x 2” and 4” x 4”
Syrup of Ipecac


Occlusive Dressings - an excellent dressing when you want to keep a wound dry in a wet environment. Care must be taken to remove these dressings during rest periods to help promote healing in a prolonged context. Examples include Bioclusive and Tegaderm.

Triangular bandages and safety pins – you can make your own Triangular bandages by cutting old sheets into 2’ x 2’ squares. Carry at least 3 of them.

Female Sanitary napkins – These work very well for major injuries. Place one over the wound and wrap with an ace bandage.

4 sets of Latex gloves -  1 pair should be kept with reach of the drivers seat. This will allow you to put them on very quickly. You never want to touch a bleeding stranger without latex gloves.

Prescription Pain pills – If you are on good terms with your doctor get a prescription for 4 pain pills. These should only be used if it is going to take you hours to get help or if the hurt person needs to hike out of an area.

Water – Water is one of the best things for flushing wounds. Water should be the first thing used when cleaning cuts.

Thermometer - in a cold environment, a hypothermia thermometer covers most needs, and a normal thermometer makes sense elsewhere. There are many good disposable thermometers on the market, such as Tempa-Dot, that are also unbreakable. A digital indoor/outdoor thermometer with a probe is a good resource to tell temp. Variations of a patient who is either immobilized during or waiting for evac, although not as accurate as a medical version.

You mentioned pandemic,  If bird flu is your concern stock up on n-95 mask and antimicrobal hand gel.  These will save you if it ever reaches here.  Build your own kit for first aid the put to gether ones have too much bull****.  Also remember a vet supply company is your friend when it comes to antibiotics, tetnus and vitamin injections.  

I started with a list I got from a First Aid class I took years back and upgraded from there. Now we have a nice Cabela's bag chock-full of goodies. I still don't have stuff like Quick-Clot but then, I've read from BTDT types that the judicious (read: trained, which I'm not) use of tourniquets is as good or better.

(For some reason I've been on a first aid kick the last year or so)

Thanks for all the replies,

I looked again at the one at Wal-Mart and it's mostly band-aids so I started thinking of throwing one together like some have suggested.

I'm a police officer and have the requisite First Responder I'm just trying to have things beforehand so as not to have to worry about them when the "end comes".

Thanks again,
Scott

As a former LEO and as a Paramedic I guess I need to put in my 2cents.
89hawk you list is great a big +1 on the sanitary napkins, old trick but works great. Fully sturated yhey hold about 1 unit of blood, makes for tracking blood loss easy.
N95 respiratior I, am so so on that, you can get a N100 for about .25 more each when brought a a industrial supply store.
Get your self into a EMT class, you will learn how to take care of many things and how to use some items in new ways.
As for me I am in contact with our company doctor (Med control) and ER docs all the time. I am not worried about the "pandemic" at this time as the media has taken this as a issue trying to scare the hell out of us, so we have to "tune in"  for the latest info BS.
My kits are very extensive as I am a supervisor for a Workplace Health Management company. I place EMT's and Paramedics on large construction projects and I restock many of my sites from my home backstock. I addition I have recieved a lot of additional training over and above my Paramedic. (officialy I am listed as a Physician Extender, helped write the cirriculim for the classes)
What you will find after you are trained you will be able to handle situations better with a clearer head.

Quoted: I started with a list I got from a First Aid class I took years back and upgraded from there. Now we have a nice Cabela's bag chock-full of goodies. I still don't have stuff like Quick-Clot but then, I've read from BTDT types that the judicious (read: trained, which I'm not) use of tourniquets is as good or better. (For some reason I've been on a first aid kick the last year or so)

None of our medics carry quik-clot now that everyone was issued hemmorage control pressure bandages (also called isreali bandages around here).   Don't know the exact medical details, but apparently quik-clot was causing a lot of damage.  As bad as bleeding to death?  I don't know, but I do know there's no more quik-clot around here.  

www.firstcareproducts.com for the bandages.

Quoted: one last thing, if your serious about medical emergencies, look into taking an EMT course. they are not hard and many times community grants are available to cover the cost. without good training on what NOT to do, the best crash kit in the world is useless.

+1  this is next on my to-do list.  not a full EMT, but at least a first responder course.

as for the kit, the best value i've found is the combat lifesaver's kit.  one of my bar regulars is a former 1st batt ranger, who now works for homeland.  asked him last night if there was anything better for a basic kit.  he replied "that's what i keep in my trunk".

the nice thing was that he also told me "if you have the bag, bring it in and i'll fill it for free.  i have all that stuff laying around my house".  and he's going to teach me IV and such.

amazing what comes out of buying a guy a couple of drinks as thanks for serving.

ETA:  as for the book, i got this.  every single person i spoke with, either civilian or military, said it was the best single reference available.  it's also on amazon, and you can look at the reviews there.

Not a bad price for whats in the bag and a nice starting point.
While the first responder course is good I still recommend the full EMT course. You don't have to get the Cert. you will get more detail on the hows and why's of illness and injury.
In my first reply I mentioned my stock and training. When we had the Tornado Nov. 6th, 05. My home became the neighborhood rally point/ check in station. I treated many small injuries and a few that needed sutures. My neighbors are mostly WWII or Viet Nam Vets, I am the young kid. I also had a working wood stove so I could sterilize water or equipment.
Word spread fast of our block and I was able to give responders a count on people and injuries in my area. We were isolated for 12 hours untill cranes and other equipment could get to our street. I met them at the end of the street with a list of the homes/ number of occupants/ and injuries/ and crude damage assessments ( not trained for that ).
Another area for you to look at is communications, don't depend on a cell phones. I had FMRS/GMRS radio's with batteries. I had four radio's the wife was the "base unit" I had one and I gave one to people at each end of the street. Every thing had to go thru base and the wife wrote it down.
You have guns, duh you are on arfcom. ok if you are med. guy the others who have them will watch your back as you work on others.
I have worked many natural disasters as a medic but this was the first time I was " In the diaster zone as a victim" I learned that the training I got in the basic EMT class, 20 some years ago was right on the mark.
A former partner on the truck is in bisness as a EMT instructor, the classes have been updated to include BIO/Haz com attacks and how to function. Get it Get it now.
You will not be a sheeple you will take charge and be part of the solutition.