Minor injuries at home, at work, or in the shop may be painful and inconvenient, but most do not have severe consequences. But take that minor injury into the backcountry, or on a coastal cruise many hours from definitive care, and the stakes can quickly get much higher, particularly if an injury impairs mobility which delays travel to safer environs or renders an individual unable to operate a vessel safely, or at all. A well-stocked first-aid kit is an important piece of gear and can go a long way to keeping treatable injuries from turning an outdoor adventure into an epic, or even disastrous, affair.The Boat Medic first-aid kit from My Medic is well-thought-out and very well stocked and packaged. It should allow responders to render care for a wide range of injuries and illness running the gamut from minor to life-threatening trauma. The supplies are packed in a waterproof and robust 10″×12″×6″ plastic case. Secure closure is provided by two rugged dual-action latches that prevent accidental opening, while an automatic pressure-valve equalizes the air pressure to assure that the case can always be easily opened. The case kept water out during my 10-minute spray test and 30-minute immersion, confirming its IPX7 rating for waterproofness. The case is manufactured by Nanuk and has an IPX7 waterproof rating (submersible at 1 meter for 30 minutes) and has double-action latches to prevent accidental opening. Loaded with the first-aid supplies, it weighs 5 lbs 10 oz.
All photographs by SBM
Read this article now for Free!
Ready for a second free article? Create a free account by entering your email address and a password below.
— OR —
Subscribe now for $29.99 a year and have immediate access to all of our content, including hundreds of small-boat profiles, gear reviews and techniques, adventure stories, and more! You can also browse our entire archive of back issues starting from September 2014, as well as post unlimited classified ads. This is an extraordinary value!
Having been fortunate enough to been on multi boat trips with John and J R Krevens, also an ER doc, I’ve always felt pretty good about anything that might happen. My first-aid kit and knowledge pales in comparison. Not a bad idea for us civilians to tuck a book like the NOLS manual into the kit. My personal lightweight waterproof favorite is the Wilderness Medical Associates Field Guide—really easy to use when there is a situation and has the guides needed when communicating a problem to outside help.
Having recently taken a Wilderness First Aid/CPR class, I recommend that as an addition to having a first aid kit and methods of calling for help. WFA is appropriate when help is more than an hour away.
In some areas, there are Wilderness First Aid/Wilderness First Responder courses that are geared toward small boats which can present some different issues than hiking.
John is an awesome boat medic!