[Lumbee1]

I fell on my bike the other day out on the trail. Landed on some nasty rocks. Bruised and scrapped my leg real good and punch a hole in my arm. My leg was sore but ok, the arm started to bleed though. I used water from my camelbak to wash the wound and wiped the area with my shirt. I applied a Bandaid Brand fabric bandage. By the time I got home, most of the bleeding had stopped but the most painful part was removing the bandaid. It adhered to the skin a little too well. After what seemed like 5 minutes, I removed one side of the bandaid with extreme torture. I had the wifey jerk the rest of the bandaid off. My wound was sore but the pain was minimal compared to the 4 layers of skin I just removed around it.

What bandaids have you had success with? The fabric bandaids stick well but obviously don't come off to easily. The typical plastic bandaids fall right off at the mere sight of moisture.

 

[sodade]

Good question. I did a shin plant on a cheese grater of a rock the other day and managed to open up 3/4 of the length of my shin - not too deep, but enough to cause a good blood flow. I had no bandaids, so I wrapped my bandana around the highest flow portion - it worked well enough to get me home - luckily, it was all downhill.

It usually takes me one mistake to learn my lesson, and this is no different. Now, my camelbak is equipped with the following bleed kit:

2 non stick pads
2 small packets of neosporin
a small roll of coban
1 medium bandaid for small cuts

Eager to hear other's kit contents...

 

[tlg]

Duct Tape. I carry a roll of gauze and about 5' of duct tape wrapped around a pice of plastic. With it I can make any size bandage needed. Can even splint a broken limb if needed. The duct tape also can serve for many emergency bike repairs.

Yea, the duct tape is sticky. And if applied to skin may hurt comming off. But when possible, wrap the gauze completely around your arm, leg, etc. and stick the tape onto the gause overlap. If you must apply it to skin, rip it into thin strips so less is sticking to ya.

 

[sodade]

Duct Tape. I carry a roll of gauze and about 5' of duct tape wrapped around a pice of plastic. With it I can make any size bandage needed. Can even splint a broken limb if needed. The duct tape also can serve for many emergency bike repairs.

Yea, the duct tape is sticky. And if applied to skin may hurt comming off. But when possible, wrap the gauze completely around your arm, leg, etc. and stick the tape onto the gause overlap. If you must apply it to skin, rip it into thin strips so less is sticking to ya.

What are you? MTBer de Sade? Have you ever used gauze and duct tape on a wound? First off, the gauze will stick to your wound no matter how much neosporin you slather on there. The duct tape is likely to strip off several layers of skin - making your wound bigger.

Duct tape - good for the bike, bad for the body...

Notice that my ER kit doesn't even have tape - that's what the coban is for...

 

[tlg]

Have you ever used gauze and duct tape on a wound?

Yea.

First off, the gauze will stick to your wound no matter how much neosporin you slather on there.

Not necessarily. Never had a problem. I wouldn't recommend leaving it on for a week.

The duct tape is likely to strip off several layers of skin - making your wound bigger.

Hence my point of securing the tape to the gauze and not the skin.

 

[shiggy]

Bandaids? If it is small enough that a bandaid would cover it I don't bother. I have 4x4 pads and vet wrap for the bigger stuff.

 

[dompedro3]

second shiggy...

bandaids? if it is small enough that a bandaid covers it, i just leave it. if its bleeding enough to really slow me down, i carry a roll of gauze and adhezive elastic with some neosporin.

 

[sodade]

Bandaids? If it is small enough that a bandaid would cover it I don't bother. I have 4x4 pads and vet wrap for the bigger stuff.

the bandaid got added to my kit after a ride where I sliced my knuckle open. If it is in the right spot, a small cut can bleed like crazy...

p.s. note that "vet wrap" is the same thing as coban - awesome stuff...

 

[Spooler]

Maxi Pads

I'm the medic for our adventure racing team. I carry maxi pads in our 1st Aid Kit to use as a trauma pad for injuries that bleed a lot. I used one in our last race when one of my teammates drove a treebranch into his forehead and was bleeding like a stuck pig. It works great. Compact, lightweight, designed for bloodflow and there's the handy adhesive strip on the back that helps hold it in place under a helmet.

I will admit that he was the talk of the race going through the checkpoints with a maxi pad hanging out of his helmet.

 

[wolfy]

athletic tape

Why not athletic tape?

I've heard the thing about the maxi's before. The other plus is they come sealed in a nice color coded package. But make sure you use the right one for the right amount of flow.

-M

 

[shiggy]

Why not athletic tape?

-M

Vet wrap is 4" wide, elastic and sticks only to itself.

 

[wolfy]

But, It's Like for dogs! That means it's too good for us.

Right, that is better. Plus you can get it in pink.

-M

 

[shiggy]

But, It's Like for dogs! That means it's too good for us.

And horses. That is how I learned of it.

Right, that is better. Plus you can get it in pink.

...and blue, purple, orange, red, yellow, black, turquoise, green...

 

[Locust]

3m

I started to use the 3M (post it's,electrical tape and now bandages) brand bandages a while ago. They work very well and you can get them in some good and large sizes. They are some kinda breathable plastic.

 

[Bikinfoolferlife]

I'm with the others that if it's small enough for a bandaid I generally leave it uncovered, it heals faster that way. I do clean it other than with my smelly sweaty shirt, I usually use alcohol wipes or Gold Bond wipes to clean wounds as soon as I can. I carry a small first aid kit with a variety of materials and meds for more serious wounds. Now you know why some cyclists shave, it makes for less to rip off with the bandage....

 

[Picard]

abrasion kit from Adventure medical kit

I bought the abrasion kit and wound management kit from adventure medical kit. The absion kit is designed for bikers. It has non-stick bandaids and several other critical items. The wound managment kit is intened if you have severe wound from bike ride. I also add LED flashlight to first aid kit. Now I don't have to worry about getting injured without proper first aid kit. It is better to be prepare than be sorry later.

 

[JimC.]

Roach

if you truly ride XC/FR like your profile says, why aren't you using armour for protection? Your NC rocks aren't any softer than those anywhere else.

Just a thought. Jim

 

[formica]

p.s. note that "vet wrap" is the same thing as coban - awesome stuff...

and if you buy it at the feed store it's about 1/4 of the price of the first aid stuff.

formica

 

[Skookum]

What's the point of Bandaids on the trail?

i pack a few deals of gauze and medical tape.
Duct tape can work for closing huge flaps of skin being open.
Maxi Pads and Tampons are great for big bleeding puncture wounds.
And super glue works great to close a wound that contiously re-opens and keeps bleeding, works better than a butterfly.

i consider everything a necessity to patch up to get off the trail where you can dress it up right at home or to get you to a hospital to get treated.

Bandaid? c'mon....... Any little owie that a bandaid would take care of just needs some wind to dry it up. Leave the bandaids at home where you can clean it up good then put it on after the ride.

 

[SHIVER ME TIMBERS]

duct tape...take it like a man