Expired IFAK stored in hot vehicle?

[GC7]

I have one of these that has been stored for almost 6 years now in a vehicle that gets cold in winter, hot in summer.

404 – Elite First Aid

404 – Elite First Aid

elitefirstaidinc.com

I know the meds/wipes/salves/etc are probably not good anymore, but what about the bleedstop or the bandage/gauze? Nothing in there has been used so it's all still in the factory shrinkwrap and such.

 

[JEVapa]

I have one of these that has been stored for almost 6 years now in a vehicle that gets cold in winter, hot in summer.

404 – Elite First Aid

404 – Elite First Aid

elitefirstaidinc.com

I know the meds/wipes/salves/etc are probably not good anymore, but what about the bleedstop or the bandage/gauze? Nothing in there has been used so it's all still in the factory shrinkwrap and such.

Nothing wrong with it. Expiration dates are like speed limits...merely suggestions. The only things that usually go bad are the alcohol wipes...they dry up. Bandaids can get funky, but you can open one and see. In fact, you can open one of each of the wipes to see. Or squish it back and forth in your fingers to see if it's still liquid or leaks. If it's all dry rotted and falling apart, then maybe but I'm betting it absolutely fine.

 

[OK Corgi Rancher]

I've got shit in my home first aid kit that's probably 20 years old or more. I know that's not the same as a car. But, it's for emergencies. I doubt I'm gonna care if a bandage or ointment is old in an emergency. Valid questions, but I'm guessing it's all fine.

 

[HoLeChit]

I have a big bag that’s full of first aid crap for me and the dog that I’ve had riding around in various vehicles/boats since 2013. Goes everywhere with me. A lot of it has been swapped out or used up, but it’s pretty rare to run across something that’s no good. Like said above, usually alcohol wipes or similar garbage. I’ve just replaced that stuff with gauze pads and alcohol or betadyne. Bug sting kits/wipes with Benadryl. I would use peroxide more but my understanding is that freshness is the key to efficacy with peroxide.


Tbh, if you were shot, would you care if your Israeli H bandage was expired or even still packaged? I honestly wouldn’t, as long as it worked.

 

[CS Boomis]

Hell, if you can just find an old red bottle of Methiolate. That’s what my mom used to cauterize us kids with and I’m pretty sure it was left over from the Ark..

 

[Ndenway]

Got a lot of old gauze & tape & few needles and cat gut in my house kit, few bottles of the red mercurochrome

 

[Hillside Desolate]

red mercurochrome

I remember my grandfathers arms always being covered with that stuff. I remember he got me a first aid kit at Miramar and it had a little bottle of it, and I thought it was so cool.

 

[Ndenway]

Hahahaha that reminds me, I can't remember the name of the stuff now that my pop used to buy, it was green liquid in a steel retangular pint size can, had to put on the yellow rubber dishwashing gloves keep from getting on your skin.

Used it on cattle, horse, hogs, cats, dogs & us when got lacerations/cuts, sewed up, sores, ringworm etc.

Whatever it's name it was bad assed, it burned like fire & stained the area green for several days when put on a wound, after awhile of squirming around (animals would flop and rub doctored wound on trees, grass & ground and it stayed on, not like fly-paste) the burning sensation went away, the bugs & flys stayed away from it and wound seemed to heal quicker.

Funnyasfuck when animals got ringworm, we'd have to restrain them, then put an eyedroper of it on the opening and the larva would crawl out a bit quick, we'd grab it with the 6" tweezers and pull them out.

we'd have to make sure and clean the tweezers and put back in his "vet" kit since he/we used them when we frankenstein stitched up wounds and doctored wounds.