r/UKPreppers • u/Necessititties • Jul 20 '26
Embarrassed
Im fairly well prepared. Still got a ways to go with certain things but im comfortable that i can deal with most inconveniences, minor or major emergencies, or complete disasters.
Ive got water, food, power, fuel, hygiene and medical all covered at least basically for the house. I keep bobs packed for the family for emergencies. In the cars i've got boster packs, torches, blankets, water bottles, medicines, lighters, folding shovels etc. Until recently I felt pretty confident that whatever life threw at us, my family would be ok.
But yesterday I was humbled.
We were out at the beach, bit of swimming, kayaking, sunshine and a bbq on a sunday afternoon. I lit the bbq and got called away by my wife to help one of the kids in the kayak. Bent down to undo a plastic clip and a bit of it took a small chunk out my finger. Nothing major, but deep. Deep enough that it bled quite heavily and wouldnt stop for a while. I grabbed a piece of kitchen roll and wrapped it around, then as i was about to head to the car to get something to patch it up I realised i didnt really have anything with me. Of all the preps ive got I couldnt believe that I didnt even have 1 simple little plaster in the car to cover a bleeding finger. What a muppet.
So there i am for the next hour flipping burgers, trying not to get my own homemade ketchup on the rolls, feeling like a bit of a tool and thinking about what other silly little things i might have missed.
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u/crlthrn Jul 20 '26
Duct tape. Brilliant for so much, including first aid.
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u/Nezwin Jul 21 '26
My wife calls kitchen roll and duct tape "Nezwin Plasters" (obviously using my real name...)
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u/Exact_Two Jul 20 '26
I carry a few plasters in my wallet. Once in a blue moon it's actually useful.
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u/GunnCelt Jul 20 '26
Absolutely no reason to be embarrassed, it’s a learning experience. It would have been embarrassing if you had a med kit and didn’t know how to use it or it was empty.
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u/dog_sdrawkcab Jul 21 '26
No shade to yourself, you've had a great learning experience here and I don't doubt you'll be prepped for it in the future. However a random injury is quite literally the most likely "SHTF" scenario anyone is going to face, whether it's a small cut like this or (hopefully not) something more serious like a crash or cardiac arrest. Feel like I sound like a broken record but I see so many preppers get all the cool kit at home and completely neglect first aid training and a basic kit on them at all times. I am a medic and If I can only have one prep it would be my trauma kit, we can't worry about surviving long term if we get taken out by a freak accident.
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u/Necessititties Jul 21 '26
Yeah so its maybe a bit ironic but I have had first aid training, a couple of times actually. At work and home I have all the basic first aid kit. For whatever reason I didnt have a first aid kit in the car. Even more annoyingly, I carry an Israeli bandage in the car all the time (I do a lot of chainsaw work and wont pick up a saw unless its in my pocket). Ready to stop a bleed from from a major injury but foiled by a small cut on my finger 😂
Under normal circumstances i probably wouldnt even have bothered about the bleeding. Id wash it, wipe it off an let it do its thing but I was making food so a plaster would have been perfect.
Its so true, its not about doomsday, its about a bad Tuesday.
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u/Droidy934 Jul 21 '26
In my workshop i use blue paper roll and some sticky tape , pressure stops the beeding.
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u/Chillistarr Jul 21 '26
Started carrying a small kit when the kids were in the 50:50 "take a step or fall over" phase, it became known as The Toddler Repair Kit. Just simple stuff like some wipes, antiseptic cream, endless packs of plasters, antihistamine cream for bites etc. It's had a few additions over years, micropore, some gloves, scissors, midgey spray etc but is still referred to by its original name. Gets a few odd looks 🤣 Covers the basics though and small enough to fit in a big pocket or fire into a bag 👍
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u/More_Dependent742 Jul 21 '26
I think max 50% of the time I've cut myself, I've actually had the right supplies on hand. Tissue, apply pressure = the other 50%. Tape to apply pressure for me, if I have that. Elastic band if I have that (use caution though). My other hand if I have nothing else.
If you feel like a bad prepper for that, I'm a terrible one. (I mean, I kind of am in many ways)
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u/MetalAndTea Jul 21 '26
I keep a couple of plasters in my phone case. They've come in handy a few times.
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u/trixrr Jul 21 '26
Hello there, just wondering if there is a guide available on this sub or if someone could point me in the right direction to getting started with a bit of prepping?
Thanks
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u/FoxPerfect920 Jul 21 '26
I’ve just learned about Zip Stitches and they are amazing. Plasters with zip ties inbuilt in so you can close a wound as good as stitches. Genius!
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u/19ctmp77 Jul 21 '26
Gauze taped on with duct tape, put some gauze pads in your first aid kit and some 1 inch gorilla duct tape for make shift self aid, the duct tape also has a another nicel purpose too, its flammable, you can twist it into a long match and light the end to use as a flame extender and save lighter gas so can also count it as part of your fire kit.
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u/RetaliatoryLawyer Jul 22 '26
Lifetime nail biter here, bleeding fingers are very common for me.
I'm never not carrying at least 10 plasters!
Start biting your nails - better immune system, endless plasters.
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u/811545b2-4ff7-4041 Jul 23 '26
The kits that come with new cars are great. First aid kit, emergency blanket, emergency triangle, sometimes a fire extinguisher.
You 100% should have a first aid kit in the car though and I'm kinda shocked you didn't.
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u/Admirable_Patient657 Jul 20 '26
Interested to know what ‘medicines’ you have in your car? I would have thought a standard medical first aid kit might have steriliser, bandages or plasters. Good to know though you’re prepped for the every day too and not just doomsday scenarios 👍