Lifehammer
Every car first aid kit should have a Lifehammer. Should you end up at the scene of an accident involving trapped passengers, the lifehammer will bust windows and cut seatbealts to help free those in danger. $US15.
CPR Flashlight
You maybe CPR certified, but when the time comes, will you be able to recall every technique under pressure? If not, there’s the CPR torch, which, in addition to making things less dark, has a speaker which will recite pre-recorded instructions for various CPR skills. $US20.
Pain-Free Medical Tape
Just because you may have to bandage and tape someone up in a pinch doesn’t mean you can’t take the well being of their skin into consideration. 3M’s silicone medical tape somehow manages to keep itself in place without ripping out body hairs and irritating skin when removed. $US6.
Iodine Water Purifying Tablets
If you’re in a pinch and need a last-ditch solution for drinking water, carry some iodine tablets with you. 30 minutes after dropping these things into water will provide you with hydration that’s mostly germ and bacteria-free. $US7.
Pocket First Aid and CPR App
A First Aid Kit need not be limited to a single bag or pouch full of tools. Your smartphone can be a valuable asset as well. Case in point: the Pocket First Aid and CPR app for the iPhone provides information and instructions on how to save someone’s life, plus it will store your own medical information should something happen to you. $4.49
Emergency Whistle
If no one is around to assist you in a time of emergency, or if someone nearby can’t find you, a whistle can help. The Storm whistle claims to be the loudest personal whistle available (94 decibels!) and has an audible range of up to 15m. Plus, it can even work when you’re in water. $US6.
olearymo
Wednesday, July 27, 2011 at 9:18 AMSome fantastic stuff. I’ve been meaning to look into something like the life hammer. It’s so cheap, I didn’t realise! Will have to pick up some of this stuff.
rb
Wednesday, July 27, 2011 at 9:31 AM“has an audible range of up to 15m”
15 metres isn’t very far… Unless you’re buried under 15m of soil…
Maniacal
Wednesday, July 27, 2011 at 10:05 AMdoubt you would even be able to blow a whistle while buried under snow/dirt, much less the sound of it travelling through snow/dirt for 15m
bazuden
Wednesday, July 27, 2011 at 11:04 AMI’d say thats 15 miles. Americans tend to use m for miles, instead of metres.
olearymo
Wednesday, July 27, 2011 at 3:37 PMI think it’s usually ‘mi’.
stateandlake
Friday, July 29, 2011 at 8:06 AMThe Storm Whistle can be heard a half mile away in an open area, and a quarter mile away through trees. The Storm also, incidentally, can be heard up to fifty feet underwater. http://www.stormwhistles.com/faq.html
JBot
Wednesday, July 27, 2011 at 3:56 PMJust so you know, the colour of the cross you should have used to signify first aid is green.
The red cross is set aside for use by the International Red Cross and to actually use it is a breach of the Geneva Convention.