What Are You Prepared For in Anaheim Hills?

What Are You Prepared For?

As a boy scout, I was taught to always be prepared.  Growing up in Alaska, that lesson was reinforced on a daily basis.  You simply didn’t go anywhere without warm clothing and a change of clothes.  It didn’t take much to slide off the road and into a ditch and it could be hours before rescuers found you.

What are you preparing for right now?  Retirement?  Vacation?  College Expenses?  A new family member?  A job change?  A question I ask myself often is; if you’re not preparing for something, what should you be preparing for? 

I’m a motorcycle rider again.  I drove a motorcycle for years as a young adult, but it had been over 25 years since I had ridden on the street.  I started preparing to be a safe rider.  I got riding gear, a good helmet and a specialized tool kit.  I confirmed my favored Camelback water bottle fit nicely in one of the handy saddlebags.  Something was bothering me.  I put over a hundred miles on the bike and something was eating at me.  I felt like I was forgetting something, but I couldn’t pin it down.  Last weekend, I took a Motorcycle Safety Rider’s Course and everyone was talking about someone they knew that had been in an accident.  That’s it!  Memory restored.  I need a First Aid Kit on my bike.

It’s the last thing I put on the bike to make myself feel completely prepared.  Unfortunately, I’ve seen First Aid ignored in modern society.  You may have heard of a story of someone who passed because first responders didn’t get there fast enough.  There were many times, as the First Responder, I was the first one to administer First Aid.  It used to baffle me.

What are you prepared for?  Are you prepared for an accident while hiking?  While boating?  I often get teased for showing up with my big red First Aid Kit.  It doesn’t take long to make believers out of the teasers though.  I coached soccer for years and the call, “Get Coach’s First Aid Kit!” was not uncommon.  I went through gauze and ice packs like crazy with those boys.  

Did you know our soldiers all carry a large gauze bandage on their person at all times?  You can’t MedEvac your buddy out unless you have stopped the bleeding.  No paramedic or doctor is going to criticize your sincere efforts to stop bleeding.  I’ve even heard of duct tape being employed in an emergency.  

The American Red Cross recommends not buying first aid kits from the store.  Instead; custom-build the kit to the activity.  I’ve always practiced that.  The Red Cross website has suggestions for building your own kit.  I have two custom kits; a large red plastic tool box from my days of coaching that I use at home and on hunting trips, etc…  I have a small satchel that will be kept on my motorcycle from now on.  Hopefully I’ll never need it, but I’d rather be teased for having it than remembered for not having it!

CVS was giving away this First Aid Bag with the purchase of Johnson & Johnson first aid products.  I'm not certain how long the promotion is going for, but at $4.99 it's less than the red neoprene bag I bought on eBay and it's well marked!

Hmmmm, what if your Realtor gave you a fully-stocked First Aid Kit instead of some other closing gift?