Bugout bags and pain meds.

**beerrunner13** · 05-17-2008, 11:51 PM

I agree with ya Sam I carry diffrent meds then you, but they came from my Dr and are meds I have taken. I too have enough brains not to take something I was not experinced with. There will always be nay sayers who think they know better then the person who is doing what he's doing.While some of it is meant to be and is helpful there are others who think thier way is the only way becuse they are so much smarter.

**Ken** · 05-18-2008, 12:00 AM

One thought. Carry a copy of the Doc's prescription with you if you carry the med out of its original pharmacy container. All you need is just one cop creating a reason to search you or your vehicle, finding your meds, and locking you up for possession of narcotics without a prescription.

**beerrunner13** · 05-18-2008, 12:26 AM

Very good suggestion Ken when I travel I always have my original bottle with me, In the woods not so much, but we don't see to many cops, but you are right and I do have to drive to the woods.

**Sam Reeves** · 05-18-2008, 12:54 AM

Originally Posted by beerrunner13

I agree with ya Sam I carry different meds then you, but they came from my Dr and are meds I have taken. I too have enough brains not to take something I was not experinced with. There will always be nay sayers who think they know better then the person who is doing what he's doing.While some of it is meant to be and is helpful there are others who think thier way is the only way because they are so much smarter.

Yeah, it not as if I was suggesting ways to make your own morphine or something about horse tranquilizers. Personally I hate pain meds. If I am eating them it means I am in pain but I wouldn't want to be without them if I needed them.

**Sam Reeves** · 05-18-2008, 01:03 AM

Originally Posted by Ken

One thought. Carry a copy of the Doc's prescription with you if you carry the med out of its original pharmacy container. All you need is just one cop creating a reason to search you or your vehicle, finding your meds, and locking you up for possession of narcotics without a prescription.

Yeah, those pesky bottles take up alot of space in yer BOB. Another point to keep in mind is that you are only allowed to carry the meds in the bottle that the meds are labeled for. No percocets in the Oxycotton bottle but you can put non pharmaceuticals in the bottle with the meds. If I am not mistaken I topped off my percocets with fishing supplies and my Fentanyl patches, which comes in a box, with medical supplies. I think my Ibuprofen is topped off with multivitamins. I'm too lazy to drag all of this out to be sure.

**Ken** · 05-18-2008, 01:07 AM

I wrap my meds in foil with tiny labels taped over. Stops the things from breaking up as they rattle around in your pack.

**Rick** · 05-18-2008, 07:26 AM

Here's a pic of my med pack. It's one of those day dispensers. I picked up one that had the number of compartments and sized to my needs then taped the name of the med on the top door of the compartment. I don't carry the scripts with me but I have the name of my Dr. and his phone number taped to the bottom. If some enforcement officer has any questions, he can call.

**Rick** · 05-18-2008, 07:38 AM

Here is some information that Adventure Doc posted in an earlier thread. You can find it in posts 9 and 13 at

http://www.wilderness-survival.net/f...7077#post17077

For the sake of brevity, I've copied only parts of it. You can view the entire discussion by clicking on the link above.

"...The use of antibiotics in a survival scenario is an important consideration. The length of time one must survive alone or in a remote environment, without definitive medical care, is key. Antibiotics would become a factor if one has an infection or an exposure that warrants antibiotics (animal bite, dirty wound, parasite, etc.).

I think carrying antibiotics in a survival kit is a prudent idea. Good broad spectrum antibiotics such as a quinolone (Cipro) for GI problems or something for skin wounds (clindamycin, cephalexin, etc) is a wise idea. I'd more consider it as a first aid kit item versus a survival kit item. I'd be more inclined to go with pain killers than antibiotics.

Cipro is ciprofloxacin, a flouroquinolone medication, available in the US only by prescription. I'd ask my family doc for a script of a few days course, tell him/her it was for a back-country survival kit and they should totally understand. I frequently write scripts for these types of meds for people to place in their travel health kits, for vacations.

I think neosporin is a fantastic cream and a lifesaver. There are a few other creams that I have in a larger health kit, including an OTC cortisone cream for itch/reactions/rashes and a OTC anti-fungal.

As for pain killers, I generally advise a combo of aspirin, motrin and something a bit "heftier". Aspirin has a double benefit of working well in chest pain scenarios, as a medicine for acute heart attack. Motrin is a great pain reliever (analgesic) and a fantastic anti-inflammatory agent. It is one of my mainstays. A low-grade narcotic is another consideration, for injuries such as broken legs, limbs, etc. A few (4) Vicodin (tylenol and codine) are also in my kit. Just enough to take the edge off, for about 12-24 hours. It makes waiting for help a little easier.

Of course, I feel that if anybody carries a medicine, they need to know when to use it and when not to. For example, don't give aspirin to children for fear of Reye's syndrome. I guess it all comes back to being as familiar and proficient with your gear as you possibly can be. It doesn't matter what the item is: antibiotic, compass, shelter, fire starting eqpt, when you need to use one of these items, it is not the right time to learn how to use it.

As for allergy problems, antihistamines are the ticket. Providing there is not a life threatening allergic reaction (anaphylaxis)..."

**Rick** · 05-18-2008, 06:54 PM

One thing that I think is worth mentioning here. Expired medications should never be flushed down the toilet to dispose of them. Things like antibiotics, painkillers, estrogen, anti-depressants and blood pressure medicines are already showing up in our waterways.

Trash is better than the sewer but you need to take precautions so animals and children don't come in contact. Break up capsules and crush pills. Put the remains back in their original container, close it with a child-resistant cap, tape it and double bag it before disgarding.

If your community has a hazardous waste disposal site (where you drop off used motor oil and batteries) see if they accept expired medicines.

You can also ask your pharmacy if it will take back expired drugs (that's pretty common in Canada and Australia). Typically, the pharmacy will either incinerate or otherwise dispose of the inventory they can't sell as well as consumers' leftover medicines.