Gregson pack, closed
Back in the dim and distant past the Gregson Mountain First Aid Pack was the Rolls Royce of personal first aid kits. Sold by Survival Aids it was rugged, water resistant and user friendly, coming with clear, easy to read instructions for the treatment of injuries. I picked mine up in the late 1980’s, so it must be at least 30 years old now, and still contains some of the original contents, although I have updated some as they have been used, the packaging has deteriorated or they have expired.
The pack, opened
The pack was split into 5 main compartments which dealt with emergency procedures (obtaining help), Bleeding, Fractures and Burns/Pain, and each section (with the exception of the emergency card/whistle) has a press seal which made each section water resistant.
The Treatment guide would refer the user to the relevant page of instructions which gave a very basic reminder of the main points when dealing with that type of injury. The pages were completely encased so that they were fully waterproofed and even after 30 years remain clear, legible and concise.
Gregson Pack with instructions
The pack itself measured 14cm x 10cm x 13cm, so it was more of a group pack than a personal pack and after leaving the army I found that it really was more than I required for solo hiking. I still carried it on group walks for a number of years before going with a slimmed down version, the Gregson Pocket Pack, a hi-vis yellow pack, with only two pouches, which while rugged, wasn’t fully waterproof. The only real addition I made to the kit was the addition of a dedicated blister kit. Otherwise it was good to go, straight off the shelf.
The outside of the pack had a printed contents list, mountain safety tips and a list of phone numbers to call for detailed area weather forecasts. The phone numbers are long defunct and the mountain safety tips long erased from wear, but apart from that this kit is as good as it was all those years ago. It’s now going to live in the boot of the car where I’ve no doubt it may still prove useful.
The Airdrie Rambler 