Mini Cream/Gel Packs - DIY

[Holomon]

Thought this might be useful for anyone that maintains a small med kit in addition to their main one, or for hiking/walking/rambling.
I saw a guide to this a while ago, but if I remember one of the steps was wrong and I can't find it, so as I was knocking some up anyway thought I'd make a how to;

Basically what you're going to be doing is creating single dose versions of any antiseptic creams, burns gels etc that you'd normally carry in your full kit, so that you can have a few doses in the little one or just cut down on weight generally.
So, get your creams or gels, and some different coloured drinking straws, some pliers/multitool, scissors and a lighter, and let's make like Blue Peter;



Step 1

Cut down a straw to an inch or so, and squirt a good dose of your chosen cream/gel;



Step 2

Pinch off the end with your pliers, and have a tissue on hand to wipe off the excess;



Step 3

Melt the end with the lighter to seal it;



Step 4

Cut the other end down close to the gel/cream and repeat;




Voila, a single dose of Acriflex. Just vary your straw sizes to suit how big a dose you want.
Also, colour code your straw colours to match the contents.

Forgot to add, the reason you don't seal one end first is whatever you're squirting in won't go down unless the air can get out. So squirt first, seal both ends after. Obviously be careful if you're putting something flammable in there as the end you squirted from will have some leftovers inside the bit you're melting.

[pseudonym]

Great idea.

Please bear in mind customs when travelling.

They will take a closer look on powders,pills and liquids not in original packaging.

[Holomon]

That's an excellent point, definitely not for foreign travel use, but you could knock them up when you get there.

[Quercus-robur]

Cheers for this. I have been meaning to try this for a while now. I haven't tried it yet but was thinking, rather than risk using a lighter to seal the end when you have flammable liquid inside, would it not be better to heat up a knife or other metal implement and use that? Logic would suggest that the metal would be hot enough to melt the straw but not hot enough to cause the contents to combust.

Qr

[Holomon]

Cheers for this. I have been meaning to try this for a while now. I haven't tried it yet but was thinking, rather than risk using a lighter to seal the end when you have flammable liquid inside, would it not be better to heat up a knife or other metal implement and use that? Logic would suggest that the metal would be hot enough to melt the straw but not hot enough to cause the contents to combust.

Qr

As long as you've got the end pinched tight with the pliers it should be fine. It just fizzles a bit rather than melting immediately.
The straws take a bit of melting with the lighter, so not sure a hot knife would work, but I've never tried.

If you're going to give it a go I'd be interested to know!

[Quercus-robur]

Cheers for this. I have been meaning to try this for a while now. I haven't tried it yet but was thinking, rather than risk using a lighter to seal the end when you have flammable liquid inside, would it not be better to heat up a knife or other metal implement and use that? Logic would suggest that the metal would be hot enough to melt the straw but not hot enough to cause the contents to combust.

Qr

As long as you've got the end pinched tight with the pliers it should be fine. It just fizzles a bit rather than melting immediately.
The straws take a bit of melting with the lighter, so not sure a hot knife would work, but I've never tried.

If you're going to give it a go I'd be interested to know!

Iodine Tincture is flammable and I would like some small single does of that so I will give it a try.

Qr