If you need to pack light and are limited on weight, what are the necessary supplies you carry for your first-aid kit?

[kjflorian]

If you need to pack light and are limited on weight, what are the necessary supplies you carry for your first-aid kit?

[jbonifer24]

Guaze, butterfly bandages, medical tape, alcohol wipes, iodine, and some Neosporin. This is about as basic as I go, and this is only what I put in my day pack. I have a full sized first-aid kit I pack in and leave at camp.

[herbie57_57]

jbonifer has a good list, I could do without the wipes, iodine and neosporin till I got back to camp though. I also carry vet wrap, it helps hold gauze in place and can hold splints in place if you need it.

[T]

A ace-wrap bandaide would be another thing. Check out the article Field & Stream made about the DIY Altoid tin emergency kit too.

[koeka]

From my experience a major threat to hikers/hunters or anyone walking around camp areas and which is often overlooked is the threat of exposure to cold, a must in any pack has to be an emergency blanket (the one that looks like aluminum foil developed by NASA).

Even in the summer season if you are injured and unable to return to camp and are waiting rescuing, the night temps can drop below enough for you to be at risk for hyperthermia.

Also, camping matches, lighter or the best device is the magnesium stone is must to start a fire. Fire has been providing physiological comfort to those either lost or waiting for rescue as well as an obvious heat source.

I would also consider carrying a whistle and a small length of cord and a backup compass just in case…

[kjflorian]

Thanks for the input, all good answers. Best to be prepared.

[Christian Emter]

Matches compass water fire starter and flares

[texasfirst]

OK, first aid kit, not survival kit:
1. bacitracin or some sort of triple antibiotic.
2. roll of gauze.
3. needle and clean (preferably sterilized) cotton thread.
4. aspirin

These are your pack light survival kit essentials.

[bonnier-admin_2]

In addition to the above in my pack I carry a small bottle of Vaseline and it has more uses than anything else you can carry. Being a former Search and Rescue member, keeping your wound clean, moist and covered is what you want. Once you get out you can get the additional care you need. One of the best uses for Vaseline and a magnesium fire starter stick is the best way for starting a fire under the most extreme conditions, been dar and dun dat!” Take a 2x2 inch piece of cloth that can also be used as a bandage and saturate it with Vaseline and scrape a little “magnesium on it and hit it with the flint side and now you have instant fire 6 to 10 minutes of flame. I still got the same Vaseline jar in my back pack some 10 years ago and still work as good as the day I put it in.

[bonnier-admin_2]

PS Matches of any kind is a waste of money!!!

[CPT BRAD]

OK FIRST AID NOT SURVIVAL KIT

2 rules of thought on this
Altoid size can or 6x9 dayplanner size.
Altoid first, Asprin, triple antibiotic, 2x3 bandages, bandaids, tweezers and a needle.
for a dayplanner size go on EBay and search it.
you can get a 200 piece set with anything you want.
THAT'S ONLY FIRST AID
For a survial kit your up to fanny pack size, and should think about food, shelter, fire and living for about 3 days. you can and will use stuff from your first aid kit for survival. Clay had a post about using your vasaline for a fire starter that I had never thought of, and you could always fish with a needle but I would add fish hooks.
I also have some items that I just use for camp such as immodium, chapstick, sunscreen, more asprin, and all of my gause and tape because it won't go in a small kit. when I hunt I usually never get over 4 hours away from the truck or camp so you can wait to actually clean and dress that wound till you get back. That's just me and I'm a little paranoid when it comes to that, I have bought everyone in my family a vehicle first aid kit and keep them stocked at deer camp. NOTHING makes for a more miserable trip than diareha for about 3-4 days.

[wally]

If you just want to spend some money you can pick up a kit at Sportsmans Warehouse,Gander Mountain, or Cabelas for like 15-30 dollars with gauze, aspirin, gloves, the whole 9 yrds in a compact case.

[huntergatherer]

I like tweezers but that is because I hunt in cactus country quite a bit.

[ETangler]

add an ace bandage.

[M Fet]

Also doesn't hurt to put a few bandades for small cuts to limit the chance of infection.