Since JIM has done such an amazing job with his new FAK, I decided it was time to update mine but I have no formal training beyond self study and a limited amount of space so I'm hoping you all can help me out a bit.

One of the limitations is that I've decided to contain it all in a Pelican Micro Case 1060. I decided a while ago that I wanted a compact and tough kit that would cover my main activities...mainly camping with my wife, taking multi day hiking trips, and motorcycling. As a motorcycle rider training instructor I needed something that would cover the minor injuries somebody might get as a new rider...as well as something that would survive to patch me up if it were ME to go down. There are still items I'd like to add to it but as it stands now it's already what I'd consider to be over full. It's so perfectly snug that if I pull any number of items out, it could take me 3 or 4 tries to get it all back in without crushing it to close the lid. I likely have some un-needed items as this is a home brew kit that I've pieced together over the last year. Here's a picture and the list in no particular order.

• Red Pelican 1060 Micro Case with lanyard
• 25mL bottle of 2.5% Tincture of Iodine
• 6x Sterile Swaps (3 packages of 2)
• 1mL Tube of 3M Nexcare liquid bandage
• Book: Back Country First Aid & Extended Care 5th Edition
• Book: Don't Get Sick! The Hidden Dangers of Hiking and Camping
• 1 Road Rash Management Card (from the adventure medical road rash kit)
• 1 Sheet moleskin
• 2x Wet Ones moist towelettes
• 4x Refresh Celluvisc Single Use Disposable Eye Drops
• 1 (nearly empty) tube Polysporin
• 1x Second Skin burn pad (small)
• 2x Second Skin burn pad (large)
• 1 Tube Durmarest anti itch gel
• 4x 'Magic' instant wash cloth tablets
• 1 roll medical tape
• 2x After Cuts & Scrapes anti septic towelettes
• 4x Benzalkonium Chloride towelettes
• 4x 2"x2" Gauge Sponges
• 1 Gauze rope
• 1 pair nitrile gloves in a zip lock baggie
• 2x After Bite towelettes
• 3x Knuckle bandages
• 4x std. adhesive bandages (extra wide)
• 2x small adhesive bandages
• 6x coated Tylenol ultra
• 15x Tylenol for back pain (Tylenol + muscle relaxant)
• 15x Tylenol 'Cold & Flu'
• 20x Herbal Gravol
• 9x Immodium (plus usage instructions)
• 8x Reactine Antihistamine (plus instructions)
• 1 pr. EMT shears

I'd still like to add more bandages, some Ibuprofen, another pair of gloves, scalpel blades, tweezers and/or forceps, and a triangle bandage.

I'm not adverse to getting a bigger pelican case but they are pricey and it needs to fit into a backpack, BOB, or the bags on my motorcycles.

I'm eager to hear how any of you might make this kit better.

the kit looks good to me..lots of gear you can really use.
the triangle bandage and forceps i would leave out..what
would you use a scalpel blade for..trying to dig something
out is best left to a Dr..tweezers..just the tiny ones for
pulling ticks or slivers is fine..the burn packs are a very
good idea and i would see my Dr about some real pain meds.
first aid kits are tricky..not enought or too much seems to
be the rule..

Where did you get your little SecondSkin? I've learned that if you have amber bottles and teflon septas you can repack Nuskin, but this looks so much easier.

I've used the plastic cases from the old style military FAKs, and one thing I've done is use ranger bands (pieces of old inner tube) to hold a pair of gloves and some of dressing stuff to the outside. If someone has to give aid to me, it saves them time from digging. That is also were I'd put the sheers- on the outside where you can just grab them RIGHT NOW without having to dig.

How much difference is there between the two books, I'm not familiar with them. I might say "pick one".

Iodine wipes, rather than the bottle- smaller.

Immodium can take up less room if you buy it in the bottle and repack in the little ziplocks. Look for smaller ones than you ahve now- 10 Immodium in a 2x2 takes up about as much space as two stick matches.

Reduce the other meds- just a day's course for Tylenol, and then a day's course for the specific "add in". Too much Tylenol and your liver won't like you very much. A dozen tylenol, an OTC muscle relaxant, and a half dozen Sudafed in the blister pack (this you don't want to repack) should take up less space. If you need more, put it in another bag with your every day stuff.

Smaller tube of anti-itch stuff, or possibly wipes.

Two of the washcloth taplets at the most. Probably just pull them. Or am I missing an obvious purpose?

They came with the Adventure Medical Road Rash Kit (as did some of the other items) I picked up. I was never taking it with me as it was just packed in a big zip lock so I decided to integrate it into my main kit.

Not a bad idea. The gloves don't take up much space but the shears are an odd shape and don't back as cleanly.

If I had to pick one I'd pick the first aid book. The other is all about the things that can make you sick and provides a lot of diagnosis tips on being able to tell the difference between things like virii vs bacterial vs parasites as well as a lot of preventative information regarding food prep and storage and sanitation. It's just extra peace of mind in case I forget how deep to dig the latrine hole or how far away to dig it.

Also a good idea...I picked up the bottle a while ago as a backup for making water safe to drink. Since I now carry Katadyne tablets and MIOX pen in another part of my kit, wipes would save me some space.

The pills in blister packs are there because that's the only way I can find them. I like having the expiration date handy too. Carrying Immodium and an Antihistamine (something I've never had a need for in real life) are new for me which is why I tossed in the datasheets...in case of trouble.

I do carry a couple of each in my personal pocket kit...I worry about running out things constantly. I want to put in some Ibuprofin to suppliment or replace the Tylenol. I used to have Asprin type pain killers and had a bad experience mixing it with the Gravol. Both Asprin and the Ginsing in the Gravol thin the blood...I was fortunate enough to get a bloody nose that wouldn't clot.

The anti-itch is one thing that gets used a lot but I could likely do with wipes and/or just carry it outside the kit since it's a regularly used item.

These are a bit of an experiment. They're not 'sterile' or at least not labeled as such but they're just so darned handy. One tablet is about the size of a couple of Tums. Add a bit of water and you get a damp washcloth about 12"x12" the consistency of a lightweight J-cloth. They've only been in there a short while but the possibilities keep coming to me. Everything from cleaning the area around a wound (maybe wet it with iodine?) to using it to absorb blood from it's dry form...the little thing literally sucks water in like a vacuum. The blisters are so close together I'd cut into them to seperate the 4 pack...and if they're out of their blister and get wet they could be a problem as they swell to several times their size...I guess I could repack them in a little zip lock as 4 really is too many.

Thanks for the advice, I'm going to play around with some of your suggestions before packing it all up again...and while others have a chance to chime in.

First of all: It's a pretty good FAK. How large is the pelican-case?

- Choose just 1 book or get a basic instruction sheet. Even better: follow a first-aid/CPR course or the best: WEMT (wilderness EMT)

- I would choose either the Benzalkonium chloride wipes or the After cuts and scrapes wipes.

- try to replace the 2x2 gauze pads with 4x4.

- get a wider roll of medical tape, then wrap it around a pencil or something to make it less bulky.

- Do you have contact lenses? It not, I would remove the eye-drops

- What's a gauze rope? I suspect you mean a gauze roll? Get a new one, but it can be somewhat narrower. something like 3 inch.

- remove the packaging of the moleskin to save space.

- choose either the sting-refief pads or the anti-itch cream.

- as IR mentioned, less tylenol and Herbal Gravol.

- add a bloodstopper, such as a triangulair bandage, field dressing, etc. if you have room.

- You could get a little pouch (whe ones where CPR-masks come in http://york-poquoson.redcross.org/.%5Cstore%5Ckeychain_cpr_mask.jpg ) , add your gloves to it and attach it to the lanyard of your pelican case.

- as you mentioned, tweezers should be added. You could get a 'Uncle Bills Silver Gripper' ( http://www.campingsurvival.com/unbislgrelma.html ) wich don't take up much space at all.

And lastly: good luck, because a FAK is never really finished!

Hi,
I agree with most of the above. I'd say ditch the Gravol (what IS it?). Carry only enough meds to get you home, and for goodness sake, you don't need anywhere near that much tylenol usually. IMHO, you don't need the back pain or cold&flu versions, but it's your kit. Pick one, or none, of the first aid books, since are you really going to be looking up how to help someone in the heat of the moment? Trauma shears fit nicely between your belt and pants, stuffed through a belt loop. BTW, shears come in a large and small size. Ditch the Wet Ones. Replace the tube of polysporin with 1 or 2 of the individual use packets. Ditto the 2x2 for 4x4. Ace wrap, triangle, and trauma bandage and you're set (or a few heavy-flow menstrual pads).

I'd consider a soft case anyway, unless you're over water a lot. Most ambulances and SAR teams carry their kits in heavy duty cordura nylon, and most of the FAK items are pretty soft.

Maybe he meant tube gauze. At any rate, do you think tube gauze is a good addition?

Thanks
Frankie

Tubulair gauze is usually used for wounds on finger(tips) as a secundairy dressing (used with a gauze pad).

I just use a gauze roll because you can also use it on other places of the body, not just the fingers. (multiple uses=good )

Using a ordinairy gauze roll to dress a finger requires a special technique, but practice makes perfect:

(But in a emergency you can also just tape the injured finger to the other finger(s) )

H.T.H.

Thanks for the picture. And for the primary gauze, I found this idea which maybe useful if you have scissors:

Frankie, a quick note about that picture:

You can see that a fairly large piece of the fingertip is gone.
It will probably bleed a lot. I would just wash it (if possible), put a towel or trauma-pad on it and go to the ER. (Take the fingertip with you if possible)

If you're going to the ER with it, don't use antibiotic ointment or Betadine in the wound. It makes it harder for the ER-doc to asses and treat the wound.

The main reason they stated for applying antibiotic is that it prevents the gauze to stick to the wound, but that isn't really a priority if you're heading for the ER. They will irrigate the wound anyway.

Of course this changes if your in a survival-situation or if it's a minor wound. Then you give the final treatment of irrigation, desinfection (with or without antibiotics), primairy and secundairy dressing.