OBG...

I never use the shavings.. so I wouldn't know about that... I prefer Cattail, Milkweed, Goatsbeard, or other "natural fluff", cotton (which I carry), or punk wood easily found that will readily accept the spark.

TQS...

We are talking here about an Altoid Tin...

I didn't say that you shouldn't carry more. However, in order to prepare for every possible thing that could happen you would have to tow a tractor trailer behind you. That's why I teach.. and stated above that you have to know how to use what you have. And you need to own your skills.

You're "scenario" above is quite possible. So it might be good to answer your dilemna. If ALL that I had was my "Altoid Tin" and you had your altoid tin and a field dressing.. we are both in about the same boat. If severely bleeding, as you posted, you have probably severed the brachial artery, or a branch thereof. Of course my bandaid won't stop the bleeding... Neither will your field dressing. If you notice in my above post I stated that I carry antibiotic bandaids. Thus I have a wee bit of protection in them once i stop the bleeding.

Now obviously, I would pull out my full field FAK. But we weren't talking about that. And since we weren't talking about mini or maxi kits (which are also in my car right next to me) I won't use my bandanas as compression dressings. I will, instead, think outside the box. I was not driving naked to the local nudist colony, so I have a cotton T-Shirt on, and probably another pullover or button down over it. So I will take out my neck knife, which thankfully hasn't opened in the crash and skewered my heart (Or I would have had to use the other band-aid) smile I cut the cotton T-Shirt into a strip and roll it into a compression bandage. Since it is long I can tie it around my arm and effectively stop (or at least slow the bleeding for the time being)... How am I doing?

I think you get my point. We were talking about micro kits.. not full fledged field kits. Obviously I wouldn't purposely go into a possible "situation" without more unless I desired to. And for the "band-aid" record... I don't use them for most cuts (Unless it is on my 3 or 5 year old). Rather... for something deep that won't stop bleeding (severe knife cut.. etc) I would cut them into 3 lengthwise pieces (So instead of 2 or 3 bandaids I have 9 or 10 "butterfly closures").

Hope that clears up any misunderstanding smile

- Soarn