resqman: I hope I didn't offend you or anyone else. ("Messing about with flint and steel is great in theory,") I certainly don't expect to find flamethrowers or propane torches on commercial airliners, either. My point was simply that, in case of a casualty going into shock, you need to start a fire as quickly as possible, so use the most effective means at hand. In a survival situation, depending on the urgency, I might well choose to save the matches and use the flint/steel, even if I'm not highly proficient in their use. In a first-aid situation where I needed the fire immediately, I'd likely have no qualms about using a signal flare or gunpowder from a couple of shotgun shells, if necessary. I agree, if you're highly proficient with all methods of firestarting, and can start a bonfire in under 30 seconds with a handful of dead pine needles and your mag/flint, more power to you; I'll be glad to have you along. But is everyone on the forum as proficient as you? I know I'm not. :-)<br><br>"Last time I was on a flight, I noticed a sticker on one of the overhead bins indicating first aid. I opened the overhead bin and found a first aid kit about half the size of a briefcase."<br><br>I'm not sure what you think this proves. Surely they wouldn't keep expensive items like AEDs, medications, or large items like stretchers in the overhead bins? I think the common first aid supplies are kept ready to hand, but I believe they have a *limited* stock of other first aid supplies that are used more rarely. (I can't say this for sure, though. I don't know how much stock one can place in a Reader's Digest "Drama in Real Life" story, but I did read of one where two doctors on a British Airways flight from Australia to Rome were forced to operate on a woman passenger who had punctured a lung in a motorcycle crash on her way to the airport. By the time she realized how seriously she had been hurt, they were more than three hours from land in any direction. They were able to do quite a bit using the available first-aid supplies.)<br><br>"I would recommend carrying bandaids for minor injuries, lots of 4x4 guaze pads, roller gauze, antibiotic, and<br>gloves. A pocket face mask if you have lots of room."<br><br>All of this will be found in the airliner's first aid kits which are located in overhead bins throughout the aircraft. (And how much room does a pocket face mask take up? I have one on my key-chain.)<br><br>You're right, the airliner is not a hospital; but then, neither am I. I was responding to Mr. Vannerson's post - specifically the statement "So I would guess that antibiotics would not be needed, but pain meds would. As would gauze bandages, tape, maybe a SAM splint, but security might find that odd." I agree, if you're trained in First Aid, you should carry a personal first aid kit - not just for airline travel, but for any travel. (If you're not trained in First Aid, you should get some First Aid training AND carry a personal FA kit. :-) If you're an EMT or a paramedic, then go ahead and pack an AED and a stethoscope, or anything you're trained to use and feel comfortable carrying. <br><br>But I would question the assumption that you need to carry a whole bunch of extra stuff, just because it's an airplane. Why should I carry SAM splints and pain meds and antibiotics if the airline doesn't see a need for them? Where do you draw the line? That's clearly a personal decision, but I think it should be based on a realistic appraisal of the hazards. Statistically, an airline crash is so far down the list of things that *might* happen to me that I don't feel justified in going to any extra expense or unnecessary trouble. Memorizing the locations of the exits and the on-board first aid kits - sure, why not? I've nothing better to do. Carrying a pocket survival kit in one pocket and a copy of the SAS Survival Guide in another - well, I might get invited on a fishing trip, and it'll give me something to read if my laptop dies. A basic first-aid kit in a fanny pack sounds like a good idea, too. But other than that? Personally, I don't see the need.<br><br>