"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. "<br><br>I agree with you that it is not necessary to carry additional first aid supplies simply because you choose to travel on airlines. I am an EMT and I do carry first aid supplies with me all the time. Personal decision. I carry extra supplies with me when I travel because I will not have my "normal" supply stashes available to me. I keep survival and first aid supplies in my vehicles, stored at my home, and kits at my office. In my normal daily routine, I know where the hospitals are located, I know where drug stores are located, I have friends and family I can contact for additional support. <br><br>When traveling, I have to rely on others to provide support for me. Those others are limited to basically Public Safety and well wishing good samaratans. So when I travel, I carry additional supplies because I feel it necessary to provide a higher level of personal protection.<br><br>I think we are also talking about two different circumstances with regards to airline emergencies. Those that happen in flight that are not aircraft related, passengers or yourself requiring medical assistance, versus aircraft crashes. <br><br>In flight medical emergencies can be addressed in several ways. The flight crew can land at alternate locations to off load critical patients. They can get assistance to via radio to walk the flight crew through performing various procedures. Passengers can offer to assist based on their training. (Like the doctors who performed surgery you mentioned).<br><br>In a crash scenairo, you may have only been minorly injured. The aircraft's first aid and emergency supplies may not be easy to locate at the crash scene. You may wish to provide assistance to those you were traveling with. To provide that assistance, you would need to have your own supplies with you. <br><br>If the crash occurs near an airport or in a urban/suburban area, then the local Public Safety will respond and provide assistance. If the crash occurs in more remote areas, it may be considerable time until assistance responds, if ever. In this situation, it would be helpful to have your own supplies.<br><br>As a volunteer member of public safety, I have participated in a county wide mock plane crash recovery scenairo. Like any operation that involves more than about 10 people, things get complicated in a hurry. Some areas have too many people and supplies standing around wishing for something to do while other areas are understaffed and looking for even the most basic of supplies. When you have 50+ patients, how many ambulances can you get to the crash site and still support the normal work load of EMS calls. <br><br>Assuming my flight was uneventful, when I get to my destination, I am in a strange city with limited backup resources. I prefer to have a few extra supplies to handle things that come up. I frequently did into my fanny pack and produce solutions to help my family and traveling companions address minor inconvienences before they evolve into major problems.<br><br>How much is too much? I think that has to be decided by every individual. I carry more than most but less than some who reguarly post. One thing I always try to carry is cash. If I don't have the needed supply, I have found cash very useful in convincing local vendors to provide for me.<br><br>