>>I do have anything in my kit I want besides signaling gear.

In that case, take out your copy of Wayne Merry's "The Official Wilderness First Aid Guide" (ISBN 0771082509).

It's probably covered in any good book on Wilderness First Aid.

Fortunately, an abscess is one of those medical emergencies where you DO have the luxury of being able to sit down and read about it before you have to treat it - unlike, say, CPR <img src="images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />