You're obviously not in touch with today's pierced and inked society
I'm thinking more along the lines of self-care and if Ive got a wound that's bad enough that I'm considering using safety pins to help keep it closed a couple of small puncture wounds are far from the top of my concern list. Personally I keep a couple of packets of 4-0 etilon sutures in my FAK but that's me. Safety pins are excellent multi-taskers anyway.
Whatever floats your boat I guess. If a wound is too big for steri-strips (and duct tape) then I hope to be transported to a hospital before I pull a Rambo to sew it up (which always seemed like a really cool movie scene to me). I would pack the wound with gauze before I attempt to close a wound that big.
Back to the gaping wound situation - if you're within 24 (maybe 36) hours of getting to medical attention packing is the way to go but if your severely injured and have to wait a day or two before SAR is going to start looking for you.... Personally, when I'm in the backcountry I don't carry enough medical supplies for extended wound care and daily dressing changes.
Good, thought provoking thread
That's a good explanation. I still disagree, I generally hike with enough dressings to change (a single major wound) for a few days, and if I'm with Scouts between us we have enough for Armageddon. Ultralight FAK is not in my DNA, in terms of essentials its the last place I will economize for weight, as it will remove treatable scenarios. If we hike in N days from help, I need to be able to treat a wound for at least N+2 days.
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