Some deep thinking on what goes into a kit:

What you should carry in a FAK

A long while back someone here recommended taking a first aid course and use that knowledge to determine what to put in an FAK. I agree with that recommendation. I took the NOLS Wilderness First Aid course -- highly recommended.

I don't understand stocking 2x2's in a small kit. Four 2x2's can be made from a 4x4 -- carry more 4x4's.

Russ's comment says it all - training first, then gear.

The article does eventually get around to recommending training, after some very questionable statements.

training, yes.

what you carry is dependent upon your circumstances.

as a hiker i do carry a few things, certainly a lot less - my pack isn't much bigger than his first aid kit - than a trunk fak.

4 x 4s + roll gauze (kerlix) can solve the life threatening bleeding.

imho anything else is icing.

I concur; Good "Wilderness First Aid Training" will training you in what you need to carry and why!

As with everything, it will depend on your situation and the scope of your planning.

I live in a decent sized city and typically don't need to worry about medium term self care, although that might be something to consider if you're in a remote area where help is some time away.

For what I am most likely to encounter, I normally carry items to treat things that either don't require assistance (minor cuts and abrasions), or things that can be life threatening even in the time it takes an ambulance to arrive, such as car accidents, shootings / stabbings, and so on.

For the first consideration, a typical booboo kit you can find at any store will suffice. PPE (gloves), Bandaids, antiseptic/antibiotic, OTC pain reliever, that sort of thing.

For trauma though, I carry an israeli bandage, combat gauze, CAT tourniquet, and HALO seals in a cargo pocket, which can buy time until help arrives. Sometimes I wear jeans and don't carry everything, but in those cases I still at least carry nitrile gloves at a minimum and the other items are in my cars glove compartment nearby.

If my situation changes and I'm going venturing out into the woods (for a dayhike for example) I would carry additional items depending on how long I would be gone. Most of these items are hygiene related -- bug spray, sunscreen, lip balm, gold bond powder, bordeaux butt paste, anti-chafing stick, TP, and wet wipes for a field bath. First aid items would include items for situations I'm most likely to encounter, like an ace wrap for wrapping an ankle, instant ice packs, anti diarrheal, etc.

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Training is important and as others have said you should strive to improve your skill set, but by all means learn all you can even if you don't have the money for something like a first responder course.

One of our EMS guys mentioned that almost 90 people showed up for a free CPR/AED course that was held at the local university. He said the impact to the community was even greater than those who showed up though, because many of those people will go home and tell their friends and families about it and show them what they learned. No the others won't get a card in the mail saying they're CPR/AED certified, but they still gained enough knowledge that they may be able to save a life.

I'm not saying go play doctor because you saw an emergency cric on MASH or grey's anatomy, and there is no substitute to learning from a professional, but a lot of the first aid stuff can be learned on your own even if you can't afford to take a class.

This is a timely subject for me

I am playing with first aid kits these days; actually emptying a first aid kit and using the container for a "personal medical care kit" focused on the exact problem that I have.

Among the stuff that was in the original FAK was a few wipes like :

Alcohol wipes
Providine/Iodine wipes
Triple antibiotic (if I recall)

My question is:

Is there any donloadable pdf file online that can teach me where to use each one of these first aid items. For example, where is it recomnmended to use the alcohol wipes versus the Providine/iodine wipe? Same about small iodine bottle versus small bottle of saline water ( about 20 ml maybe for eye irrigation ) and so on.

Any help is appreciated.

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Edited to add reminder
I am NOT in the U.S. and do not know where to take a first aid course

I have taken a few hours of first aid lectures but nothing that really relates to wilderness or even close. Just an hour about CPR or bleeding ..etc. And that was AFTER one employee had a stroke and died at work.

Don't use alcohol wipes on broken skin. In medical settings they're used on intact skin in preparation of a needle stick to reduce the chance of infection. In a FAK where you're not using needles, they can be used to clean your hands before a treatment. Povidone/iodine wipes can be used on scrapes and small cuts.

I prefer BZK wipes for both purposes; I think they work better.

I am not any kind of medical professional and I don't play one on the Internet.

Paging Dr. Chaos!

Thanks Chaos
Could you please spell BZK for me ?
What does it stand for ?

Thanks