I want to run this theory by everyone & see what you guys think. Attaboys are nice but criticism (hopefully constructive) is actually more useful.

Most first aid kits are really last aid kits. They have an abundance of materials for final treatment (Band-Aids, burn ointment, etc.) but no real FIRST aid stuff. There are usually no infection control stuff (mask, rubber gloves, CPR mask) or big dressings for serious bleeding. If your kid cut his hand and you put a dressing on it, that’s last aid. The patient is not going to the hospital. FIRST aid should be Airway, Breathing, Circulation & Bleeding control. This includes protection for the aid person from blood borne pathogens. Where I live, we can get an ambulance in less than 10 minutes. It is not practical to splint a broken bone. The EMTs on the rig will have all the stuff needed. I would just use pressure to stop bleeding and traction on the broken limb. However, during a wide area emergency, they may arrive late or not at all.

So, I divided my medical equipment into 3 parts. There is Kit 1, the Delay/Transport Kit and the Final Treatment Kit.

Kit 1 is what you use first on an injured person. This kit contains the surgical mask, nitrile gloves, CPR mask, 2 battle dressings, 3 sizes of airway, KY jelly (lube for the airways), tube of Traumadex, Asherman chest seal, Magill forceps (for choking), emt type shears, instant glucose (diabetics), etc. This kit is designed solely to keep the guy alive long enough for the ambulance to get here.
I’ve got it in a Blackhawk drop leg pouch. I used to EDC it at the looney bin where I used to work. The large battle dressings are the most important as you can do CPR without equipment. The Traumadex & chest seal are for bullet holes in the chest.

The Delay/Transport kit is, as its name suggests, for use if the ambulance is delayed or non-existent due to the emergency. I’m thinking huge demand, trees down, giant snowdrifts etc. This kit has the stethoscope, sphygmomanometer, splints, burn dressings, IV stuff, flexible stretcher, blanket, oxygen bottle, triangular bandages, sterile saline, etc. This kit is for longer-term survival of the patient (several hours). You must make the decision: wait for the ambulance or transport the patient to the hospital yourself.

The 3rd kit is the Final Treatment kit. This is the one that has treatment supplies for problems that can be managed without going to the hospital. This kit has all the meds, splinter forceps, disposable scalpels, tick removal tool, moleskin, betadine, sunburn cream, etc.

BTW, You’re not prepared without training. Everyone should take a Red Cross First Aid & CPR course. Additional training is optional, but to me the above is a minimum for all.