>>Firstly, I think you have missed the entire spirit of this forum. <br><br>Isn't it to share ideas and opinions? Or would you prefer we turn it into a mutual admiration society?<br><br>>>Your reply was totally uncalled for, <br><br>I disagree. As a First Aid instructor, I seriously question the value of a "first aid kit" which has three kinds of painkiller, but only 2 small sterile dressings. <br><br>>>as it was distinctly vitriolic. <br><br>I thought I went out of my way to point out that it was only an opinion.<br><br>>>What is your point anyway? So what if he carries so much fuel and stove? <br><br>Hey, it's his back that's going to be carrying it, not mine. I personally felt that 3 pounds of food was a little light for a 3 day backpacking trip. Besides, if you're going to lug around a stove that weighs 2.5 pounds, why not carry something a little more palatable than bagels, Pop-Tarts and Clif Bars? ;-)<br><br>>>I, for one, am thankful that he actually took the trouble to share his very methodical system with us. <br><br>As am I. But if this forum is to mean anything, then we should all be free to take issue with what appears to be bad advice. The advice may be bad; or it may not be bad, in which case I'll admit I made a mistake. It's no big deal; I've made mistakes before and I'll make them again. But if I err, then I prefer to err on the side of caution.<br><br>Now, gear freak (Rob) has pointed out that he does carry two "triangular bandages" - he just calls them bandannas and doesn't carry them in his FA kit. That's a legitimate response. He also says he carries a Field Dressing; again, I saw no mention of this, and a search of the web page for the word "dressing" did not find one. <br><br>He does mention the bandannas, and suggests that they can be used, among other things, as "tourniquets". If he's taken a first aid course in the last 25 years, he should know that tourniquets are not recommended. Maybe his choice of words means something, maybe it doesn't. I personally suspect that he knew this, and that he just wrote down the first words that came into his head. But I also think it's a mistake he might want to correct, especially if he wants to impress people who do understand first aid, or avoid misleading those who don't.<br><br>Regardless, I still don't think much of his first aid kit. 2 small sterile dressings are next to useless if you have a serious injury, IMO. How much would a half dozen 4x4 gauze dressings weigh? I've treated a simple case of road rash on a cyclist who went into the ditch (he was literally blown off his bicycle by the wake from a passing motorhome) - a 2x2 dressing wouldn't have come close to covering the wound. And his injuries were quite minor. <br><br>>>If you cannot make a positive contribution, then don't respond at all.<br><br>Sorry, I thought possibly saving someone's life by pointing out the inadequacies of a recommended first aid kit was a "positive contribution". (And that *was* meant to sound snotty and superior ;-)<br><br>Again, thanks to Rob for sharing his checklist. It's a very good starting point. I just happen to have questioned some of his choices, that's all.