The Pocket Medical Kit is mainly for bleeding, IMO. Everything is either handled with ducttape and a convient branch or two, or by the shelter building materials. Not much else that can go wrong that these guys are big enough to handle.


The tin is sealed with red(!) electicians tape, and a single ranger band. It is also marked with a red cross on the cover, so that even if they can't read the label, someone can figure out what this is for.

contents (by layer):
pair nitrile gloves, packed in a zipper bag
pair ear plugs
~24" red electricans tape
5x 3x1" fabric bandaids
2x steri-strips
3x 2x2" gauze pads
2x knuckle bandaids

How it looks when it is first opened:


And when everything is unpacked:


I've got a little bit of space left in here. I'm thinking of adding another dose or two of Tylenol Allergy. I have a wicked reaction to birch and pine pollen, and guess what two genuses (genusi?) half the trees in my area fit into. The other option is to add a pair of small scissors, either from a Swisscard or by cutting apart of Wenger Esquire (I like Vics better, but Wenger makes a stronger scissor), and maybe a pair of very small tweezers.

I will get the AMK's Pocket Medic® and according to the Mountain Equipment Coop website here, there's a pair of folding scissors included. But maybe the scissors from the Swisscard® or the Wenger is better quality.

Frankie

Add first-aid instructions, tweezers,scalpel blade and one or two tampons. Transfer the meds from your PSK and Auxillary kit into your PMK. Also add some sort of antiseptic (Povidone-Iodine)

BTW: where are the ear-plugs for? For not hearing the schreaming of your patients? <img src="/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

The Mountain Eq. Coop description is incorrect. It does not come with Scissors, only tweezers. (That is unless the Canadians are getting a better assortment. The one I have was purchased at a local REI.)

After having bought a Pocket Medic, I've discovered I can piece together a much better FAK. The pouch it comes in is good, but thats all I can say about it.

IMO The Pocket Medic is a good compromise, but no commercial-prepared kit will ever have all the items that you want. So you should make your own personal additions and changes. The pouch provides extra space for that, I think.

That's what I was suspecting because they are not listed on the AMK's official website. I was planning on checking the pocket in the store and I am slowly building my own first aid and medical supplies anyway. But the point is that folding scissors seem a good idea. Apparently Slip-N-Snip® scissors are the originals:



Slip-N-Snip webpage

I don't really know how small they are. They don't have rounded tips for cutting through clothing but I guess you can round them yourself. Maybe the Leatherman Micra is a better solution if the folding scissors are too big.

Frankie

IMHO a LM micra would be much better than any other folding scissors. They take up just a little more space with much more virsitillity(sp?).

Versatility. It's from a french word which is from the latin word versatilis. <img src="/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

I use a Micra in my FAK. I've sharpened the blade on the knife so it really cuts. Scalpel blades are a no no in my mind, I've seen too many accidentally cut themselves by mistake..

Not to quibble or derail but versatile comes into English directly from Latin according to every source I can find.