EDC FAK?

I'm considering carrying a small FAK in my left rear pocket. I already have a wallet in the other rear pocket and only a bandana in the left so far, and I figure if I can get a mini-kit that's about the size of a wallet or smaller, why not stuff it in there? I already carry band-aids in my wallet but have wanted to carry a little more. I like AMK's products and have an Ultralight Traveller Kit in each vehicle. I was looking at possible candidates including the Ultralight .3, Field, Go Travel, Pocket Medic, and Travel Medic and so far I like the Go Travel. It has a small footprint and doesn't have the tape roll which may make the kit too bulky for my liking. Plus it has the tweezers which will probably get used. I think I can get by without safety pins. What do you think? Other suggestions?

Couple of alcohol wipes, couple of betadyne wipes,knuckle bandaides, individual pack of antibiotic ointment, indididual packs of OTC meds, 1 dose of any RX meds you may need.

Dave

For most minor cases Pocket Medic is enough.
I carry Pocket Medic with a few extra meds and a fold flat duct tape. Spyderco Jester in my wallet, mini light on my keychain.

IME, the most used item in my FAK is the tweezers

I rarely need to pull a band-aid. I keep one set of Sliver Grippers in it's storage tube readily available in my backpack, not in the FAK.

I keep a few large safety pins pinned to the inside crease of my wallet. I don't even notice them, and they are handy when I need them.

haha, this is what I carry:

My EDC FAK

Riding in your hip pocket any first aid supplies had better be in a hard shell. Medicated pads, medications, etc will take a lot of rough wear back there. I noticed aluminium wallet shaped and sized shells at Tad Gear, don't know if they still carry them.

Jon

I 'd agree -- go hard shell case or on the belt carry.

BTW, I carry

Bandaids
tweezers in tiny swiss army knife
exam gloves**
Bandana in ziploc
earplugs
tiny led light
pepto bismol tablets
Ibuprofin
spf chapstick
tiny kleenex packet
cellphone
(sometimes hand sanitizer in 1 oz bottle)

Advanced training in use of above

Teacher

( **in 35 mm film canister)

PS I have a bigger kit -- the size of a lunch box -- in the truck.

Earplugs are great when tuning out the snoring of the guy sleeping nearby in the red-cross shelter!

Hmm... it might also be useful in blocking out the DW's comments of "I told you so..."

Why?

Not trying to slam you, but exactly why?

Are you that far from your desk or car that you need to carry a FAK with you? And if you are, perhaps a you are going to need more than a few bandaids.

I guess I go a bit against the grain here....I am trying to reduce my EDC to the minimum, not looking for something else to carry. I combined my pager, cell phone and PDA into my TREO 650, carry a SAK Alox Classic and Photon II on my keychain, and a Hotspark as well.

I would like to lighten that load a bit if I could!!!!

I agree with duckear, other than RX meds there really isn't any need to EDC a FAK in my opinion.

My FAK is in my EDC backpack. I don't see a need to carry it on my person.

duckear,

Some people have a lifestyle without a desk/vehicle to store their gear. Service type workers or students.

Those look pretty slick, RAS. Where did you get them?

That image is from the REI website. I'm sure they can be found in other shops.

Google "Sliver Gripper". Sliver Gripper

If you get this version, you can carry it on your keychain, dog tag chain, whatever, and always have it handy...

duckear

I'm considering carrying a small FAK largely because there have been enough instances where I've wanted band-aids, tylenol, tweezers, and the like, either for me or someone else. I've tried to put the little OTC packets in my wallet but that doesn't work for me. If I can get a kit that is almost unnoticeable, even less so than my wallet, around 2 oz., than why not? I also like to be the one who has something when someone else needs it.

Believe it or not I'm actually a minimalist myself. I don't carry a dedicated knife, I carry only one light, and a minimum amount of cards in my wallet as well as keys on the key chain. I might even forego the tweezers for the pliers on my Leatherman tool.

I'm thinking about making my own, even-smaller FAK in an alkosak bag with only buprofen, band-aids, and antibiotic lotion. That's what all need at least 90% of the time.

I've looked at those and thought about it but didn't want to buy another one. But really that's a more convenient way to carry it.

Fair enough. Everybody is different.

I would rethink the rear pocket. You will wear out your items very quickly if you sit at all during the day.

I strongly consider aspirin if you are around anyone with a cardiac condition. Aspirin at the onset of chest pain may help tremendously.

RAS

I have an extra one of those tip covers. I had an extra sliver gripper then my GF used it one day and all i could find was the tip cover. PM me and i will mail it to you.

Kirby

Thanks much for the offer, but I'd need an extra SG to go with it. I'll have another soon enough. Thanks again. <img src="/images/graemlins/cool.gif" alt="" />

The aspirin suggestion is a great one, thanks.

If you are already carrying a leatherman tool, bandaids, and a bandanna, I'd just toss in a tube of super glue and you'd be set. My reasoning behind EDC FAKs is that if I hurt myself bad enough to need a FAK, and I can't fix it super glue and a bandanna, I probably need to go to a hospital anyway. Of course when I am in the woods away from a hospital I carry a larger kit just in case. Then again if you plan on using the kit for other people you may want a little more. People give you funny looks when they cut themselves and you bust out a tube of super glue <img src="/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

The pocket medic is about the right size for carrying in a pocket. You can get them pretty cheap and add any other components you see fit to it.

Well I've decided on my kit. Instead of going with a pre-made kit I whittled it down to the bare essentials - what I normally use - and put them in the smallest Omniseal bag available (about 2.5" x 5").

* 2 2-pks. of aspirin/Motrin/extra strength Tylenol, at least one of which is aspirin
* 2 benzalkonium towelettes
* 2 band aids
* And since there was room, 2 safety pins.

I made one for EDC and one to carry at work, where I carry different items. I am going to see how the EDC one holds up in the back pocket. The work one is carried in a breast shirt pocket. I also put some Leatherman tweezers in my wallet