A good way to keep the size of a FAK manageable is to limit the FAK itself to a few critical items that cannot be readily itemized - large sterile dressings, elastic ACE bandages, and meds, for instance. Think through those items you will more likely improvise or substitute - I have tweezers on my multitool, and always at least one flashlight in my backpack. On a long hike or backpack, you simply can't afford needless redundancy. Fortunately, knowledge and skills are extremely lightweight.

Why include a mirror?

Jeanette Isabelle

If you're treating some part of yourself that's hard to see, a mirror can be very useful.

Yes, object in eye, ( or just a contact problem) tick finding, signal

In a thread a long time ago, someone mentioned having an inspection mirror. You can probably find a short-handled telescoping one; possibly a lighted one. As mentioned in that previous thread - good for checking the "nether regions".

One drawback to lighted mirrors is that the lights can sometimes obscure the vision because of their orientation.

Allergy to components of triple antibx ointment is an issue if you are spreading it on a hundred strangers daily, as er's do: so most of them use bacitracin. If you are using tao on members of your inner circle who have used it without reaction before, the allergy profile is less meaningful. I prefer to think of such ointments as multipurpose assets that do all things petrolatum/Vaseline does-tinder, skin care, hair care, ear wax removal, small machine lubrication, waterproofing leather, sandwich spread-as well as killing microbes.

Tinder: check
Skin care: check
Hair care: huh? I don't put gel in my hair, is that what you mean?
Ear wax removal: here you have me flummoxed, please explain
Small machine lubrication: check
Waterproofing leather: check
Sandwich spread: yuck

With regard to the labeled function, I've never knowingly met someone who was allergic to antibiotic ointment. Before ETS I would never have thought it could be an issue. How common is it?

It depends in part on how large an area it is applied to (exposure dose) and tends to run in families.

I used to use it all the time as an initial application on cuts and packed ingrown toenails with it. The last time I used it was when the dermatologist told me to use Vaseline where he had removed a mole. Applied it to an area about the size of a pencil eraser & put a band-aid over it. The next day, it had raised an itchy red/purple welt bigger than a quarter. Looking back, I had been showing more minor reactions to it for several years. Both my paternal grandfather and mother are allergic to it.

edit to add PS
P.S.
It's becoming more frequent to the point that the dermatologist told me when I saw him to find out what the reaction was that they had changed they're recommendation to Vaseline because of it.

Back to the original post: critique of a general first aid kit. Not every kit is good for every activity.

I like to think about the mission the kit is going to be part of: is it a home based kit for SHTF? Is it a backpacking kit? Is it a travel kit to distant, and not well supported lands for a scuba diving trip? Is it a vehicle based kit? What wounds, injuries, etc are likely to occur in those various scenarios? How far away is professional support (EMS/Fire Department/Search and Rescue/Hospital)? In a regional disaster they're going to be swamped and delayed.

In each scenario I have basic supplies which I view as personal protective items (gloves, mask, cleaning wipes/iodine solution), trauma (roller gauze, gauze pads, triangular bandages, tape), tools (shears, tweezers, magnifying glass). Then I customize per the mission.

I've taken a dive trip to a very remote island that only gets one flight a week and doesn't have a decent clinic. In that case I carried extra supplies for injuries common with scuba diving and included 2 suture kits (not for me to use but for the clinic to ensure what they're using on me is sanitary). I also included anti-diarrheal medications etc useful for foreign travel. This was a very significant and large kit but NOT good for backpacking. It was designed to support 2 people for 1 week on a trip. When I left I gave it to the dive operator as a gift as it wasn't needed for the remainder of my journey.

Backpacking kit is the smallest kit I have. It only has the very basic supplies.

Car kit is larger and has more trauma dressings & more roller gauze, an Ace wrap, etc.

Home kit is a large plastic tub filled with supplies. I use it for home, disasters prep, and to restock the other kits.

New for my kits: Duct tape.
(Small roll or on a card)