This new thread is inspired by the current "customizing your medical Kit" - the total assemblage is significantly more than a standard FAK.

For one, I keep band aids (typically for those messy boo-boos) right at hand in my wallet. This saves time and drama when dealing with the typical bloody scratch. Sometimes you don't even need that - just a few minutes o direct pressure will stop the bleeding.

At the other extreme, I keep a bandanna, usually red, handy in a pocket, so that when confronted with a spurting arterial bleed, I can immediately work on stopping the flow, while the FAK is brought into action.

My FAK has the usual sterile dressings, tape, and bandages. I am a real fan of compression bandages, but beyond that are the various items that might be employed in improvising FA items - especially splints, which are usually too bulky to be included in a FAK of reasonable size.. A splint can be my hiking staff, a rolled up magazine, a handy pine sapling - you name it. Sooner or later, one will face situations where improvisation is required. Duct tape is your friend...

Most important is the skill and training received in a good training course. Can you properly bandage, conduct an adequate patient survey that will catch the underlying more serious condition as well as the more obvious wound? Can the victim return to normal activity or should they see a doctor (or ER)?

Most of the time, we encounter minor scratches needing only minimal treatment. What counts is identifying the more serious injuries, stabilizing the victim (s), and getting them on their way to more definitive care. How will you transport the victim?? That is a whole other story...