First Aid Kit?

[Fur Queue]

OK folks...I have pretty much got the big items of my kit togetether and now need to work on the smaller items...I need a first aid kit for two...for a month in Maine June/July...thanks in advance.

[Fur Queue]

What do I need?

[gearfreak]

Look at Mike Clelland's videos on YouTube for great lightweight ideas including a first-aid kit that won't require you to be a medic.

[FarmerChef]

If you do a search here on Whiteblaze you'll come up with a couple other threads on this topic.

Such as this one: http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/showthread.php?8256-a-good-first-aid-kit-(Health-and-Safety)

And this one: http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/showthread.php?87518-First-Aid-Kit-Contents

And this article: http://whiteblaze.net/cmps.php?page=med_guide

A First aid kit need not be complicated on the AT. Much of what you need to bring depends on how far you are from serious rescue if the need arises.

Here's what I usually take:

Needle and thread (part of my Murphy kit for tent/clothing repair anyway)
Several band-aids (mainly for the kids)
A couple 4x4 bandages (one or two) in case we somehow sever something significant
Bandanna (a million first aid uses and usually worn, not carried)
Neosporin - In the little pump action spray version
Superglue (works wonders on cuts, especially ones that need stitches)
Latex gloves (2) - Use these for treating someone else or if you need to do something unsanitary
Medical tape - You can use it to hold on the 4x4 bandages OR wrap hot spots on your toes and/or blisters. Works better than moleskin

[Rocket Jones]

I carry a couple/few of the following: Tylenol, Tylenol PM, Benedryl, Immodium, Tums, cough drops, and aspirin 325mg (chew 1 dry in case of heart attack). I don't take Ibuprofen because it interferes with a prescription med I use.

A couple of 4"x4" sterile bandages, a couple of bandaids, a piece of moleskin.

Antibiotic ointment and some burn gel.

A laminated card with my blood type, medical allergies, emergency contact, prescription meds taken and insurance info.

Everything else I might need like tweezers, needle, hand sanitizer, etc is carried in my ditty baggie.

[treesloth]

What really helped me pare my first aid kit down was the realization that in most cases, you'll need just enough first aid to get you to the next road crossing where a proper medical facility can be accessed. I've got all the needed good stuff, including blister treatment, even a tiny mini-saw (so I can have an easier time than Aaron Ralston did when I must free a boulder-trapped hand) for about 2½ oz.

[Odd Man Out]

New Skin, Leukotape, a few bandaids, antibiotic cream, Imodium, tick removal tool, Vaseline, cotton balls.

For a long hike I might consider a round of antibiotics (or prescription for such) if I get a tick bite. Need to consult with a Dr. Otherwise, I don't take much medicine, except for an acid blocker and baby aspirin, but that's because acid reflux and heart disease run in the family.

Soap, hand sanitizer, needle and thread from other kits have first aid uses too.

[moldy]

I don't carry a kit. I have a few bandaids and a tube of baby diaper rash ointment.

[Fur Queue]

Some terrific info here...thanks folks....what might be a better question is what have people had to actually use on a big section hike...

[mykdavies]

Nice minimal list, though I'd not heard of Neosporin (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neosporin)before, so I looked it up, and it seem that good old Vaseline is just as useful!

[HooKooDooKu]

I recently discovered that CVS (likely other places) sell Ziplock-type bags for pills. They are about 1"x2" in size. These are great to allow me to buy standard bottles of medications, then create my own sized packs of pills to take on the trail. Much cheaper than buying pre-packaged one-use pill pouches.

[Son Driven]

I have duct tape, toilet paper, and rope. I have what I need to stop the bleeding, until I get to someone who has more knowledge and equipment then I. Perhaps I should add a couple tampons, they work well for bullet wounds.

[Rocket Jones]

Craft stores sell the little bags too. So does Amazon.

[fins1838]

Bottle of whiskey & a big old knife. What a man eh!

[Don H]

+1 on the Leukotape.
This stuff sticks when nothing else will, like your sweaty feet for days at a time. I bought a roll and carry a 1 foot length wrapped around a straw.
It's great for covering hot spots, use a bandaid first then the tape for a blister or else you'll pull the blister skin off when you take it off.