What is in your first aid/repair kit?

[SGT Rock]

I got the latest backpacker and read it after hearing it was about going light. There was a guy that had four items in his whole first aid kit:

Gauze
Duct Tape
Tylenol
TRAINING!

So what do you carry?

[Perkolady]

Let's see... (looking)...

In a small ziploc bag:
1 med/largish gauze pad
1 small gauze pad
2 band-aids
1 med adhesive pad
1 butterfly stitch
1 small packet of neosporin
1 antiseptic wipe
sewing needle threaded with 18 or so inches, wrapped
around and around the needle and stored in with the bandaging.
small swiss army knife (with the scissors and tweezers and nail file)
small 1/2 full bic lighter
a small vial containing approx. 12 advil
smaller vial containing approx. 8 Benedryl tablets
1 safety pin


All this goes into a 3"x5" zip pouch and weighs in at 3.5 oz.
- sometimes , depending on the length of my trip, i will add my spare batteries into my firstaid kit as well.
- I wrap ducktape around my waterbottle instead of putting it in the kit.

*a little note-
In almost 20 years of backpacking, and volunteering as a backcountry ranger in the Whites, i only really injured myself once- and that was a couple years ago, hiking down into Gooch Gap (fell and bent my foot in ways feet have no business bending- was fractured)
IMHO nothing in a first aid kit could really have helped me.
- the 3 pairs of socks , slow going, and the REALLY strong Tylenol
a fellow hiker offered did though.
Course, I did get off the trail asap.
My 2 oz., Perkolady

[Hammock Hanger]

Don't all go spastic on me now but my current first aid kit contains:

about 3 bandaides, actually second skin
3 anticeptic wipes
some Tylenol ( I can't take IB or Aspirin)

If I need guaze or an sling bad enough I'll use a piece of clothing
I usually use moss for any foot discomfort, ie: padding, blister, callause. I have used leaves as bandaides on occasion.

I use to carry a full medical kit coming from a medical office. Right down to a suture kit. (yes, I knew how to use it). However, I never used any of it. Moleskin and duct tape fall off no matter what I did to keep them on. usually making matters worse.

Most medical problems are so minute that the kit wasn't necessary for me. Or something that could be taken care of with water and readily available things in nature. Or could wait until the next trail town.

I do not recommend this for everybody but it has worked for me on thousands of miles of trail.

Hammock Hanger

[SGT Rock]

No offense hammock Hanger, but given you last couple of trips you need bug juics and Lyme vaccine