First Aid Kits

Not to sound like a Capital One commercial, but what's in your first aid kit. A lot of the store-bought first aid kits have a lot of things in them that you may never need, so why not build your own. Building your own kit does two important things. First, it makes you aware of the things that are in your kit, instead of waiting until you need something, only to find that the store-bought kit didn't come with it. Second, building your own allows you to customize your kit to your own specific needs. If you never get blisters, then you may not to carry as much for the treatment of blisters. BUT do carry at least one piece of moleskin, just in case. If you wear contacts, like me, then I would highly recommend carrying an extra pair. Do you have any medical problems that require special medications? A few days' supply would be something to throw in. Most meds have a long shelf life, so put a few days' worth in your kit now, so you will always have some with you in your kit. Don't wait until the night before your trip to put these in your kit. You are too apt to forget them. A few laxatives, antacids, and anti-diarrhea pills should also be put in your kit, just in case that experimental dinner doesn't set well. An old-fashion razor blade can also come in handy for a lot of different reasons on the trail, so you may want to throw one of those in there with its guard around the blade. Toe nail clippers are a god-send, especially if you have a toe nail that is slicing the snot out of the toe next to it. Antibiotic cream and medicated lip balm should also be brought along. A variety of bandaids and bandages might be another consideration. Pain meds are something else to consider. Tylenol, Advil and Aleve all have their place in a kit.
The neat thing about building your own kit, is that the finished product doesn't need to weigh a ton or take up a lot of space in your pack. My kit is in a 4x6 ziplock bag and weighs only 6 oz. Probably too much for an over-night, but the extra ounces give me that extra bit of peace of mind.

I was wanting you to show us your first aid kit. That something that is always to heavy and always goes on the list of didn't us that. Thanks for sharing it... Lew

I bought a digital scale today and just spent the last few hours weighing and recording the weights of everything I carry. (I'm gonna do another post about that!) My first aid kit weighs in at 6.7 oz, but there are some things I plan on trading out.

It's cool to compare. My set is pretty similar, except that I don't currently carry any laxatives, antacids, or anti-squirt pills, but I may add a few of each. (Good thinking, by the way. I've had the "Mississippi Shuffles" in the backcountry before and it's no fun. Particularly when you only carry a limited supply of toilet paper...)