Minimum items for a FAK?

Stormstaff

Stormstaff

Joined
Dec 14, 2007
Messages
1,918
Ok, I admit that I carry way too much first aid stuff for my normal 3-4 hr hikes (at most). So, what's the minimum suggested items to carry for myself and my 8yr old son?

The kit I have just takes up too much room in my Fatboy Jumbo and I'd like to reclaim some of that space.

Any questions needed to answer my question, just ask away. Otherwise, Thank you very much for your time and help with this matter!!!
 
If you told us what you took we could maybe help with what you could take out for a day hike?
 
For a 3-4 hour day hike, I think you could get by with a few band-aids or duct tape for blisters and some ibuprophen.
 
Heres my kit, it's what I'll take for trips up to and including an overnighter. Most of this fits into an altoids tins

1 Israeli trauma bandage
4 adhesive bandaids
2 single use foil packs of bacitracin (your doctor might have some of these)
1 small tube of prescription cortisone ointment (could use non rx)
1 small sheet of moleskine
assorted pills in pill tube (motrin, tylenol, heart burn pills, immodium, benadryl, dramamine)
disposable scapel with handle cut down (#15 blade FWIW)
1 BZK antiseptic towlette

If my ankle/knee has been acting up lately I throw in an ace wrap
duct tape is not with my FAK, but instead wrapped around lighter, but is very useful for first aid stuff. I'm currently thinking about throwing in a pair of nitrile gloves and a CPR mask.

This is still a work in progress, but thats what I've currently got. I keep this stuff in a camera belt pouch along with a small fire kit, compass, two glow sticks and an extra folding knife. This pouch lives in my messenger bag or glovebox most of the time, I'm never all that far from it. When I'm heading into the woods it gets put into my day pack or one of my bigger packs for an overnighter. Also for short trips I just put the camera case onto my belt. System works pretty well.
 
First off let me say that I think as long as you have good stuff in a fak that it is better ti have too much rather than too little.
I'm in EMS by trade, and as a result have a first aid kit that comprises far more space than it should I'll be posting a video of it's contents soon...However I think when people just pack bandaids that they are banking on getting a typical injury, for must cuts and bumps I get I just wipe'em on my shirt and go... but a kit is for the non typical at least in my mind. the kit is for when you have a stitch worthy laceration or something worse. how someone could think to pack a spool of snare wire on the off chance that they'll be lost long enough to need to trap food, and than not bring a first aid kit of any kind, seems a little odd to me. but than again I'm biased
but I think you could get by with
1 small pill case with
motrin
benadryl
peptobismal
and a small container holding:
neosporin
2 pairs of latex gloves
a razorblade
a small magnifying glass
10 butterfly suture bandaids
10 bandaids of assorted sizes
1 ace bandage
2 bandannas ( readily avail, multi use but can be used for slings and for splinting
2 4x4 gause dressings you can get them at cvs and they can be cut to size if need be)
2 maxipads (cheap, replaceable, compact and super absorbant dressings)
some tweezers
and a small plastic card wrapped with several yards of medical tape

After going through the contents of the kit you have.. I have to say it's pretty well thought out but if you wanted to cut it down, heres the things you could do without
1)the instruction book..memorize it now or get some training if you don't have one..there won't be time to read if you nee what's in that case really bad, and if ints not really bad you probably wont need to read about it.

2)the tincture if you already have some type of anti bacterial agent that should be good enough.

3) the moleskins.. c'mon they're' blisters

4) the 3x3's and the 2x2 dressings (the 4x4's can be cut to seze as needed)

5) the applicators if the only thing that you are applying in your kit is antibiotic ointment you can do that with a nitrile gloved finger tip.

6) wrap the tape around and old gift card (you won't need it all) and it packs much flatter.

Sorry for the long post.....
 
Last edited:
Thanks all!! Feel free to add more suggestions. Hopefully I'll have time to work on it this weekend.
 
Have you found out yet if your son is allergic to anything in the outdoors? Meaning, serious stuff like bee stings, spider bites, etc. Allergies don't always show themselves until the child comes into contact with whatever it is, that they are allergic to.

I bought a backpack just for the express purpose of taking my granddaughters on a dayhike. I would be carrying a fairly complete FAK, along with extra clothing, lunch, snack, juice boxes, my wilderness and survival gear and some comfort items for the girls. Kids are unpredictable and it's best to be prepared for what might visit while you are out with them.
 
He's got some "normal" allergies like pollen ans such but nothing crazy. He hasn't been stung or anything so I'm not sure about bee stings and such.
 
RescueRiley said:
First off let me say that I think as long as you have good stuff in a fak that it is better ti have too much rather than too little.
I'm in EMS by trade, and as a result have a first aid kit that comprises far more space than it should I'll be posting a video of it's contents soon...However I think when people just pack bandaids that they are banking on getting a typical injury, for must cuts and bumps I get I just wipe'em on my shirt and go... but a kit is for the non typical at least in my mind. the kit is for when you have a stitch worthy laceration or something worse. how someone could think to pack a spool of snare wire on the off chance that they'll be lost long enough to need to trap food, and than not bring a first aid kit of any kind, seems a little odd to me. but than again I'm biased
but I think you could get by with
1 small pill case with
motrin
benadryl
peptobismal
and a small container holding:
neosporin
2 pairs of latex gloves
a razorblade
a small magnifying glass
10 butterfly suture bandaids
10 bandaids of assorted sizes
1 ace bandage
2 bandannas ( readily avail, multi use but can be used for slings and for splinting
2 4x4 gause dressings you can get them at cvs and they can be cut to size if need be)
2 maxipads (cheap, replaceable, compact and super absorbant dressings)
some tweezers
and a small plastic card wrapped with several yards of medical tape

After going through the contents of the kit you have.. I have to say it's pretty well thought out but if you wanted to cut it down, heres the things you could do without
1)the instruction book..memorize it now or get some training if you don't have one..there won't be time to read if you nee what's in that case really bad, and if ints not really bad you probably wont need to read about it.

2)the tincture if you already have some type of anti bacterial agent that should be good enough.

3) the moleskins.. c'mon they're' blisters

4) the 3x3's and the 2x2 dressings (the 4x4's can be cut to seze as needed)

5) the applicators if the only thing that you are applying in your kit is antibiotic ointment you can do that with a nitrile gloved finger tip.

6) wrap the tape around and old gift card (you won't need it all) and it packs much flatter.

Sorry for the long post.....
Click to expand...

Im with John. +1:thumbup:
 
the best thing you can take with you is knowledge, now knowledge does NOT, replace being prepared.
The kit RescueRiley listed sounds pretty dang good to me, I pack in sutures, or the liquid ones, an Epipen for my wife, a CAT(combat application tourniquet) I take old muslin bandages in blace of the bandanas, a couple cinch tights bandanges, and I always, always take burn gel. It may sound superfluous, but being burned is some of the worst pain I have ever experienced, it's terrible. I also carry xeroform which is basically a vasaline soaked bandange for burns. Small packets of triple antibiotic, and alchohol prep pads(can be used as tinder too)

So far I have really liked the kits AMK has,http://www.adventuremedicalkits.com/
 
My pocket kit:

Key ring with Leatherman Micra, small compass, whistle, firesteel, LED micro light, spy capsule with tinder. Add a folder with a pocket clip or something on the order of an SAK Farmer or Fieldmaster.

From there it goes to the classic essentials list. A hydration pack with a little extra storage will haul it all:

Knife
Water container and purification tablets
Map and compass
Flashlight
First aid kit
Whistle
Mirror
Fire starters
Extra clothing
Space blanket or bivy
Extra food
Sunglasses
Sunscreen
Insect repellent

Add:
Poncho rigged for a shelter
Small line
Mini fishing kit
Bic lighter
Duct tape
Spare batteries
Small gauge wire
Fixed blade knife
Single edge razor blades
More tinder/fire starter
Boiling pot
TP and hand cleaner

If you don't think you can get screwed up on a 3-4 hour hike, the statistics are against you. Hopefully, the readers here have their act together more than Joe Sheeple, but you can get lost, take a bad fall, or have the weather catch you. Poop happens!
 
Waterproof medical tape. I use this stuff for almost all first aid applications. Its very versatile. Other than that, a few bandages and some kind of triple antibiotic cream.
 
Here is what I carry.
4 4x4 gauze pads
4 2x2 gauze pads
4 1" wide bandaids.
adhesive roll 1/2" thick
antiseptic swabs
burts bees RES Q ointment
Tweezers
and a needle What the tweezers sometimes do not get the needle does.

Bryan
 
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