Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

This kit is okay. I've worked (almost always in the trauma bay) at a level one trauma center for 9 years. I like to be prepared, but I want to keep things as lightweight as possible. I also like to maximize the versatility of the items I do bring with me. I am definitely not a "wacker" (an important distinction given some of the other reviews). That said, on to my review: Let me start by saying that I bought this kit over others for two reasons: (1) I wanted the orange sack and waterproof pouch to put my supplies in & (2) I figured that this would be a decent starting point. I was/am disappointed on both counts. I took the pouch out to inspect what I had on the very day it arrived. It is too big for the sack and ripped the seam opposite of where the zipper rests when closed immediately upon removal. So it's already broken! Great. I am instead using two quart sized (folded down of course) ziplock bags and put those in the (now broken) sack. It's lighter in weight and just as water resistant. Some of the items in this kit (as is) are pretty useless if we're going to be really honest with ourselves. Like the "irrigation syringe". What are you going to use to irrigate without saline? ...dirty water mixed with saliva from your water bottle? Great way to really introduce an infection I'd say! That's gone. I also got rid of the patient form and pencil. It follows SAMPLE and OPQRST questions pretty well, but most laypeople aren't going to know how to document AVPU and no *SANE* person ought to be carrying a blood pressure cuff or a stethoscope (for vitals). That's entirely too excessive for backpacking/hiking which (full disclosure) was/is my intended use for this kit as well as my basis for review. Similarly, the waterproof tape and off-brand ace wrap are both *WAY* too thin to be of any use. Those are now gone too. I went to the dollar store and got myself individual Tylenol packets, individual Excedrine Migraine packets (as a migraine sufferer those are a must), 3" off-brand ace wrap (now I can wrap wrists/hands, ankles & elbows as opposed to JUST the wrist/hand) and 3" gauze wrap (helps with wound care & splinting) for $1 each. If I had gone to the dollar store beforehand and saw how much they had in name brand supplies, I never would've bought this first aid kit. I could've gotten so much more for so much less without purchasing too much in bulk. Lesson learned. Anyway, I also went to a "big box" store (unsure if I can specify which one) and purchased individual packets of Pepto-Bismol in pill form (the box was approximately $2.50) as well as a decent sized, more versatile type of (silk) medical tape (2 for $1.50). I understand not including an anti-emetic (my intention for the Pepto-Bismol), but how this kit is missing acetaminophen in some form (I purchased Tylenol) for fever is beyond me. What else have I or would I add? Well, I keep going back and forth about getting 2-3 those little saline "bullets" (or any other very small saline container) for potential "irrigation". It's a battle between that not being enough saline to properly irrigate and pack base weight. It could also be used if dirt/debris got into the eyes which would be nice. We'll see. I am probably also going to add the smaller 18" SAM splint. I really do love those things and, as someone who has splinted a broken bone several miles deep in the woods, I'd rather have a SAM splint than splinting with sticks again (though -clearly- it can be done). Some may say that's a bit much, but I'm content to add it to my pack... mostly because I've personally needed it for someone before. If I did *NOT* hike with a dog, I'd get an individual packet of some sort of powder designed to stop bleeding... probably for S's & G's. You can get those at the "big box" store for less than $5. Because I *DO* hike with a dog, I am instead getting a small container of the styptic (aluminum sulfate) powder. which is safe for humans and dogs.. for a "2 for the price of 1" sort of stop-the-bleeding substance. I will also likely add the athletic tape that adheres to itself, but I only recommend that for the canine first aid portion of the kit. It's redundant if you are only treating humans. I'll be adding another med or two for my dog, but that's beyond the scope of this review and most consumer's needs. I've seen a couple of reviewers discuss suture materials. If (and only if) you are a prepper, this kit is intended for your bug out bag *AND* you know how to suture, I guess you could throw that in here. If all three of those things do not apply to you, I cannot possibly understand the need for suture material. Realistically? At 90% of my destinations I will be 1-2 days (max) from a hospital after signaling for help (and you should definitely have some mechanism for doing that). Therefore, there is *NO* way that I am letting some cowboy resident suture one of my wounds at some dirty campsite when neither one of us as showered in god knows how long. Oh, but what if it's a GSW? Then I'm more concerned about using an occlusive dressing and then getting the frick out of there. Oh, but what if you have an arterial bleed? Then I'm going with direct pressure, elevation or (if all else fails) applying a tourniquet and then getting the frick out of there. In any case, the suture material is excessive. As far as the safety pins are concerned: I just want to point out that those can be pretty useless in the kit as is without being cognizant of the other items in your pack. I say this because "hiking buffs" are really trendy right now. They're great and I understand why people love them. They are extremely useful and versatile. But so are bandanas, which I would vehemently argue are even more versatile. There is nothing a buff can do that a bandana cannot. Additionally, bandanas can be worn in more ways. They can be used as pee rags (for women) or as sleep masks (I usually bring a dark colored one with me for that reason). Most importantly, they are perfectly shaped to be used as cravats for medical splinting. It is SO easy to make a sling and swathe using a bandana, those safety pins, and some of the other items in my (now) tweaked kit. It just wouldn't be as easy to use a buff in the same way. Anyway, I hope this review helped someone else out there. I personally find reviews really helpful, and I wanted to contribute. I think that the intentions of everyone here are good, but you really have to consider what you're really going to encounter and weigh that against having that extra load on your back. Happy hiking.