I think what the guy meant was he didnt carry a "conventional" first aid kit. His kit had uses for the t-shirt, duct tape etc... Sounded to me like he was the MacGyver type that could do brain surgery with a dull spoon...

I have one in my Tackle Box (it's a backpack)and one in my hunting pack. They have a few bandaids, an ace wrap, medical tape, tylenol, a couple gauze pads, and a set of gloves.

I agree with the t-shirt and duct tape idea, as long as you have something. I am sure that it will stop the bleeding.

when we go back country skiing/hiking we bring the usual stuff band aids, gauze tape ect but we also take floss and a needle for stiching

I think MM has a point. Open the typical first aid kit and the stuff is only for minor cuts and scrapes and headaches. I add sutures, dental repair kit, tweezers, dental floss, Super Glue, QuikClot, surgical tubing, and a few other things. I suspect one can't imagine what it is like in those remote super cold conditions unless one experiences it. Minus 10 is the worst I've had it.

I have a portable hospitial backpack from Cheaper than dirt. Since i am both a nurse and go on fequent long range hunts it is better than a first aid kit.

i think that the type kit you carry should be based on where and who you are and the conditions you operate in.

I not only carry one but have had occasion to use it. Mine is pocket sized, weighs only a couple of ounces, and is well thought out with just the basics for cleaning, disinfecting, closing and covering wounds. There is an excellent thread on the Survival message board regarding that point of the article where RUSSH suggests horse wrap for those grievous injuries as opposed to the sweatshirt and duct tape approach. I question the wisdom of wearing a cotton sweatshirt in that environment. Any moisture holding cotton garment can kill you in that harsh frigid climate.

If it's that bad, hit my 911 button on my "SPOT" unit, stop the bleeding, treat for shock, and keep the patient calm and warm!

you know its funny because I think "who wouldn't carry a first aid kit". But then I think back to the last three fishing trips and the last camping trip, and you know what? I didnt have a first aid kit on any of them.

well i am an EMT, so yes i carry a kit with me every where i go. i carry bandaids, 4x4 pads, 2rolls of 3" kling, asprin, nitro, and DUCT TAPE(it makes a damn good watertight bandaid) and some toung depressors, and this is from years of experince not only in emergancy medicen but as a boy scout too. if your smart you carry a kit and some form of comunication wiht the world to get help.

Well, it all depends on what you know. Having a kit, bells and whistles are optional, won't do you a great deal of good if you don't know how to use it. Creative thinking will only get you so far. Educating yourself and training will go much farther and help you to reasonably think outside the box when those situation arise that your kit or your training didn't contemplate. That said, yes I carry a kit. I also take a medical history of every member in my group ,myself included, and keep them in my kit. (It can be very helpful when they can't answer your questions or you want to be able to tell the responding rescuers that they may want to not give them a medication the patient is allergic to) What I carry is geared towards an objective assessment of what I'm likely to encounter and what I can manage in the field and what I can reasonably and legally do to manage someone until evacuation is possible. I could bring everything I'm trained to use but I'd need a pack mule or several sherpas to carry it and a good lawyer if I used it outside of my job. First Aid training and certification is good, EMT, WEMT is better, EMT-P will give you the most expansive training (as far as pre-hospital care is concerned) but you will likely be limited in terms of what advanced care you can provide or the skills you can use off the job. If you have no training or the desire and self discipline to aquire it, well then you might very well find a sweaty t-shirt and a roll of duct tape more than adequate for any medical or traumatic emergency you may face.