LuckySailor

I bought a first aid bag from MEC. It contains bandaids, gauze and other stuff. I also carry Clorohexidine sponges, and have had the opportunities to use them-not on me but on other riders. I am also in Canada. I carry Ibuprofen and Excedrin. you'll like never use the kit but nice to have IF you need it.

Paul Barnard

All first aid kits should have aspirin. Aspirin works well as a pain reliever, but can also save your life at the onset of a heart attack. I have been working for the Coast Guard for over 30 years. We often get calls form people experiencing chest pain in remote locations. Our flight surgeon will always recommend aspirin. Another thing I think should be in a first aid kit is something to stop a major bleed. There are fairly compact blood clotting commercial dressings readily available. That covers the life threats we can reasonably deal with.

A few assorted band aids are never a bad idea. They take up little space. Kerlix is one of my favorite first aid items. That along with some 2x2 and 4x4's can really come in handy for scrapes and cuts. Kerlix can even be used in building improvised splints. A little neosporin and hydrocortisone cream (great for bites and other things that might cause itching and keep you awake at night) will round out a lightweight, compact kit very nicely.

indyfabz

One size doesn't fit all. I already take blood thinners daily. Aspirin is a no-no.

Paul Barnard

When I carry a first aid kit I don't assume I am the only one I will use it on. In fact, I feel like I am as likely to use it on someone else as I am myself.

I rarely type in absolutes for the very reason is that there are almost always exceptions. I was striving for brevity in a rushed post and assumed readers would recognize that there are almost always exceptions. You are obviously aware of the contraindications for yourself. Aspirin is very rarely contraindicated when a heart attack is suspected. In cases where there are no known contraindications, almost all emergency physicians will recommend aspirin.

berner

Some years ago, a woman hiking in the mountains of California slipped and fell into a ravine and suffered serious injuries to the extent she could not walk and get herself out of her predicament. She laid there for several days, long enough for the wounds to become septic. Eventually a party of hikers heard her cries for help. They called for help which took a helicopter to get here out. She lived but it was a close call. My own great-grandfather died of infection when a horse stepped on his foot. That, of course was before antibiotics were discovered.

These days it seems an entire new class of bacteria are about that hardly respond to current antibiotics. In any case, it does not take a serious injury of cause a serious infection. Keeping antibiotics up to date is a bore but much less so than an amputation. A road tour may not call for such measures but keeping scratches or cuts clean is basic first aid.

thebellmont

In addition to all the traditional stuff, I carried (and later worshiped) a roll of Leukotape and small pair of scissors on my recent tour. Used it like you would moleskin but it is stronger and more resilient.

DropBarFan

Thanks for that tip--I hadn't heard of the stuff before, even though I read it has lots of fans among hikers, runners etc.

PhoenixBiker 

Our local newspaper recently ran a story on a first-aid kit that fits into a large sandwich bag, yet is complete enough to handle most injuries suffered outdoors. The fellow who came up with the idea is an M.D. who teaches wilderness medicine:

https://www.wvgazettemail.com/news/h...a82b59fef.html

BikeLite

That guy eats some big sammiches (looks like gallon size ziploc)

PhoenixBiker 

My thoughts, too, but even so the kit weighs only a few ounces and could easily be slipped into a rack trunk, handlebar bag or pannier without taking up much space.

rumrunn6

wonder if that would be good to cover a hotspot to help protect that part of a foot from rubbing. but if the hotspot isn't from "rubbing" but rather, "pressure" then just covering the skin wouldn't really help ...?

thebellmont

Leukotape not only protects the skin but grips the skin and surrounding muscle. Whenever redness would appear on my hands or feet I would a square inch off and slap it on. The stuff is woven like duct tape (or gaff tape) but harder to cut. I would use to prevent blisters but one of the original uses was for physical therapists -- they would use it externally to provide support and pain relief to surrounding muscle groups, like for folks needing to regain strength after surgery on something load baring (e.g. ankle, knee etc...). Over time the adhesive bonds to your skin, so you have to be careful about where and how you put it on or else you may end up causing redness/pulled away skin.

d.james

Coleman still makes their classic tin box kits. They're light and cover the basics. I've grabbed one for each of my bikes and the've always covered the basic scrapes and bruises type of injury.

3speed

3speed

PhoenixBiker 

It's not as large as it looks. The photo was taken with a wide-angle lens, and the doctor was holding the bag out toward the camera, so barrel distortion made the bag look larger. It truly does weigh next to nothing. The SAM splint and the CAT tourniquet are both feather-light, and the other stuff is mostly gauze and air. I happen to know that doctor, and he has shown me the kit "live and in person."

BikeLite

Docs are always going to carry more first aid stuff.