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Another question asked what survival equipment should be carried in an emergency kit. But very little was about medical or first aid supplies (band-aids, gauze, tylenol, moleskin, etc).
What items would you consider essential to bring in a small first aid kit for injuries or health concerns that could come up during outdoor activities?
Okay just broke out my kit. Here's what we carry. This may seem like a long list, but it's small. It fits in a ziploc bag (almost). Also, please note that you should pack for your skill set and first aid training. If you don't know how to use a splint, it's wasted and will tempt you to do things you shouldn't. Same goes for sutures. Know how benedryl and the epipen work before you dose anyone. You get the idea.
With the exception of the EpiPen and Splint, this all fits in a quart freezer bag and goes in the very top of my pack in a separate compartment. We tell everyone where it is.
Everything is also sub-packaged into smaller (cheap) snack size ziplocks. You don't want your gauze wet or contaminated because you needed a tylenol. I also packed things together logically (for me). Bandages, triple antibiotic, and iodine all into one ziploc. Pills in little containers (packed with cotton so they won't break).
One tip for labeling your pills. Use a sharpie then clear tape over the writing. Sharpie will wipe off of most plastic containers in time. We've never lost the writing this way.
With the EpiPen you will notice that I took a rubber band and attached the medial information sheet to it with all the instructions, warning, cautions, etc.
What it looks like packed
and unpacked
It depends on precisely how big the kit is. A couple other answers have covered bigger packs, so I'll mention what could be in a much thinner pack.
If it needs to be flat and relatively small:
*: To make it flat, take a bit, stretch it out a couple inches, fold it over on itself, and wrap it around itself until it's about as thick as you want it. My friend and I use these and mini-rolls made essentially the same way for climbing.
**: Aspirin and ibuprofen reduce fever and inflammation; Tylenol reduces fever but not inflammation. As a commenter pointed out, it may be beneficial to have both. Aspirin and Ibuprofen are also mild anticoagulants (prevent blood from clotting), so if you already take blood thinners or have less-than-minor cuts, you should take Tylenol instead.
Bring a wilderness first aid guide! Even if you have training, it could save your life if you're the one injured and someone else is trying to take care of you with your own kit.
Here is a list of things I would have in pretty much any hiking first aid kit. There are other items worth considering for kits, but I consider these to be the minimum.
Wound Care
Medicinal
And I would also include an emergency blanket in the first aid kit.
If you have more room or don't mind the weight a few other items worth considering are:
I tend to treat emergency first aid and everyday 'maintenance' as separate requirements and I think that this helps to keep things rationalised and logical.
The everyday kit is aimed at treating the normal problems you might get over a few days: this fits in a small wallet for short trips. A lot of these things are personal preference and what you find works for you, plus of course any regular or emergency medication you may need for known medical conditions.
In some cases it may be sensible to break this down further into quick access stuff for cuts etc eg in a small wallet and more everyday items packed elsewhere.
Emergency kit : kept in a military type rip-off trauma pouch this is for major injuries which I think I have some chance of treating. Obviously this is more for longer trips in more isolated areas. If you're within sensible range of normal emergency medical cover this can be stripped back a lot.
My kit is predominantly based on this article by Kath Wills of Llanberis MRT.
HOW TO: Make A Mountain First Aid Kit
The Israeli trauma compression bandage is a great bit of kit, but not recommended to be carried in certain territories....
Libya detainee Gareth Montgomery-Johnson 'almost unrecognisable' in call
Members of the brigade also produced a field dressing that they said had been found in the journalists' possession. It was of a type, they said, used by the Israeli military.
I may have missed it but I would add the following:
Some (like 4+) large thick bandages to stop a major bleed. Like 4 X 4 or 4 X 6. You can get some life threatening cuts. I ski patrolled and we had a guy cut his inner thigh and 4 of us emptied our kits getting the bleed under control. You also have them for longer term case to change out dressings.
1-2 rolls of athletic tape. Tape a sprained ankle or knee. Tape large bandages.
Like 1/2 single bed sheet that can be used for a sling or other types of bandaging.
Razor - shave head if they gash a head. Scalp can easily become infected.
Enough parachute or like cord to fabricate a stretcher. You can also make a stretcher from climbing rope.
