This is part five in a series about my $100 Super-Ultralight Gear List. Part five, is all about my first aid and gear repair kit.
First Aid Kit
Gauze Roll, Duct Tape, Antibiotic Ointment, and Meds | Cost $3.00 | Weight 1.241 oz.
This first aid kit is very minimal, but you can do a lot with a roll of gauze and some duct tape:
Duct Tape Band-Aids in Any Size
With a roll of gauze and duct tape, you can make bandages in any size and shape you need.
I keep duct tape either wrapped around pen ink or on my hiking poles, so it's always carried and doesn't contribute to pack weight.
Duct Tape Butterfly Bandages
Keep an open would closed until you can get to the nearest hospital with a duct tape butterfly bandage.
Wound and Eye Wash
Clean a wound or flush debris from your eye by poking a hole in a plastic bags and filling with clean water.
Duct Tape Tick Remover
Remove ticks by folding over a piece of duct tape like tweezers and pulling them straight out. Disinfect the area with hand sanitizer. Contact a doctor immediately if you have signs of infection, rash, or flu-like symptoms, as ticks can transmit lyme disease.
Duct Tape Splinter Remover
Whether it's a tick or a splinter, duct tape can be used in place of tweezers.
Duct Tape for Hotspots
When you feel a hot spot starting, cover the area with duct tape immediately to prevent additional friction. Make sure the duct tape doesn't stick to a blister by sticking another smaller piece on the back
Duct Tape Splint
If you need to immobilize a broken bone, it's duct tape to the rescue once again.
Single-use Antibiotic Ointment
I've never needed more than a couple applications of antibiotic ointment on a trip, so rather than take a full tube, I seal a single-use amount in pieces of straw and fuse the edges with needle nose pliers and a lighter. They can be reopened by cutting a corner off one end, or reapplying heat.
Other Items
Toothpaste, Toothbrush, Toilet Paper, and Sewing Kit | Cost $1.00 | Weight 1.257 oz.
I use the brush half of a travel toothbrush. My sewing kit is a sewing needle and some dental floss. Dental floss is stronger than thread and it can, of course, be used on your teeth. I keep the needle and razor blade in a plastic condiment cup with lid, to keep it from poking a hole in something or getting lost.
Duct Tape for Gear Repair
Duct tape can be used for a lot of gear repair. It sticks to window shrink wrap film (polycryo) very well, which I use for a rain tarp, pack liner, and stuff sacks. Duct tape is a great survival item. It can be used in a thousand different ways.Click here to learn more about my $100 Super-Ultralight Gear List