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a store bought FAK is the best place to start. is it perfect? no but we can make it perfect, or close to it. if you have a sams club close by run in and grab one or two of these depending on how many kits you want to make. 1 of these will actually give you the start of 2 good kits. you can dump the things you dont need in a junk drawer in a zip top bag. next, pick up a couple boxes of individual wrapped 2x2's and 4x4's available at most drug stores or even walmart. along with those pick up assorted sizes of kling wrap and a couple of ace style bandages. make sure to buy some GOOD tape in both cloth and plastic(transpore if you can find it). now you can add things like a tourniquet or two for each kit. DO NOT skimp out on these. now is also the time to sit down and figure out what you need for your special area or needs. sun screen, bug repellent, and other assorted ointments. if its going to be a kit you carry for hunting/camping/BO then think of mole skin and maybe some larger self stick bandages.

now, lets go into some of those "specialized" items. quick clot and things like that are nice but there is a time and place to use them and in 13+ years of EMS i cant remember once that i could have used them. direct pressure and bulky dressings have taken care of everything. QC was designed to be used in areas where proper care would risk the lives of others and time to a hospital was an issue. in the real world, i can do the same thing with dressings and get to the same end results. 4x4's are cheap, QC isnt. add to the fact that QC was designed to be used on areas where you cant apply direct pressure or apply a tourniquet. a bleeding chest wound would wouldnt want to use them because if there is damage to the lung you want that air escaping the lung to escape the chest to prevent further issues. this is where a chest seal or an occlusive dressing comes in handy. so you have just limited QC to abdominal injuries such as GSW's. sit back and think of how many GSW's to the abdomen you have seen or heard about in your area? EMS is usually close by and those 4x4's and direct pressure on the site will do the job till the ambulance gets there. you can also get whats called an "abd pad" that is a bulky dressing but they take up a lot of room and will need to be ordered off the web. they are large for the treatment of a GSW but can be folded over and can absorb a lot of blood to help with clotting. NOW if your going hunting in the middle of no where with no cell coverage, sure grab a QC sponge or two but i wouldnt carry them every day.

one way to figure out how to get your kit perfect for you is to write down everything you have in it. after a year go back through your kit and see what you have used by comparing whats in your kit and what was there from the start. if you replace something due to high usage then add that to the original count. if you didnt have something write that down to. then mod the kit as you go.

meds, toss the stuff in the kit in that zip top bag from earlier when you get it. put in there place fresh meds of your choice. dont forget about meds for kids. doses are different so do the right thing for them. carry liquid Diphenhydramine as well as tab form. not only does it treat allergies but it is also a sleep aid. its whats in almost all the PM versions of OTC meds.

if your keeping this in a box(even the original) take a piece of masking tape and write down the med names and there exp date. that way you dont have to tear the kit apart figuring out what needs to be replaced when. if your keeping it in a bag then find a couple of those luggage tags and do the same. just strap them to the grab handle.

Im sure i have missed something but its late and im tired.

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I, for one, would love to have mylt1 expound on this. Maybe with some more info, thoughts, and pics.