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The most important lesson that I learned in the Boy Scouts is “Be Prepared.” I can’t count how many times being prepared has helped me or someone around me–usually in small ways, but occasionally in big ways.

One of the ways that I maintain preparedness is keeping an individual first aid kit (IFAK) on my person. My full kit fits inside a small MOLLE pouch that I keep in my backpack, but within that kit is a smaller pouch of core components that is small enough that I can slip it into a pocket if I’m not wearing my backpack.

I would recommend making a small kit like this to keep on your person. It’s easy to do using things you likely already have on-hand. When you or someone around you needs something in it, you’ll be thankful for investing a little bit of time, energy, and materials to be ready for that moment.

You can put whatever you think is most useful into your compact first aid kit. In mine, I carry things that I regularly use or think might be useful. I keep my kit in a waterproof snack-size Ziploc bag. It includes:

• 6 alcohol antiseptic pads
• 2 lens wipes
• 2 bandaids
• 2 aspirin
• 1 antibiotic ointment
• 3 single-use eye drops
• 4 Advil (ibuprofen)
• 4 Eve DX (a Japanese-made pain reliever that helps with migraines)

In addition to the first aid kit, I also keep a pouch of tissues (my current Japanese-made Sumikkogurashi ones were donated by Y).

Whatever you put in your first aid kit, stick to what fits your needs. Keep it up to date as you use things in it. And, adjust its contents as your needs change.