unusual first aid items

Ok we all have a bandaid, an antiseptic and maybe a gause pad and some tape.

What are the other really valuable items worth carrying on a long trip where weight really matters?

One item I like is a very light plastic plunger tube for extracting insect venom. I ALWAYS carry a tiny tube of eye wash in case of an object in my eye. I generally carry a blue hydrogel pad because I've found that as soon as you slap it on any kind of wound it starts feeling better and its protected - of course the bigger the better but 2x3 or 3x3 or 3x4 might be ideal. They seem to last over more than one season if closed up. I also carry a nail file, nail clippers and mini tweezers, but I leave the sutures and scalpels at home.

What sort of unusual first aid items have you carried and found to be worthwhile????
Jim

Needle, not for sewing cuts but for removing slivers. It doubles as a clothing or gear repair item (with dental floss, another dual use item, as thread). I've only ever had to use the needle once for sewing, but I use it for slivers nearly every trip. Question to self--why do I keep the needle with repair stuff instead of first aid?

Foam self-adhering wrap, called vet wrap and available in livestock supply stores, a good substitute for much heavier elastic bandage if you sprain your ankle. Of course can be used to keep bandage on dog legs. If used as substitute for elastic bandage, a few strips of duct tape on the outside make it stiffer. The downside is that under heat and pressure this stuff melts together, so you need to replace it every year or two. Ace bandage deteriorates, too.

Very small mirror (Coghlan's camping mirror cut to 1/4 original size)--in case I get something in my eye or a facial owie. Optional if not traveling solo.

Small amount of antibiotic ointment (the little one-dose packets)--my most common injury is the dreaded infected hangnail!

2 or 3 butterfly closures are both lighter and a lot safer than a suture kit. ER physicians (like my son-in-law) will scream at you if you suture or superglue cuts and will promptly open them up again.

I like those hydrogel pads, too!

A few ibuprofen or acetaminophen tablets are a good idea. I also bring a few benadryl capsules (in case I step in a wasp nest, common in the fall here) and a few anti-diarrhea tablets (to slow down the process so I can hike out without having to get behind a tree every hundred yards).

It's always a good idea to go through the kit every year and get rid of the expired meds, the bandaids whose wrappers have turned yellow with age, etc.

I carry a couple "adhesive suture kits" (I think that's what they're called) that I got from an EMT, they're light and I'd rather use them on myself than stitches. I carry a needle and thread and plastic thimble too though, just in case I ever get the chance to sew someone up. So far I haven't, but I have practiced on my gear a couple times.

I also carry a small tweezers and nail clipper with a file, chapstick, eye drops (for the same reason as you) and a temporary tooth filling kit, which is very small and light.

I quit using neosporin years ago. Raw honey works way better as an antibiotic ointment and I can use it for an energy boost, a sore throat, and to sweeten my tea or a biscuit. I also have a couple Q-Tips in there.

Other than that it's band-aids and meds. I carry an assortment of over the counter meds, most of them for stuff I've never worried about needing, like antihistamines, charcoal caps, and Imodium A-D, but also aspirin and advil, which I do use if I get to feeling stiff or sore.