Not every expedition has a doctor on board. Luckily, wilderness M.D.'s are now lending their expertise to making medical kits ever lighter and more sophisticated. Almost all include the standard lineup of Band-Aids, tape, and acetaminophen, but the more specialized offer such heavy-duty extras as a dental repair pack. No matter how far you're going, one of these will fix you up.

EXPEDITION KIT
The folks at Wilderness Medical Systems will try to talk you out of buying the 10-pound Absorkee (right) if they think you're overshooting your needs. Designed by an M.D. for groups as large as eight, it's best suited to a base camp, a sailboat, or an expedition with porters and yaks. The bag is made in Montana from rugged 1,000-denier Cordura fabric and opens up into labeled modules that allow you to quickly find what you need. And good luck finding another kit with a surgical stapler and an LED stylus. Even the Band-Aids are state-of-the-art: The PolyMem pads speed healing and last for up to a week. Plus, Wilderness Medical Systems will restock your kit at any time ($620; wildernessmedical.com).