What to Keep in Your First-Aid Kit

By Ready Expert

In an emergency, a properly stocked first-aid kit can often mean the difference between stopping a situation from escalating before it gets out of control and winding up with a life-threatening incident on your hands. Whether you are using your first-aid kit as a homesteader, taking it with you for backwoods camping or other activities that could result in a survival situation, or simply packing one to have on hand in the event of an extreme weather event or accident, there are certain items that it should absolutely have.

The Basics

A first-aid kit should have plenty of items necessary for injuries that are not life threatening or serious enough to require additional care. These include the kinds of items you would need for dealing with minor cuts, scrapes, and bruises; first-degree burns, sunburns, and allergic reactions. The basic items for non- life threatening situations should include:

• Band-aids of different shapes and sizes. This includes everything from small band-aids for simple cuts all the way up to butterfly bandages for more serious ones.

• Gauze – and plenty of it. You’ll want to have gauze pads as well as rolls for bandaging cuts that are more serious than what band-aids can handle.

• Medical tape for securing bandages and a roll of duct tape as well. Duct tape is useful for making splints, is stiff enough to stabilize slings and won’t lose its adhesive ability if it gets wet.

• Instant cold packs for relief from sprains and bruises. You’ll want the kind that you shake to start a chemical reaction that produces cold.

• Athletic bandages for wrapping sprained ankles and holding cold packs in place.

• Poison ivy wash that can quickly and effectively remove oils from poison ivy, sumac and oak. While poison ivy is not life-threatening, it can be uncomfortable and debilitating in a survival situation.

• Scissors and tweezers are two tools that you don’t want your first aid kit to be lacking. Tweezers are perfect for removing splinters and other debris from wounds, and scissors are the best tool for cutting bandages and cutting away clothing from a wound.

• Antihistamines for treating allergic reactions to bee stings, insect bites, and poisonous plants. Pack antihistamines like Benadryl whether or not you have known allergies. Calendula oil or hydrocortisone cream for treating skin rashes is critical as well.

• Pain killers for relieving aches and pains. While more serious injuries will require better painkillers than what is available over-the-counter, these are the best you can get without a prescription.

• Antibiotic ointment and Isopropyl alcohol for cleaning wounds.

Additional Items In addition to the listed first-aid items, your first-aid kit should also include items that you may need in an emergency situation. This way, you don’t have to go looking for these tools elsewhere in your gear or home. They include the following:

• Flashlight with backup batteries stored separately. More than one flashlight is even better, and it’s recommended that you opt for camping headlamps rather than hand-held flashlights. This way your hands are free to work on the situation at hand.

• Hand sanitizer so you can quickly disinfect your hands before and after assisting the injured person. Disposable sterile gloves are very useful for preventing infection as well.

• Road flares for signaling an emergency, especially if you intend to keep your first aid kid in the car.

• Water purification tablets are crucial if you are stranded and do not have access to potable water. This is especially true if you are nursing injured persons back to health – you’ll want to make sure you have plenty of clean water. Tablets are better than bottled water because they are smaller and more portable, and they can’t be contaminated.

• Thermometer – preferably digital, for taking temperatures and determining if the injured person is developing a fever.

• Mylar blankets are lightweight, waterproof, and very warm. They are the best protection from the elements in cold weather.

Having a properly outfitted first-aid kit is one of the most important things you can do to survive extreme situations. Make sure yours has everything you need when emergency strikes.

What Do You Have? Comment below and share your experience. What do you keep in you first-aid kit? Why would you recommend that item?

11 years ago

Comments

mrmom

11 years ago at 11:24 PM

I am assuming this is a very basic first aid (travel) kit. I would highly recommend adding anti-diarrhea pills.

Erika

11 years ago at 5:57 AM

I like to have a dark colored washcloth or small towel. When you treat a small kid who is bleeding, they freak out when they see the blood. White gauze, white cloths--all make the blood more visible. Keeping calm is huge. I also keep "emergency chocolate" of some kind. It distracts kids and adults alike, and doubles as diabetic rescue for low blood sugar. I keep a serious med kit in my car, and what I use most is the washcloth, bandaids and ibuprofen. Fortunately, most problems are simple! Although, I have to agree with mrmom, the anti-diarrhea pills came to the rescue once too.

Jim

11 years ago at 7:12 AM

Both the previous comments are very good. While I think ibuprofen is good and have it in my kit, I also include plain old aspirin. Also, I recommend kits include, instant disposable ice packs. Just remember these really need to be rotated. I needed one once, popped the internal pouch shook it up and because it was old, I got exactly - nothing.

Tired 'Ol Sarge

11 years ago at 11:46 PM

I'm a retired police sergeant and way back in the "Dark Ages" when I was in Patrol, we would carry a couple of Tampons in our duty bags. Great for deep puncture wounds (read gun-shot-wounds and stabbing wounds). Used a tampon once on a stabbing victim. Worked great! The tampon swelled up, filling the wound and even had a pull-string for the paramedics or ER doctor to remove it! Another duty bag item was a couple of old fashioned Kotex pads, the kind the cloth ends that would hook up to an elastic belt type gizmo. Makes a great wound dressing and the cloth ends can be used to tie around an arm or slim leg. And don't forget those small use-once tubes of superglue. Great to "suture" small cuts and lacerations.

Mikelle

11 years ago at 4:21 AM

I keep hydrogel burn pads in my kit.

James

11 years ago at 12:04 PM

I also have dental repair kit, and sutures, iodine)liquid and tablets), and hydrogen peroxide,

emma

11 years ago at 12:46 PM

good tips.

Edna

10 years ago at 6:53 AM

I keep wonder dust in mine it acts like celox to clot wounds. You can get it at any feed store. I've used it on my animals and myself and it works great on deep cuts. I also keep tums, pepto tabs, hemostats, catgut w/needles, airways, hard candy,bp cuff with stethoscope, splints,

octavius

10 years ago at 4:27 AM

as a regular weatherer of typhoons, here are some things i keep in my kit that is not normally in there: kiddie bandages- their bright designs easy my little one's agitation. prickly heat powder in case the power went out, my daughter is allergic to her own sweat, so i need one constantly. canker sore meds, vicks, a nailcutter can do a lot of things. i throw in a small flashlight as well, and an after-bite insect bite cure.

Kim

10 years ago at 5:34 AM

We keep a baggie of condiment mustard packets in our kit all the time. Having 2 - 3 of those straight from the packets can stop bad leg and hand cramps almost immediately. Remember to rotate regularly!

LCasebolt

10 years ago at 7:54 AM

What a wealth of ideas! I will add many of these to my kit. One more handy thing to have is a disposable diaper, it works great for large wounds and I have used one a couple of times. They are clean and hold a lot of fluid if you are dealing with a head wound.

Pete

8 years ago at 4:59 AM

Great comments and suggestions. I'm surprised no one has mentioned a tourniquet. If you have a large wound that has hit an artery, this will be a life saver and takes very little room in your medical kit. If you are packing a kit for a solo adventure, might I recommend the RATS tourniquet, it's a device that is very simple and can be fitted one handed if that need should arise.

Bob G

8 years ago at 7:31 AM

I spend a lot of time involved in the shooting sports. Since gunshot wounds are always a possibility under those circumstances I carry a few clotting sponges just in case. Like any other first aid item, be mindful of the expiration date.