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Gear Review:
First Aid Kits
First Aid Kits
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First Aid Kits
The one piece of gear that most everyone carries along with them is a first aid kit. Unfortunately, even
though it is always carried along, most people don’t even have a clue what is in their kit, much less
how to proper use the items that they brought along. An emergency is no time to whip out the manual
and try and figure out what a butterfly suture is and how to properly use one, if it is even in the first aid
kit. While there are many very good first aid kits on the market, I recommend making your own. That
way you know exactly what is in it and more importantly what is missing. Here is a link to a
printable/downloadable PDF of a list of what I carry in my first aid kit, but yours will probably vary,
depending on the size of the group that you are camping with and your personal medical needs. But
the most important thing is that you know what is in your kit and how to use it. So study that first aid
manual before your trip, to make sure you know what to do, when it counts.
The one piece of gear that most everyone carries along with them is a first aid kit. Unfortunately, even
though it is always carried along, most people don’t even have a clue what is in their kit, much less
how to proper use the items that they brought along. An emergency is no time to whip out the manual
and try and figure out what a butterfly suture is and how to properly use one, if it is even in the first aid
kit. While there are many very good first aid kits on the market, I recommend making your own. That
way you know exactly what is in it and more importantly what is missing. Here is a link to a
printable/downloadable PDF of a list of what I carry in my first aid kit, but yours will probably vary,
depending on the size of the group that you are camping with and your personal medical needs. But
the most important thing is that you know what is in your kit and how to use it. So study that first aid
manual before your trip, to make sure you know what to do, when it counts.
An off the shelf first aid kit is a good place to start. First, you should familiarize yourself with the
contents and how they are used. You will probably find most commercial kits are lacking in even
some of the most basic first aid supplies, so the next step is to fill in the blanks. Many of the
supplies can be begged or borrowed from your family doctor, such as latex gloves or prescriptions
for epipens and samples of medications. Otherwise many medical supply houses will sell direct to
you at very reasonable prices. Local pharmacists are also normally very decent about giving out
empty pill bottles, which are great for organizing the kit. Once you have assembled at the bits and
pieces, it is time to learn how to put them to use. The Red Cross (www.redcross.org) offers very
inexpensive first aid training sessions in most communities, or for the more DIY /radical types the
Black Cross Health Collective (http://www.blackcrosscollective.org) is another excellent source for
general first aid training. These organizations as well as many books on the subject, can give you a
basic understanding of first aid techniques. After leaning the basics it is a good idea to take a first aid
class that specializes in Wilderness First Aid such as that taught across the country by The
Wilderness Medicine Training Center (www.wildmedcenter.com). These courses may seem
expensive and chances are that you will never need even half the skills that you learn in such a
training course, but I think that it is really impossible to put a price on your own life or that of a friend,
loved one, or possibly a stranger that you might come across on the trail, even if the chances are
slim that such an emergency situation will ever occur.
contents and how they are used. You will probably find most commercial kits are lacking in even
some of the most basic first aid supplies, so the next step is to fill in the blanks. Many of the
supplies can be begged or borrowed from your family doctor, such as latex gloves or prescriptions
for epipens and samples of medications. Otherwise many medical supply houses will sell direct to
you at very reasonable prices. Local pharmacists are also normally very decent about giving out
empty pill bottles, which are great for organizing the kit. Once you have assembled at the bits and
pieces, it is time to learn how to put them to use. The Red Cross (www.redcross.org) offers very
inexpensive first aid training sessions in most communities, or for the more DIY /radical types the
Black Cross Health Collective (http://www.blackcrosscollective.org) is another excellent source for
general first aid training. These organizations as well as many books on the subject, can give you a
basic understanding of first aid techniques. After leaning the basics it is a good idea to take a first aid
class that specializes in Wilderness First Aid such as that taught across the country by The
Wilderness Medicine Training Center (www.wildmedcenter.com). These courses may seem
expensive and chances are that you will never need even half the skills that you learn in such a
training course, but I think that it is really impossible to put a price on your own life or that of a friend,
loved one, or possibly a stranger that you might come across on the trail, even if the chances are
slim that such an emergency situation will ever occur.
