Physical Address

304 North Cardinal St.
Dorchester Center, MA 02124

First aid kits


First aid kits should be designed according to the environment to be encountered, number of travelers, medical training of the party leaders, and distance from advanced medical care. The following lists include items that could be included to deal effectively with the most common problems. They are not camping lists (shelter, food, toiletries, and the like). Basic survival supplies must be adequate. The more multipurpose your selections, the less the weight of your pack.

In all cases, what you should carry depends on your predetermined needs. Select the items that make sense for your group or expedition. As you review the sections of this book, you will be able to decide what to carry. For instance, a day hiker need not carry a portable traction splint, but a rock climber on a lengthy expedition should consider bringing one along. A scuba diver in Australia should carry a bottle of vinegar to pour on a box jellyfish sting. Carry a realistic quantity of supplies; you should be prepared to treat more than one person at a time. Specific medications to choose from are described in Appendix 1 and throughout the book. Remember to bring along pediatric doses (in liquid form, if necessary) when traveling with children.

First aid supplies should be packed to be readily accessible and marked clearly to allow rapid identification. Before the trip, show all members of the expedition where the medical supplies are stored and explain how they are to be used.

The supplies must be carried in a container(s) that can withstand physical abuse, extremes of temperature, and exposure to water. Conterra offers many options for medical carry packs and backpacks. On boating, rafting, or diving adventures, carry medical supplies in a plastic (a Pelican Case or OtterBox, for example) or metal container equipped with a rubber O-ring gasket for a tight, waterproof seal, or store the supplies in a “dry bag.” Use Ziploc-type bags within the kit for extra material and to sort your supplies. For instance, it’s helpful to partition supplies into modules “for wound care,” “for an allergic reaction,” and so forth.

Certain medications (such as epinephrine) might fare poorly when exposed to extreme cold or heat. To the best extent possible, they should be stored within a temperature range of 59°F to 86°F. Keeping medications close to one’s body in a comfortable storage container is a tenable solution for cold environments; a “cooling towel” might be useful in hot environments.

Carry a small notepad and waterproof writing instrument. A preprinted first aid report form, designed for use on mountain or backcountry expeditions, is a convenient way to record a victim’s medical condition and treatment, while serving as a good checklist for proper evaluation. Space is usually provided for a written rescue request to be carried by a messenger in an emergency.

An excellent selection of first aid kits is available in stores or by mail order from companies like Chinook Medical Gear, Inc. ( www.chinookmed.com ).

Basic supplies

Brand names are shown to indicate representative products, not to indicate that these are the best or only products that might be used. Quality, availability, cost, and preference will influence which specific products you choose. Before you embark on an outdoor expedition, go through the relevant sections of this book and this list carefully and decide to include or exclude these items from your medical kit.

General supplies to consider

  • Medical guidebook

  • First aid report form

  • Hand sanitizer

  • Duct tape

  • Pencil or pen with small notepad

  • Steel sewing needle

  • Paper clip

  • Safety pins

  • Disposable scalpels (#11 and/or #12 blades)

  • Trauma shears (scissors)

  • Swiss Army knife or Leatherman-type tool

  • Seam ripper

  • Sharp-pointed surgical scissors

  • Bandage scissors

  • Splinter (sharp tip) forceps (tweezers)

  • Standard oral thermometer: digital, mercury, or alcohol

  • Low-reading hypothermia thermometer

  • Wooden tongue depressors (“tongue blades”)

  • Rolled duct tape (3 inches × 1 yd, or 91 cm)

  • ⅛ to ¼ inch diameter braided nylon cord (minimum 10 ft, or 3 m)

  • Water bottle (such as Nalgene ½ to 1 liter)

  • Blue “baby bulb” or “turkey baster” suction device

  • Waterproof flashlight

  • Headlamp (and spare batteries), preferably with floodlight and flash settings, and able to withstand moisture and temperature extremes

  • Cyalume fluorescent light sticks

  • Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) mouth barrier or pocket face mask (such as a Microshield X-L Mouth Barrier or NuMask CPR Kit)

  • Sterile and nonsterile nitrile surgical nonpowdered gloves because some people are allergic to latex, do not carry only latex gloves

  • Signal mirror

  • Magnifier

  • Eyeglasses for protection and to allow close-up inspection; bring spares

  • Ziplock plastic bags, assorted sizes

  • Waterproof pill containers for distributing medication

  • Waterproof matches

  • Fine-mesh head net, mosquito bed net (insecticide-treated or untreated), or travel tent to repel insects

  • Quick-dry travel towel

  • Oral rehydration salts (ORS) or CeraLyte 70 oral electrolyte powder

  • Point-of-care urine pregnancy test

  • Condoms

  • Blood glucose (sugar) testing kit and supplies

  • Mobile telephone or other communication device with solar charger (adequate for the task)

  • Whistle

  • Superglue

Wound care: Preparations and dressings

  • Elastic bandages (Band-Aid or Coverlet), assorted sizes (strip, knuckle, and broad); cloth with adhesive is preferable

  • Band-Aid Liquid Bandage

  • Butterfly bandages

  • Adhesive strips for wound closure (Steri-Strip or Cover-Strip II), assorted sizes (such as ¼ inch × 4 inches, ⅛ inch × 3 inches, ½ inch × 4 inches), reinforced (plain or impregnated with an antimicrobial agent) or elastic

  • Hemostatic gauze

  • Tourniquet

  • 3 inch × 3 inch or 4 inch × 4 inch sterile gauze pads (packets of 2 to 5) (such as Nu-Gauze highly absorbent)

  • 5 inch × 9 inch or 8 inch × 10 inch sterile gauze (“trauma”) pads (packets of 2 to 5)

  • 2 inch and 4 inch Army Battle Dressing (ABD) pads

  • Nonstick sterile bandages (Telfa), assorted sizes

  • 1 inch, 2 inch, 3 inch, and 4 inch rolled conforming gauze (C-wrap or Elastomull)

  • 1 inch × 10 yd (9.1 m) rolled cloth adhesive tape

  • 1 inch × 10 yd (9.1 m) rolled paper or silk (hypoallergenic) adhesive tape

  • 1 inch × 10 yd (9.1 m) rolled waterproof adhesive tape

  • ½ inch × 10 yd (9.1 m) rolled waterproof adhesive tape

  • Blist-O-Ban blister bandages (assorted sizes)

  • Molefoam (4⅛ inches × 3⅜ inches)

  • Moleskin Plus (4⅛ inches × 3⅜ inches)

  • Spenco 2nd Skin (1.5 inch × 2 inches, 3 inches × 4 inches, 3 inches × 6.5 inches) and Spenco Adhesive Knit Bandage (3 inches × 5 inches)

  • Aquaphor moist nonadherent (petrolatum-impregnated) dressing (3 inches × 3 inches)

  • Hydrogel occlusive absorbent dressing (4 inches × 4 inches × ¼ inch)

  • Tegaderm transparent wound dressing (also comes in combination with a Steri-Strip in a Wound Closure System)

  • Liquid soap

  • Sterile disposable surgical scrub brush

  • Cotton-tipped swabs or applicators, sterile, 2 per package

  • Safety razor

  • Syringe (10 to 60 mL) and 18 gauge intravenous catheter (plastic portion) for wound irrigation. Don’t use plastic disposable syringes to administer oral medications, because the small caps can dislodge and inadvertently eject into the patient’s throat.

  • Zerowet Splashield or Supershield (two)

  • Tincture of benzoin, bottle or swabsticks

  • Mastisol Liquid Adhesive

  • Benzalkonium chloride 1:750 solution (Zephiran)

  • Povidone-iodine 10% solution (Betadine), 1 oz bottle or swabsticks

  • Suture material (nonabsorbable monofilament nylon on curved needle, suture sizes #3-0 and #4-0; consider sizes #2-0 [thicker] and #5-0 [finer])

  • Stainless-steel needle driver

  • Disposable skin stapler (15 staples)

  • Disposable staple remover

  • Tissue glue, such as DERMABOND ADVANCED Topical Skin Adhesive

You're Reading a Preview

Become a Clinical Tree membership for Full access and enjoy Unlimited articles

Become membership

If you are a member. Log in here

Related Posts