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I have enjoyed making first-aid kits for as long as I can remember. Everything from the small mint tin ones up to multiple-day hike kits for two people. Good quality first aid supplies will help you tremendously when needed.
I hope this checklist will help you get started in the right direction.
You can put many items and supplies into your kit, but we all need to start somewhere.
Essential – Every Kit Should Have
I feel everyone should have this basic checklist of the necessary items.
I am not putting the amount of each item you need. This is because all of our situations are different. If you are by yourself, you might only need a few of each, but if you are a family of five, you better have more than one or two of each item listed.
- Alcohol prep pads
- Antibacterial ointment
- Gauze
- Fabric type bandages
- The mediation you or your family use
Other Considerations – Always Nice to Have
If you have the extra room or want to add to the above list, there are additional items I like to have close. Again, some of these will overlap (like the medication), but I do not take any medication daily.
I like to have a few of them always on hand for a headache or, heaven forbid, stomach issues.
I have mentioned this before, but it is always essential to have the correct training. If you have specialty items, like blood-stopping devices, you should know how to use them.
I have run into people that have things they don’t even know what they are.
That is OK if you are around people that know what they are doing, but what happens when you are alone? Taking a basic first aid class will help you more than you can ever imagine.
Now let’s get back to our checklist:
- Ibuprofen
- Aspirin
- Pain-Aid (this stuff helps me a lot with everything)
- Sugar tables
- Diarrhea medication
- Eye drops
- Throat lozenges
- Finger splint
- Tourniquet
- Blood-stopping gauze
- Liquid bandage
- Sunburn gel or spray
- KT/Rock tape (if you haven’t ever used it, you should try this amazing stuff)
- Moleskin or 2nd Skin blister pads (this stuff helps when you have blisters)
Tools and Supplies
I must admit I love tools. Most of the guys I work with always look at the latest item I purchased.
I know most of these will already be in your vehicle. But having some of these will help you out in a jam, or if you’re traveling, you always have a backup (I tend to follow the ‘two is one, one is none’ saying).
- Knife (or better yet, a multi-tool with pliers)
- Scissors (like the Leatherman Raptor)
- Black permanent marker
- Pen
- Paper or a notepad
- Tweezers
- Safety pins
- A needle (and a small amount of thread)
- CPR mask (they also make a disposable sheet kind)
- Emergency blanket
- Hand sanitizer
- Wet wipes
Be Ready For What Might Happen
Each one of these lists could be an entire article by themselves. I could go into each item and expand on each one. There are multiple examples of each item as well.
This article is intended to be a starting point for your first aid kit. I also wanted to try my best to keep it short and to the point.
Having a few completed first aid kits stocked with an item you know how to use is always a good idea. I mention this because some people do not know how to apply a tourniquet or stop bleeding from a large wound.
- One kit for the travel bag
- One larger kit for home use (also the one I use to restock the others)
- Two separate kits in my vehicle (the larger one in the back and a small one in the glove box)
- A few different sets for work (I have a large bag with many supplies in the truck, one next to me in the driver’s seat, and always a tourniquet on my person might be just part of being a first responder).
Having different kits is useful because what I use at work is not always allowed in my travel bag.
This is mainly due to being unable to fly with items such as a knife, scissors, and I’ve even had tweezers taken away by TSA.
I also do not want to carry more than I need to when I’m hiking (especially when there is high elevation), so I have a small kit called the bare bones kit (moleskin, a band-aid, wet wipe, etc.).
This is just a start, do you carry anything that I left out? Let me know in the comments below!
Hi, this is a very useful post, thank you. Mountain biking is my passion and I always carry a basic first aid kit. Also as somebody who has trained in first aid, my most recent instructor was a master of using anything available to treat injuries. His instruction was invaluable. Also, I’ve seen too many mtb incidents and discovered that some riders don’t carry first aid kits because they consider them too much to carry or see them as taking up space that might be better filled with bike spares. Others just forget. So, given that many riders are limited on space, what would you suggest as an absolute must? Best regards, Steve C
I love mountain biking! Talk about a good way to get outside and get some exercise. I would agree with you 100% having a basic kit is important but no need to bring a splint…there are always sticks that you can use (assuming you have a way to hold them together). As an absolute must, what I have is a small baggie of meds (for a headache, that would just kill your ride), chap stick, small container with sunscreen, a few different band-aids, gauze, and KT tape. This is in addition to what I have for the bike (extra tube, patch kit, dollar bill for the tire if needed, multi-tool, pump, energy gel, etc.).
Hope that helps.
These are really great lists. I am pretty good in an emergency, however for some reason, I keep forgetting to get a first aid kit together. I think I will get on that this weekend. Thank you for the valuable information and for reminding me to get mine together. Happy Halloween!
That is awesome and thanks for the comment!
Thanks for this information. I really need to work on having a more robust first aid kit at home. I have a small one in our storm shelter, but it could be improved.
It’s always good to have something…better than nothing. Just hope it will help! Thanks for the comment.
Having a properly stocked first aid kit is part of being a responsible adult if you have kids. My son is a Boy Scout and is always putting kits together for around the home and in the car.
Your information here will help a lot of people with their first aid kits.
You are correct in your statement about training, you could do more harm than good if you do not know how to use or when to use the items in your first aid kit.
I like to make my own kits, do you think this is more cost-effective than purchasing a kit already made.
John
Shout out to the Boy Scout’s!
I totally think making your own kit is more cost-effective. I have purchased already made kits and come to find they aren’t always the best of quality…that being said depends on what pre-made kits your looking at. I just like to make sure I have good supplies (none of those plastic band aid things that don’t stick to anything for example). When you make your own you can also ‘customize’ them for your needs. Hope that helps and thanks for reading!
Thanks for this I need to make and carry a first aid kit with me. You never know when it could be useful.
Copy that, I have found I use my kit for others…more than myself.
Hi Eric,
Thank you for a very useful post. We all should always be ready in cases of emergencies. And first aid kit is one indispensable item. This post now triggered the need for us to review our stock of first aid kit. Thanks again.
That is awesome to hear! If you have questions let me know…might give me additional information to write about too. Good luck and thanks for the comment.