Travel First Aid Kit

Picking and Choosing Items in a First Aid Kit

It’s always nice to have a choice such as which items in a first aid kit should be included. But the choices must be made carefully, because when you need the first aid kit there’s no room for mistakes. Sometimes deciding which items to include can be a bit tricky, because the kit should be ready to handle whatever minor emergency may occur. The complication comes from the fact the emergency may happen indoors, outdoors, on the road, to your pet, at a Girl Scout meeting or anywhere else you happen to be as you enjoy life to its fullest.

There are hundreds of items in a first aid kit catalogue to choose among. In fact, within each item are even more choices. For example, you know you want gauze pads, but which sizes should you include? You do a lot of outdoor camping so should the kit include blood clotting granules or blood stopping compresses? In many cases the items in a first aid kit are a matter of preference. You can include your favorite antibiotic ointment for example.

There are certain basic supplies which should be included as items in a first aid kit.

• Sterile pads
• Roll of gauze
• Band-aids of various sizes
• Tape
• CPR mouth shield
• Burn and cut ointment
• Safety pins
• Elasticized bandage
• Over the counter antihistamine
• Scissors
• Tweezers
• Disposable gloves

If you include these items in a first aid kit, you have the essential supplies on hand. But most people also include other items depending upon the reason for the kit. If you are using the kit for camping, including supplies for snake bites and bee stings is advisable. If the first aid kit is suppose to be for the auto, the supplies should include a red warning flag. If the kit is for your horse or dog, a syringe can be useful for administering medication.

Some items in a first aid kit are designed to deal specifically with special needs. A first aid kit for the baby will have different supplies than a first aid kit for a young Girl Scout. A baby first aid kit should include an infant thermometer, antibacterial hand soap, sterile bandages, baby lotions and maybe a cold pack.

Many people like to buy pre-assembled items in a first aid kit and then add a few extra supplies. Other people like to assemble their own kits. Whatever you choose to do, the important thing is to always keep your kit updated and the supplies fresh. You don’t want to open a band-aid pack and discover it’s dried out and won’t stick! Worse, you don’t want to reach for ointment and realize there is none because you used it all a month ago.

Items in a first aid kit can be standard or customized or a little of both. The choice is up to you!