Outdoor Gear: The First Aid Kit

The first aid kit is an essential piece of gear whether it's for hiking, camping, bushcraft or bug out bags.

A lot of people tend to neglect the first aid kit after all nobody plans on needing it or they buy a small ready made kit and think that's that sorted.

Some key things to consider are:

• The risks you are likely to encounter. Do you rely a lot on an axe? Perhaps a proper large field dressing would be a good choice.
• Your knowledge level. Can you use the items in your kit? Consider a first aid course.
• Medical conditions. Are you asthmatic? Maybe a spare inhaler would be a good choice.

Another important thing is putting your kit in an easy access location for example on the top pocket of your backpack or on the outside of your pack.

The kit I carry most often is small and lightweight and primarily carried when hiking and wild camping it's basic but covers a good range of potential issues.

Some magic pain numbing antiseptic cream and a Spiderman plaster does wonders when hiking with young kids.

My first aid kit:

• Survival foil blanket
• Crepe bandage
• Conforming bandage
• Safety pins
• Lip balm
• Antiseptic cream with local Anaesthetic
• Bite and sting relief cream
• Plasters (band aid)
• Sterile adherent dressing
• Wound cleaning wipes
• Hay fever and allergy relief tablets
• Diarrhoea tablets
• Pain killer tablets (tip: tape the dosage to the back)
• Mirror (good for checking eye or face injuries etc)
• Scissors
• Tweezers (removing wood splinters etc)
• Tick remover card with magnifying glass.

This kit is modified depending on the situation for example if I'm doing a long distance hike I will add blister plasters.

There is a lot of info and different set ups for first aid kits but its important to customise your kit to suit your needs. Other gear items can also be useful such as the Shemagh as a sling and a knowledge of plants with medicinal properties.

This kit is not suited to all situations and all people as stated above and can always be improved (a more visible pack) I hope this post gave you some ideas.

Thanks for reading very appreciated.