A guide to your camping first aid kit

Things to consider when buying a first aid kit for an outdoor activity such as camping - and there are so many. Our experience tells us the first thing to consider is the activity you intend on doing and the climate you intend on doing it in. For example, a first aid kit consisting of animal plasters and a lollipop for the children for use in your back garden won't cut it on an ice climbing trip to Scandinavia.

Another important consideration is your ability - if you were to open your first aid kit, would you know how to use each item contained inside? Is it time to maybe enrol on a basic first aid course? Even the most complete first aid kit is rendered useless if the knowledge required to give basic first aid is lacking.

For this guide, we'll assume we will be participating on a low risk camping activity.

Our definition of a low risk camping activity:

Falls from height will be unlikely. Risk from submersion in dangerous waters (cold, deep, fast flowing etc) will be minimal. Medical attention is available within the hour. Shelter, food and water are no further than 4 miles or one hour walk away. Always make sure you are competent to carry out any activity you plan to engage in. Use your judgement to determine the risk factor of your activity. Always take into account any factors beyond your control - a sudden fall in temperature or visibility can render any activity dangerous.

Moving on to the first aid kit, the first thing to be included in any kit is personal medication - that is any medication that has been prescribed to you that you would require on a day to day basis.

The rest of your kit should consist of at least:

Waterproof First Aid Kit Bag Flashlight Whistle Scissors First Aid Tape Antiseptic Cream Anaesthetic Spray Variety of Gauzes Eye Wash Burn Relief Ointment Variety of Bandages Plasters / Band-Aids Some form a pain relief - Aspirin / Paracetamol / Ibuprofen Latex Gloves An EpiPen or similar You should consider including the following items if not already included in your survival kit:

Tweezers A Fire steel or similar Water Purifying Tablets Space Blanket Finally, the following we consider optional but make great additions when pack weight isn't an issue:

Hydrocortisone Cream Insect Repellent Antihistamines Antacids Read on below for a description of each item and its suggested use.

Waterproof First Aid Kit Bag

There is absolutely no reason not to have a waterproof first aid kit bag to hold your first aid kit contents. The items in your first aid kit should be kept clean and dry at all times - a damp first aid kit is almost like no first aid kit.

Flashlight / Torch

Chances are you'll be carrying a flashlight anyway, but should always carry one in your first aid kit. This should be pretty self explanatory; first aid is a lot harder in the dark. Besides this, a torch is a great morale booster when an injured member of your party is immobile in the dark.

Whistle

Don't carry just one whistle - carry one for each member of your group in case you need to separate or are separated for any reason. It is not only required to signal for help but is just as important to signal to each other.
 
Scissors

These have a variety of uses in many first aid scenarios from trimming bandages and gauze to removing clothing in an emergency. Try not to use these for general tasks and try to keep sterile where ever possible.

First Aid Tape

First aid tape has an unlimited number of uses, from a makeshift splint to taping on gauze. A roll should be found in every emergency first aid kit.

Antiseptic Cream

A minor cut or graze wouldn't normally cause a problem - until it gets infected and can ultimately lead to very serious complications. Application of an antiseptic cream to keep this from happening could be very important.

Anaesthetic Spray

This may bring some welcome relief to common mishaps such as burns, stings, bites, cuts and grazes. Be sure to read the accompanying leaflet for details on the use of the spray - different sprays can be used on different ailments.

Variety of Gauze

Knowing when to use a gauze is easy when you know its purpose - to help stop bleeding. A gauze is made from porous fibres designed to absorb and trap the blood and thus help it clot. Do some research on when to and when not to use a gauze.

Eye Wash

Deemed unnecessary by some , but we like to take an eye wash in our first aid kits so we know we have a convenient and sterile wash available should any of our party be involved in an eye related incident.

Burn Relief Ointment

It's surprising just how common burns are encountered on camping trips, even to the most experienced of us. It can happen very easily but luckily can also be treated just as easily with the right gear.

Variety of Bandages

This includes a variety of sizes as well as shapes and types. Do your research on bandages - learn how and when to use them. Learn how to use one in a splint, how to make a sling, how to make a tourniquet etc. Knowing how to use each type will help you decide which type to stock your first aid kit up with.

Plasters / Band Aids

Use these to treat minor cuts and abrasions and help keep out infection. Remember to change the plasters regularly and to clean the wound before reapplying a new one.

Aspirin / Paracetamol / Ibuprofen

It could be very dangerous to give anyone painkillers such as Aspirin, Paracetamol and Ibuprofen. Always make sure the leaflet accompanying these drugs is kept in the first aid kit for reference. Always thoroughly read the leaflet and satisfy yourself it is safe to treat the patient with painkillers. If you are ever unsure, it is always safer not to do so.

Latex Gloves

These offer protection not just for the patient from infection but also for the giver of first aid. Always practise good hygiene procedures when treating a patient for both the health of the patient and yourself.

An EpiPen or Similar

An EpiPen must never be used without proper training or medical knowledge. Given the right circumstances and a competent first aider, an EpiPen can significantly increase the chances of survival of a patient in anaphylactic shock. Again thorough research is advised.

Tweezers

These are ideal for removing foreign bodies from cuts and abrasions. Bear in mind that multi tools such as a Swiss Army Knife or Leatherman usually have tweezers built in - along with a host of other useful items; if your pack weight permits it may be worthwhile investing in something similar.

A Fire Steel or Similar

Some people carry a lighter or matches, we prefer a fire steel as we know we can depend on it working when we need it.  You need one of these in your pack whatever your activity - in fact, put one on your key chain. It can be used with any kind of tinder to make a fire, can be used wet and are virtually indestructible.

Water Purifying Tablets

Always keep water purifying tablets in your kit, whether you keep it in your survival kit or first aid kit. Even the most simple of incidents can become drastic and life threatening without water and for their size and weight there is no excuse to go anywhere without carrying some.

Space Blanket

This item is very useful for keeping a casualty warm by reflecting their own body heat. Space blankets are useful in a variety of scenarios.

Hydrocortisone Cream

Hydrocortisone cream can be used on insect stings, nettle stings and the like. Using a cream such as this can help stop simple things like insect stings and bites from ruining a camping weekend.

Insect Repellent

Never underestimate the importance of an insect repellent. Why suffer with all those midge bites when you can apply some insect repellent and forget all about them.

Antihistamines

Antihistamines are considered by many as optional unless of course you suffer badly from allergies. Again, these can help turn a miserable camping trip to a pleasant one with a tiny tablet.

Antacids

If you know you typically suffer from excess stomach acid, don't forget to pack a packet of these.

As a final note, all of the above items are useless without a competent first aider. If you take part in any outdoor activity, give some serious consideration to taking part in a first aid course for not only your own benefit but others in your group. 

Sean Blaney is a founder of Telescopics Army Surplus and Outdoor supplies and is a writer of a number of guides and how-to's designed to help outdoor enthusiasts make the best use of their equipment.

All of our guides are available at http://www.telescopics.net

First aid Kit buyer's Guide

First aid kits come in different shapes, sizes and prices.They are available as pre-packaged kits designed for specific purposes, such as for the home, pets, auto, camping, boating, golfing, welding, landscaping, trucking, logging, burn care, bloodbourne pathogen, emergency response, industrialist, ommercial and etc.
You can also elect to make your own, although this may work out to be more expensive and time consuming as each item is individually purchased.The important part of any first aid kit is that it suits you and your lifestyle or work place.

First Aid Kit Contents

Before deciding the contents of your first aid kit, list out all activities you participate in commonly. Do you go camping? Do you or any member of your family play contact sports? Are you on the road a lot?Is it for industrial use? Do you How many people is the first aid kit for? It is very important that the first aid kit contents match up to your lifestyle or your workplace environment. Once you have a basic idea of where a first aid kit will come in handy, you can start planning the contents of your kit.

Many first aid kits attempt to sell a kit comprised of to box of adhesive bandages and a few tablets.How many different type of injuries will this kit treat?Not very many!Don't be fooled by quantity of components, look for variety of components!The idea is to include components for real life emergencies, not what might let the kit sell for a few dollars less.

Any first aid kit should contain at least something from the following groups:
Antiseptics (something to kill germs to prevent infection), Injury treatment
(items to deal with injuries such as butterfly closures and cold compresses,)
Bandages (a variety of bandages to dress and cover a variety of wounds),
Instruments, tweezers, barrier gloves), and medicines.

For example, a basic first aid kits, or starter kits, should consist of the
following items:

·A first aid manual

· Tweezers

·Sharp scissors

· Splinter Remover

·Thermometer

· Safety Pins

·Elastic Gauze (conforming bandages)

· Sterile Gauze

·Adhesive bandages in assorted shapes and sizes

· Triangular bandage

·First aid tape

· Antiseptic Ointment

·Calamine Lotion

· Antiseptic Wipes

· Alcohol Wipes

· Cotton tipped applicators

·Aspirin and Ibuprofen Tablets

· Vinyl or latex gloves

· Was Face Shield

·Anti-Inflammatory Cream

·Sodium Chloride Solution

·Sterile eye pad

· Your prescription medications

What you keep the contents in is up to you. Nowadays, first aid kits come in plastic
case, metal case or durable soft-pack. The type you choose is dependant on the purpose
of the kit and where it will be stored.

First Aid Kit Supplies and Refills

Finding supplies and restocking your first aid kit is not always easy.Drug stores often carry a limited number of lines, and the prices on individual items is rather expensive.First aid kit supplies can be found online however, and the range is
enormous. You can build your kit to your hearts content, and there's plenty more items to choose from, usually at better pricing.

Buying first aid supplies is especially useful for restocking industrial first aid kits online.When you need to order in quantity, yet varying amounts of each item, online shopping is great.You can order select specific quantities of each product, and have them delivered right to the site.

For the home user, a drug store is probably best for topping up small easy to find items.If you do need to order harder to find products, or buy a few items at at time, online shopping may be an option

Where to buy First Aid Kits online

Online shopping has progressed a long way in recent years, especially with items that are normally difficult to find, or are overpriced in the stores.First aid kits are one of the items that the internet has done wonders for.There is a huge selection of first aid kits online, ranging from the most
comprehensive industrial and emergency first response kits, through to the lighter than light kids travel kits.This kind of range would never be available to the public so readily if it then ain't for online shopping.Not only is there a huge range, but it's usually at prices below retail, and delivered direct to your door.Rather than putting off the notion of buying to
first aid kit, you now have little to no excuse, as they are only a few clicks away.
If you are ready to buy first aid kits online, Yahoo! maintains a directory of online stores offering first aid products, as does DMOZ.You can also try Googling or an online store like FirstAidKitCentre.com.If you are still a little skeptical of online shopping, try a local drug store, or perhaps to local cross chapter network.

Learn First Aid

The other essential ingredient that should accompany all first aid kits are people who know how to use it.At a bare minimum, you should be familiar with basic first aid techniques.

Accidents, disasters, emergencies, can happen anywhere; andat work, home, or play.You may be the person thrust into the firing line when something happens, and you should be prepared.There may be a lengthy delay before medical response due to
location, adverse conditions, or lack of communications.At at time like this it is up to you to commence first aid or CPR, and your knowledge, or lack thereof, may effect the outcome.A first aid manual is also handy addition, and can fill in
blanks for those more obscure times.

If you have children, it is your role to protect them and aid them when needed.Techniques used on kids are different to those of adults, and you should take the time to learn more about this type of first aid.

Where to learn first aid?

The American Red Cross first aid, CPR, and external defibrillator designed for the home, workplace, and professional rescuers courses runs.Courses are offered throughout the country, and travel through local network cross chapters.

There are also a great number of First Aid Manuals.Having a first aid manual on hand can be just as important as first aid supplies.It is difficult for us to remember what to do in each and every emergency situation, and unless you are using your first aid skills day in, day out, it's easy to forget

everything you have learnt.
Many first aid kits come stocked with first aid manuals.If you haven't yet bought a kit, try to find one that also includes to guide.If you already have a kit, there are a number of options available.Next time you stock up on first aid supplies add
a first aid manual to your shopping list.Amazon.com offers a huge range of first aid manuals (and first aid kits), so next
time you're picking up a few books, CDs, DVDs, or anything else from Amazon, place a first aid manual in your shopping basket as well

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For all your first aid kit, please visit http://www.firstaidkitcentre.com / >