In the spirit of Sweigart’s Packing Considerations, I feel that is time that we answer one of the questions that has come up: what do you carry in your first aid kit? It is easy enough to go buy a premade kit, and in fact it can be a good start, but does the kit have what you need in it? Does it have too much (too big, too heavy?) The following list is a conversation starter, and not to be used as a checklist. { insert standard disclaimer here } Use common sense…in fact, that is first on the list:

1. Knowledge: No I am not talking about a book that comes with your kit, though not a bad idea. What I am referring to here is actually know how and when to use the items you are carrying with you. I remember learning in Boot Camp about how to treat a sucking chest woundwith the wrapping from a pack of cigarettes. Knowledge is the most powerful thing you can carry with you, and it cannot be understated.
2. Knife: bring many. Although not always directly used in first aid, a knife is the most useful tool you can have in the back country. Need to improvise a splint or a bandage? Use the knife to cut down limbs and vines. Need a fire to purify (boil) water to avoid dehydration? A fire to keep warm? Larger knives are good at splitting wood.

Now, these two items are numbered because they are always the number 1 and number 2 items on damn near every list I make. The rest of the items are listing in random order, which is to say that I have not assigned a priority to them. I figure that the highest priority item is whichever one I need at the time (and probably the one I forgot!)

• Waterproof bag / box: something to carry the kit, and keep it safe from the elements.
• Hand sanitizer: get my hands clean before touching an open wound.
• Ibuprofen: aches, pains, fever, and the list goes on. The plus here is it is an anti-inflammatory, so it works on sprains.
• Acetaminophen: not an anti-inflamatory, but it is a fever reducer. Great for a good old-fashioned headache.
• Tweezers: Ticks and splinters and scrapes, oh my.
• Sterile wipes: preferably with lidocaine, especially when you need to clean out a scrape with tweezers (see above.)
• Antibiotic ointment: kills them microscopic critters.
• Gauze and pads: sterile and soft.
• Cloth tape: let’s keep things in place, but make it comfortable and do not restrict movement, unless you need to.
• Burn gel: cools and protects all at the same time. One of the few things you should put on a burn.
• Hemostatic bandages: like the name says, it stops bleeding.
• Blistex / Chapstick: make sure it has SPF protection, as well.
• Bandana.

OK, so ther is my basic brain dump. What did I miss? What would you remove? Let the world know.