I keep a first aid kit secured to the back of my driver’s seat headrest in my car – a place that’s easily accessible for myself and my passengers. This kit also goes with me on every hike I do – even if it’s a very short hike. Being a tactical medicine instructor, park ranger, firefighter, and EMT, I like to be prepared and I know that an accident can happen anywhere and at any time – to myself or someone else. None of this is medical advice, only what works for me. I recommend taking a CPR and First-Aid course, a Stop-the-Bleed course, as well as knowing what equipment you carry with you, where it is, and how to use it. You can buy a pre-made first aid kit or customize your own. I recommend making your own, that way you can customize it to your specifications, and you know what exactly is in it. The last situation you want to be in is to need your kit but not have a clue what’s inside or how to use any of it.
I’ll start with a simple list, then below that I’ll break each item down into why it’s in the kit and recommendations for sizes and options. Each link provided is an Amazon link, to simplify your ordering. Each brand I recommend is reputable and is a brand I trust and use.
Contents of my kit:
- Tourniquet
- Trauma pads – 4’x6′
- Triangular bandage
- Self-adherent bandage
- Emergency blanket
- Hand warmers
- Assorted bandaids
- Marker
- Tape
- Tick removal tool
- Tweezers
- Alcohol pads
- Sting relief pads
- Benadryl, Tylenol, Ibuprofen, Aspirin
- Roller gauze
- Gauze pads
- Pressure/emergency bandage
- Gloves
Tourniquet
In my opinion, everyone should have at least one tourniquet. Did you know that a person becomes unconscious from massive hemorrhage in as little as 30 seconds? They can die in just a few minutes. People often associate tourniquets with gunshot wounds. While that is definitely a common use, there are MANY scenarios that a tourniquet could be used: a car accident, a chainsaw accident, amputations, etc. Most first-aid courses don’t teach tourniquet application, that would fall under a Stop-the-Bleed or tactical medicine course.
There are two types of tourniquets that you need to worry about: CAT (combat application tourniquet) and a SOF-T tourniquet. Forget any other types, they’re worthless in my opinion. I carry the CAT in my personal kit but carry both in my work kits. I believe that the CATs are more beginner or common person friendly.
| CAT | SOF-T |
| Pros: – Fast to apply – Beginner friendly – Easy to store and stage for use – Great one-handed application – Great real world, lifesaving data | Pros: – Metal windlass won’t break – Ideal for large limbs – it can unclip and reclipped fast – Strong hardware – Performs in sand, mud, and extreme weather |
| Cons: – Velcro can stick to unwanted objects (like sand, dirt, other Velcro, clothing), lessening Velcro’s “stick” – Windlass is polymer, which keeps it lightweight but not as bomb-proof as metal | Cons: – Requires more practice – Not as easy for one-handed application |
With that being said – you need to have a REAL tourniquet and KNOW HOW TO USE IT PROPERLY. Unfortunately, there are tourniquets being sold that will not do a damn thing to stop a massive bleed. These tourniquets are often cheap, as real tourniquets tend to be about $30 each. It’s important that you spend the money on something that has life-saving potential.
Good options:
Trauma/ABD Pads
A trauma pad is basically gauze that can hold a lot of blood. They come in every size you can imagine. In my kit I carry 4’x6′ because they are easy to use and fit well into the kit. You can get whatever size fits in your medical kit.
Good options:
- First Aid Only – 10 count box
- Dealmed – 20 count box
Triangular Bandage
Often called a Cravat, the triangular bandage can be used for SO MANY THINGS. The main purpose for mine in my kit is to make a sling. Other uses include wrapping a burn to the head, as it can be left loose on the wound, wrapping a wound anywhere on the body, using on a makeshift splint for a break or sprain, stabilizing a broken jaw, etc. The list goes on and on.
Good options:
Self-Adherent Wrap (athletic wrap)
I love this stuff. It’s a wrap that sticks to itself. It’s seen a lot in sports. The wrap can be used for stabilizing a splint for a fracture/sprain, for securing bandages, basically for anything that requires compression and support.
Some good options:
Emergency Blanket
A mylar blanket (think the blankets you see people wear after a marathon) is VERY IMPORTANT. You should carry 2 for each adult – 1 won’t cover an adult fully. It is used for the obvious: to keep you or someone else warm in cold weather. BUT something “common folk” don’t know about massive bleeding or severe trauma: preventing hypothermia is ESSENTIAL for survival. Why is that? That’s due to something called the “trauma triad of death”, made up of hypothermia, acidosis, and coagulopathy, a condition that is 100% fatal. I have explained it below, as I believe it is VERY IMPORTANT to understand why it is critical to keep trauma patients warm, no matter the environmental temperature.
Hypothermia: the loss of body heat due to severe blood loss and exposure to cold environments. When blood loss occurs, the body’s thermoregulatory mechanisms are compromised, and as a result, the core temperature drops. Cold environments can exacerbate this condition, further decreasing body temperature. It can be 100 degrees outside, and a trauma patient can still become hypothermic due to blood loss. This drop in body temperature hinders cellular metabolism, resulting in decreased oxygenation and impaired clotting mechanisms, further worsening the patient’s condition.
Acidosis: increased acidity in the blood. In trauma patients, acidosis is primarily caused by tissue hypoperfusion, which results from inadequate blood flow to various organs and tissues. A by-product of this is lactic acid, further acidifying blood, and impairing cellular function, compromising the patient’s ability to clot blood effectively and increasing the risk of uncontrolled bleeding.
Coagulopathy: inability for blood to clot. In trauma patients, coagulopathy is primarily driven by the consumption and depletion of clotting factors and platelets due to massive bleeding. As blood loss continues, deficiency in clotting factors leads to impaired clot formation and stabilization.
Each “point” of the triad (hypothermia, acidosis, and coagulopathy) increases the other “points”, resulting in a cyclic cycle that doesn’t stop. Once a patient gets to the point of any one of these conditions, it is extremely unlikely to get them out of it. Controlling the blood loss and keeping the person warm greatly decreases the chance of entering this cycle.
Good options:
Hand Warmers
I keep a set of handwarmers in my kit at all times. I also make sure I have at least 1 set for each person on my hike – stowed in an easy-to-access pocket. They come in all different sizes. These can be thrown inside a mylar blanket with a person (think about what you just read above), or used in shoes, gloves, etc. Just take care not to use directly against skin, and if being used by a child, make sure to check them regularly to avoid burns. Experience: In October we camped in northern New Hampshire. It was well below freezing, so we had large Hot Hands “superwarmers”, one in each sleeping bag. Sometime in the night mine got against my back and actually burned me. So just be careful.
Good options:
Roller Gauze
Excellent on its own as a bandage or used to secure underlying bandages. The gauze is absorbent, can add a little bit of compression, and is flexible. You can find all different sizes.
Good options:
Gauze Pads
Come in a variety of sizes, the standard in most kits is 4’x’4. Used for minor bleeding. Make sure to get individually wrapped ones.
Good options:
Gloves
Having gloves in your kit can prevent coming in contact with unwanted substances, be it body fluids or just environmental substances. Yes, the black gloves look cool as hell, but I recommend a color that you can easily see if they are dirty or contaminated. Make sure to have latex-free medical gloves, they are the most durable. Food services gloves or any other type of glove isn’t as protective or durable as a medical-grade glove.
Good Options:
Assorted Band-Aids
Not every cut is life-threatening. For those instances I carry a couple variety of Band-Aids – fingertip, large, standard size. You can purchase a variety box. I’ve also used them as tape in a pinch.
Good options:
Pressure Bandage
A pressure or emergency bandage consists of a non-adherent pad and an elastic bandage that includes a pressure applicator, allowing downward pressure on a wound. It can be applied with quickly with one hand in a variety of situations: deep lacerations, penetrating wounds, etc. This isn’t a “must” in everyone’s kits, but I like one in mine.
Good options:
Medical Tape
Honestly, I only carry a small roll of tape, because the self-adherent bandage mentioned above can secure a dressing that’s on an arm, leg, hand, foot quicker and better than the tape. But for larger areas of the body, like the back and chest, tape is a lot more functional. Keep in mind that not all tapes are created equal, some withstand moisture better than others. Tape can also be used to fix objects. For example, I have medical tape holding my headphones together.
Good Options:
Tick removal Tool and Tweezers
A tick tool is pretty self explanatory: used to remove ticks from the skin. Tweezers can do the same thing, plus remove splinters or debris from a wound.
Good options:
Marker or waterproof writing utensil
Being able to write could be essential. Leaving notes about injuries, writing the time of a tourniquet application, etc. You all know I LOVE the brand Rite in the Rain, they make waterproof notebooks, journals, planners, pens, markers. I would recommend carrying at least a Sharpie marker with small inexpensive notebook with you, the Rite in the Rain products is an additional product if you desire. I also recommend storing the writing stuff in a ziplock bag to keep your stuff dry and to have something to put your note in to protect it from the elements.
Good options:
Alcohol Pads – Used to clean hands before providing first aid, cuts, scrapes, etc. Great for cleaning dirt or blood from around a wound before applying a dressing so the adhesive sticks.
Sting relief pads – used for relief of minor insect bites and stings. Will do nothing for an actual allergic reaction. You can also carry a tube of itch relief cream, but I think the individual pads are so much easier to carry.
Good options:
Benadryl, Tylenol, Aspirin, Ibuprofin
Benadryl – allergy relief but causes drowsiness
Tylenol, Aspiring, Ibuprofen – pain relief
Tylenol – pain relief above the neck
Ibuprofen – pain and swelling relief below the shoulders
Aspirin – blood thinner and pain reliever