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Knowing how to use everything in your first aid kit, will take an emergency situation and turn it into a calm, controlled situation.
For hikers or anyone else enjoying the outdoors, first aid kit requirements are just a little knowledge and a lot of common sense.
First Aid Kit Checklist:
Individually packed alcohol swabs.
Individually packed band-aids.
Ace Bandage - elastic bandage for supporting injured joints.
Sterile gauze
Scissors / Safety Pins
Thermal blanket - emergency blanket for anyone caught in "harsh conditions without protection." These blankets fold down to just a few square inches.
Mole Skin - is an amazing product that is applied to pressure points on the feet before, during, or after hiking. It is used to prevent blisters. It is also used after blisters occur to alleviate pain.
Water purification tablets
Personal medications
Antacid,Tylenol/ Ibuprofen, NOT FOR CHILDREN.
Individually packed doses of Neosporin.
Antihistamine, NOT FOR CHILDREN
Cold Pack
Snake bite kit
Matches and/ or lighter, NOT FOR CHILDREN.
A slip of paper with hiker's name, address, telephone number, name of nearest relative and any allergies or medical conditions that medical personnel may need to know.
Always keep a first aid manual in your pack with your first aid kit.
Take a First Aid/CPR course through American Red Cross
First Aid Kit Requirements for Children:
We recommend that children make their own first aid kits. It is a good time to talk about injuries, hand washing, bacteria, infection, stranger danger, and telephoning 911.
Individually packed alcohol swabs.
Individually packed band-aids.
Individually packed doses of Neosporin.
A slip of paper with hiker's name, address, telephone number, name of nearest relative and any allergies or medical conditions that medical personnel may need to know.
Enough change for a phone call at a public phone booth.
Children's first aid kits can be stored in almost any small, waterproof container. We use 35 mm film canisters.
Puncture a hole in the lid. Make a loop of lanyard big enough to allow a child's head to go through it. Thread both ends of the lanyard through the lid and tie a knot in the underneath of the lid.
Children love making their first aid kits and wearing them around their necks during hikes. After training, they use them quite effectively.
Adults however, find a fanny pack or light weight back pack more efficient. The pack should be kept small for hiking.
Every hiker needs a pack with a holder that will accommodate a water bottle, a 2nd water container, a small first aid kit, and capable of holding a lunch and snack.
What is first Aid?
First aid is usually provided by a lay person; it is the proactive approach for providing care to an ill or an injured person.
Even though this isn't a physical item, it should be one of your first aid kit requirements. Seriously consider taking a First Aid/CPR course through the American Red Cross. These courses will help you to learn how to preserve lives, how to stop the injured from getting worse and how to help the injured to recover.
You will learn life saving measures that may save your life or the life of some one you love.
On a hike, each individual needs to carry everything that they will need, including their first aid equipment and supplies. You can purchase small first aid kits in a drug store, and larger kits in an outdoor supply store. The Red Cross will also provide a variety of first aid kits.
If you decide to put together a homemade first aid kit, you can design it to fit your specific needs. Your local drug store first aid products will usually be all that you need.
These first aid kit requirements are more than just gathering gear. These preparations build self confidence. Learn to approach a potentially dangerous situation calmly and proactively. Use good judgment and basic common sense to evaluate a situation, put a plan into effect, and get both yourself and the rest of your party home safely.
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