At some point in your life, whether at home or traveling, you’ll need to make use of a first aid kit. What this means is that you set aside some good time and resources to adequately equip your kit and make it useful when need be.
These kits are usually basic or comprehensive, which means that the essentials you need for your kit solely dependent on the purpose for which you intend to use the kit, your level of training, and how far you are from a hospital or medical facility.
These days, ready-made kits are available in all chain stores and outdoor retail shops, but you can still create yours within no time at all. The good thing with making yours is that it’s an easy and inexpensive alternative. The only thing you need to get started is enough medication that can last you as long as you will be traveling or in case of an emergency. You also require medical information about the medical tools and medicine you need to place in your kit. Above all, and most importantly, you need to be prepared to give first aid in case it’s the only means available after an emergency.
How to Equip Your First Aid Kit
First aid kits are meant to house stuff that can be used in the treatment of minor injuries and traumatic issues. We are talking about making your first aid kit useful in the event of cuts, burns, stings, abrasions, splinters, strains, sprains, and other minor injuries that can occur while traveling.
First aid travel kits should be more comprehensive because you aren’t fully sure if there are medical facilities or drug stores near the destination you are intending to head out for. Besides medical items, your kit should have basic items to help reduce common symptoms of other infections such as respiratory infections such as cough, fever, sore throat, nasal congestion, and such. Additionally, it should contain treatments for skin problems, allergies, cuts, minor pains, and gastrointestinal problems.
Plasters
Plasters are a must-have thing for every travel first travel kit. It can come in handy when dealing with grazes and cuts, which means that it’s important to bring along a handful of them in different sizes. Another better alternative to plasters is bandage. But don’t go overboard and carry a lot of them as you will easily come across as a small hospital.
Antiseptic Wipes
Never overlook this item when stocking your first aid kit. It helps keep wound infections at bay, so with it, you can expect your cuts to heal peacefully. Use them to clean up wounds before dressing them. Also, add antibacterial creams just in case you have scrapes and cuts. They prevent wound infections, too.
Antihistamine
This cream is used in the treatment of insect bites and stings. It works by alleviating the swelling and itching, so add it to your travel first aid kit.
Painkillers
You should never forget to bring along pain relief drugs when you head out for any place. Just pick any type as long as it can treat your headaches or other mild pains.
Condoms
When you hear this term, the first thing that pops up in your mind is “staying sexually safe”, yeah? Another way you can use condoms when traveling is to carry water or you can also fill them with ice to create an easy emergency pack. It sounds weird but remember, you are traveling!
Tweezers
This is a standard item for all first aid kits, so make sure to include it yours too. You can use them for removing splinters, small stones, and dirt in a wound, plus you can use it in several ways.
Surgical Tape
A surgical tape is usually used in times of emergencies, especially when you need to secure a bandage or gauze when dressing a wound. Plasters can also work this way.
Gauze
When it comes to medial kits, the gauze is a jack-of-all-trades. Never carry a kit without a gauze because it’s extremely useful. For example, you can use it to clean wounds, apply pressure to them, remove blood, stop bleeding, and you can also use it in dressing.
Conclusion
You can customise this list to suit your needs, but any first aid kit needs to have some of these standard items.