Heading to the wilderness? The first thing to pack and triple-check is your first aid kit. Going on a hike comes with random mishaps and wounds that need immediate aid. Apart from your PPEs, it is essential to pack your first aid kit with items needed for hiking. Make sure that you have enough pieces not just for one person but for at least three people. Also, your first aid kit must be packed properly to avoid dirt, dust, and contamination. Here are the essential items you need to bring:
Essential First Aid Kit Items for Hiking
- Antiseptic wipes and antibacterial ointment
- Assorted bandages and gauze pads with different sizes
- Medical tape and moleskin or another type of blister treatment
- Ibuprofen/pain killers ( for pain-relief medication)
- Insect sting treatment and antihistamine
- Non-stick pads and butterfly bandages
- Tweezers and safety pins
- Multitool
These are only the basic list when going hiking. The more you delve into the outdoors, the more you can customise your first aid kit for hiking. It typically depends on your route, your activities, and your basecamp. In some areas of the world a snake bite kit might be recommended: https://firstaidworks.com.au/product/snake-bite-first-aid-kit/
Comprehensive First Aid Kit for Hiking
Wraps, Splints and Wound Coverings
- Finger splint and SAM splint
- Rolled gauze and elastic wraps
- Cleansing pads and blood-stopping gauze
- Liquid and triangular bandage
Medications/Treatments/Cleanliness
- Hand sanitisers
- Medicines such as aspirin and ibuprofen
- Eye drops and anti-diarrheal pills
- Poison ivy/oak medicine
- Insect string treatment/medicines
- Rehydration salts and prescription medicines
First Aid Tools/Supplies for Hiking
- A multi-tool such as a pocket knife
- Cotton swabs and thermometer
- Irrigation syringe and small mirror
- Blunt-tipped scissors and surgical gloves
- Sewing needle and CPR mask
- Duct tape
- Pen and paper for vitals records
- Headlamp and whistle
- Heat-reflecting emergency blanket and personal locator beacon
- Bug spray
- A waterproof packaging for your kit
It’s an extensive list and I realize it looks like a lot of items to carry. However, consider the possibilities for what could happen on a multi-night trip with a group of four people. Besides, if you split the above items between all four of you, the extra pack weight truly is not terrible. Of course, evaluate each item and leave it behind if it does not make sense for your trip. If you’re backpacking through the high alpine in the Rockies, chances are very good that you won’t be seeing any poison oak, so you can leave that pain relief treatment at home.
Ultralight Backpacking First Aid Kit Essentials
- 4 adhesive bandages
- ½ roll medical tape
- ½-ounce tube of antibiotic treatment
- 3 small packages of pills
- 2-3 antiseptic wipes and 2-3 butterfly bandages
- Tweezers and safety pins
- One sheet of moleskin and water treatment tablets
- Latex gloves
The outdoors is full of uncertainty. There will be no outside assistance when you’re in the middle of nowhere or it will take a while for help to arrive. In cases of emergency, it will be ideal to be ready and have a first aid kit available for immediate medical help. However, what’s important is that your first aid kit contains items needed for your trip. So, before going away, triple-check your bandages, medicines, tools, and other essentials to make sure you’re first aid kit is hike-ready.
