First Aid Essentials Kit for Outdoor Camping

When you go camping, injuries can happen at times. When you are out in the wild, mishaps happen, and you should be able to deal with any situation while camping. From bee stings to allergic reactions, minor bruises, and cuts, having a first aid kit helps prevent further injuries and save yourself.

A first aid essential kit is a crucial part of your campaign gear, and one should not overlook it. These kits treat minor injuries, including scrapes, burns, bruises, and sprains. Many novice campers enroll in a first aid course as it helps them understand how to use all the items in the kit effectively.

If you do not have the skills to provide first aid services, the entire kit is rendered useless. When you narrow down what items you want to include in the kit, it is important to determine when and where these items will be used. One should also consider the environmental factors.

First aid kit essentials

We all have stumbled upon a first aid kit at least once. They come in many shapes and sizes. One can either purchase the first aid kit from the local pharmacy or make your own!

What kind of accidents should one be prepared for while camping?

One is used to the occasional cuts, scratches, and scrapes. When one sets out on a camping adventure, it is common to hike through the bush, which might have thorns, bushes, and whatnot! Bruises can also happen while cooking outdoors or even around campfires!

For treating cuts, scrapes, and scratches, ensure that you have a variety of bandages, antiseptic wipes, and antibiotic cream with you! One thing that comes in handy for washing cutouts is Hydrogen Peroxide!

Liquid pain relief solutions also greatly help bug bites and scratches! If you want to remove thorns and splinters, you should have tweezers, scissors, and a knife for cutting the tape and bindings. If you get a migraine, you should have aspirin and Tylenol as it helps you relieve headache!

Besides all this, some items that you should have handy are as follows:

Wound covers

Bandages serve several potential applications, and they are used to deal with different kinds of injuries and accidents! You cannot anticipate the intensity of the cut, how deep it goes, or how long it is. Thus, it is very important to have bandages and gauze in different sizes. The dressing should be large enough to cover the wound entirely. It should have a safety margin of 2.5cm.

Wrapping your exposed wound will heal the wound faster, and it also avoids further infection that could have deteriorated the wound further!

Splints are used for keeping a suspected fracture safe! Rigid and flexible are two types of splints. Following are some items needed for your camping trip:

• Adhesive bandages: A bandage should be adhesive and protect the wounds from friction, bacteria, and dirt.
• Wound-closure strips: These closure strips are used for closing small and shallow wounds.
• Gauze pads: These pads are used for drawing the fluids away from the wound, and they are highly absorbent.
• Safety pins: A first aid kit should have safety pins to fasten bandages and splints.
• Disinfectant: A chemical compound that destroys bacteria on a wound is called a medical disinfectant. A medical disinfectant cleans wounds!
• Scissors: They are used for cutting the extra edge of the bandage.

Medical, antibiotics and painkillers

Some non-prescribed drugs to put in a first aid kit are pain relievers and fever reducers. They provide instant relief for many minor aches and illnesses. One should check the expiration date of the medicine before buying one! Some of the medications are as below:

• Ointment: An antibacterial ointment treats and prevents infection from scrapes and cuts.
• Splinter tweezers: A fine-point tweezer removes ticks, splinters, and insect stingers.
• Saline solution: You can create a saline solution by combining hot water with salt, letting it cool, and then putting it in a bottle
• Sanitizer: Keeping a sanitizer handy while traveling/camping is safe, as you might need to clean your hands more often! It removes bacteria and acts as a disinfectant.

How to pack and carry your first aid kit?

It is very important to arrange all your clothes, hiking gear, and first aid kit in an organized manner. People often take their health for granted and contemplate whether to take the first aid kit with them. You should not forget that mishaps and injuries can happen anytime when you go camping. Thus, you will need a first aid kit handy.

To efficiently carrying the supplies to the camping area, follow the below steps:

1. Choose a container that is durable and clearly labeled.
2. Accumulate all first aid and medical essentials.
3. Take extra supplies with you if you are going with a huge group.
4. Organize your supplies properly.
5. Before you leave, check each and every medical supply thoroughly!
6. Place the first aid kit in an accessible location in your bag. Place it above your clothes and hiking gear.

The first aid kit will not only help you out with the injuries that commonly occur while you are out camping but will also prepare you for survival situations well! Your backpack might overflow with many items.

However, it is important to ensure that you take first aid along with you. No matter, if it is a 1-day camping or 1- week camping, taking a first aid kid equipped with all the supplies is essential!

Final words

We all have different skins, and these skins react differently to every allergic reaction. There are different species of plants and trees in the jungle. You may not know what exactly you are allergic to until you get bruised.

Your hygiene matters because you never know what you are vulnerable to! You can catch infection from any type of germ, and these germs spread too easily!

Even the most experienced hiker/ camping person can have unexpected accidents. Thus, it is important that you take a well-packed first aid kit with you! Sunburns, barbeque burns, cuts, and grazes are some of the unexpected accidents you can meet. Bringing a well-stocked first aid kit gives you peace of mind.