Hiking Essentials: Your Ultimate Guide to Building a First Aid and Emergency Kit
Should You Carry a First Aid Kit?
Accidents happen. And help isn’t always available when you need it, especially when hiking or backpacking in areas where cellular services is limited or absent. Carrying a First Aid Kit in your pack can help you treat injuries and illnesses right away.
Your First Aid Kit Should be Waterproof or Water Resistant
Weather and the outdoors can be unpredictable. It’s easy to accidentally slip and fall while rock-hopping across a stream or getting caught in a downpour of rain. The last thing you want are all your medications and bandages getting soaked.
Your First Aid Kit Should Have Items That You Will Need
Most basic First Aid Kits have what seems like a hundred finger and knuckle band aids, a handful of alcohol pads, a roll of thin sports tape, and that's about it. Pay attention to what is in your kit when comparing brands and cost. Is it full of a bunch of unnecessary items or duplicates?
You Should Know How to Use All The Items in Your First Aid Kit
What good is a First Aid Kit and the items in it if you don’t know when or how to use them?
Only Spend What You Can Afford
The most expensive First Aid Kit isn’t necessarily the best one for you. While comprehensive First Aid Kits can cost upwards of $300, most, if not all, of your needs can be met with a less expensive kit. Depending on your comfort level addressing injuries and what items you want to carry, your First Aid Kit can cost as little or as much as you want.
Ounces Make Pounds and Pounds Make Pain
When deciding on which kit you want or deciding on which items to add when building your own, don’t forget to account for the final weight of your kit. A few additional ounces may not matter if you are only going out on a short day hike but you will be sure to notice a heavy kit on a long hike or backpacking trip.
What Items Should be in Your First Aid Kit?
1. SAM Splints are easy-to-use immobilization and stabilization devices for breaks/fractures, in case you or someone you are hiking with becomes injured. These are not typically in a standard kit but are something you can buy separately and either carry with you or keep in your car.
2. Alcohol pads are used to clean your skin, before applying a topical and bandage.
3. Triple Antibiotic, commonly referred to by the brand name “Neosporin,” it uses neomycin, bacitracin, and polymyxin to stop bacterial growth.
4. Finger and knuckle bandages cover most situations in which one would require a small bandage.
5. Sterile non-adherent pad(s) work great at covering up large cuts, scrapes, or abrasions. They won’t stick to your wound like gauze or fabric would.
6. Thin panty liner(s) can not only be used when Mother Nature pays an unexpected visit, but also in case your non-adherent pad gets soaked through. It’s a great backup.
7. Tampons are handy for tackling periods and nose bleeds alike.
8. Moleskin or Kinesiology Tape can be used to relieve friction between your skin and other objects. While both can be used as a makeshift bandage, Moleskin is thicker and therefore may do a better job at protecting against skin that is experiencing high friction. The difference between carrying one over the other is somewhat personal preference.
9. Tweezers can be used to remove unsavory debris like splinters. (NEVER use them to remove a bee stinger as it can cause more venom to release into your skin. This could not only increase pain and swelling but could also increase your chances of having an allergic reaction.)
10. Electrolytes, when added to your water, help your body absorb water. They help hydrate you.
11. Sting relief wipes/pads help clean and relieve pain after a bug bite or sting. They typically use alcohol as an antiseptic and lidocaine as a gentle numbing agent.
12. Hydrocortisone cream, a mild steroid, reduces swelling, itching, and redness when applied to your skin.
13. Acetaminophen tablets, commonly referred to by the brand name “Tylenol,” helps reduce fever and can relieve minor pain.
14. Ibuprofen tablets (NSAID), commonly referred to by the brand name “Advil” or “Motrin,” helps relieve fever and mild to severe pain.
15. Diphenhydramine tablets, commonly referred to by the brand name “Benadryl,” helps relieve allergy symptoms and allergic reactions.
16. Diotame tablets, commonly referred to by the brand name “Pepto Bismol,” helps relieve indigestion, upset stomach, heartburn, diarrhea, and nausea.
17. +/- Ondansetron dissolvable tablets, commonly referred to by the brand name “Zofran,” helps relieve nausea and vomiting.
This medication requires a prescription from your physician.
18. +/- Dexamethasone can be used to help relieve symptoms associated with high altitude, including Altered Medical Status (AMS), High Altitude Pulmonary Edema (HAPE), and High Altitude Cerebral Edema (HACE). If you or someone else is experiencing any symptoms of AMS, HAPE, or HACE, you should reduce your or their altitude, if possible, and seek professional medical attention as soon as possible.
This medication requires a prescription from your physician.
Medical Disclaimer: The above list of medications is intended for adults. The medications listed are not intended for animal or pediatric use. It is important to note that some of the medications are not safe to use if you are pregnant or nursing. Please consult with your physician before taking any of the medications listed above.
Should You Carry Additional Emergency Items?
According to the National Park Service (NPS), over 120 people die each year within the Parks. While the leading causes of death are typically drowning and vehicular accidents, almost 50% are caused by falls. Avalanches, exposure to hot or cold weather, and wildlife attacks are among the other causes of deaths.
Moreover, between 2005 and 2006, nearly 213,000 people were treated at emergency rooms for outdoor recreational injuries, according to a Centers for Disease and Control Prevention (CDC) study. Hiking was among the leading causes of injuries requiring medical treatment.
In both surveys, the majority of the injured people were between ages 10 and 50.
Having essential emergency supplies in your bag, when you need them, could be the difference between life and death. At the very least, they can make you more comfortable until medical help arrives.
What Emergency Items Should You Carry?
In addition to the first aid items listed above, you should also carry the following:
1. A GPS with SOS can enable you to call for help if lost or injured in areas that do not have cellular reception. If you are unable to afford or prefer not to carry a GPS, you can download a map of the trail and/or area you will be hiking in to your phone. Alternatively, if you know how to use a map and compass, carry them.
2. Headlamps can help you see the trail if hiking in the early morning or late evening. Always carry a light source, be it a headlamp, flashlight, or your phone.
3. Sun protection is a must, especially at higher elevations. Sunglasses, a wide-brimmed hat and long, loose-fitting clothing will help protect your eyes and skin from the damaging UVA and UVB rays. Areas that aren’t covered should be protected by applying a mineral-based sunscreen. Set a timer on your phone and reapply every two hours.
4. A Repair Kit may include duct tape, sail needle, floss, safety pins, knife, and/or multitool. These items can be used to repair or make adjustments to your clothing, backpack, trekking poles, or other equipment. A knife or multitool could be used to make tinder for a fire, cut a piece of moleskin, or other.
5. Emergency Shelter typically consists of either a mylar bag or blanket, depending on preference. It’s lightweight, compact, waterproof, and reflective. It can be used as a temporary shelter from rain, snow, or the sun or wrapped around you to keep you warm. Plus, its reflective coating makes it highly visible to Search and Rescue professionals, making it easier for them to find you if you are lost and/or hurt.
6. Tools to start a fire can save your life. A fire can do more than keep you warm. It can be used to cook food, sterilize tools, and boil water. Water from a stream, pond, or lake can seem harmless beyond ingesting some sand, dirt, and grime. But it can be full of bacteria, viruses, and parasites that can make you life-threateningly sick.
As the saying goes… Big bubbles, no troubles.
7. Pack a dehydrated meal and high calorie salty snacks. You burn a lot of calories hiking. If fact, the average person burns about 300-400 cal/hour hiking in moderate terrain. But your body burns even more calories just trying to keep your temperature normal. According to Dutch researchers, your body burns 800-1000 calories a day to keep you at a comfortable temperature. If it starts to get cool outside and you don’t have the appropriate layers on or shelter, your body will need to burn even more to stay warm.
8. Water is essential. Our bodies are 50-60% water. So it should come as no surprise that the average person cannot last more than 3 days without water.
9. Layers can protect you from hypothermia or worse. Always wear or pack a base layer, an insulating layer, and an outer layer.
The base layer should be sweat-wicking to keep you comfortable and dry. Sweat trapped against your skin can cause your body to lose heat rapidly, especially in cold weather. This could lead to a life-threatening illness like hypothermia.
The outer layer should be water and wind resistant or proof.
Where Can You Buy a First Aid Kit?
The Adventure Bottle, from Wilde Wanderess, is the only All-in-One First Aid and Emergency Kit on the market.
It includes all the First Aid items listed above (minus the SAM Splint and medications requiring a prescription), basic repair items, and the necessary items to start a fire and take shelter.
Grab one in your favorite color now!
Outdoor Stores like REI, Sportsman's Warehouse, Cabelas, Bass Pro, Scheels, and other outdoor sports stores sell an assortment of First Aid Kits.
Retail Stores like Walmart and Target sell a variety of basic First Aid Kits.