Understanding the critical components of your first aid survival kit list is essential in ensuring you’re thoroughly prepared for any medical emergency. Whether you’re at home or facing an uncertain situation away from your safe haven, having a well-stocked first aid kit can mean the difference between a minor injury and a major crisis.
This comprehensive guide delves into the top essentials every first aid survival kit should contain, ensuring that you and your family are equipped to handle common mishaps and more serious health concerns with confidence.
We’ll explore the significance of having a reliable First Aid Manual, the necessity of Bandages, Tourniquet, and Adhesive Tape, the importance of Antibiotic Ointment, Hand Sanitizer, and Iodine, and why it’s crucial to include Disposable Gloves and Protective Gear.
Additionally, we’ll discuss the relevance of having a Thermometer and Oximeter, the utility of Scissors and Tweezers, the need for an Eyewash Solution, the role of Hydrogen Peroxide, the essentials for Burn Supplies, and the importance of including Pain Relievers in your kit.
Our aim is to help you build a first aid survival kit list that is comprehensive, tailored to your family’s needs, and ready for any emergency you might face.
First Aid Manual: A Must on Your First Aid Survival Kit List
Before you purchase any of the actual first aid supplies, you will want to get a manual or guide that shows you what to do in every situation. Keep in mind that while you may know some of the right things to do, the rest of your family may not.
It’s always good to have a guide on hand that can walk someone through the process of treating a burn, a cut, or infection. There are many different step-by-step guides that you can get that teach a variety of first aid situations.
For example, the American College of Emergency Physicians has a first aid manual that helps with more than 100 medical situations. Whether you have a simple splinter or sprained ankle, or someone you love has suffered from a stroke, it tells you exactly what you need to do and includes pictures where applicable.
Keep in mind that first aid varies depending on who is being treated. An infant, for example, will have different steps required for CPR than a grown adult. Not only will you need to know what equipment you should buy for first aid, but first aid manuals will also teach you how to assess someone’s injuries.
For example, you can learn how to see if they are alert and breathing properly. You will learn how to take someone’s pulse and determine whether or not it is abnormal. One thing that’s great about first aid manuals is that they don’t just tell you what to do, but also what not to do.
Bandages, Tourniquet and Adhesive Tape
One of the supplies you definitely want on your first aid survival kit list are bandages. There are different types of bandages, as well as a variety of sizes. For example, you can use roller bandages on places such as elbows and knees if someone has suffered from a sprain.
If anyone has experienced a cut or abrasion, then you can find flexible fabric bandages that will cover the wound. Some of them are larger than others. You can buy assorted packages, but it’s always good to have plenty of every size.
In a survival situation, you will want to make sure that you have a tourniquet on hand. If someone in your group suffers from a major wound, this will stop the hemorrhaging. You can find a variety of tourniquets, as well as some that are sold in packs of four or more.
Make sure that you get a tourniquet that allows for someone to apply it to their body with one hand. This will help if someone is bleeding out and has to save themselves before someone can get to them.
You’ll also want to pick up some adhesive tape to pack in your first aid kit. If anyone in your group is allergic to latex or has sensitive skin, make sure you purchase adhesive tape for that purpose.
You should buy adhesive tape that is waterproof, in case you have to bandage or dress a wound outdoors and need to keep it dry. If the wound is continually getting wet, it will have trouble healing.
Antiseptic Ointment, Hand Sanitizer, and Iodine
Make sure you have some antibiotic ointment on your first aid survival kit list. An antibiotic ointment will protect a wound from infection for 24 hours or more and minimize scarring, too. These are small and very easy to pack in a bug out bag, so you may want to get one for everyone in your group.
We currently think of hand sanitizer as a way to stave off health-threatening germs. However, it also comes in handy as a general way to keep your hands clean when water is not readily available.
You can buy hand sanitizer in packets or small containers. If you are stocking up for your homestead, you may want to keep a large refill of hand sanitizer on hand. You may also want to buy some sanitizing tablets that you mix with one gallon of water that can keep most germs away.
Another thing you may want to have on hand is iodine. This is a topical antimicrobial that can keep wounds clean. You can use iodine on cuts, burns, and scrapes. It is available in small containers as well as large refills.
Disposable Gloves and Protective Gear
Disposable gloves are important items to have on any first aid survival kit list. Not only does it protect the person you are working on from getting an infection, but it also protects you from their bodily fluids.
Again, you may want to purchase latex free gloves if someone in your house is allergic. Or, have both on hand just in case. You may want to get different sizes, such as those that would fit children, women, or adult males differently.
Other protective gear that you may want to purchase include first aid gowns, face masks, safety glasses to protect your eyes, and more. Any kind of personal protection that can keep you and the person you are treating safe will be beneficial for your home first aid kit as well as some that you take with you in a bug out situation.
Thermometer and Oximeter
You definitely want to have a thermometer on your first aid survival kit list. You can use a thermometer to determine whether or not someone is suffering from a high fever. They have a wide variety of thermometers on the market these days.
Some of them require the person to put the thermometer under their tongue and hold it there temporarily until the process is complete. Others are touchless and can simply be pointed at a person’s forehead to determine their temperature.
You need to make sure that you have enough batteries that will keep you a long time for your thermometer. Look for one that is highly accurate and that has an LCD display, since you may not have light in a survival situation.
Another good thing to have in your first aid kit is an oximeter. This is a simple finger pulse machine that tells you what the oxygen saturation is of the person you are treating.
These are lightweight and portable. This is the kind of first aid gadget that comes in handy in pandemic situations, such as COVID. You need to make sure that the oximeter you purchase comes with a guide that lets you know if the reading is normal or abnormal.
Some of the oximeters come with their own bag to store it in, and some will come with a lanyard that you can use to place around someone’s neck. Again, make sure you have backup batteries so that you can use this for the long term.
Scissors and Tweezers
It is imperative that you pack a pair of first aid scissors in your kit, as well. This can help you cut bandages to the right size for wounds so that you are not wasting supplies. You can use these to cut through someone’s clothing or other material if there is a trauma that you need to address without having to touch the area with your hands.
There are specific scissors that you can buy for a first aid kit. They are often known as trauma shears, and you can find some that come with a holster that carries a variety of items.
For example, a scissor kit might come with bandage shears, in both large and small sizes, a straight nosed hemostat, tweezers, and a pen light. Many of them will have a strap that will attach to your backpack or other equipment if you are on the go.
If you purchase a scissor kit that does not include all of those items, then you will want to make a separate purchase for some tweezers. These are essential for outdoor situations, but even inside, they can come in handy.
Not only can you remove a splinter, which can be very painful, but you can also remove ticks with them as well. You may even have to use them to extract glass or some other material from someone’s wound.
They even come in handy for long term situations where someone might be suffering from an ingrown hair that is painful. You can purchase these individually or in sets that include needle nose tweezers along with slanted ones.
Eyewash Solution
You want to make sure in any kind of survival situation that your eyes are healthy and protected at all times. Sometimes, a random piece of dirt or debris can enter our eyes and cause extreme discomfort.
Other times, you may be in a survival situation where something has been sprayed into your eyes and caused an irritation. Regardless of the reason, you want to make sure that you have some eyewash on hand so that you can flush out anything that is bothering them.
You can purchase eye wash separately, but it’s best if you can get eyewash that comes with sterile eye pads and adhesive strips to protect the eye in the event of an injury. You may even want to add some eyewash cups to your first aid survival kit list. Such cups can help you cleanse the eye, or eyes, more effectively.
Hydrogen Peroxide
There are mixed recommendations about whether or not you should use hydrogen peroxide on a wound. While many people prefer the use of water, others have been using hydrogen peroxide for decades as a way to cleanse a wound before bandaging it.
Many people prefer to use hydrogen peroxide on a minor cut, scrape, or burn before applying antibiotic appointment to it and covering it with a bandage. Note that Hydrogen peroxide can have other uses in survival situations, as well.
Add it to your first aid survival kit list anyway – it can be used to help germinate seeds, disinfect fruits and vegetables, be diluted with water for treatment of sinuses and colds, and more. You may also want to have rubbing alcohol on your list to help with various other first aid needs.
Burn Supplies
If someone in your household suffers from a burn, which can be common in a situation where people are using fire for heat and cooking, then you will need to have supplies on hand to deal with the burn blisters and healing.
As you already have an antibiotic ointment on hand, along with bandages, you may also consider adding burn relief ointment to your first aid survival kit list. Burn relief ointments help to cool and soothe a wound so the injured person does not suffer unnecessary pain.
There are also first aid sprays that can serve as an analgesic and antiseptic for small burns. If you want to, you can buy an entire first aid kit specifically for burns. These not only come with cleansing wipes and gloves, but also burn cream, gauze, non-stick adhesive, and more in a waterproof package.
Pain Relievers
And of course, one of the most common things you will want on your first aid survival kit list is something to alleviate various pains and aches, regardless of what the problem is. Some people will suffer from headaches in a survival situation due to the stress that they are under.
You may have people who are suffering from menstrual cramps, arthritis, and simple injuries that are putting them in a lot of pain. Most survival preppers stock up on simple ibuprofen as their pain reliever of choice.
You can buy these in bottles or in packets that are easier to pack in a bug out bag. There are also topical pain relievers that you can purchase, such as Bactine, which is perfect for minor cuts, bites, and wounds.
Don’t forget to select pain relievers for a variety of different situations. Besides burns, you may have someone who is suffering from intense tooth pain, and there is no dentist available who can treat them.
The Red Cross sells a toothache medicine that can provide instant pain relief temporarily until a more permanent solution can be found. You can find this on sites like Amazon.
Conclusion
Building a comprehensive first aid survival kit is a crucial step in ensuring the safety and well-being of you and your family in any emergency situation. From understanding the importance of a First Aid Manual to stocking up on Bandages, Tourniquet, and Adhesive Tape, each element of your kit plays a vital role.
The inclusion of Antibiotic Ointment, Hand Sanitizer, Iodine, Disposable Gloves, and Protective Gear, alongside a Thermometer and Oximeter, ensures that you’re prepared for various medical scenarios.
Moreover, having Scissors and Tweezers, Eyewash Solution, Hydrogen Peroxide, Burn Supplies, and Pain Relievers at hand can make a significant difference in managing injuries effectively.
Remember, a first aid survival kit is more than just a collection of items; it’s a well-thought-out plan for ensuring health and safety in unforeseen circumstances. Regularly updating and customizing your kit to fit your family’s unique needs is just as important as the initial assembly. By being prepared with the right supplies and knowledge, you can confidently face any emergency, providing essential care until professional help is available.
Ultimately, the peace of mind that comes with having a first aid survival kit list is invaluable, offering a sense of security that allows you to navigate life’s uncertainties with greater assurance.
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