June 18, 2020 | Written by: Johanna Fleisman

If you plan to spend time outdoors, you need a first aid kit. Use our list of first aid kits to make sure you have all the essentials with you.

If everything goes according to plan for your outdoor adventure, you may not need a first aid kit. But we all know that this is not always the case. In most cases, first aid kits can easily make the outdoor experience more comfortable. In some cases, the kit can save lives by stopping bleeding, keeping warm, or seeking help.

With this in mind, we recommend that you always carry at least one basic first aid kit when you are adventurous. The amount you put in the kit depends on the duration, location, and risk of the trip.

If you are hiking for a day in a place close to civilization, you may only need some band-aids or moleskin to apply blisters or cuts. However, if you are going to spend days or weeks in the wild for outdoor activities, or for more risky adventure activities such as rock climbing or backcountry skiing, you will be lucky to carry some equipment with you when you need it.

You can buy a ready-made first aid kit that contains all the basics, which usually saves time and money, but you can get a more personalized first aid kit by making it yourself. In this way, you can customize your supplies according to what you are going to do, and ignore the meaningless things.

The checklist details a general toolkit of good practices. You need to evaluate your specific situation, skill set, and risk level to better understand the scope of your own first aid kit.

Just as important as having the right equipment is knowing how to use everything. Make sure you are familiar with everything added to the kit. You can also consider taking courses like NOLS (National Outdoor Leadership School) Wilderness First Aid Course.

Bandages are probably the most common thing you use for basic scratches and cuts in a first aid kit. They will prevent any open wounds from getting dirty and keep any blood.

You need to use many different types of bandages. NOLS especially recommends knuckle and fingertip adhesive fabric bandages. The fabric in these bandages can stretch with you, is more comfortable than plastic bandages, and can stay in place for longer.

Another option is the 2nd Skin dressing, which will provide a protective layer for wounds or burns, and is antiseptic, flexible and waterproof.

For larger wounds, you also need to consider butterfly bandages or wound closure tapes, sterile gauze pads, medical tape, hemostatic gauze and self-adhesive bandages.

Finally, some antibiotic ointments will help prevent infection and promote healing. To help clean any wounds or wounds, you will also need some disinfectant wipes or povidone-iodine solution. Before applying the bandage, wipe the area with a little benzoin tincture to help the bandage stick better.

For direct burns, the best thing you can do is immerse it in cold water. If the burn is severe, you may need to wrap it with a bandage, use burn cream or a second skin dressing.

If your shoes blisters, the mole skin on hand will make your next trip 10 times more enjoyable. Moleskin can work miracles on blisters to prevent extra skin friction.

You can get pre-cut pads or patches, which you can cut into any shape you need. 2nd Skin dressings can also help treat blisters.

Whether it is a severe compound fracture or an ankle sprain, these are likely to shorten your adventure time. In most cases, you will want to go to the nearest hospital and get some professional medical care. For minor sprains, you may receive a non-emergency doctor visit.

Either way, your goal in remote areas is to compress, immobilize, and control pain.

Elastic bandages with a closed system (think ACE bandages) may be needed for basic ankle or wrist sprains. For broken bones or more severe sprains, you can also use bandages to help secure splints or ice packs.

When wrapping the bandage, you want it to be tight to reduce swelling, but not too tight to affect blood circulation.

For anything related to arms, shoulders or clavicle, the triangular bandage will come in handy as a sling. Triangular bandages can also be used as bandages, tourniquets, wraps, and countless other uses in critical situations.

For further expeditions, including a splint in your kit will help fix any fractures more easily. The SAM splint is a lightweight, versatile, reusable and waterproof option for stabilizing limb fractures.

Finger splints may also be a good idea. Of course, you can improvise using a splint or tie two fingers together, but a simple SAM finger splint may also be convenient (literally).

Ibuprofen is used with sprains and fractures for pain management and reducing swelling, but it is also a good all-round option for pain management, especially inflammation. Headache? Ibuprofen. cramp? Ibuprofen. Muscle ache? Ibuprofen. It can also reduce fever, but acetaminophen may be more effective.

The advantage of taking acetaminophen and ibuprofen at the same time is that you can take them together. Both can reduce pain and fever, but they do different things, so one of them may be more suitable for you, or they can promote each other.

Unlike ibuprofen, acetaminophen is not an anti-inflammatory drug, so it may be more effective for problems such as fever, mild migraine or additional pain relief.

For those suffering from hay fever or other mild allergies, it is essential to carry some antihistamine pills such as cetirizine or loratadine with them.

For more intense allergic reactions, such as bee stings, Benadryl is a good choice. If you have an allergic reaction to bee stings or certain foods, you may also consider bringing an epinephrine auto-injector (EpiPen).

If you are one of the people that mosquitoes like, or if you have a bad reaction to mosquito bites, then you will know the difficulties. In these cases, an anti-itch cream can be the difference between a terrible, persistent itching and a slightly uncomfortable bump.

You can also use disposable anti-itch wipes, which help prevent itching and infection.

Similarly, if you know that you are going to an area that is particularly prone to problems, then you also need to add your favorite insect repellent.

Loperamide is an antidiarrheal medicine. I know no one really wants to talk about it, but if you stay outdoors long enough, you will at least hear horror stories of diarrhea (if you haven't experienced it).

In the best case, having stomach problems in remote areas can make people feel messy and uncomfortable. In the worst case, it can be life-threatening due to dehydration. In these cases, Diamode may help you solve the problem.

In any case, you need to be extra sure to drink plenty of fluids, which may include electrolyte solutions or rehydration tablets.

Aspirin can help treat pain, fever, headache and inflammation. But the main reason to add aspirin to the first aid kit is if you think you or someone in your party has a heart attack.

In this case, the Mayo Clinic recommends seeking urgent medical help immediately, and then chewing normal-strength aspirin.

If you take certain prescription drugs every day or on certain occasions, you also need to include these drugs. No matter how long you expect to disappear, you need to prepare some amount, plus some, just in case you lose one or something that does not go as planned.

For most of these tools, you may not need to change them after each use like you would change gauze or bandages.

EMT or trauma scissors have a wide and blunt tip to reduce the risk of cutting the patient. These scissors can cut clothes or cut off old bandages quickly and easily. This lightweight version also includes a pair of tweezers.

Tweezers or tweezers are useful for debris, but more important for removing ticks.

According to the CDC, to remove the tick, use fine-tipped tweezers to grab the tick as close to the skin as possible. Then, pull up with steady and even pressure. If some mouth remains in your skin, use tweezers to pick it out; if not, just clean and let the skin heal.

Fever can mean a variety of different things, but it is usually a sign of some kind of infection. If you have a fever during the adventure, it is best to return to the civilized world in case the situation gets worse.

In addition, fever is usually not fun, and you may not like hiking or being very active anyway.

If there is a problem in a remote area, the safety pin can usually be used for various improvisations. Specially used for first aid, you can use them to fix the bandage material.

In other cases, they can also provide temporary maintenance services for backpacks, tents or clothes.

If the wound needs cleaning, one of the syringes can help flush the area without touching it. The syringe provides sufficient water pressure to successfully remove most contaminants.

Yes, you must change the tape after each use. Duct tape is versatile and can deal with almost any emergency, and it really deserves a place in your first aid kit. Mountaineer Katie Bono even used it to protect her nose from frostbite on her Denali speed record.

Especially considering current events, personal protective equipment (PPE) has become a necessity. Under normal circumstances, you may not need a surgical mask or N95 in your first aid kit, but you still need some protective measures to avoid cross-contamination between body fluids.

Whenever blood or any other body fluids are involved, gloves will help protect you and your patients from other infections. A pair of disposable nitrile gloves is ideal because they are stronger than latex, and people who are sensitive to latex can still use them.

This CPR mask kit comes with a hard shell to ensure the safety of the mask, non-latex gloves and alcohol wipes. Using a mask like this during CPR helps protect you and your patients from anything other people might have.

Use waterproof containers or bags to help keep track of new high-quality first aid kits. Special packaging like this with different organization pockets will make it easier for you to quickly find what you need. If you are doing more water adventure activities, dry bags may be more suitable for your needs.

In many cases, using your phone for help may be the most important step you can take. If your phone runs out of power, it will be a challenge. A small battery pack and charging cable should solve this problem; make sure it is fully charged before going out.

If you want to work in colder temperatures, then a lightweight emergency heat-reflective blanket is a reliable investment. This blanket can reflect up to 90% of your body's heat back to you, and it can be waterproof and windproof for a person. The bright orange color also makes it easy for rescuers to spot.

Personal beacons are mainly used for wild snow outings, such as backcountry skiing, snowboarding, snowshoeing or mountain climbing. Some personal beacons also include satellite messengers, which can send emergency messages even if you have no service.

Whether you have iodine tablets or a water filter like LifeStraw, if you plan to travel long distances, it is very important to get clean water from any source.

Although this list is a good general guide, each kit may be slightly different. Use common sense to determine how much you should pack. When in doubt, the safest approach is to lean on the extra side. Over time, you may begin to hone the things you use most.

Remember, even if you don’t use something very often, it may be worth carrying on all other trips when you really need it.

Johanna Flashman is a full-time outdoor and travel writer, passionate about mountaineering and environmental protection. World traveler and wanderer, Johanna spends her time traveling, climbing, writing and learning new skills. She has a degree in English literature and a minor in animal conservation biology. Johanna writes for many different publications, including Climbing, Outside, and SELF. To learn more about her, you can visit her website.

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