What You Need in Your Hiking First Aid Kit
Do you have a hiking first aid kit or a first aid kit that you take with you on the trail or camping? I hope you do. It’s one of the 10 essentials. And if you have a first aid kit have you opened it?
It sounds kind of dumb to ask you if you’ve opened your first aid kit. But, what I’ve realized (with groups of people and myself) is that you buy a first aid kit off the rack and you assume it has everything you need and you don’t open it until you need it. You don’t want to be in a situation where you need a first aid material only to find that the one-size-fits-all kit didn’t include X Y or Z. Sometimes there’s stuff in there that isn’t necessary for hiking or backpacking and there is stuff that is missing that is useful in the backcountry experience.
Here’s a big disclaimer to this post – what I carry in my backpacking and hiking first aid kit might be different from what you carry. While there are fundamentals to every kit, what someone chooses to bring often is personalized in the context of the other gear they carry. For example, I don’t have a Sam splint in my kit because I always have trekking poles and an ace bandage. Those paired together can become a splint. If you don’t use trekking poles and you looked at my list, you wouldn’t know that I have that capability.
My basic hiking first aid kit
Before I dive into the situational items I carry in my backpacking and hiking first aid kit- and what I leave out- let’s go over what I always have with me.
For wound cleaning:
Irrigation syringe
Tweezers
Antiseptic wipes
Tweezers are useful for taking out little rocks and sticks that might stick to a wound that you get falling down on a trail. The irrigation syringe is to flush out a wound (only use drinkable water to do this). The antiseptic wipes are to wipe down the area around the wound prior to dressing it.
To Dress Wounds
There are many ways to dress or cover a wound and I don’t carry absolutely every option. I just don’t have the space in my pack. That’s ok. When choosing the sizes of bandages and gauze pads keep in mind what parts of the body are most likely to experience the injuries you’d likely come across.
Non-stick gauze pads
Gauze roll (sterile, to pack a wound)
Wound closures (aka SteriStrips)
Transparent waterproof dressings
Band-Aids
Don’t cheap out on the Band-Aids.
For Blisters and Burns
Blisters and burns are super common injuries to experience while hiking and backpacking. For sunburns, it is best to prevent versus treat one in the backcountry. Sunburns can also cause dehydration which can turn into a serious problem.
Sunscreen
2nd Skin Burn Pads
MoleskinFor all types of reasons
For all types of reasons
This is a bad group. I know that. But, hear me out. The things in this category can have many adapted uses
Athletic tape
Ace Bandage
Ibuprofen
Aspirin
Electrolyte mix
Benadryl
Pen and mini notebook
Other items you might consider for a hiking first aid kit
First aid scissors. These would be used to cut a sock or pant leg if needed. I have a knife so I don’t carry these.
Your medical history. Having a list of your medications and any important medical conditions (allergies, if you’re diabetic, heart conditions, etc) can be incredibly useful if you are on the receiving end. First responders and medical professionals will want to know this information and if it is written down, you won’t forget in the moment.
Sam splint – a lightweight and compact splint
When you’re assembling your first aid kit, keep in mind your activities. For example, I don’t pack a tourniquet. This is for multiple reasons but the main one being hiking, backpacking, and camping (aka my main outdoor activities) generally don’t have injuries that would call for the use of one. If you’re a rock climber, snowmobile/ATV enthusiast, or work on trail maintenance crews that have heavy machinery you might consider it.
What I have in my hiking first aid kit will look different than someone who is a canyoneer, an equestrian, a mountain biker, etc. You should try to imagine the scenarios you’ll come across and then prepare for those scenarios. Of course, you might encounter something that you don’t have the exact tool for. For this reason, I took a wilderness first aid course through NOLS. If you are wanting to dive into wilderness first aid and backcountry safety, I can’t recommend them enough. It was a fantastic experience that has me feeling more prepared for an emergency when help is an 8-mile hike and an additional hour drive away.
