Whether you are out camping, hiking, or surviving, first aid is always a must. You can build shelters and start fires, but without first aid supplies you can still find yourself in a lot of trouble. Here are the essentials you should always make sure to have with you if you are going out in the wilderness.
1. Moleskin
I know what you are thinking. Seriously moleskin? When you are surviving, blisters may not seem like a big deal, but while they may start out as a minor irritation, if you have to keep walking on them and have no way to protect the skin, they can turn into a big problem.
At the very least a blister can slow you down, and in a survival situation that may not always be a good thing. However, blisters can also get infected and that can lead to even more serious problems. No one wants an infection when they are trying to survive, so prevention is key.
2. Assorted Band-Aids (Including Butterfly Band-Aids)
This one is a basic. If you cut or scrape yourself, a band aid allows you to cover the wound, protecting it, and helping keep it clean. Butterfly band aids can be used as well to help keep the edges of cuts closed.
3. Electrolyte Tablets
If you are lost in the woods, get sick or even just got hot and sweat a lot, electrolyte tablets can be key. You lose minerals when you sweat. If you are in a survival situation and especially if you are not getting the food you need because of it, these tablets can help.
4. An Anti-inflammatory Medication
Aspirin, ibuprofen, acetaminophen, naproxen, whatever type of medication you prefer, you should have it with you. These medications can help with everything from sore muscles to swelling from injuries. It is recommended that you have both an aspirin and a non-aspirin with you. Aspirin has anti-clotting properties and therefore is not ideal for any pain that is associated with bleeding.
5. Antibacterial Wipes
Antiseptic is a good thing if you find yourself wounded in a survival situation. If your out in the bush and you are injured, you may not have access to clean water to clean a wound, and trying to clean it with unsterile water could make it worse rather than better. Antibacterial wipes provide a safe way to disinfect.
6. Sterile Gauze
Gauze can be used for covering larger wounds, as well as for securing bandages or splits of some kind if they are needed. Gauze is most useful though for burns. When you get a burn you can't us an adhesive bandage on it. Burn wounds need to breath, so they should be covered with a loose layer of gauze to keep them clean while it heals. It can also double as fire starter, and dual purposes for materials is always good when it comes to survival.
7. Eye Drops
Eye drops can be used to alleviate dry eyes, as lubricant, or as a way to wash out eyes. It is this last option that comes in the most important in a first aid kit. A small piece of dirt or dust in your eye can often times be blinked out quickly.
However if you do get something in your eye that isn't coming back out, rather than sticking a finger in your eye, use eye drops. Not only will it likely work better, but it will help prevent infection, and as we know infections in a survival situation is not something that you want.
8. Anti-diarrhea Medication
Yup. It is never fun to be in that situation, and it wouldn't be any better in a survival situation. Diarrhea can be a result of many things, but no matter how it happens, it can result in dehydration and quickly. Anti-diarrhea medication can give you the time you need to rehydrate
9. Space Blanket
Hypothermia can be life threatening, and a space blanket can be a way to help prevent it. The shiny material of the blanket helps reflect heat back in towards the wearer, which in a survival situation could mean the difference between life or death. Not cold yet? A space blanket can be incorporated into a shelter to help hold heat in as well.
10. First Aid Booklet
Knowledge is one of the best survival tools you can have. All the first aid supplies won't help you if you don't know how to use them. A basic first aid booklet can provide the information you need to make sure you can successfully preform first aid if you need it.
First aid supplies are a key thing to have when you are out in the wilderness for whatever reason. You never know what can happen
What things do you have in your first aid kit?
~Sara
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