Wilderness First Aid Kit

Don't forget your wilderness first aid kit if you're thinking about a camping trip that'll take you away from civilization. It's not something you can leave behind. The further away from home you get, the more important a good first aid kit is. You'll need to be prepared and have a solid kit that'll take care of any problem you might encounter. Let's take a look at some of the things you should have in your wilderness first aid kit for the next time you go hiking, camping, or canoeing.

Scrapes and falls are a major hazard when you're out in the wild, so be sure to include bandages and tape for them, scissors and sterile gauze in a range of sizes. Disposable gloves are an important feature to protect you and anyone else from disease. Eye wash, disinfectant, and a well sealed bottle of distilled water are important for wound cleaning. Keep cotton ball, pads and swabs around to help with cleaning. Round off the basic wilderness first aid kit with chemical cold and hot packs, tweezers, a thermometer and a good, compact blanket.

A good kit should also include over the counter medicines, like a good variety of anti-inflammatories and painkillers. Don't bring just one - many people are sensitive to one or the other type of painkiller. Bring topical and liquid antihistimines for allergies, as well as antibacterial substances. Anti-nausea and heartburn medications will help with any digestive issues. Sunburn and burns from campfire are problematic, too. Burn gel and treatments for sun exposure are a must.

Next, think about the people who'll be traveling with you. If anyone has prescription medicine that must be taken regularly, bringing extras is a good idea. Inhalers are appropriate for asthma sufferers, and diabetics should make sure they have testing monitors and injectors if needed. At a minumum, make sure there's a good source of sugar in your kit that won't decay. Dried fruit or hard candy will work. Think about where you'll be going, as well. Snakebite kits, treatments for bruises and sprains, and treatments for poison ivy, sumac and poison oak may all be needed, depending on where you're going.

Once you have everything together, it's time to find a good container. Make sure it's big enough to hold everything in an organized fashion, without being too bulky to transport. Make sure that your container is waterproof. Put each item in its own sealed plastic bag to prevent it being ruined if it falls into water or gets rained on, and don't forget safe disposal containers for used care items. The right wilderness first aid kit could prevent your trip from turning into a disaster. Don't go anywhere without it.