Bring A First Aid Kit

By Nick Pritchard

Today's post is going to be about the importance of a first aid kit on each outing that you embark on.

I will start off with saying that there is no replacement for proper training. As a Wilderness First Responder and Red Cross Instructor I hope that everyone AT LEAST takes the eight hours to complete an American Red Cross First Aid & CPR course. You can find a course in your area here. I would highly recommend completing a Wilderness First Aid course or if you are an avid adventurer a Wilderness First Responder course. Both of these are fantastic courses that are offered all across the country at varying times throughout the year. When considering one of theses courses make sure that you are taking it through a reputable provider. Some of the more common names are WMA, WMI, SOLO, and WMTC.

Now back to the main topic, First Aid Kits.

It is important to bring a first aid kit on each outing for several reasons. The first reason is that you can't use it if you don't have it with you. These kits are often small enough to fit in your pocket or a small dry bag so there is no reason not to have it. Second, you never know what's going to happen. Third, it is a good practice to make your first aid kit part of your standard equipment so you get used to always having it with you. This lessens the chance that you will forget it on an extended trip too!

Once you have gained some medical knowledge you need to think about your first aid kit. Will you make one? Will you buy one? What should it have in it? How much is this going to cost?

Not to worry, this can be one of the more affordable pieces of equipment you have. If you generally do day trips in pretty popular areas you will probably be OK with putting some items in a sandwich sized Ziploc-type bag. So what do you put in there? Well that all depends on your personal needs, your training, your group, and the place that you are paddling. You will probably have some waterproof band-aids, ibuprofen, acetaminophen, moleskin, safety pins, sting eze, and some other items.

If you are going on an extended trip you will want something a little more comprehensive. This type of kit will probably have increased quantities of common items and a few more specialized items. After training and experience you will find what items you want to take with you and what you don't like to carry.

If you are interested in buying a first aid kit there are many currently available. The company that I use and have been very satisfied with is Adventure Medical Kits. They make a wide variety of kits including ones that are waterproof (I still place these in a dry bag). My personal favorite is the Ultralight/Watertight .9 because it came with a good variety of items and there was room for me to add items as well. It is important that if you do buy a first aid kit you go through it and familiarize yourself with it. You should also remove any items you don't know how to use and add any of your favorite products. Adventure Medical Kits also sells refills for your kit so that when you do use something you don't have to buy a whole new kit.

As with all of your equipment you should check your first aid kit before you go out paddling. Make sure that all the items are present and that none of the products have expired (a never ending battle).

If you do use an item out of your first aid kit you should replace it as soon as possible.

Please feel free to contact us about any questions you may have regarding first aid kits, or anything else!