A good first aid kit includes a variety of supplies and is specifically tailored to your location, situation, and environment. If you are bugging out into the wilderness with only your BOB, you’ll need a slim and compact first aid kit that can easily be carried but includes all the necessities. First aid kits kept in your vehicle, home, retreat location, or office can be more substantial since they don’t need to be ported around.

First aid supplies should always take into account the geographic locations and climate you expect to be in as well as the situations you are preparing for. A first aid car kit should include items suited for trauma (as in the wounds likely to be sustained during a car accident) and stranding situations. A wilderness first aid kit should include first aid supplies suited to injuries and illness likely to occur in the backcountry. A long-term survival first aid kit should be as comprehensive as possible. First aid kits should always include any prescription medications needed to sustain life.

A good basic first aid should include items like these

• Adhesive bandages (like Band-Aids)
• Gauze
• Medical Tape
• Antibiotic Ointment
• Pain & Fever Medicine (Ibuprofen)
• Benadryl (Antihistamine)
• Tweezers
• Sanitizing Wipes
• Instant Cold Pack
• ACE bandage
• Epipen (Severe allergic reactions)
• Burn Cream
• Latex Gloves
• Thermometer
• Emergency Blanket

More extensive first aid kits may also include items like these

• Splints
• Trauma Dressings
• Scissors
• Triangular Dressings
• Safety Pins
• Eye Patch
• Soap
• Barrier Devices (for CPR)
• Hydrogen Peroxide
• Hand Sanitizer
• Burn Dressings
• Insect Sting Swabs
• Snake Bite Kit
• Cotton Tipped Applicators
• Cotton Balls
• Tongue Depressors
• Trauma Kit
• Suture Kit
• Disposable Thermometers
• Surgical Kits