Essential Camping First Aid Items That Every Camper Should Carry

Right after baseball, camping is the great American pastime. It's an outstanding way to get outdoors with your friends or family, enjoy nature, and learn to live more simply, even if it's only for a night or two.

Along with that fun, though, there is a certain amount of risk. There's always a chance that something could go wrong, and it's very important to be prepared. Whenever you go camping, you should be sure to take along a camping first aid kit that will let you take care of minor camping accidents.

You can purchase ready-made camping first aid kits at any outdoor supply store. Where there is camping gear, there will be camping first aid kids. However, you can make one yourself that is tailored to your specific needs and the environment you'll be camping in.

What to Take Along

A basic camping first aid kit needs to include gauze bandages and gauze, a small pair of scissors for cutting bandages, first aid (antiseptic) spray, burn cream, sunburn relief ointment, and tweezers. You may also want to include pain reliever medicine (and a children's version if you'll be camping with kids), burn cream, an antihistamine (to reduce the effects of an allergic reaction), and matches (to burn ticks).

Some items that may not exactly fall in the realm of camping first aid but are essential to have anyway are a small sewing kit, an extra flashlight and fresh batteries, and whistles for each camper to use if they are ever lost and need to alert searchers to their position.

There are some miscellaneous items that may be useful but not essential in a camping first aid kit, such as rags (for tourniquets), anti-diarrheal medicine, lip balm, and germ-killing hand gel. These items don't take up much space but can be endlessly helpful, so if you can fit them into your camping first aid kit it's definitely worth it to carry them.

How to Use Your Camping First Aid Kit

Your camping first aid items should be placed in a waterproof bag, and preferably double or even triple-bagged. This will prevent any accidental damage to the items in the case of rain or dropping your pack in a stream. You should also periodically go through the camping first aid kit and replace any items that are outdated. After several years, even the glue on bandages will start to deteriorate, so checking your supplies before you go out can save you a lot of headache later on while you're away from home.

In order to enjoy your camping experience to the fullest, it's very important to expect the best but prepare for the worst. If you carry along a well-stocked and handy camping first aid kit, you'll never have to worry about what to do in the case of a minor camping health incident.