Camping First Aid Kits: An Outdoors Essential   by Gary Colvin

The Boy Scouts have a motto: Be Prepared. It might sound quaint, but believe me, when you are going to be spending a great deal of time in the out-of-doors, it's wise advice - very wise. When you are outdoors, just about anything can happen - and at some point, it usually does! That's why experienced campers and hikers will tell you that whenever you leave home for the great outdoors, you need to take a camping first aid kit.

Most people think that when they go camping or hiking they can just grab the first aid kit or box of band-aids from the hall cupboard and that will suffice. Wrong! What if you are out-of-doors and someone falls and breaks their leg? What if you are bitten by a poisonous snake? What if someone gets a bad chill or frostbite? Your little home first aid kit will not have what you need during these medical emergencies. No, you need a CAMPING or OUTDOOR first aid kit.

Which reminds me: if you have a child enrolled in the Boy or Girl Scouts program, one of the coolest (and practical) gifts that you can give them is a good first aid kit. Ditto for someone who is in to wilderness excursions or survival camping. These kits have been known to save lives - and that's not marketing hype.

Of course, good camping first aid kits should be well-stocked. For sure it should contain more than just antiseptic towelettes, burn cream and band-aids! These kits should include such things as a variety of bandages (including some for bandaging large wounds), adhesive tape, finger and leg splints, ace bandages, tweezers, scissors, snake bite kit, vinyl gloves - and also a comprehensive first aid guide.

By the way, a good first aid kit is an absolute must. In the home kits these are merely little more than large brochures, but the better ones will explain how to handle case of animal bites, poisoning, broken bones - even what to do if someone is drowning or you find them unconscious. If your first aid guide is not very helpful, then buy a good one and keep it at all times with your kit.

A good practice: Purchase a large, metal fishing tackle box, and stock it with the items that you will need. This makes a great camping first aid kit for a family or scout troop.

Here are some other things to stock in your first aid kit: pain and fever reducers (like Tylenol or aspirin), a pre-paid cellular phone, water purification tablets, emergency matches (in a waterproof case), thermal blankets, and a handheld GPS device. You will not find some of these items in most pre-stocked first aid kits, so you will need to buy them separately and add them to yours.

On a final note: Once you have put your kit all together with the supplies you need, don't forget to inspect the contents at least once or twice a year. You should remove any medicines if they are past their expiration date, as well as any supplies that have been opened or damaged, as that will compromise their sterility. If you use anything from your camping first aid kit, make sure to replace it. If you don't you may need it later during a medical emergency.

About the Author

Author: Gary Colvin discusses camping, the outdoors and Coleman Camping Stoves Learn more aboutcompact camping trailers by stopping by his camping and outdoors site.This and other unique content camping articles are available with free reprint rights.

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