Camping first aid kit.

[Kevin K]

Please add or subtract from the list.

Comprehensive first-aid manual
Magnifying glass
Needle and thread
Safety pins
Bandages
Iodine
Burn ointment
Aspirin
Medical tape
Sterile gauze
Scissors
Tweezers
Knife
Whistle
Thermometer
Benadryl
Splint

[Byron Kinnaman]

Put Neosporin in instead of Iodine.
Add ACE type elastic bandage.
Forget the whistle.
Ibuprofen might be a better choice for pain killers.
Antiseptic wipes are a pretty good thing to carry.
A Triangle bandage is usable for many things.

I also carry Vet Wrap. It's great stuff for all sorts of things, including holding those sterile gauze bandages in place. Wrap a twisted ankle for extra support. The uses are pretty unlimited. The only precaution is don't apply it directly to an open wound.

Byron

[Alan Weinel]

Keep the whistle. The noise it makes is distinct and audible for a long range with minimal effort required.

Dang. forgot to add small mirror.

[Byron Kinnaman]

Dang. forgot to add small mirror.

Just wondering why the mirror unless you're thinking backpacking type of camping? But I don't know what the usage would be in a campground, or the whistle for that matter.

Whistle are often carried by hikers and backpackers. The only time I've ever seen them used in a campground was some kids having fun making a lot noise.

[Donna D.]

Maybe Kevin plans on bookdocking in the sticks, Maybe he plans on hiking from there.

[Bigfoot Mike]

I know everyone has different things they think are important.

We also carry a few meds.

Antihistamine - (also good for bug bites and stings)
general Antibiotic - (Saved Lori's life once when she got bit by another camper's dog. Have your doctor write the prescription for emergencies.)
Amonium AD - (Sometimes the water hits you wrong, etc.)

[Byron Kinnaman]

Maybe Kevin plans on bookdocking in the sticks, Maybe he plans on hiking from there.

And maybe Kevin is only going to be "camping" in RV parks.

[Donna D.]

Could be Byron, but no where in his post did he say campground or kids. He asked about a camping first aid kit. He may want to keep one first aid kit for either kind of camping. Then too, others will be reading this topic for their own ideas. We don't know what the intent was and can only offer suggestions in a general sense.

Kevin, I have a whistle and a mirror in my first aid kit, which is an old WWII ammo can. It's watertight.

[Victor Benz]

Here's my long-time list from my checklists.
FIRST AID KIT
First Aid Guide
Band Aids
White Tape
Gauze
Moleskin / Molefoam
Scissors
Tweezers
Eye Ointment
Burn Ointment
Sun Screen
Gravol
Water Tablets
Mercurochrome / Iodine
Matches
Decongestant
Tums
Tylenol
Q-Tips
Insect Bite
First Aid Cream / Ozinol
Zincofax
Benadryl

Vic

[Doug Mager]

Trailer Goddess is an R.N. so we pack rather heavily in the first aid department. One thing notibly missing thus far is a plastic/rubber mouth piece/guard (whatever you may want to call it) ....for providing C.P.R. with little fear of contamination.

[Patrick Mc]

I agree, keep the whistle…on you.

Break down your activities and analyze the specific needs of each.

Campsite
Burns
Cuts
Scrapes
Headaches
Allergies
Diarrhea
Heartburn

Hiking
All of the above plus:
Sprains
Poison ivy/oak
Scrapes
Blisters (Moleskin)
Allergies
Sunburn
Dehydration
Insect bites
Animal bites (rare)
Thorns (or, my favorite, jumping cholla cactus)

Biking
All of the above plus:
Road rash
Broken limbs
Tooth injuries

And so on for canoeing/kayaking, climbing, BASE jumping, shooting, fishing, etc.

Whistles and signal mirrors fall more into the survival kit area. I’ve made several, of increasing sizes, that I carry roughly based on how far I will be from home plate.

Pat

[Byron Kinnaman]

Could be Byron, but no where in his post did he say campground or kids. He asked about a camping first aid kit. He may want to keep one first aid kit for either kind of camping. Then too, others will be reading this topic for their own ideas. We don't know what the intent was and can only offer suggestions in a general sense.

Kevin, I have a whistle and a mirror in my first aid kit, which is an old WWII ammo can. It's watertight.

Agreed.

[Byron Kinnaman]

Trailer Goddess is an R.N. so we pack rather heavily in the first aid department. One thing notibly missing thus far is a plastic/rubber mouth piece/guard (whatever you may want to call it) ....for providing C.P.R. with little fear of contamination.

I would think this is a good idea, but only if you've had CPR training.
One other thing that's missing is latex gloves.

IMHO it's a good idea to take a First Aid/CPR class at least every two years.

[Patrick Mc]

Trailer Goddess is an R.N. so we pack rather heavily in the first aid department. One thing notibly missing thus far is a plastic/rubber mouth piece/guard (whatever you may want to call it) ....for providing C.P.R. with little fear of contamination.

The AHA is now endorsing "Compression Only" CPR for adults. Children still need "breaths".

Link: http://handsonlycpr.eisenberginc.com/

Pat

[Patrick Mc]

I would think this is a good idea, but only if you've had CPR training.
One other thing that's missing is latex gloves.

IMHO it's a good idea to take a First Aid/CPR class at least every two years.

The AHA also has a "Train at Home" kit: http://saturn.igetsmart.com/servlet/loadda...=0&Field5=1

Pat

[Gina D.]

I don't see Brandy on anyones list.

For medicinal purposes only, of course.

[Lizbeth]

One other thing that's missing is latex gloves.

No latex gloves if you ever intend to treat or help someone you don't know really well, latex allergies are very common now. We carry nitrile gloves instead. They are tougher and more puncture resistant also.

[Roy in TO]

Nitrile is also less likely to degrade over time. Vinyl is a good alternative.

[bonnie w]

I am unsure if you can buy them in a drugstore, but "Steri strips" might be handy if it's a wound needing stiching & this would be a temp. solution in keeping the injured skin together. Flamizine, a cream for burns -- unsure if you can buy it over the counter. An antihistamine for those who react to bug bites swelling up, spreading & reddening. Tip I heard today was using Listerene in a spray bottle all around the campsite to keep the skeeters away.

[pjanits]

Call me paranoid but I carry a snake bite kit in the glove box. They only cost a few bucks and you never know.

Actually I used it when I got bite by a Brown recluse, I sucked out as much stuff as I could and I'm sure that's why I had minimal damage. Only a few weeks of blistering and nerve twitching.