A first aid kit is always a good thing to have on hand. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has a citizen preparedness guide: Are You Ready? with a checklist of suggested First Aid Supplies. They include:
- Adhesive bandages, various sizes
- 5†x 9†sterile dressing
- Conforming roller gauze bandage
- Triangular bandages
- 3†x 3†sterile gauze pads
- 4†x 4†sterile gauze pads
- Roll 3†cohesive bandage
- Germicidal hand wipes or waterless, alcohol-based hand sanitizer
- Antiseptic wipes
- Pairs large, medical grade,
- non-latex gloves
- Tongue depressor blades
- Adhesive tape, 2†width
- Antibacterial ointment
- Cold pack
- Scissors (small, personal)
- Tweezers
- Assorted sizes of safety pins
- Cotton balls
- Thermometer
- Tube of petroleum jelly or other
- lubricant
- Sunscreen
- CPR breathing barrier, such as a face shield
- First aid manual
- Aspirin and non-aspirin pain reliever
- Anti-diarrhea medication
- Antacid (for stomach upset)
- Laxative
- Vitamins
- Prescriptions
- Extra eyeglasses/contact lenses
The guide also suggests having on hand the following:
- Washcloth and towel
- Towelettes, soap, hand sanitizer
- Tooth paste, toothbrushes
- Shampoo, comb, and brush
- Deodorants, sunscreen
- Razor, shaving cream
- Lip balm, insect repellent
- Contact lens solutions
- Mirror
- Feminine supplies
- Heavy-duty plastic garbage bags and ties
for personal sanitation uses and toilet
paper - Medium-sized plastic bucket with tight
lid - Disinfectant and household chlorine
bleach - A small shovel for digging a latrine
- Toilet paper
I’m not going to suggest where to buy the best kit because there are just so many places to get one. I would suggest when shopping for one, have the list above handy, and based on your budget, pick one which you can afford which offers the most items in the list above.
Fortunately for our family, we bought a first aid kit last year when I was getting ready to travel outside the country. So for this item, we won’t need to purchase anything extra. And we can collect the other items like garbage bags from the extra things we have around the house.
Going forward, from time to time, we will need to go through the first aid kit to make sure we keep supplies up to date also since some have an expiration date.
