Camping First Aid Kits: An Outdoors Essential

"Be Prepared" - That's the motto of the Boy Scouts. And as an Eagle Scout, former Junior Assistant Scoutmaster, and camp staff employee, I can tell you: when you're outdoors, you MUST be prepared for every contingency! That's why the experienced outdoor types (like myself) will tell you: whenever you head outside for camping, hiking, or wilderness adventures, you had better take a camping first aid kit.

But your first question may be: "Why can't I just use the first aid kit that I have at home?" I'll tell you right off: that won't work. How come? Because outdoor adventures can cause outdoor medical emergencies - like broken bones, frostbite, or snakebite. And typical home first aid kits just don't have the supplies that you will need for those situations. You need one that has been specially stocked with all the supplies you will need there.

Which reminds me: if you have a youngster in the Girl Scouts or Boy Scouts, one of the very best gifts that you can give them is a good quality camping first aid kit. The same holds true for someone who is in wilderness or survival training. It is very true - not marketing hype - that these kits have been known to save lives.

Your first priority? Make sure that your camping first aid kit is well-stocked. After all, if it is going to be of any real use it should have more than just burn cream and band-aids! Your kit should be stocked with a variety of bandages, adhesive tape, finger and leg splints, ace bandages, tweezers, scissors, snake bite kit, gloves -- and a comprehensive first aid guide.

By the way, a good comprehensive first aid guide is critical. It will tell you what to do for wounds, burns, handling cases of poisoning, animal bites, broken bones - even drowning and what to do if someone is unconscious. If the guide included in your kit is too skimpy on content, buy a larger book and keep it with your kit at all times.

Here's a good tip: Buy one of those sturdy metal fishing tackle boxes (the ones with the fold out trays) and stock it with the items that you will need. This would make the perfect camping first aid kit for a scout troop or for family use.

Some other items to consider for your camping first aid kit: How about some pain and fever reducers (like aspirin or Tylenol)? A pre-paid cellular phone is also handy to have at times, in order to contact medical authorities or emergency assistance. Water purification tablets, emergency matches (in a waterproof case), thermal blanket and handheld GPS device can also be added to round out your kit.

One final note: once you have your kit assembled, make sure to inspect the contents at least once or twice a year. Remove any expired medicines, and replace any supplies that have gone beyond their shelf-life or that have been opened or damaged (opened or damaged items are no longer sterile). And as you use the supplies, make a note to buy replacements. You don't want to wait until you are in an the middle of nowhere, in the midst of a medical emergency, to find out that you are missing something!

Author: Gary Colvin chats about camping, the outdoors and Coleman Camping Stoves Learn more aboutmotorcycle camping trailers by stopping by his website.
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