My Ideal Backpacking First Aid Kit!

First aid kits are a very personal backpacking item. When it comes to what you feel you need, that is up to you and your level of training and what you feel allows you to manage needs in the backcountry.
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[@thomasryan3491]

First off I don’t backpack alone and I carry only a group first aid kit. But I do have things that I carry that people here may find helpful. -diphenhydramine -loperamide -ASA -acetaminophen -ibuprofen -quick clot -single use eye wash and eye cup -dental repair glue -ace bandage and lots of gauze covers sprains and can be used for pressure dressings

[@VictoriaWTX]

Wanted to write a quick note of thanks for your videos and also your podcast. They have been so helpful in keeping me grounded during quarantine. I live in a big city and miss getting out into the backcountry. I know we'll all get back out again! Thank you so much for what you do!! Much appreciated!

[@BackcountryExposure]

Thank you! Really glad you enjoy what I’m putting out there.

[@martymorissette]

Great little kit there! A lot can be done with that!

[@BackcountryExposure]

Word! 👊🏻

[@MightyMidgey]

What an awesome streamlined kit for short trips. Love steri-strips, and luckily I have never needed them in the field! I keep some nuun electrolyte tabs, a tick key, some packets or a small tube of antibiotic ointment for small wounds, as well as a sterile packaged needle just in case I need to drain a pustule or blister.

[@BackcountryExposure]

Love it.

[@KimberlyGreen]

• Space blanket ... for hypothermia but also to keep a patient sheltered in inclement weather (think patient w/broken leg). • Fresnel lens (credit card size) ... for seeing better when using those tweezers. • forehead temperature strips • a couple of popsicle / craft sticks ... for splinting a finger or toe • zinc oxide ... skin protectant you can use for sunburns and rashes such as poison ivy • SWAT-T tourniquet ... can also be used for splinting a leg, etc. Also can be cut in thin strips for waypoint marking because of the high-vis orange material. Not as good as a CAT or the RMT I carry in my med jump bag, but smaller & lighter for hiking use.

[@jonsanford2515]

I have a very similar kit. I replaced the cheap tweezers with a medical grade pair that come to a much sharper point. Much better for getting ticks, since they are my biggest concern where I hike. I also have a triangular bandage. I need to add an irrigation syringe and tincture, and get rid of some redundant bandages.

[@BackcountryExposure]

Yeah when I am with a group I will carry a cravat or two.

[@danielgolite]

Your kit is good and had a lot of items for blisters. That's really important as blisters can put the hurt on; especially on inexperienced hikers. For myself I carry over the counter allergy medicine and a few cough drops, just in case. If I were leading a group I would look into carrying a quick clot product as I have been around a few people who have cut themselves with their own knives.

[@UnlikelyHiker]

I carry a similar kit being I’m OEC Tech. I carry 1-2 cravats in case I need to sling/swath. I don’t want to cut any clothes...lol. I also carry dermabond with the steristrips and tegaderm. I did just recently throw a mask in my kit as well. Great kit for coming in at 6 oz!

[@BackcountryExposure]

Yeah I really should have a mask in there too.

[@allenhansen7783]

EXCELLENT video. Super useful. I will use this video to revise my first aid kit. Thank you!!

[@BackcountryExposure]

Thanks! Glad it could help.

[@larryl4881]

Nice small kit. Like the idea of the flushing syringe

[@BackcountryExposure]

Gotta prevent that infection! Plus if you’ve ever needed to flush your eye out in the backcountry it’s a great tool.

[@BackcountryTreks]

Love your content and channel! Looks like you have something for almost any situation. I recently stripped mine down and got rid of most of the things you just showed. 🤷‍♂️ Stay safe!

[@BackcountryExposure]

Do what works for you!

[@MsBookishBecky]

I ditched the tegaderm type of dressings and only pack hydrocolloid dressings now. Even if I used steri strips, the hydrocolloid on top does better with blood/serous drainage. I also picked up vet bond for small wounds. I add a sam splint to ward off murphy.

[@HuckOutdoors]

Nicely done bud! I may need to update my kit soon.

[@BackcountryExposure]

Do it! I think we neglect our kits too much.

[@MaDmanex100]

I normally use a variety of alcohol pad because i am quite clumsy. I use big bandages for wounds with axes or knifeslips that could be quite bad if left untreated.

[@BackcountryExposure]

That’s where the semi permeable dressing and steri strips are great. The dressings allow the wound to breath, but keep it clean and protected.

[@Stoney_AKA_James]

Good basic kit for hiking!

[@turboturd7954]

no

[@BackcountryExposure]

Thanks

[@paulrehberg5948]

I also have a packet of aloe based burn ointment I carry in my kit.

[@JagerOtter]

YES!!! THIS VIDEO!!! Dude, El and I where talking on Friday night about one of our next videos and she suggested out Wilderness First Aid Trauma Kit for a future video. I designed it with my combat lifesaver skills I was trained in, and El's first aid she's done and although bigger, its prepped for short and week long trips for high trauma(punctures and lacerations for falls, animal attacks, and mistakes with cutting) and day to day injuries. With the SPOT and the kit it sure makes us feel much safer to have adventures. So glad you put a kit together with your training in mind and shared it. Too many people go out with just band-aids or nothing at all largely due to lack of training and I for one am stoked you did a video on yours. :)

[@JagerOtter]

Oh P.S. you might wanna grab these. Great for cpr and weight nothing and take up no space. CPR Mask for Pocket or Key Chain: www.amazon.com/Emergency-One-way-Breathing-Barrier-Training/dp/B0786TKHRD

[@BackcountryExposure]

Thank you so much! I’ve shared a couple other first aid kit videos and find sharing how things can evolve and change through the years is a good thing. Always remembering to revise and update often keeps things in the forefront of what you are carrying so you can respond quickly as needed when something does happen. 👊🏻

[@BackcountryExposure]

I need one of those!

[@TuurCampustheband]

If i cut myself per accident, i use mercury wound glue. Better than steristrips. extra tip :-) Great video !

[@kevinklein4748]

Nice setup - I find most pre-made first aid kits to be way too big and contain a lot of unnecessary stuff, while missing some of the more important things. I've been outdoors a lot in my life... a lot of running, hiking, swimming, cycling... and I never really suffered any open wound injuries, unless perhaps small cuts in my fingers while cooking, or slightly burning my skin at the campfire. Some plasters, dressing pads, and eventually some ointment should be more than enough for treating stuff like that... it's totally sufficient for treating blisters as well. The bite relief click from Lifesystems is a piece of kit that I can truly recommend for treating insect bites. I rarely use any type of medication. What I find a lot more important however, is to be able to treat a twisted ankle or sprained wrist... and for that, a deep freeze spray for the direct treatment of sports injuries is actually a lot more beneficial to carry, than most of the other stuff that they put in these kits... you're not going back down the mountain anytime soon without it, after suffering an injury like that. Applying tape and a bandage later will help... but try to use the cooling spray immediately, and then tighten your boots and lift your leg first... don't take your boots off directly after the injury. I already keep scissors and tweezers in my Swiss army knife, so no need to carry that additionally. The syringe is unnecessary in my personal opinion... simply using your water bottle, and adding some alcohol for disinfection, should do the trick if it's a deeper wound... it depends on your personal preferences though.

[@rebeccarichards7034]

Just found this video. What would you do differently for longer than a weekend trip?

[@andrewwolfe8742]

First off a SOAP note? Lol just kidding. I know those as a nurse. This is a great kit. Very similar to mine. I also carry some collagen sheet for bleeds and such. I would dump the scissors just because I have my multi tool. I like the irrigation syringe but add salt to add to boiled water for "saline" for your irrigation. I'm taking this from a wound care nurse perspective. Also add some iodine ampoules and a sewing kit for blisters. Of course skills are key. Well done man!

[@JamesPanning]

Had to google soap note lol. Good vid, will re-evaluate my own med kit. The syringe is missing in my kit.

[@adw245]

I have a very similar kit, but I have found that instead of an irrigation syringe you can just fill a nitrile glove with water and poke a hole in one of the fingers.

[@BackcountryExposure]

Interesting. Haven’t ever considered that as an option.

[@stevestory8483]

Where would you recommend getting a waterproof first aid kit bag from?

[@jpriddle]

Any thoughts on where to store ointment and pill packets in bear country? I started putting mine in a separate small ziplock with my hygiene products so they can all go in a bear can together. Kind of sub optimal from an organizational perspective though.

[@RetrieverTrainingAlone]

Why do you prefer KT tape instead of leukotape for blisters? Thanks. Excellent tip keeping hygene items seperate from the first aid kit! I carry and use a left-hand fish filet glove to prevent any knife cuts.

[@BackcountryExposure]

I have found the KT tape sticks longer and better. And when putting over a moleskin donut it’s got the stretch to it that makes things really lock into place. It’s just a preference thing.

[@azclaimjumper]

WOUND CLOT is something I carry in my First Aid Kit; it's something carried in the First Aid Kit of every Israeli Soldier's First Aid Kit. It will stop bleeding, including arterial bleeding in 60 seconds, NO PRESSURE REQUIRED. It is only available from a supplier in Isreal & will take a good 3 weeks to arrive after you order WOUND CLOT which comes in several different sizes. I've not found a single person here in America that carries WOUND CLOT except myself & I've purposely asked a lot of hikers I meet on the trail. Everyone gives me a questionable look when I bring up the topic because they've never heard of WOUND CLOT B4.

[@davidstefani1]

I dont have it handy but I bought a clot applications at rei. I take blood thinner medications so I bleed more and little harder to stop than regular people and thought this would be a necessary item for me. Thanks for the info I will try to find the item you referred to.

[@BackcountryExposure]

Sounds interesting. Haven’t ever used quick clot type products.

[@someoneofgods2620]

I've seen videos showing that cayenne pepper does the trick to stop bleeding without the chemicals and can have other uses like helping with a cold.

[@kathydomokos3265]

Look at the Fisher Space pens.

[@BackcountryExposure]

Have one. Awesome pens.

[@dmn3773]

No quick clot powder?

[@BackcountryExposure]

Not for me. But doesn’t mean you can’t or shouldn’t carry it. 👍🏻

[@HikeCamp]

Nice small kit... My kit is kind of bulky...LOL Like most of my stuff..LOL

[@BackcountryExposure]

Ha ha! Nothing wrong with that if it works for you.