Our first-aid kit includes a couple of items we use all the time – that helps ensure that I use the kit regularly and know when it's time to replenish certain supplies. There is nothing more frustrating than thinking you have an item in your kit, only to discover at the time you really need it that you don't. I also try to make a point to sift through my family's first-aid kit between seasons to check expiration dates as well.
As the weather warms and your family gears up to hit the trails, it's a good time to take a few minutes to organize your first-aid kit. Here's an inventory of the Almeida family's kit (which we consider a constant work-in-progress to adjust to our needs and adventures) to get you started.
* Band-Aids: It was necessary to stock a variety of Disney character and tattoo Band-Aids when the girls were younger because that was the only way we could continue a hike after a minuscule scratch on a finger threatened to prevent us from moving another step. We still stock a variety of sizes and styles because even at 11 and 12, only the perfect Band-Aid will do.
* Hydrogen peroxide: A small bottle of this is a must as my girls refuse (quite vocally) any contact with "that bad nasty stinging alcohol square!"
* First-aid tape: There are 101 uses for tape on the trail beyond the medical need for it. Like when a backpack strap is driving one of the kids crazy and tape can stop the whining (not to tape a mouth closed, though I can admit to considering that a time or two, but to secure a stray strap to the pack).
* Anti-itch cream: In the summer it seems someone always has a mosquito bite. And although scratching a bite isn't a big deal, it can become an all-consuming irritant while hiking or biking (especially if the bite is hard to reach while wearing a backpack). A quick dab of anti-itch cream can cool down a bite and minimize the scratching.
* Baby wipes: This is another multi-purpose item that has been helpful after the misguided steps we've taken into poison ivy patches. By wiping our skin to remove the resins, we've been able to avoid the big rash outbreaks. Although soap and water really is best, the key is to get the resins off as quickly as possible so the wipes do the job in a pinch.
* Meat tenderizer: Making a paste of water and tenderizer helps reduce the swelling of bee stings. This was a tip we learned from a pharmacist and everyone in my family can attest to the fact that this odd-sounding remedy really does work after our run-in with yellow jackets a few years back (you can read about that unlucky break here). We were all stung multiple times and although it was strange to rub meat tenderizer over the stings on my breasts (I was carrying my younger daughter when the yellow jackets took advantage of my short-sleeves to fly in to my shirt and sting me over and over), the paste did cool down the stings.
* Gum: This always helps calm my girls down when they get anxious. And when bigger incidents happen (like the yellow jacket swarming), the chewing action keeps their mouths busy and cuts down on the amount of screaming while I am dealing with the situation.
* Tweezers: We use these primarily for tick removal but we've also found ourselves with splinters from branches on occasion so these are very handy to have.
* Eyewash solution: One time I walked into a branch and scraped my eye (I'd like to blame this on being tall but it really was related to my inattentiveness in watching where I was going). We used regular water from my water bottle to rinse my eye and it was darn cold (and not particularly effective in soothing the gritty feeling in my eye). Then my older daughter had a run-in with a rabbit at a friend's house and the cute little bunny used her face (mostly her eye) as a launching pad out of her arms. We rinsed her eyeball with eyewash solution and I realized how much more soothing it was. Now we carry a small bottle in our kit, which is primarily for me because I'm prone to walk into tree branches with more frequency than I care to admit.
* Moleskin: This stuff works a thousand times better than Band-Aids for blisters on your feet so it gets lots of use on our longer hikes (we pack a small pair of scissors as well to cut it).
* Ibuprofen and acetaminophen: We have a small bottle of each in both adult and children doses. On a particularly challenging hike when my muscles are sore, I will often take some ibuprofen and offer some to the kids right after a hike. This minimizes the complaining about aching muscles later that night.
* Plastic card: I discovered the benefit of an expired plastic credit card while trying to remove leeches off of my daughter's body last summer. The firm, but flexible, scraping of an old plastic card does the job well and I've found it's pretty good with newly attached ticks as well.
* Eyeglass mini screwdriver: If you have a child with glasses then you know that if they're going to have a problem with their glasses, it's going to be somewhere really inconvenient. This little item came in handy fixing our flashlight once on the trail too.
* Baby powder: This is great for sweating feet, chaffed thighs and for sand removal between toes. We go through a lot of powder every summer because dipping feet in whatever stream, river, lake we happen upon is a must to the girls' way of thinking.
* Sunblock and insect repellent: I keep these items in the first-aid kit because I use them frequently and this ensures I'm familiar with my kit's inventory.
THERE's MORE
Other items we also carry include:
* antibiotic cream
* alcohol swabs
* iodine
* Benadryl
* ace bandage
* feminine hygiene pads
* athlete's foot cream
* nail clippers
* emergency heater blanket
* whistle
* small sewing kit
* waterproof matches
* safety pins and paper clip
* hair elastics
* hand sanitizer
* flashlight
I'd like to say our kit is light and easy to carry in a backpack, but it's not. The girls have a smaller first aid kit for our shorter adventures when we're not far from our car (and our larger kit). But I think it's important to be prepared for an emergency (the real ones as well as the ones contrived by the little people in your life) when you're spending time outdoors.
I believe in the theory that if you're prepared for anything, you won't actually need any of it. That's worked well for us over the years. Oh, and trust me that the gum and preferred Band-Aid requests should be accommodated. That's a small price to pay for some solid insurance for a fun family adventure, too.
Originally published in Raising Maine Magazine, April 2009
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