Preparedness Month – First Aid Kits!
We’ve talked about food storage and water storage and a few other things this month. Every day we’ve talked about a useful tip to help us all be prepared for emergencies. We have been talking about preparedness all month because September is National Preparedness Month. One of the things that is so important and we made a section for in our Preparedness Binder is having a first aid kit.
First aid kits come in many shapes and sizes, it is easy to buy or make a first aid kit to fit your needs. You can purchase a first aid kit from your local discount store or your local drug store may sell them. You can also make your own first aid kit. Some first aid kits are designed for specific activities or locations like camping, home or car. There are so many different first aid kits but all have one basic thing in common – if we don’t check the contents the kit could be useless in some first aid emergencies.
Years ago I bought a small first aid kit for my car and tossed it under a seat. I thought very little about it and knew I was good because there was a first aid kit in the car. A couple years later I looked at it and realized many of the contents were expired and some things were damaged. A first aid kit is only complete if you check the contents to make sure it is in date and contains all of the needed items. If you buy one or make one, make sure it has the basic items you will need. Need to get your kit ready and updated? Wondering where to start? The Red Cross recommends that all first aid kits for a family of four include the following:
2 absorbent compress dressings (5 x 9 inches)
25 adhesive bandages (assorted sizes)
1 adhesive cloth tape (10 yards x 1 inch)
5 antibiotic ointment packets (approximately 1 gram)
5 antiseptic wipe packets
2 packets of aspirin (81 mg each)
1 blanket (space blanket)
1 breathing barrier (with one-way valve)
1 instant cold compress
2 pair of nonlatex gloves (size: large)
2 hydrocortisone ointment packets (approximately 1 gram each)
Scissors
1 roller bandage (3 inches wide)
1 roller bandage (4 inches wide)
5 sterile gauze pads (3 x 3 inches)
5 sterile gauze pads (4 x 4 inches)
Oral thermoameter (non-mercury/nonglass)
2 triangular bandages
Tweezers
First aid instruction booklet
Do you have any tips or tricks for buying or assembling a first aid kit? If so, share them with us. We love hearing from you. Maybe your tips or tricks will end up in one of our future blogs.
600 Piece Loom Bands Kit $6, First Aid Kit, Men’s Celtic Ring, Yoga Socks & More!
600 Piece Loom Bands Kit $6, First Aid Kit, Men’s Celtic Ring, Yoga Socks & More!
Cheap Supplies For A First Aid Kit
If you have a big trip coming up or you live in an area where natural disasters are fairly common, it may be in your best interest to put together a first aid kit just in case. Sure, you could buy one but you never really know what’s in it in times of distress and you can most definitely make your own for much cheaper. In fact, most first aid kits come with stuff that you’ll probably never even need and little of what you will need. So, with that being said, we put together a small list of things that you’ll need in your first aid kit that won’t cost you an arm and a leg. However, they very well may save you an arm and a leg.
Peroxide
The first thing on our list isn’t necessarily the most important but it is definitely something that you’ll want to have in your first aid kit. Yes, peroxide. It helps fight infection and will come in very handy in the event that someone gets a nasty cut, scrape, or any other kind of wound for that matter. Best of all, you can find this stuff for as little as $1 per bottle. Don’t worry though kids. It’s the clear bottle that burns, not the peroxide bottle (brown).
Bandaids
Next on the list is something that you’ll find in most every medicine cabinet and first aid kit in the world. Yes, the good old fashioned bandaid. These are very affordable and should be in any first aid kit that you assemble. We also recommend getting them in various sizes as the smaller ones won’t work for bigger injuries. Also consider throwing in some dressings (for wounds) as well. It should only cost you a few bucks to get an entire box.
Antibiotic Ointment
Next, we recommend getting yourself a cheap tube of antibiotic ointment. It all works just the same so don’t worry about the difference in this and triple antibiotic ointment. Just make sure you have a tube handy and in your first aid kit at all times. You just never know when you’re going to need this. Like the other items on our list, this is also super cheap.
Aspirin
This last item may seem a little weird to you at first but let us explain. You see, aspirin is used for a lot more than just head and body aches. In fact, aspirin can even work wonders against fevers and inflammation. If you buy off brand aspirin such as Equate which is found in any Walmart store in the country, an entire bottle should only run you about a dollar. And trust us when we say this. You definitely want to have a bottle of aspirin in your kit.
Now, what are you still sitting here reading for? It’s time to get out there and gather all of the supplies that you need to make your very own first aid kit. You’ll want something to store these supplies (and whatever else you get for your kit) in. We recommend a gym bag or even a tackle box for fishing. All in all, you should only have to spend around $20 or so to build a very effective first aid kit. If you have more, spend more but you don’t need to.