The Importance of a Hiking First Aid Kit

Hiking continues to be a very popular form of outdoor recreation. Wilderness paths are being traversed by millions of people each year and most people enjoy the experience accident free. But when an injury does occur, a little knowledge and proper preparation can help alleviate potential problems.

Packing a First Aid Kit

You should consider a first aid kit as mandatory equipment for any hike that will last longer than two hours. Some useful items to include in the kit are:

  • Adhesive bandages of various sizes
  • Gauze and elastic roll bandages
  • Moleskin for treating blisters
  • Swiss Army knife or something similar
  • Tweezers
  • Anti-bacterial spray or cream
  • Aspirin or Ibuprofen

The following items may be considered optional, but you would hate to be without them on a long hike if you need them:

  • Hydrocortisone cream
  • Sunscreen
  • Anti-itch cream
  • Burn cream

When hiking, you want to pack as light as possible without neglecting some necessities. The same applies to packing your first aid kit. If you’re likely to use an item, or you would really need it in an emergency, go ahead and pack it. The items you’re most likely to use will those used for treating scratches and cuts. If not treated correctly, they can become more serious later.

Take Plenty of Water

Taking enough water is vital. Unless you have no choice, you should not use water from streams because bacteria could be prevalent and animals often do their business there. In addition to taking enough water to drink, you should have some extra for cleaning scrapes and cuts.

Do You Need A Snake Bite Kit

Getting bitten by a snake is actually very rare. Locations that have a high percentage of snakes are few in number. So unless you just happen to be in an area with a relatively high snake population, you are probably not going to get bitten. However, having said that, it still wouldn’t hurt to be prepared.

Be sure to do some research on your hiking location to determine if there are any poisonous snakes. If you are going to an area where the odds of a snake bite are higher, a snake bite kit would be a good item to take along.

A Common Problem - Cuts

There are a number of physical problems you can experience while hiking, from headaches to blistered feet, but the most common are cuts and scrapes from the surrounding foliage and terrain. Since a cut can become infected, particularly if it is cased by a plant, it is very important to treat it properly. That is why anti-bacterial cream or spray and bandages are “must have” items in a hiking first aid kit.

If the cut is not too deep, it is fairly simple to treat. Clean the cut before you apply a disinfectant and then cover with a band-aid. If it is deep cut and the flow of blood is even, which is indicative of venous bleeding, you can clean, disinfect and then wrap the wound securely with a wrap around bandage. If the flow of blood comes in spurts, which means an artery has been cut; you will need to do a clamp-and-release technique to try to control the bleeding without stopping the blood flow thru the artery.

The Best First Aid Kit

The best use of a hiking first aid kit is to not need it. As the saying goes “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure”. To prevent injuries in the first place, do not take foolish risks and be aware of your surroundings. Sometimes accidents are inevitable, but a little common sense can go a long way.