Building a Wilderness First Aid Kit

What You'll Need

01

Tier 1: Life-Saving (always carry)

Israeli bandage or pressure dressing. Tourniquet (CAT or SOFT-T). Chest seal (2 pack). Hemostatic gauze (QuikClot or Celox). Nitrile gloves (4 pairs). This tier stops the bleeding that kills in minutes.
02

Tier 2: Wound Management

Irrigation syringe (20cc). Butterfly closures and steri-strips. 4x4 gauze pads (10). Rolled gauze (2 rolls). Medical tape (1 inch). Triple antibiotic ointment. Tweezers. Trauma shears.
03

Tier 3: Pain and Illness

Ibuprofen (anti-inflammatory + pain). Diphenhydramine/Benadryl (allergic reactions). Loperamide/Imodium (diarrhea — dehydration kills). Electrolyte powder packets. Acetaminophen/Tylenol (fever + pain).
04

Tier 4: Splinting and Stabilization

SAM splint (moldable aluminum). Ace bandage (3 inch). Cravat/triangular bandage. Moleskin (blisters). Athletic tape (doubles as splint securing).
05

Tier 5: Environment-Specific Additions

Epinephrine auto-injector (if prescribed). Sunscreen and lip balm. Insect repellent. Water purification tabs. Emergency blanket. This tier changes based on where you're going.
06

Organize and maintain

Organize by tier in separate labeled ziplock bags. Check expiration dates every 6 months. Replace anything you use immediately upon return. Train with your kit — gear you don't know how to use is dead weight.

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The best first aid kit is the one you actually carry. A 2-pound kit beats a 10-pound kit left in the car.
Take a Wilderness First Aid (WFA) course. Red Cross and NOLS offer excellent weekend courses.
Duct tape wrapped around a lighter serves as emergency tape, splint material, and blister treatment.
Your phone is a medical tool: download an offline first aid reference app before you lose signal.