I take my personal first aid kit with me when ever I leave the house, whether it is to go for a walk, bicycling, hiking, camping or most other activities. It has not only saved me from pain, I have often been able to help others with their scrapes and bruises.

There is no perfect First Aid Kit. All you can do is find a good balance between being prepared and convenience. Be sure to add anything you believe might be important. Also take the type of activity you will be doing into consideration. For example, sunscreen won't be required for a night hike. That being said, keeping everything together will ensure that your first aid kit is ready to go whenever you are, day or night.

Here are some suggestions for making your own personal first aid kit. Note that this is meant to be small. It is not meant to be a survival kit though some people tend to merge the two together.

  • (1) -- Triangular Bandage. Just one more use for your necker!
  • (6) -- Sterile pads 2″X 2″
  • (8) -- Band-aids (more if you tend to be accident prone)
  • (1) -- Roll of adhesive tape
  • (4) -- Moleskin tape squares (or one sheet that you can cut from)
  • (1) -- Antiseptic soap or several individually wrapped antiseptic wipes
  • (1) -- Tube of sunscreen with moisturizer. The higher the SPF, the better. It need not be inside the kit if it is too large.
  • (1) -- Tube of lip balm with moisturizer. Look for ones that have built-in sunscreen.
  • (1) -- Insect repellent in a small bottle
  • (1) -- Small scissors  (*)
  • (3) -- Safety pins
  • (1) -- Tweezers (*)
  • (1) -- Container of diaper cream (for chaffing)
  • (1) -- Container of foot powder, baby powder or corn starch to help combat heat rash.
  • (1) -- ZIP-Lock Baggie to hold all of the above. This can double as an ice bag.
  • (1) -- Emergency whistle -- A plastic pealess type is best for year round use.

* Check, these items are often found on your pocket knife.

IMPORTANT: If you require regular medication, you should include some in your kit. Just be sure expiry dates are clearly indicated. It also assumes that your group will also have a more complete first aid kit on hand.

Michael Milette is a Scouter with the 27th Nepean Scout Troop in Nepean Area.

This article is licensed by Michael Milette under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.5 Canada License. To view a copy of this licence, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.5/ca/ or send a letter to Creative Commons, 171 Second Street, Suite 300, San Francisco, California 94105, USA. You may use and share this information as long as Michael Milette is given credit.

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