Home and backpack first aid kit

Two first aid kits, two levels

The home first aid kit covers the house (large box); the backpack kit covers 72 hours away from home (lunchbox or small bag). Both are checked together, twice a year.

Home first aid kit (house)

• Antiseptic (chlorhexidine or povidone-iodine)
• Sterile gauze (various sizes) and bandages
• Adhesive dressings and band-aids
• Cloth tape
• Blunt-tip scissors and tweezers
• Nitrile gloves (several pairs)
• Digital thermometer
• Pain reliever/fever reducer (paracetamol, ibuprofen)
• Antihistamine (hives, insect bites)
• Saline solution in single-dose vials
• Oral rehydration solution (sachets)
• Emergency blanket
• Small flashlight
• FFP2 masks and hand sanitizer
• Emergency phone numbers list

Backpack first aid kit (72 h)

• Mini version: gauze, band-aids, tape, antiseptic in single-dose vials, pain reliever, antihistamine.
• Personal medication for 7 days in a separate bag (with prescription if needed).
• Gloves and masks.
• Emergency blankets (2).
• Everything in a waterproof bag: a lunchbox or a sealable toiletry bag.

Personal medication: what you can't improvise

• Each member with chronic medication: 7-day reserve in the kit, renewed every 6 months.
• Write on the bag: medication name, dose, and who it belongs to.
• If medication needs refrigeration (insulin, some vaccines): plan for a portable cooler with ice and evacuation priority.
• Severe allergies: carry the antidote (auto-injectable epinephrine) in the backpack ALWAYS, not in the first aid kit.
• Glasses: spare frames or prescription in the document folder.

Review and expiry dates

1. Check expiry dates every 6 months (with the daylight saving time change).
2. Replace what you use, immediately: a half-stocked kit is useless.
3. Write the purchase date on non-expiring items (gauze, bandages) and rotate what does expire.
4. Keep the first aid kit out of the bathroom (humidity) and away from children, but accessible.