Between both of us being in scouts (be prepared) and lifeguards (working at a public beach we dealt with a lot of first aid), and now parents of 3 kids, safety is on the forefront of our minds. We have three first aid kits we bring with when camping. That's right 3! Some might find this is extreme, but we have found it works well for us, and I'll explain why.
Backpacking waterproof first aid kit
We have a Adventure Medical Kit we purchased a very long time ago (probably close to 16 years). We keep refilling it as needed. This kit goes in our daypack when we're going on day hikes. And comes with when we're going backpacking and in a dry bag when we go out in the canoe. It came with a small roll of duct tape. We added a small container of Neosporin since we ran out of the little packs it came with.
Van first aid kit
This first aid kit stays in our van at all times, even when we aren't camping. With three kids, this one comes in handy. This one has full size antibiotic ointment, adhesive bandages, hand sanitizer, alcohol swabs, tape, adult ibuprofen, adult Tylenol, full size tweezers, nail clippers, and gauze pads. We keep this up front and accessible. If we are close to the van and it's a small-medium wound, this is the kit we grab.
Van first aid bin
The last one we have is a bin. In this one, we have aloe gel, more adhesive bandages to replace the other two kits, extra sunscreen, my ankle brace, povidone-iodine solution, elastic wrap, burn gel, Benadryl gel, children's ibuprofen, children's Tylenol, tums, scissors, toilet paper in a zip lock bag. baby wipes, gloves, hand sanitizer, thermometer, bug spray, and extra feminine products. We keep this one handy in the trunk of the van.
So why does this work for us?
When we are near the van, we don't want to take the one out of the daypack and risk forgetting to put it back in. Plus the one in the front of the van is there 24/7, so it's easy to grab. The lightweight backpacking kit is great for day hikes and backpacking because it's small, waterproof, and I like how it's contained. The bin - this is an easier way to carry the bigger items. And we've been so glad to have it. It prevents us having to find a store that is carrying what we need, and doesn't charge extra. Ibuprofen and Tylenol are expensive on a small island! Sunblock from a gift store - no thanks. There have been some trips where we've gone through a lot of bandages! It is so nice to replace from the bin then trying to get to a store.
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