First aid kits are really handy little things to have around. They pull all of your necessary medical supplies together and help you be prepared for an emergency. No matter what you’re preparing a first aid kit for, there are a few basic things that you should think about as you gather up medical supplies and put them together in a well-organized kit.
You’ll want to think, first, of the size of first aid kit that you can have for any given situation. Obviously a small kit with basic supplies to stash in your car will be different from the first aid kit that you’ll keep in your bathroom at home, and both of those will be different from a kit that you would take on a camping trip. Whatever size you can afford to carry, you should make the kit a little smaller than that and find just the right container, whether is a craft box, a tackle box, or a repurposed purse.
Next, think about the supplies that you’ll need to keep in the kit. For your car, you might want to have mini bottles of aspirin and a few bandages, but for a camping trip, you’ll want a whole lot more, including bug spray, anti-itch cream, and enough bandages to care for more serious injuries. Make a list of the medical supplies that you’ll need for your kit.
Once you get your supplies together based on your list, organize them in your kit. Making sure everything is visible is a good way to be sure that even someone who doesn’t know what’s in the kit can find what they need in a few seconds. Also, keep a checklist of the items that should be in the kit so that you can double check that your first aid kit is stocked every couple of months.