With vacation time at hand and more activities taking place, a well-stocked first-aid kit, kept within easy reach, is a necessity in every home. Having supplies gathered ahead of time will help you handle an emergency at a moment’s notice. Make sure that you and your family are prepared to treat the most common injuries, and emergencies that will take place over the summer.

This is also the beginning of the storm season. After a quiet start to 2009 Hurricane season, three storms have started in just 30 hours.

You and your family’s safety depend to a large extent on what you do now, before there is a storm on your horizon. Planning and preparation are the two most powerful survival tools at your disposal, and it is simply unwise not to make full use of them. To this end, be sure to have a comprehensive first aid / emergency kit close by.

A first aid kit is a collection of supplies and equipment necessary to provide immediate care to an injured or ill person before treatment by medically trained personnel. The kit will be made up of different contents depending on the place where the kit will be used and the number of persons it needs to protect. Will it just be your family at the cottage, or will there be extra guests?

It is recommended that your first aid kit be assembled in a clean, waterproof container to keep the contents safe and aseptic. Most kits come in durable plastic boxes, fabric pouches or in wall mounted cabinets. The type of container will vary depending on where they will be used and will range in size from pocket sized through to large backpacks. A wall mounted first aid cabinet would be perfect at home or cottage, but a fabric bag would be better suited in your vehicle.

First aid kits available through your local stores are generally intended for treatment of very minor injuries only. Typical contents include adhesive bandages, gauze and a disinfectant. Specialized first aid kits are available for various locations and activities, and will focus on specific risks related to that activity.

For example, first aid kits designed for use in a boat will contain seasickness remedies. Kits designed for industrial applications will contain burn medication and a suitable infection barrier for performing artificial respiration. They will also have larger quantities of supplies to treat multiple victims.

Trauma injuries, such as bleeding from cuts and scrapes, bone fractures or burns, are usually the main focus of most first aid kits designed for the home; however these kits are also practical for use while traveling, at the cottage or during a disaster related evacuation. These kits will include:

Adhesive bandages

Adhesive tape

Sterile Dressings (applied directly to wound)

Sterile eye pads

Sterile gauze pads

Antiseptic wipes or sprays

Sterile non-adherent pads, containing a non-stick Teflon layer

Triple antibiotics

Bandages (non-sterile for securing dressings)

Gauze roller bandages

Elastic bandages (used for sprains)

Triangular bandages (used as slings, tourniquets and to tie splints)

Blood stoppers, to promote clotting for severe bleeding.

Butterfly closure strips (to close wounds)

CPR mouth piece

Splints, to stabilize broken bones

Burn dressing (sterile pad, soaked in a cooling gel)

Gloves (disposable)

Trauma shears, for cutting clothing and general use

Tweezers

Alcohol pads (sterilizing equipment)

Flashlight

Instant-acting chemical cold packs

Alcohol rubs or antiseptic hand wipes (hand sanitizer)

Thermometer

Emergency blanket

First Aid Booklet (Read the entire booklet so you’ll understand how to use the contents of your kit) 

It is an excellent idea to include Aspirin, primarily used for central medical chest pain, as an anti-coagulant and Acetaminophen for pain relief.

Anti-inflammatory painkillers such as Ibuprofen can also be used in the case of a strained joint.

Don’t forget extra prescription medications if you are going away for your vacation.

Remember to check the contents of all of your kits regularly and replace the items that have been used before you need them again.

While there is no way to predict when and where an injury or natural disaster may occur, being prepared with the proper first aid and emergency gear will give you and your family a much better chance of getting through the difficult times.

First Aid Kits

First aid kits are collections of equipments and supplies used in providing initial medication to the patient. It could vary by section due to legislation between organizations or governments. Its usual contents are items to avoid bleeding like breathing barriers when performing cardiopulmonary resuscitation or CPR bandages. It could also contain different kinds of medicines. It can be organized on mostly any kind of container be it commercially produced or personally arranged.

Standard First Aid Kits are usually kept in wall mounted cabinets, plastic boxes or durable fabric pouches. All pharmacies, groceries and stores sell first aid kits that already have the essential medicines and materials for common health problems.

A basic kit can be placed inside your bag or held in a separate container. It contains some band aids, antiseptic wipes, antibiotic ointments and some small medicines for usual illnesses such as headaches or diarrhea.

The advanced first aid kits can contain items like bag valve masks, Oropharyngeal airways, nasopharyngeal airways and suction units or manual aspirators. Such items need a little know-how to be used and applied correctly to a patient.

Summer first aid kits contain items specific to the common sicknesses acquired during summer. Examples are sunburns, heatstroke, rashes, headaches, allergies and bruises.

People would normally include in their kits items like aloe vera gels, antibiotic ointments, bandages as well as cold packs for cuts, scrapes and bug bites. They also carry along insect repellants, sunblocks for sunburn prevention and treatment. These are all brought along in any camping trip, trekking, excursion or any outdoor activity.

Making Your Own First Aid Kit

You could pack your own kit rather than buying because this will be more personalized to your specific needs. Assemble some stuff sacks to categorize factors as well as kit items like blister kits, wound management, trauma, over-the counter medication, tropical medications and the prescription medications. You can also assemble items in blister kits like adhesive bandages, athletic tapes, gauze pads, second skin, molefoams, duct tapes, benzoin tinctures and scissors.

Consider items for trauma kits like latex gloves, epinephrine syringe, micro-shield, scissors, airways, cravats, extractors, ace bandages, chemical heat packs, chemical cold packs, trash bags rectal thermometers, thermometers, extra lighters, signal mirrors and wilderness first aid boos. You can also consider tropical medications such as calamine lotions, hydrocortisones, antibiotic ointments, aloe vera gels, suncreams, antifungal crèmes and insect repellents.

Assemble the items for wound management. This would include 10 percent povidone-iodine, irrigation syringe, antibiotic ointment and athletic tape, gauze pads, adhesive bandages as well as rolled gauze, butterfly bandage, tweezers and iodine medicines for disinfecting water. You can also consider items for over-the-counter medications such as ibuprofen, acetaminophen, antihistamines and antacids, decongestants along with decongestant spray, oral rehydration, diarrhea medication and medication for motion sickness.

Ask a doctor for some prescribed antibiotics that can treat infections in the urinary tract, skin, gastro-intestines, ear, sinus, eyes and respiratory tissues. You can also ask the doctor again for other prescribed medications like anti-inflammatory medications, pain-killers, steroid crèmes and “altitude” illness medications.

Camping First Aid Kits

A camping first aid kit gives relief for numerous uncomfortable situations and outdoor emergencies. Some of the uncomfortable situations include sunburns or insect bites that could simply be treated by insect relief pads or gel packs. Emergency situations refer to deep cuts or sprains that require instant attention wherein the victims are facing serious bodily damages.