Best Camping First Aid Kits
I’m a nurse and an avid camper so I have a lot of opinions on what makes a good or bad first aid kit. If you’re camping you NEED to bring one, so let me tell you the good, the bad and the useless.
Best All Around First Aid Kit for Car Camping
We have this as our basic first aid kit and it’s permanently packed with our camping gear and it comes on every trip with us.
Mini First Aid Kit – MyFAK
I rate this as the best first aid kit for camping.
FREE Outdoor First Aid Course with purchase!
Be confident in using your new kit with the included first aid course!
I seriously LOVE the myFAK brand first aid kits. I own 3 so I can have one in each vehicle. We also bring one when we hike-in or canoe camp.
This is a kit created by medical professionals who also love to be outdoors.
Supplies: Gloves, tape, wound closure strips, liquid bandage, penlight, tweezer, whistle, gauze, water purification tabs, hydration powder, Ibuprofen, Acetaminophen, Aspirin, Diotame (anti-diarrheal), Medi-Meclizine (anti-dizziness), Diphen (anti-histamine), Cold & Flu Med, antiseptic wipe, hand sanitizer, triple antibiotic, lip balm, sunscreen, white petrolatum, anti itch cream, friction frosting, finger splint, first aid guide.
Weight: 2lb 8 oz (1.1 kg)
Pros: They have separate pouches so you can easily grab just what you need. You can easily get refills on their website, which makes replacing your gear a breeze.
Cons: This kit is the heaviest on the list, but I need to trust my gear, not have the least amount of weight. This kit contains Aspirin, do NOT give aspirin to children under the age of 16.
Best Bargain First Aid Kit
Sportsman 200 – Adventure Medical
Adventure Medical Kits are the best first aid kits for camping. This sportsman series kit is the clear winner for the price. It has almost everything I pack in my kit, and the extras are smaller items that don’t take up much space or weight.
You could easily make room for blister bandaids and aloe gel.
Complete Supplies List
Adhesive bandage, knuckle fabric bandage, patient assessment form, butterfly wound closure, cloth tape, large sterile dressing, sterile gauze, elastic bandage 2″, trauma pad, 5″ x 9″, moleskin, wound irrigation syringe, tweezer, gloves, rolled gauze, EMT shears, triple antibiotic ointment, alcohol wipes, safety pin, pencil, cotton tip applicator, Aspirin, Diphenhydramine, Ibuprofen, Acetaminophen, wilderness medicine guide
Weight: 15 oz (425 g)
Pros: The first aid bag has labeled pockets so you can keep your supplies organized. There is a map on the outside to help you find supplies quickly and it has a reflective design to help you find it faster in the dark. It also has a first aid manual to help guide you through treating common injuries.
Cons: This kit contains Aspirin, do NOT give Aspirin to children.
Best First Aid Kit for Backpacking
When you’re miles into the backcountry, every ounce of weight matters. We picked these backpacking first aid kits with that in mind.
Ultralight First Aid Kit – Adventure Medical
Adventure Medical wins another place on our list with this amazing ultralight/watertight medical kit. The new .9 version is a perfect backpacking first aid kit for taking care of 1-4 people for up to 4 days.
This basic first aid kit has the standard band-aids, sterile gauze pads, tape and wound closure strips. It also has an ace wrap, tweezers and duct tape in addition to basic medications.
When backpacking, you may need to stabilize an injury so you can hike out to get help and this kit has an ace wrap, a trauma dressing and medical tape to help stop bleeding.
Complete Supplies List
Adhesive bandage, knuckle fabric bandage, patient assessment form, butterfly wound closure, cloth tape, duct tape, 2″ x 26″, large sterile dressing, sterile gauze, elastic bandage 2″, trauma pad, 5″ x 9″, moleskin, wound irrigation syringe, tweezer, gloves, rolled gauze, EMT shears, triple antibiotic ointment, alcohol wipes, after bite wipe, antiseptic wipe, topical adhesive, safety pins, pencil, cotton tip applicator, Aspirin, Diphenhydramine, Ibuprofen, Acetaminophen, wilderness medicine guide
Weight: 7.2 oz (204 g)
Pros: Light weight and water proof with room to customize and add your own supplies.
Cons: Some reviews say the zip-top pouch doesn’t stay sealed, so check yours before heading out to make sure it stays waterproof.
Best First Aid Kit for Hiking
When we’re out for a long hike, we bring along a different first aid kit than we do when camping. It’s best to have a few survival items in your first aid kit, just incase. This also kit covers most of the ten essentials.
Hiker Medic – MyFAK
This kit is the perfect addition to your day pack, grab it and go on your hike!
It has everything you need for hydration, last minute sun protection and first aid!
Complete Supplies List:
Whistle, space blanket, hydration tabs, water purification tabs, blister strips, adhesive bandages, Ibuprofen, Acetaminophen, Aspirin, Diotame (anti-diarrheal), Medi-Meclizine (anti-dizziness), Diphen (anti-histamine), Cold & Flu Med, antiseptic wipe, hand sanitizer, triple antibiotic, lip balm, sunscreen, friction frosting, first aid guide.
Weight: 9.6 oz (272 g)
Pros: This kit is super light weight and can be added to any daypack or first aid kit.
Cons: There are no downsides to carrying this kit.
Kid’s Basic First Aid Kits
Kids love having their own gear, especially when that gear contains band-aids!
Backyard Adventure Kit – Adventure Medical Kits
Your kids will love this little pouch with their own medical supplies to handle small scrapes and cuts!
We put this in our son’s hiking backpack as part of the 10 essentials for kids we pack for him. This mini kit contains bandages, hand sanitizer and antibiotic ointment.
Weight: 3.8 oz (107 g)
Pros: You get BOTH cute pouches that have carabiners for clipping onto back packs.
Cons: Very small, it’s only the 3 things listed
Pet First Aid Kit
Don’t forget about your furry friends! A lot of people go camping with dogs, and I’ve even heard of a few people camping with cats! Having a pack of supplies is great for bringing the fur-babies along.
Pet First Aid Kit – Adventure Medical
The kit comes packed in 2 waterproof bags and has a pet first aid guide for your dog!
This dog first aid kit has standard items like a splinter and tick remover, a cold pack, trauma shears, wound irrigation syringe and an emergency blanket.
Complete Supplies List
pet first aid handbook, sterile gauze, non-adherent gauze, roller gauze, self adhering bandage, triangular bandage, wound irrigation tool, tweezer, triple antibiotic, Diphenhydramine, Hydrogen Peroxide 3%, saline solution.
Weight: 12 oz (340 g)
Pros: This kit has everything for your dog, including hydrogen peroxide to induce vomiting.
Cons: I don’t see any downside to bringing this kit with you.
Happy Camping!
I’m Molly Foss, aka Momma Critter. I’ve been camping since I was 9 years old and I always wanted to be Robin Hood and live in the forest when I grew up. I’m excited to share my love of camping with my son as he grows up. My favorite thing to do while camping is roast marshmallows over the fire.
