When I was preparing Episode 131 (Ultralight First Aid Kit Strategies) of the Backpacking Light Podcast, I wrote down in my research notes to document a summary of how frequently I use my first aid kit supplies. So here it is – based on my trip notebooks from the past seven years or so.
I rarely use first aid kit supplies on an overnight trip, and only occasionally on weekend trips. However, on longer (5+ day) trips, I almost always dip into my first aid kit. Here are some trends I’ve identified after reviewing my notes from trip journals:
- If the trip involves intense bushwhacking, I almost always require first aid resulting from cuts and scrapes from brush, downed timber, or allergic reactions to plants.
- If the trip involves a lot of rock scrambling of Class 2 or higher AND bad weather, I almost always require first aid resulting from scrapes on rocks resulting from slipping.
- If the trip involves young children, I almost always dip into my first aid kit.
- If the trip involves very high mileage days – off trail – in very hot or very wet weather, I’m managing hot spots and sometimes, blisters.
These are the most common injuries I treat. I’ve made some additional notes for context where appropriate below.
Otherwise, I note frequency as “never” (I haven’t used this item on any trip in the past 7 years), “rarely” (I use this item less than once a year), “infrequent” (I use this item once or twice a year), and “frequent” (I use this item on more than 50% of my trips longer than 5 days).
This list is taken directly from the free spreadsheet resource we distributed with the podcast mentioned above, which outlines my first aid kit supplies for trips of various types and lengths.
- sterile gloves – frequent (for performing wound care on others)
- antiseptic wipes – frequent
- analgesic wipes – infrequent (but often loan them to others for minor scrapes and burns)
- triple antibiotic ointment – frequent
- 2-octylcyanoacrylate – frequent (blisters and larger cuts)
- suture strips – rarely
- band-aids – frequent
- gauze pads – frequent
- gauze roll – infrequent
- hydrogel pads – frequent
- hemostatic dressings – rarely (used on others)
- surgical tape – frequent
- athletic tape – infrequent
- tincture of benzoin – frequent
- compression bandage – infrequent
- antihistamines – frequent
- anti-diarhheal – rarely
- anti-inflammatories – frequent
- analgesics – frequent
- antibiotics – rarely
- epinephrine – never (thank goodness)
- irrigation syringe – frequent
- scissors – frequent
- pen & paper – rarely (emergency documentation, recording vital signs, etc.)
- tweezers – frequent (splinters and cleaning grit out of scrapes)
- trash bag – frequent (for first aid trash)
- dental kit – rarely (loaned to others)
Performing this analysis validated the composition of my first aid kit. Based on the above, there’s little I would change. I also made notes about “things I wish I had in my first aid kit”. Over those seven years, I only made a few requests to myself while on a trip:
- “Non-expired OTC meds”
- “Two rounds of antibiotics (azithromycin)” for group trips longer than a week (infection management for wounds, mostly)
- “More potent analgesics”
I’ve been more committed to keeping my OTC medications up to date, but I haven’t committed to the latter two changes, because the need hasn’t revealed itself more than once.
What are your first aid supply usage patterns? How frequently do you use your first aid supplies? Do you run out? Do you carry too much? Do you carry too little?
Discussion
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Companion forum thread to: How frequently do you use the supplies in your first aid kit?
I rarely use my first aid kit on short trips, but almost always on 5+ day treks. Blisters, scrapes, allergic reactions, and hotspots are the most common issues. Here’s what I actually use most.
ADvil? Every time. Band-Aids for foot issues? Frequently. The rest, once in a while. I did recently use an ankle wrap to help a hiker who had sprained her ankle. I did my best, using memories of how they used to wrap my ankle 50 years ago when I played soccer.
When I had finished, another group of hikers passed by, and it turned out one of them was an ER doc. He gave my wrap his general approval. That was nice.
Basically every outing, for anything superficial. Medication is used constantly, as are adhesive bandages. The rest is somewhat randomly deployed, but rarely goes more than a few months without use; I’ve been surprised by how many times I’ve donated supplies to someone else that didn’t have them.
About the same frequency for the same items as you describe above, except that I don’t carry gloves, and I’ve never heard of 2-octy whatever (just looked it up and wouldn’t bring it). Mostly it’s headache, body aches, (needing Tylenol or aspiring) or blisters (tape, or bandaids of some sort) for my own needs. I do carry hardcore painkillers – usually Tramadol or Oxy or similar – just in case. They are in the “rare” category but gosh when your hiking companion ends up with a herniated disc 15 miles from a trailhead, they’re invaluable. Real situation. I’ve also donated blister supplies to others; now I carry a lot, because when I gave some to a fellow hiker on the TRT, I ended up with not enough for myself after getting blisters on a town day in my sandals!
I used to get blisters, like 10 at the same time. I increased the amount of leuko tape that I took. Then I got a new pair of boots and haven’t got a blister since.
On another forum someone said they encountered someone having a heart attack and gave them an aspirin. That could be life saving. I now take aspirin with me.
I used almost all my tape on my last trip. :-O
The last 2 years have been a “good run” exception. About 500 trails miles and I’ve used one bandaid, 2” leukotape, and 2 Tylenol.
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