By Danny Peled - Wilderness Medical Associates Instructor, Boreal River Director, Wilderness-EMT
My first aid kit changes all the time.
- For a hike with friends, it's a small waterproof bag.
- Teaching river rescue courses from a kayak? A 10L drybag is my go-to, supplemented by a separate ‘hypo-wrap’ bag containing a tarp and insulation layers.
- On remote, week-long rafting expeditions with 15 people, my kit expands to a 30L mini barrel, with additional ‘first responder’ kits distributed among the boats.
No single first aid kit works for every situation.
But, we've created a checklist that's a great starting point.
What should be in a wilderness first aid kit?
This wilderness first aid checklist is intended as a resource for trained Wilderness First Responders and Wilderness First Aid providers. The list below is intended for a small personal kit or small group kit for a ‘frontcountry’ outing.
For comprehensive checklists for larger groups, more remote expeditions, and search and rescue, download the Wilderness First Aid Kit Checklist PDF.
The checklist is organized into 6 sections: essentials to carry on your body, basic life support, tools, medications, wound care, and other miscellaneous items.
Essentials to carry on your body
- Medical gloves (non-latex), 2 or 3 pairs
- Small CPR face shield
- Lighter or flint and steel
- Knife
- Food: Quick calories are essential for your personal safety and performance in a rescue
- Watch: To track vital signs, remaining daylight, submersion time, etc.
- Pencil or space pen: Waterproof ‘write anywhere’ is a good choice
- Waterproof paper / SOAP note: Our Whitewater Rescue Field Guide can work for this
Basic life support
- Pocket mask
- Tourniquet: commercial, TCCC approved (improvised TKs are usually ineffective)
- Compressed gauze for wound packing x 2
- Elastic tensor bandage or vet wrap or commercial pressure dressing (for pressure dressing)
- Nasopharyngeal airway (NPA)
- EMT shears
- Honey, icing sugar, or instant glucose
- Wilderness Medical Associates (WMA) field guide
Tools
- Irrigation syringe: 60 CC is best
- 19G needle
- Scalpel blade
- Tweezers
- Toothbrush: sterile, in package
- Magnifying glass
Medications
- Epinephrine: 3 doses; auto-inject or ampoule or vial with needle and syringe
- Antihistamine: Cetirizine recommended
- ASA (Acetylsalicylic acid, Aspirin): Can be life saving for heart attack
- Ibuprofen*
- Acetaminophen*
- Prescription analgesic**
*Depending on program policies for administering OTC meds
Wounds
- 10% povidone iodine solution in a small leak-proof container
- Sterile gauze pads: 2”x2” or 4”x4”
- Non-adherant gauze pads
- Cotton swabs (Q-tips)
- Steri-strips or butterfly dressings (however, do not close high-risk infection wounds)
- Tegaderm: waterproof, breathable, transparent ‘window’ dressings
- White cloth tape
- 3” vet wrap: self adherent wrap
Miscellaneous items
- Menstrual pads and tampons
- Duct tape
- Lighter / matches
- Flashlight / headlamp
- Glowsticks
- Bug headnet
- P-cord
- Zip ties
- Water purification tablets
- Bug repellent cream in leak-proof container
- Sunblock
Customize your wilderness first aid kit
This checklist gives you the basics for building your first aid kit. From here, you’ll want to customize it for your trip. Consider:
- Where you’re going and the terrain
- How long you’re going for
- Environmental conditions: season, weather forecast
- Number of potential patients
- How you’ll carry the kit
Have you taken a Wilderness First Aid or Wilderness First Responder course?
If so, spend some time reviewing each topic in the course textbook. For each medical problem, consider which items or medications you wouldn’t want to do without versus what can be improvised. Over time, you’ll get more comfortable making adjustments.
Make sure you’ve got the skills to use your wilderness first aid kit
Putting together the right wilderness first aid kit is just one part of being prepared in the backcountry, whether you’re camping, hiking, or paddling.
If you'd like to build more confidence in handling emergencies and know how to use the tools and supplies in your kit, check out our wilderness medicine course.
Wilderness First Aid - 2-3 day course for front-country travellers or assistant backcountry leaders; beginner.
Wilderness Advanced First Aid (WAFA) - 40 hours over 4-5 days course for backcountry travellers, researchers and field personnel, assistant leaders; beginner to intermediate.
Wilderness First Responder (WFR) - 5 or 8 day course for professional guides, outdoor educators, search and rescue, anybody travelling in remote areas; beginner to advanced.
✱ Don’t forget to take stock of your wilderness first aid kit after your trip. Replace anything you used so you’re ready for the next backcountry adventure.
Download the Wilderness First Aid Kit PDF
* Boreal River is not responsible for any loss or damages that you, your party, or your patients might suffer after you have referred to this list.
