Hiking First Aid Kit: An Essential Checklist

Hiking First Aid Kit: An Essential Checklist

A comprehensive checklist of what to pack in your hiking first aid kit, from apps that could save your life to must-have gear for the great outdoors

Peter and I have a running joke that I've fallen off my bike in the most beautiful places in the world, from Bora Bora to the Galápagos Islands. The worst fall happened while cycling through the quiet country roads of our tiny French village.

I hit the ground first with a knee, then with a hip, then with my head. I stupidly stuck my dirty fingers in my mouth to see if I had lost a tooth. I didn't have it, but there was a lot of blood. I later paid the price for this mistake. I spent the afternoon not only shaken by the accident, but also vomiting the disgusting substance I had pulled into my mouth.

Luckily I've managed to avoid similar incidents while hiking, but it's probably a matter of time as we at Atlas & Boots enjoy things like climbing Nevis Peak unguided and trekking active volcanoes. So I put my complacency aside and put together a hiking first aid kit, perfect for those who hike outdoors. Here's what's inside.

Hiking first aid kit: Apps

First aid from the Red Cross

Platforms: iOS, Android, WindowsPrice: Free

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The official Red Cross first aid app is available worldwide and tailored to the user's location (e.g. American, British, Australian Red Cross organizations).

The app offers pre-loaded content with instant access to all safety information at any time, including expert tips for everyday emergencies. There are videos, diagrams, interactive quizzes and simple step-by-step instructions to help users deal with and prepare for emergencies - an essential addition to your hiking first aid kit.

TripWhistle

Platforms: iOSPrice: Free

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TripWhistle, formerly Emergency Phone Numbers, stores a comprehensive list of emergency phone numbers around the world. It allows you to make a call from within the app and shows your location while you're on the phone so you can tell first responders exactly where you are.

You can also share your location coordinates via email, SMS, or social apps: just tap the share button next to the coordinates, choose who to send them to, and they'll receive the coordinates along with your location on Google Maps.

Piles of stones

Platforms: iOSPrice: Free

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Cairn allows you to accurately determine cell coverage using crowdsourced data. Its simple interface allows you to find places where other users have been able to secure a signal. While it doesn't provide hiking first aid itself, it can prove invaluable in an emergency situation that requires cell phone coverage.

alt=”“>Consider adding a satellite phone to your security package

As an added precaution, you may want to include a satellite phone in your safety kit. Iridium phones have global coverage, built-in GPS, an SOS button and push-to-talk functionality and can be purchased or rented.

SnakeBite911™

Platforms: iOSPrice: Free

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The threat of snakebite isn't just limited to Indiana Jones types boldly making their way through the Indian wilderness. Even in the relatively safe terrain of the United States, about 8,000 people are bitten every year. Venomous snakes live throughout the country and their bites can be fatal if left untreated.

SnakeBite911 provides emergency information on how to treat a snakebite and includes a snake identification photo library. It provides a list of do's and don'ts and dispels treatment myths that actually put the victim at greater risk of infection or limb loss (e.g., don't suction the bite site!).

An important goal is to prevent snake bites in the first place. The app does this through the Snake Sightings Map, which allows users to view and enter snake sightings and receive advice on how best to navigate terrain inhabited by snakes. Should the worst case scenario occur, users can use the hospital locator feature to find the nearest hospital equipped to treat snakebites.

It's the kind of app you don't know you need until you need it, so be sure and download it now. It doesn't cost anything.

Hiking first aid kit: equipment

A physical first aid kit should contain most of the following items. For our physical hiking first aid kit, we use Lifesystems Pocket, which includes all but the items highlighted below. We manually add painkillers and a heating blanket.

Alternatively, you can choose the Lifesystems Explorer for your traveling pharmacy. This version of the kit includes all the antiseptic creams listed below and a thermal blanket that you can add manually.

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General information sheet on basic care tweezers, scissors, safety pins, disposable glovesthermometerThermal blanket*†

MedicationPain relieversAntihistamines†Loperamide (e.g. Immodium)*†

BindingOpen weave bindingCrepe bindingTriangular binding*

Preparation and adhesive tapesAntiseptic cream†Musty swabsAdhesive tapeHygienic cleaning wipes

DressingsVarious plastersBlister plasters (e.g. Compeed)Low adhesion dressingSteristtrips (butterfly stitches)*†

• Nicht in Lifesystems Pocket enthalten† Nicht in Lifesystems Explorer enthalten

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