First-aid kit

Essential items

These items should be included in every first-aid kit:

• plasters
• gauze dressings
• knitted bandages
• elastic bandages
• triangular bandage
• thermal blanket (NRC foil)

For a trip to the woods

For this occasion, in addition to the basic kit, it’s best to take the following with you:

• something to remove ticks: this could be tweezers or a tick removal tool – two types are available in chemists: one with a loop that you place over the tick and gently pull it out, or a suction-type tool, similar to a syringe.
• a generous supply of elastic bandages, as uneven ground makes sprained ankles more likely
• water for cleaning dirty wounds

Bonfire

In this case, of course, you need to be prepared for various types of burns, so you should have the following to hand:

• cool water to pour over the burn
• sterile gauze (soak it in cool water before use)
• hydrogel dressings of various sizes

Of course, cuts may also occur (e.g. when sharpening sticks), so it’s worth having plenty of plasters and dressings, as well as tweezers or a sterile needle for removing splinters.

For the beach

The whole first-aid kit should be kept in a waterproof bag to ensure the contents don’t get wet by accident.

When by the water, you should also remember to take something for sunburn, so you should have:

• sun cream (in case anyone hasn’t brought their own)
• a sunburn treatment, e.g. panthenol

Car first-aid kit

Contents in accordance with the German DIN13164 standard, which is the standard mainly used in the European Union:

• 1 pack of plasters, 10 x 6 cm (8 plasters)
• 1 plaster, 500 x 2.5 cm
• 2 elastic bandages, 6 cm
• 3 elastic bandages, 8 cm
• 2 dressing bandages, 40 x 60 cm
• 1 dressing bandage, 60x80 cm
• 3 compresses, 10 x 10 cm
• 1 G-type individual dressing
• 3 individual dressings, size M
• 2 triangular bandages
• 1 pair of scissors, 14.5 cm
• 4 latex gloves
• 1 emergency blanket 160x210 cm
• 1 first aid manual

Deluxe first-aid kit

In other words, one that will come in handy, for example, at a children’s camp.

The quantities of individual items should, of course, be adjusted to the number of people who may need to use it.

• plasters in various sizes
• plasters without a dressing
• spray-on dressing
• gauze dressings of various sizes
• non-adhesive dressings (for large wounds)
• hydrogel dressings for burns
• triangular bandage
• disposable gloves
• mouthpiece for artificial respiration
• hydrogen peroxide
• safety pins
• blunt-tipped scissors
• tweezers
• sterile needles
• emergency blanket (NRC foil)
• torch (preferably a headlamp)
• chalk, pen, felt-tip pen
• first aid guide for various situations

and lots of other things :-)

DO NOT put the following in the first-aid kit

• cotton wool (because if someone uses it to dress a wound, it will do more harm than good, as it will stick to the wound and be difficult to remove)
• prescription medicines
• medicines, hydrogen peroxide or other items that have passed their use-by date

Source

• cover image: DamaPL