Outdoor Adventure Must-Have: First Aid Kit

If you're heading off on a summer road trip or camping holiday, there are two things you should never leave home without: a first aid kit, and the knowledge of how to use it.

The purpose of first aid is to keep an injured or unwell person in a stable condition until proper medical help is available. In remote outback areas of Australia, where adventurers love to travel and explore the great outdoors, this can mean the difference between life and death. The importance of a well-stocked first aid kit cannot be underestimated.

There are a wide variety of first aid kits available; from lightweight, basic versions to fully loaded rolling medical supply stations. When selecting a kit, it’s important to consider individual needs or pre-existing conditions and provide for them appropriately. This can mean adding to an off-the-shelf kit or even compiling your own. At the very least, your first aid kit should contain:

• Crepe and adhesive bandages
• Triangle bandages
• Sports/skin tape
• Band-Aids/plasters
• Sterile gauze pads
• Non-stick dressing pads
• Saline (small vials or sachets)
• Sterile eye-pad
• Burn gel or cream
• Alcohol wipes
• Disposable gloves
• Thermal blanket
• Tweezers
• Small scissors
• Safety pins
• Note-pad and pen
• Antiseptic cream
• Anti-rash cream
• Pain pills (paracetamol, 
• ibuprofen, etc.)

Vehicle first aid kit

Customers of online retailer A247 have reviewed the SURVIVAL Vehicle First Aid Kit as “the best first aid kit for cars anywhere in Australia”. Designed with weight and space in mind, the kit is 21cm high, 11cm in width (closed) and 19cm in length (closed). It opens out to 68cm and weighs 1.25kg.

In addition to the usual adhesive dressings, bandages, swabs, tapes and wipes, it has a CPR card, first aid booklet, emergency blanket, resuscitation shields, eye patches, saline, gloves, probes and wound closures.

Designed in Australia by leading first aid experts, the colour-coded labelling system enables you to clearly identify first aid contents and explains the typical use for each item, making it quicker and easier to respond to any emergency situation.

The new and improved design for the SURVIVAL Vehicle First Aid Kit also features the sophisticated MOLLE system for tailored attachment, new shoulder straps and redesigned zips that are sturdier than ever before, with an extra layer of material on the outside that protects both zips and the kit’s contents from the elements.

The numbered labelling system tells you how many of each item you should have — alerting you to replacement requirements and making it clear when you need to refill and restock.

As with all SURVIVAL products, the Vehicle First Aid Kit is durable, rugged and water resistant.

The zippers are strong and there is luminous piping on the bag to make it easier to see at night.

Whether you’re in a car, 4WD, caravan, motorhome, boat or trailer, the SURVIVAL Vehicle First Aid Kit will help prepare you for any emergency on the road.

Snake Bite Kit

A247 also stocks a snake bite kit which is essential for any traveller particularly those heading into the middle of nowhere in the Aussie bush in the warmer months.

Designed in Australia by leading first aid experts and developed in conjunction with snake safety experts, SSSafe, the SURVIVAL Snake Bite First Aid Kit is built around the success of SURVIVAL’s revolutionary Smart Bandage to effectively manage potentially deadly snake and funnel-web spider bites.

Complete with all the first aid contents you need to assist in the onsite treatment of a venomous snake or funnel-web spider bite, this kit also contains lifesaving instructions on correct snake bite bandage technique.

Weighing only 555g, durable and compact, this Snake Bite First Aid kit will easily attach to belts, backpacks, hiking and camping gear, mountain bikes and stores easily in caravans and 4WDs.

The snake bite kit includes:

• 1 x Cotton gauze swabs (3 per pack), sterile, 7.5cm x 7.5cm
• 1 x Emergency blanket, 2.1m x 1.6m in zip lock bag
• 1 x Mini black permanent marker
• 2 x Nitrile gloves
• 3 x Pressure bandages — 2 SMART bandages, heavy duty, reuseable and washable, 10cm x 2m; 1 medium weight, 10cm x 1.8m
• 1 x Snake bite instruction card, includes bite record register and CPR instruction card
• 1 x Splint, 11cm (W) x 61cm (L)

It’s important to keep your first aid kit well-stocked and accessible, so that you are ready and prepared in case of an emergency. Additionally, it’s important to check the supplies on a regular basis and replace items that are expired or used up.

For all your first aid kit requirements head over to the A247 website.

Don’t forget your pets

If you are travelling with pets, a pet first aid kit can come in handy in an emergency and until you can get to the nearest vet for treatment.

There are many available on the market. St John Ambulance sells a pet first aid kit online for $38.95 which includes various sizes of self-cohesive bandages; gauze swabs, antiseptic, wound dressings, saline solution, surgical tape, scissors, tweezers, gloves and an emergency blanket.

Courses

First aid courses are available from a number of organisations all around the country. Many can be done in a single day and will run through the basics of CPR and other general practices. 

St John Ambulance runs an excellent Remote Area First Aid Course, as do various other operators. Visit the St John Ambulance website for details on the courses available. 

Next steps

At Hema Maps, we strive to provide the most comprehensive and accurate maps and guides for outdoor enthusiasts looking to explore Australia's natural wonders.

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