Essential First-Aid Kit Checklist: Prepare for Emergencies

A complete and well-prepared first-aid kit comes up big in an emergency. Whether you're patching up scrapes and bruises or stopping the bleeding from a deep cut, having everything you need at hand is invaluable. Certain activities, such as hiking and cave diving, require specialized first-aid kits. But for general household use, all you need are some basic medical supplies.

Things You'll Need

• Small plastic bin
• Pen and paper
• Clear packing tape
• 2 absorbent compress dressings (5 x 9 inches)
• 25 adhesive bandages (assorted sizes)
• 1 adhesive cloth tape (10 yards x 1 inch)
• 5 antibiotic ointment packets (approximately 1 gram)
• 5 antiseptic wipe packets
• 2 packets of aspirin
• 1 breathing barrier (with one-way valve)
• 1 instant cold compress
• 2 pair of nonlatex gloves
• 2 hydrocortisone ointment packets
• Scissors
• 1 roller bandage (3 inches wide)
• 1 roller bandage (4 inches wide)
• 5 sterile gauze pads (3 x 3 inches)
• 5 sterile gauze pads (4 x 4 inches)
• Non-glass, non-mercury oral thermometer
• 2 triangular bandages
• Tweezers
• First aid instruction booklet

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Instructions

• 1

  Buy the necessary items. Your local pharmacy should have them all.

• 2

  Pack the kit. Place all the medical supplies in a small plastic bin, preferably one with a water-tight snap-on lid.

• 3

  Keep loose items, such as bandages, in their original packaging. This will prevent them from cluttering up the kit.

• 4

  Label the kit and make sure family members and frequent visitors, such as babysitters, know where it is kept.

• 5

  Write emergency contact information on a slip of paper and tape it to the lid. Include 911, family members' cell phone numbers and the family doctor's number.

• 6

  Check the kit regularly. Re-stock as necessary, and replace expired items.