A Hiking First Aid Kit Is Essential

A hiking first aid kit should be an essential part of your outdoor gear and readily available for any hiking mishaps. While having a great time you must remember that hiking is a sport where you can easily get injured. It is a good idea to keep a large general kit for all recreational activities, as well as a smaller more specific one tailored to the event at hand. For instance, you don't need the same first aid gear for a softball game as you might carry on your back for a hike up an incline to a ridgetop. You will want to make sure your hiking first aid kit is lightweight and that it doesn't take up much space in your backpack.

When finding something to carry your hiking first aid kit in, think outside of the box. We recommend you keep an ID, emergency contact numbers and any medical instructions on your person at all times. You might want to have a few Band-aids handy in your pocket, since small puncture wounds are probably the biggest risk faced on wilderness trails and having an adequate supply of Band-aids to last the length of your journey is possibly the most important part of packing a hiking first aid kit. It’s a good idea to also keep aspirin or meds in a capsule attached to your carabiner, or to a lanyard about your neck with your compass and whistle.

You would then keep a more involved hiking first aid kit, such as a larger lightweight container (ziplock bag, soapbox, or soft sack) in your pack, which should contain more significant emergency items. It should offer convenient access and never be buried in your pack