Prepping

While I am a firm believer that everyone should have a basic first aid kit packed with all of the everyday items like bandaids, wound wash, and essential medications like aspirin and Benadryl on hand. This helps to ensure that your family has what they need close at hand. I keep first aid kits in the house, in the car, in our Go Bags and I even had one with a complete wound care kit and Benadryl for my allergies right in my wallet. I am a firm believer in being ready for just about anything. Mainly because if you know me anything can and will happen. On top of your everyday basics here are some essential items that I suggest everyone has on hand in their emergency kit. While you hope you never need these and that you may never experience an emergency where help won't be coming you want to have and know how to take care of as many problems as you can. Extras to consider for your emergency kit QuickClot Normally used for things like hiking trips QuickClot can be a valuable addition to your first aid kit in an emergency situation. Bleeding can be controlled with these bandages because they have a clotting agent. While this is designed for a trauma kit and not your average first aid kit at the end of the day having this on hand could save your life. Steri-Strip Wound Closures If you get hurt and you do not have access to medical care which is the most likely situation if things go bad you need to be able to close your own wounds. Steri-strips are a great option for closing wounds. Cover with sterile bandages to keep dirt out and you are good to go in an emergency when you can not get help. While you hope to never need this option it is a blessing to have if you do need it. I keep some in my wallet first aid kit because even if we have access to help it doesn’t hurt to get a wound closed enough to stabilize it and stop bleeding while you wait for help KT Tape Although you may not think about kinesiology tape as part of your first aid kit, it can be a valuable asset when it comes to keeping you mobile after an injury and controlling pain. KT Tape can help give you stability and speed healing while allowing for a better range of motion than sports wraps or ace bandages. Arnica Gel Arnica Gel is one of my favorite items to have on hand in my first aid kit and it definitely is essential to my bug-out bag medkit. The benefits of this treatment include getting rid of bumps and bruises, eliminating pain, and being able to move freely. This essential can treat everything from bruises to joint pain. is a much safer option than other products like Icy Hot. Bug bite extractor While you should always have a bottle of Calamine lotion in your first aid kit, you have another option for treating bug bites. A safe, natural, and easy-to-use option for dealing with bug bites is a bug bite suction tool like That Bug Thing. This will pull the toxins and stingers that make bug bites itchy or hurt out helping to relieve discomfort. Especially useful if you have children. Thermometer A simple thermometer allows you to track for fevers. It can also be a great way to check for heart issues and other temperature-related conditions to help make the right choices in your family's care. A fever can also be an indication of contagious pathogens that may require isolation. Even if you have one running around the house or in the medicine cabinet for dealing with an illness you should consider grabbing one Stethoscope When things go bad in an emergency you will find that you may wish you had the ability to do things like listening to someone's heart or lungs to see if there is anything abnormal. Before there is an emergency take the time to learn what the lungs and heart should sound like without illness. I have a stethoscope that came with a blood pressure cuff and took the time to learn how to read blood pressure when I was doing my training years ago and it can be a great indicator of problems and overall health and fitness. Eyewash Eye injuries can be serious and you want to make sure you take the steps to have some eyewash on hand so you can safely wash out anything that has gotten into the eyes, particularly in case of exposure to chemicals. You may even want to consider an entire eyewash kit if you have a high chance of an issue due to activities that come with a risk. For me keeping one on hand means I can rinse dust particles and such out of my working eye easily in a disaster situation so my eye is usable faster. Activated charcoal I personally feel every home should have activated charcoal in it. This is particularly important if you have pets or kids that could get into something they shouldn't have. In an emergency situation, activated charcoal can bind chemicals that have been ingested to prevent them from making its way into the body. This is a common treatment used in hospitals and having it on hand can make a world of a difference in an emergency. Activated charcoal has many other uses for health and beauty as well like this avocado facemask. Starting with a basic home first aid kit and building up from there allows you to customize your first aid supplies, learn how to use new tools, and help to make your family more prepared for anything.

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