Best Survival First Aid Kits, Checklist and Products for Emergencies

The purpose of a survival first aid kit is to provide necessary first aid supplies to repair an injury or illness in an emergency situation and give you a chance to get home or to a hospital. We recommend first aid kits that are portable and complete with the necessary supplies.

Our recommended kits can be stowed in larger survival kits (i.e. transferring from your day pack to your backpacking pack or go-bag like a bug out bag or 72 hour kit.) You want to have the essentials first aid with you as often as possible.

Survival First Aid Kit (Personal Kit)

We like the idea of a staged approach to first aid. We want to make sure we can have some first aid in many situations. It's hard to pack a trauma pack around so we want to have something smaller. Here are the recommended stages:

1. Stage 1 – Essentials Pouch - This is the personal first aid kit you can carry nearly anywhere. You can keep it in a vehicle, day pack, backpacking pack, etc. It has the bare essentials in it. Field versions will have a tourniquet, pressure bandage, and compressed gauze. Other version just has the basics.
2. Stage 2 – Go Bag First Aid Kit - This kit adds to the essentials pouch. It's stored in your go-bag (bug out bag or 72-hour kit.) It's not complete unless you add the essentials pouch to it. It has more advanced first aid supplies for evacuation scenarios.
3. Stage 3 – Home First Aid/Trauma Kit - This is a complete family/household first aid kit or trauma kit. It is stand alone and likely is less portable.

Download the checklist below to see the items that belong in each Stage.

Best Field First Aid Kit

Excursion Field First Aid Kit (Tactical, Compact, IFAK)

Light weight, compact survival first aid kit for emergencies and camping - includes supplies

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Best Tactical First Aid Kit

First Aid Kit - Tactical

Tactical, Portable IFAK First Aid Kit

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Best Trauma Kit

Trauma Kit - Small

Advanced First Aid Gear and Supplies

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Best Office First Aid Kit

First Aid Cabinet - Large - Workplace - ANSI/OSHA

Large scale 1110 piece, 250 person first aid cabinet

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Complete Survival First Aid Kit Checklist

This checklist has everything you need for a complete survival first aid kit. We recommend you download and print out the checklist. Then below, shop for recommended products you need.

Survival First Aid Supply Descriptions

Having the right first aid supplies on hand can be life saving. Knowing what options you have can be a challenge. The goal of most first aid supplies is to give you time to get to a hospital to have the wound or illness treated by a professional.

We've listed some of the most common first aid supplies and gear with brief descriptions. You can find additional information on manufacturing materials and processes by searching for specific products.

We can't stress this enough - get trained to use first aid supplies. Whether you need to treat a common scrape or injury or you are called on to do something more advanced, having the required skills can make a world of difference in an emergency.

These descriptions are abbreviated from first aid manuals, manufacturer lists, and other web sites. They're intended to get you started.

Wipes

1. Alcohol Wipe - small cloth wipe with rubbing alcohol sealed in a small pack intended to cleanse a small area before treatment
2. Sting Relief - small cloth wipe with sting relief ointment sealed in a small pack intended to reduce the irritation of an insect sting

Dressings and Gauze

1. Compressed Gauze - package of gauze intended for cleaning and treating wounds and injuries; gauze is compressed in the package so it takes less space in a kit
2. Gauze Pad - single pad intended to cover or treat a wound or injury, usually sealed in a paper package
3. Gauze Roll - single roll of gauze intended to wrap and treat a wound or injury, usually sealed
4. Wound Dressing - larger gauze or fabric pad intended to wrap and treat a wound or injury

Adhesive Bandages

1. Common - adhesive bandage made of plastic or fabric intended for common small scrapes, cuts, and abrasions (Bandaid brand is common)
2. Butterfly - adhesive bandage made of plastic or fabric intended to help close small scrapes, cuts kind of like stitches
3. Knuckle - adhesive bandage made of plastic or fabric intended for common small scrapes, cuts, and abrasions on fingers or toes
4. Mole Skin - adhesive bandage made of plastic or fabric intended for blister prevention and treatment, reduces the friction from shoes on the skin

Medium Bandages

1. Trauma Pad/Dressing - large single pad intended to cover or treat a wound or injury, usually sealed in a paper package
2. ABD Pads - highly absorbent sterile dressing intended for wounds with large amounts of fluid, often abdominal injuries

Large Bandages

1. Pressure Bandage - also known as an Israeli Pressure Bandage, a pressure bandages is made of fabric and has a mechanical lever to add pressure to the wrapped injury
2. Chest Seals - intended for gunshot wounds or puncture wounds, a chest seal closes a cavity opening to reduce infection, fluid loss, and air passage

Elastic Bandages

1. Elastic Roll - fabric elastic roll (Ace Bandage) intended for joint injuries; roll is wrapped around a joint (knee, elbow, etc) to provide structural support
2. Burn Dressing - moist, nonstick pad commonly coated with a gel to reduce the effects of a burn; reduces pain and infection

Tablets and Pills

1. Antacid - small tablet taken orally to reduce acid reflux
2. Tylenol - small tablet taken orally to reduce pain
3. Asprin - small tablet taken orally to reduce pain or treat some blood issues
4. Ibuprofen - small tablet taken orally to reduce pain
5. Pepto-Bismol - small tablet or fluid medicine taken orally to treat diarrhea or stomach issues
6. Allergy - small tablet taken orally to reduce some allergic reactions
7. Water Purification - small tablet applied directly to water (not taken orally) to purify drinking water
8. Imodium - small tablet or fluid medicine taken orally to treat diarrhea or stomach issues
9. Bactrim Antibiotics - small antibiotic tablet taken orally to treat ear infections, urinary tract infections, etc.

Creams, Gels, and Liquids

1. Antibiotic Ointment - gel used to reduce infection at the site of a wound
2. Antiseptic Spray - spray used to reduce infection at the site of a wound
3. Burn Cream - cream used to reduce pain and infection at the site of a burn
4. Burn Spray - spray used to reduce pain and infection at the site of a burn
5. Sun Screen Cream - cream or gel applied to skin to reduce sunburn
6. Insect Repellent / DEET - spray or gel applied to skin to hide from insects
7. Vaseline - hydrating/lubricating gel used to cover and treat certain wounds
8. Saline Eye Drops - water-based liquid intended to clean and treat eyes
9. Miconazole - antifungal medication intended to treat vaginal infections

Powders

1. Bleed Stop - powder intended to reduce or stop bleeding from a large wound; powder crystallizes to clot the blood until professionals can treat the wound

Splints and Slings

1. Triangle Bandage - arm bandage intended to suspend a broken or injured arm; creates a sling hanging around the neck
2. Aluminum Splint - aluminum strap intended to give structural support to an injured finger or toe

Tape

1. Silk Tape - adhesive tape intended to wrap bandages and pads around appendages
2. Adhesive Roll - adhesive tape intended to wrap bandages and pads around appendages
3. Coban Roles - elastic adhesive tape intended to wrap bandages and pads around appendages
4. Athletic Tape - sturdy adhesive tape intended to wrap joints and appendages for structural support

Tools/Protection

1. Disposable Gloves - plastic hand covering to protect a first aid responders and victims from contaminating or infecting one another
2. Tweezers - small hand-held device used to remove splinters, slivers, and debris from a wound
3. Tourniquet - device intended to cut off blood supply to appendages for severe injuries requiring blood stoppage before a victim bleeds out
4. Trauma Shears - sturdy scissors/shears intended to cut bandages, tape, and clothing
5. Surgical Sponges - sponge intended to cleanse a wound and remove blood and other fluids
6. Pressure Cuff - device used to measure blood pressure
7. Airways - plastic device used to hold open a pharyngeal airway for emergency ventilation
8. CPR Mask - protective device allowing first aid responder to perform CPR without risking contamination for the victim or responder
9. Neck Brace - structural device intended to provide structural support for a neck injury
10. Irrigation Syringe - syringe used for pouring water or other solutions over injuries and wounds
11. Safety Pins - used to hold fabric and cloth together

Training and Information

1. First Aid Reference Guide - instruction guide for on-site first aid treatment and supply usage

First Aid Supply Management

Start right away by buying the essentials and getting trained. Keep learning and enhance your supplies over time.

Set aside a budget right away to purchase first aid kits and supplies so you are ready to go. Check them once a year to see if any have expired. Replace them.

We hope you're ready when the time comes. You and the ones you care for deserve it.

Recommended First Aid Kit (IFAK) Products

Explore our recommended survival products for the First Aid Pouch (IFAK). Below we go through each checklist item and suggest highly-rated, quality products.

First Aid Books and Handbooks

Having the right gear and supplies only helps if you know how to use it. We recommend acquiring a book or handbook dedicated to emergency or survival first aid. 

Required Attributes:

• included multiple levels of training
  • basic
  • intermediate
  • advanced
• included steps you could follow in an actual emergency
• easy to pack and carry

Reasons for Our Pick:

We've chosen these books because we've read them and compared them to others. The Scouting first aid handbook is a great intro resource. The Scouting program has spent decades training youth and leaders on how to survival in the wilderness and other settings. I personally helped save a woman's life using the training I learned as a kid.

The Medical Guide has advanced info including where to find medications in an emergency. It's a great survivalists handbook.

Personal First Aid Kits (IFAK)

We all have different lifestyles, budgets, and access to emergency services. Our checklist above contains the items we recommend based on years of experience and interaction with EMTs and other first responders.

These kits are selected to give you options for your situation. 

Required Attributes:

• complete
• portable

Reasons for Our Pick:

For our survival system we used the First Aid Kit - EDC and First Aid Kit - Tactical and supplement with a larger kit.

Household/Family First Aid Kits

Household or family first aid kits contain supplies in greater quantities and may have more robust items. You may see splints, wraps, tourniquets, medications, larger gauze, airways, etc.

Required Attributes:

• complete
• portable
• many supplies
• large container (wall mounted or portable)
• broad scope of supplies and medications
• tools like trauma sheers, tweezers, etc
• first aid guide

Reasons for Our Pick:

For our survival system we recommend larger first aid kits for families and households. The may be portable or wall mounted.

Community First Aid Kits

Offices, organizations, work places all need first aid supplies. Whenever there are numbers of people there's a higher chance of illness or injury. You'll want a larger first aid kit or trauma kit to cover most emergencies.

Required Attributes:

• complete
• portable
• many supplies
• large container (wall mounted or portable)
• broad scope of supplies and medications
• tools like trauma sheers, tweezers, etc
• first aid guide

Reasons for Our Pick:

For our survival system we recommend a larger kit that is either wall mounted or contained in a larger portable bag.