Accidents happen. We all know that. If you have kids, they tend to happen more often. Scraped knees, sunburn, bumps on the head, insect bites, are all as common as sunlight in the summer. When you’re out on a campground, you have limited access to a pharmacy or retail store to help with your low-grade medicine needs. We suggest a good first aid kit with to keep with you at all times, just in case. Here are a few things I would always keep on hand when you’re planning a big trip away from civilization for a few days.
Hydrogen Peroxide
This is one of the most simple ways to avoid infection and promote healing. If you’re cut while out in the wilderness, be sure to clean it off with a good amount of hydrogen peroxide to kill off any harmful bacteria before it sets in. This is particularly kid friendly because it doesn’t burn and has a neat foaming action kids might actually enjoy watching.
Bandages/Gauze
When you take a tumble while you’re out hiking (and it’s not a emergency), wrap your injury with gauze to stop the bleeding and cover it completely with a bandage. This will help keep dirt out of your wound and you can continue enjoying your hike.
Itch Relief
Bugs are everywhere. Mosquitoes, wasps, bees, ants, all of them have a bite (or sting) that will have you itching for, what feels like, forever. A good itch reliever will help that subside so you can quit scratching and let it heal.
Aloe Vera
Sunburns are hard to avoid. We try our hardest to cover our bodies with sunblock, but invariably, we miss a spot. Aloe vera is perfect to relieve the burn and help you feel more comfortable.
Pain Reliever
Aspirin, Aleve, Advil – any of the above come in handy when you’ve got a splitting headache. I always keep a bottle of pain reliever in my RV.
Tweezers
Splinters may look like nothing, but everyone knows that they hurt worse than just about anything. A good set of tweezers will do the trick.
A few optional items that come in handy.
Sunblock
We all know what it’s like to forget to cover ourselves with sunblock and head out to the lake. We also know what it’s like to be in pain for a few days afterwards as a result of it.
Insect Repellent
Keeping mosquitoes off of you in the evening while you’re outside enjoying a fire or a walk around the grounds is imperative. West Nile is growing every year and we have to take precautions to keep from getting sick. Plus, it helps to keep us from slapping ourselves all night.
Anti-Histamine
Allergies are the worst. Nothing interrupts a good time like fits of sneezes, itchy eyes, or a rash. Keeping 24-hour antihistamine tablets in your RV prevents your body from reacting to the outdoors and making sure you keep having a good time.
Eye Wash
If you don’t get that debris out of your eye, you could damage the cornea and end up having to go to the emergency room. Before you start rubbing your eyes, try eye wash and flush it out.
What do you keep in your first aid kit? Find us on Facebook and let us know!
Photo Credit: By Photogaph by Rama (Own work) [see page for license], via Wikimedia Commons
