You probably know you should carry a first-aid kit when hiking. But be honest: do you actually bring one with you on every trip? Even quick day hikes?
And if you do carry one, do you know how to use everything inside it? Would you know what to grab if something went wrong on trail?
In this guide, I’m breaking down exactly what I carry in my hiking first-aid kit, what each item is for, and how to use the contents to treat common trail injuries and illnesses. I’ll also cover when a problem is serious enough to turn around or call for help.
Let’s dive into the world of wilderness first aid!
Disclaimer: This guide is for general educational purposes only. I am not a medical professional, just an 11+ year hiking veteran who knows a thing or two about basic wilderness first aid!
What to Put in a Hiker’s First Aid Kit & How to Use Everything
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Hiker’s First Aid Kit Checklist
When it comes to hiking first aid kits, you have two options: buy a pre-made kit or build your own.
Personally, I recommend a combo of the two. Let me explain!
Pre-made kits are extremely convenient, but I find that they’re filled with things I don’t need or don’t know how to use. And often, the quantities are way off.
Some pre-made kits have hundreds of pieces. 17 safety pins, 68 bandages, a giant bottle of isopropyl alcohol, and a baseball-sized roll of moleskin anyone?! Haha.
Having a first aid kit packed with things you don’t need wastes valuable space and adds unnecessary weight, while carrying supplies you don’t know how to use doesn’t do you any good.
So my recommendation? Buy a modest, waterproof, pre-made adventure first aid kit like this one, then customize the contents to fit your specific medical needs, trip length, etc.
That way, you get the waterproof pouch and have some starter supplies without having to start from scratch. You can cherry-pick things you actually need for your kit and save the rest for your home first-aid kit or as backup supplies when you run low.
So what’s in my hiking first aid kit?
Some hikers bring way too much, while others don’t bring enough. After 11+ years of hiking, I’ve nailed down the essentials I like to have with me.
The contents of my kit stay (mostly) consistent across different trip types and lengths, but I’ll adjust the quantities of certain items to match the trip length and type.
While your first aid kit might look different than mine, depending on your medical needs, trip length, and group size, hopefully you’ll find this checklist useful and a good starting point for building yours.
Hiker’s First Aid Kit Checklist
- Anti-diarrheal meds (4-6 doses) – for temporary management of diarrhea and stomach discomfort
- Antiseptic cleansing wipes (4) – for cleaning minor wounds
- Bandages (10) – for covering small cuts, scrapes, and minor wounds
- Blister pads (6, various sizes) – for protecting existing blisters and reducing friction
- Bug Bite Thing (1) – for temporary relief from itching/swelling caused by minor insect bites/stings and removal of stingers
- Gauze roll (1) – for securing dressings, wrapping wounds, and applying additional pressure
- Gloves (1 pair) – for protecting your hands when treating other people’s wounds
- Ibuprofen (6-10 doses) – for headaches, muscle aches, and minor pain/inflammation
- Medical tape roll (1) – for securing gauze/dressings
- Moleskin roll (1) – for reducing friction and preventing blisters/hot-spots from forming
- Tweezers + tick key (1 each) – for removing ticks, splinters, thorns, etc.
- Wound dressing/gauze pads (3) – for applying pressure to and covering/protecting wounds
A couple of notes about my first aid kit:
I don’t carry scissors because I can use my knife, which is one of the 10 Essentials, if I need to cut gauze, dressings, and moleskin.
I also store my emergency blanket and gear repair kit in my first aid kit. Since the pouch is waterproof and I have some extra room, it makes sense to keep all my emergency essentials together in one place.
How to Pack a First Aid Kit
The last thing you want to do is haphazardly cram everything into a dark pouch at the bottom of your pack.
First, collect all the medical supplies you want to include in your first-aid kit and lay them all out in front of you.
Then, tuck them neatly into a waterproof, colorful pouch like this one. Keep everything as organized as possible!
Choosing a bright color that stands out inside your pack is important because if you’re injured and someone else needs to grab your first-aid kit, they need to be able to spot it quickly. Mine is yellow, but anything that stands out in your pack works perfectly – anything from fire-engine red to royal purple to rainbow polka-dots.
A waterproof pouch is equally important for keeping your precious supplies dry in any condition. If your bag gets snowed on or rained on, or something spills on it, everything inside will stay nice and dry (and most importantly, usable).
Once your kit is packed up nicely, keep it somewhere accessible. You don’t want to bury it at the bottom or in a hard-to-reach section of your pack. In an emergency, you or someone helping you should be able to find it and grab it easily and quickly.
I keep mine in the outer pocket of my backpack, but other good places are inside the brain of your pack (if you have one) or clipped to the outside of your pack.
Finally, remember to restock after each trip, as needed.
Having a checklist comes in handy in this situation. You can quickly inventory your kit when you get home, replace anything you used or ran out of, and you can have peace of mind that it’s ready for the next adventure. With a checklist, no more having to remember exactly what you used on trail!
How to Use Everything in Your First Aid Kit in the Wild
A first aid kit is only useful if you know how to use everything inside it. Having a perfectly loaded first aid kit packed inside your backpack is a great first step, but knowing how to use everything inside it is just as important.
Next, I’m going to share the most common trail injuries/illnesses and how to treat them in the wild using the contents of your first aid kit!
Blisters + Hotspots
Arguably the most common trail injury, and one every hiker will get: blisters!
To reduce friction and prevent hotspots and blisters from forming in the first place, use moleskin.
But if/when you do get a hotspot or blister, cover it with a blister pad. Blister pads are nice little waterproof cushions that prevent friction, keep water and dirt from entering the wound, and help it heal.
If a blister pops (ow!), rinse it with water, and cover it. You can use blister pads here, or wound dressings.
Cuts + Scrapes
Next, another common one, especially if you’re prone to tripping: cuts and scrapes!
Depending on the size and severity of the cut/scrap, you may only need an antiseptic wipe and a bandage. Or you may need the whole kit & kaboodle: antiseptic wipe, bandage, gauze, gloves, medical tape, scissors/knife, and dressing.
If it’s a small cut or scrape, clean it with an antiseptic wipe and apply a bandage. Easy peasy!
If it’s a larger cut or scrape, apply pressure with a wound dressing to slow the bleeding. Then, when the bleeding has slowed, clean the area with an antiseptic wipe, wrap gauze around the dressing, and secure it with medical tape. You may need scissors or a knife to cut the gauze or medical tape, and gloves if you’re treating someone else’s wound.
When you’re back home after your hike or backpacking trip, apply Neosporin to the cut to prevent infection, and reapply with a fresh bandage.
Minor Insect Bites + Stings
Calling all fellow mosquito magnets! Or any bug magnet, really haha.
For insect bites like mosquitoes, fire ants, biting flies, and wasps: Use the Bug Bite Thing suction tool to get temporary relief from itching, stinging, and swelling.
For bee stings: Remove the stinger by scraping it off with your fingernail. You can also use the handle of the Bug Bite Thing to remove the stinger!
Do not pull it out with tweezers! This could push more venom into your skin.
Splinters, Thorns, or Debris
Have you ever grabbed onto a tree or a wooden handrail on a footbridge? You may’ve picked up a splinter or a thorn or other piece of debris!
Typically, removing a splinter, thorn, or other piece of debris from under your skin simply involves pulling it out with tweezers.
I’ve heard that the Bug Bite Thing can also be used in this situation (for shallow splinters, that is). Supposedly, you can use the suction tool to draw it to the surface of the skin. I’ve never tried this, but it could be worth a shot!
Ticks
Another super common nuisance for hikers: ticks! You can pick them up in a myriad of ways: they can fall onto your head from a tree, or attach to your body in an overgrown section of trail.
If you find a tick embedded in your skin, pull it out gently with a tick key. Put the tick key around the body and slide the tool flush against the skin, pulling forward in the same direction until the tick detaches.
Do not use tweezers to draw the ticks to the surface. Tweezers can separate the tick into two pieces, causing the body to remain embedded in your skin.
Fun fact (or not so fun fact haha): When ticks attach to their host (that’s you), it releases a numbing agent in their saliva so that the host (again, you) can’t feel it. So that’s why you often find ticks hours or days later without realizing you had them in the first place, and why it’s super important to perform tick checks at the end of each hike!
And it’s a rumor that ticks aren’t out in the winter; they are, just not as bad.
Headaches, Muscle Aches/Cramps, and Minor Pain
Aches and pains are totally normal for hikes because you’re putting your body through a lot physically.
Most headaches, muscle aches, and minor pains can be alleviated with a dose of ibuprofen.
If your aches are caused by allergies (maybe from plants or trees), it could be beneficial to slip an antihistamine into your kit as well.
Muscle cramps can usually be relieved by massaging the muscles and light stretching.
Diarrhea + Stomach Issues
A not-so-fun one to talk about, but a realistic one nonetheless: stomach pain and digestion issues.
These are not fun to deal with at home, let alone on trail!
To battle upset stomachs and nausea, take a milder anti-diarrheal like Pepto-Bismol.
If you’re experiencing uncontrolled diarrhea, you could take Imodium to stop all bowel movements altogether.
Miscellaneous
A few other illnesses that may happen on trail that other items in your backpack may be able to treat – and how to treat them:
- Heat exhaustion – Get out of the heat and into a cool/shaded area, pour water on your neck and skin, and drink electrolytes.
- Hypothermia or cold exposure – Get out of the wind/wet/cold conditions, remove wet clothing if possible, and wrap yourself in an emergency blanket to help retain body heat.
- Dehydration – If you’re thirsty, you’re already dehydrated. Mild dehydration can be remedied by resting in a cool/shaded area and drinking water and electrolytes. Severe dehydration, which can cause vomiting, lethargy, and confusion, requires immediate medical attention.
- Fatigue/low energy – Take a break, hydrate, and munch on a carb- and calorie-dense snack. Food, water, and rest do wonders!
- Altitude sickness – Stop ascending, rest, and hydrate. If symptoms worsen, descend. Severe symptoms require immediate descent and emergency assistance.
When to Turn Around or Call For Help
Not everything can be treated with your first aid kit. If you’re experiencing something beyond the scope of what your first aid kit can treat, it’s time to turn around or call for help.
A first-aid kit is intended to help you manage minor injuries and illnesses on the trail, but knowing when to stop hiking is just as important as knowing how to treat an injury.
(Some) situations when you should turn around or stop hiking:
- Your pain is getting worse rather than better
- You can’t comfortably put weight on an injured leg, knee, or foot
- A blister is making it difficult to walk normally
- You’re experiencing significant dizziness, weakness, or nausea
- You’re showing signs of dehydration or heat exhaustion
- Your energy levels are going down despite eating, drinking, and resting
- The weather or trail conditions have become unsafe
- You don’t feel confident that you can safely continue
Remember: You don’t have to wait until an injury or illness becomes emergent to turn around. If continuing could make the problem significantly worse, turn around and head back.
(Some) situations when you should request emergency assistance:
- Severe or uncontrolled bleeding
- Loss of consciousness
- Breathing difficulties
- Signs of a severe allergic reaction
- Suspected serious head, neck, or spinal injury
- Serious fracture or obvious deformity
- Heat stroke symptoms
- Severe chest pain
- Conditions are rapidly getting worse
- You can’t safely get back to the trailhead
If cell service is available, call 911.
If cell service is unavailable, press the SOS button on a satellite communicator. From there, you’ll be able to communicate with the local SAR team until you are safely rescued.
Bottom line: Listen to your body!
I always, always listen to my body and have turned around numerous times due to not feeling well or safe! And that’s so much better than waiting until my situation was an emergency and having to get rescued.
I hope you feel more confident after reading this and ready to conquer the trails!
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