RV First Aid Kit

RV First Aid Kit

Enjoy your outdoor fun. Be prepared for the possibility you’ll need first aid. How to create an RV First Aid Kit just right for your outdoor adventure needs.

When camping, you might be a distance from a pharmacy or medical help. You need to be prepared for the possibility that someone in your group will need first aid.

Before we go too far, I just want to provide two disclaimers. I am not a medical professional and this is not medical advice. This post is just intended to be a conversation starter to thinking about being prepared for fun outdoor activities. Please do your own homework & preparation and consult a medical professional as needed. Second, for your convenience, I have added links to Amazon in case you want to purchase any of the items mentioned. If you choose to purchase from them there is no additional cost to you, but we earn a commission that helps enable us to continue sharing helpful information.

Before You Create an RV First Aid Kit

When our son was in Boy Scouts, he worked on many merit badges. At the start of most merit badge books, you’ll find a section on first aid. As he was learning about activities like backpacking, canoeing, cycling or snow sports, he was encouraged to think ahead and be prepared. It’s good advice for anyone who wants to lead an active outdoor life.

From the merit badge books, you’ll find that many activities have similar first aid considerations. Yet, each activity can bring unique challenges. For camping or hiking, consider if you’ll be at high elevation and need to consider altitude sickness. You’ll also want to be prepared for a cut, scrape or sprain. Sailing can bring on motion sickness. In swimming, you may encounter jellyfish stings. With any outdoor activity, consider the weather and if you need to prepare for heat exhaustion or hypothermia.

Before you begin to build a first aid kit, you might consider taking a first aid class. It will help you to know what to do with the supplies in a first aid kit and is good part of camping preparation. Consider the First Aid training and CPR training offered by the Red Cross. Or, find similar training from another organization.

A good first aid book should be the first thing you include in your RV first aid kit. You need to be prepared for potential accidents or injuries. If something happens, a great resource book could come in handy. One that you might find helpful is The Scouting Guide to Wilderness First Aid.

What To Include In Your RV First Aid Kit

What you put in your first aid kit will depend on what activities you plan to do. If you plan to do a lot of hiking, you might consider including moleskin bandages to cushion blisters. If you plan to be in the sun, you’ll want to have sunscreen and sun burn treatments. Think through the activities you plan to do and be sure to be prepared for the first aid supplies you might need.

As you build your first aid kit, also take into account any special needs that your family or friends may have. For example, be aware of age guidelines or allergies so that you avoid potential issues.

You might want to consider a larger first aid kit to put in your camper or RV and a smaller one to put in your backpack while hiking or cycling.

You could just buy a pre-made first aid kit like the General Medi 2-in-1 First Aid Kit It is nice because it has a smaller pouch that could be carried in your backpack during a day of activities like hiking.

Or, you might choose to build your own. We opted to build our own first aid kits. Based on what we learned in scouting, here are some of the items that you might consider as essential RV first aid kit items.

Small Personal First Aid Kit Contents

  • Six adhesive bandages
  • Two sterile, 3 by 3 gauze pads
  • A small roll of adhesive tape
  • One 3 by 6 piece of moleskin
  • One small bottle of hand sanitizer gel
  • One small tube of antibiotic ointment. For example, Neosporin.
  • Scissors
  • Disposable gloves, non-latex
  • A CPR breathing barrier
  • Pencil and paper

For convenience, we also keep a Johnson & Johnson Pack & Go Essentials first aid kit along with our larger kit in case we need a smaller kit to take along.

Larger Home, Boat or RV First Aid Kit Contents

RV First Aid Kit
RV First Aid Kit
  • One 2 inch roller bandage
  • Two 1 inch roller bandages
  • A roll of 1 inch adhesive tape
  • 24 alcohol swabs
  • A box of assorted adhesive bandages
  • Two 3 inch elastic bandages
  • 12 sterile 3 by 3 gauze pads
  • Four 3 by 6 inch pieces of moleskin
  • Two packets of gel pads for blisters and burns
  • One tube of antibiotic ointment. For example, Neosporin.
  • Four triangular bandages
  • A bottle of hand sanitizer gel
  • Scissors
  • Tweezers
  • Twelve safety pins
  • Six pairs of gloves, non-latex
  • Protective goggles or glasses
  • A CPR breathing barrier
  • Pencil and paper

We also include the following in our RV first aid kit

  • Anti-diarrheal medicine containing loperamide hydrochloride. For example, Immodium.
  • Upset stomach medicine containing bismuth subsalicylate. For example, Pepto Bismol.
  • Antacid tablets with calcium carbonate. For example, Tums.
  • Hydrocortisone 1% creme. For example, Cortizone.
  • Clear anti-itch medicine such as Caladryl.
  • Pink anti-itch calamine medicine such as Caladryl.
  • Low-dose 81 mg aspirin
  • Ibuprofen 200 mg

Keep Your RV First Aid Kit Updated

It’s a good practice to make a list of the items you need in your first aid kit. Printing out a copy will be helpful if you need to review your kit to identify any items that need to be replaced.

Some of the items contained in your first aid kit may have expiration dates. It is a good practice to review all items at the start of your camping season to ensure everything is updated.

Some items in your first aid kit might be sensitive to heat or cold. We keep our first aid kit in a plastic container. When we are away from the camper for any length of time, we bring the first aid kit into our home base to store out of extreme temperatures.

Products Mentioned

The products mentioned in this post available at Amazon and other retailers. Note: these is an affiliate links. If you choose to purchase by using the link there is no additional cost to you, but we earn a commission that helps enable us to continue sharing helpful information.

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