Last updated: June 24, 2026 — BestCampGear Editorial Team | Related: Beginner Checklist
Pre-made first aid kits are a scam. A typical $25 "200-piece" first aid kit contains 150 small adhesive bandages, 30 alcohol wipes, a pair of tweezers that cannot grip anything, and a single 2×2 gauze pad. Real first-aid supplies for backcountry injuries—a SAM splint, an irrigation syringe, a hemostatic dressing—are absent from retail kits because they cost more than the entire kit sells for. Build your own. This checklist is based on NOLS (National Outdoor Leadership School) wilderness medicine protocols and the items actually used by backcountry guides.
| Item | Quantity | Purpose | Approx. Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nitrile gloves (non-latex) | 2 pairs | Protect yourself from bloodborne pathogens when treating someone else. Nitrile because latex allergies are common. | $2 |
| 4×4 sterile gauze pads | 6-8 pads | Absorbent, non-stick wound dressing. 4×4 is big enough to cover a 3-inch gash. | $3 |
| Trauma pad (5×9 in) | 2 pads | Large-format absorbent dressing for major bleeding. An ABD pad absorbs 10× its weight in fluid. | $3 |
| Medical tape (1-inch cloth tape) | 1 roll | Secures gauze to skin. Cloth tape stays on when wet. Paper tape dissolves in rain. Duct tape works in a pinch but pulls skin when removed. | $3 |
| Butterfly wound closures | 6 strips | Close gaping wounds that would otherwise need stitches. Do NOT use on dirty, infected, or puncture wounds. | $3 |
| QuikClot or hemostatic gauze | 1 packet | Stops severe bleeding that direct pressure cannot control. Used primarily for junctional wounds (armpit, groin, neck) where a tourniquet cannot be applied. QuikClot's kaolin-based formula is the standard. | $12 |
| Moleskin / Blister treatment | 1 sheet | Cut to size. Apply at the first sign of a hot spot. A blister 4 miles from the trailhead turns a pleasant hike into a painful march. | $3 |
| Irrigation syringe (10-30cc) | 1 | Flush dirt and debris from wounds under pressure. Wound irrigation with clean water is the single most effective infection prevention step in the backcountry (NOLS field research). | $1 |
| Item | Purpose | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| SAM Splint (36-inch) | A thin aluminum strip sandwiched in foam. Molds to immobilize a broken wrist, forearm, ankle, or collarbone. Weighs 4 oz, packs flat. Buy one—the item most frequently absent from commercial kits. | $12 |
| Elastic bandage (ACE wrap, 3-inch) | Wraps sprains (ankle, wrist) and holds the SAM splint in place. Also doubles as a pressure bandage for major bleeding. | $6 |
| Triangular bandage (40×40-inch muslin) | Sling for arm injury, cravat to secure splint, improvised tourniquet, head wrap, or splint padding. Weighs 2 oz. Covers the SAM splint + ACE wrap combination for immobilization. | $4 |
| Item | Quantity | Purpose | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ibuprofen | 12 tablets (200mg) | Pain relief, anti-inflammatory for sprains and strains | NSAID. Do not take on empty stomach. Avoid if allergic to aspirin. |
| Acetaminophen | 12 tablets (500mg) | Pain relief, fever reduction (ibuprofen alternative) | Can be taken on an empty stomach. Do not exceed 3,000mg/day. |
| Benadryl (Diphenhydramine) | 6 tablets (25mg) | Allergic reactions—bee stings, poison ivy, unknown rashes | CAUSES DROWSINESS. Do not continue hiking after taking Benadryl. The person stays at camp, observed. |
| Antibiotic ointment (Bacitracin or triple-antibiotic) | 4 single-use packets | Apply to cleaned wounds before bandaging to reduce infection risk | Some people are allergic to neomycin (in triple-antibiotic). Bacitracin-only is safer. |
| Anti-diarrheal (Loperamide 2mg) | 6 tablets | Controls diarrhea from bad water, camp food gone wrong, or stress | Dehydration from diarrhea in the backcountry is dangerous. Electrolyte powder should accompany this. |
| Electrolyte powder (single-serve packets) | 4 packets | Replaces salts lost from sweating, diarrhea, or heat exhaustion | Look for ~300mg sodium per serving. Pedialyte has a lower sugar content than Gatorade. |
| Item | Purpose | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Tweezers (pointed, not flat-tip) | Removing splinters, ticks, and debris from wounds. Pointed tips can grab a tick by the mouth parts embedded in skin. Flat-tip cosmetic tweezers cannot. | $5 |
| Trauma shears | Cut clothing to expose a wound. Safer than using a knife near injured skin. Cuts through denim, nylon webbing, and boot leather. | $5 |
| Safety pins (large, 2-inch) | Securing bandages and slings, improvised gear repair. At least 4 pins. | $1 |
| Small notepad + pen | Record vitals (pulse, respiration, time of injury), medications administered, and evacuation notes for SAR. Memory fails under stress. | $1 |
A dry bag (Sea to Summit 2L Dry Sack, $20) is the best container for a first aid kit. It is waterproof (critical—bandages degrade when stored in damp nylon pouches), bright-colored (red or orange for visibility day and night), and compresses to fit in a backpack or camp bin. Label it with a red cross drawn in Sharpie on both sides. Do not use a zippered nylon pouch—water seeps through zippers.
Building this kit from individual items: roughly $65-75. A pre-made kit with the same depth (including SAM splint and hemostatic gauze) costs $100-120—not because it has better items, but because someone assembled it for you. Weight: approximately 14 ounces including the dry bag. This is the kit for a group of 2-4 people on a 3-day car-camping or backpacking trip.
Add a satellite messenger (Garmin inReach Mini 2, $400 + $12/month subscription) if you camp in areas without cell service. A first aid kit cannot help you if you cannot call for help. For backcountry trips beyond cell range, this is not optional—it is the difference between a 4-hour evacuation and a 4-day one. This is the most expensive single item in your entire camping setup, and the most important.
Disclosure: BestCampGear is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program. This guide is based on NOLS Wilderness Medicine protocols and standard Red Cross Wilderness & Remote First Aid course materials. It is not a substitute for professional training.