Trekking first aid kit

To feel confident on the route, everyone needs a reliable first aid kit. As the advertisement says: pack a first aid kit and rest easy. To understand what to take in the first aid kit for a hike, you need imagination about possible troubles, experience or the Internet. My travel first aid kit has changed a lot, been improved, and the optimization process is still going on. I have prepared a detailed list of medications and am ready to share the contents.

Weight and volume of a hiking first aid kit

I'm not worried about the weight and volume. If I or my partner get sick or injured, we will be able to provide assistance. Peace of mind is much more important than saving grams in the backpack. On solo outings, a fully equipped first aid kit for the hike is used.

To reduce the weight, I take exactly the amount of medication that will be enough for the route. For example, for a week's journey, I take seven tablets of 'Mezim'. The logic is simple: if problems with digestion start on the first day, I take one tablet per day. If the problem lasts for all seven days, the medication will last until the very end. I take ointments that have already been used halfway at home, and pour hydrogen peroxide into a small bottle. What to put in a first aid kit for a hike, everyone decides for themselves, but relieving the backpack should not harm safety.

An illustrative case happened on a hike to Seydozero. I reduced the weight of the equipment and did not take sunscreen. The forecast promised from 0 to +7 °C, daily rain and cloudiness. But the weather changed: the sun was baking from dusk to dawn, and the temperature stayed at +20 °C. This is an example of what should be in a first aid kit on a hike, regardless of the expectations of weather forecasters.

What's most important on the route

We rarely notice small scratches, but in the wild, even small cuts need to be carefully treated. A small abrasion on the finger can become inflamed and fester. As a result, it will hurt to take a trekking pole, chop firewood, cook food or light a burner.

If the boot rubs your foot, you need to stop immediately, put on a band-aid, adjust the sock and re-lace the shoes. This problem is common on group tours. You don't know people well, you're embarrassed to ask the group to wait, but you need to do it. Otherwise, then you will slowly limp, causing yourself pain and slowing down the team.

Before going out, cut your toenails short, otherwise there will be severe pain on descents and your fingers will turn blue. If you are planning a trip for more than a week and packing a first aid kit for hiking with tents, take scissors or nail clippers with you.

First of all, think about what you will use regularly. For me, these are mosquito and tick spray, 'Spasitel' balm, sunscreen, stomach upset tablets, band-aids and moisturizing cream. In the wind, the skin dries out quickly and cracks badly, so such products form the contents of the first aid kit for the hike.

I tape the backs of blister packs with tablets. The rucksack cover puts pressure on the equipment, causing the foil to often tear and the tablets to be squeezed out.

Be careful with liquids in winter: almost everything freezes in the cold. Eye drops or nose drops turn to ice, and you have to waste precious time defrosting them in the inner pocket of your jacket.

Another non-obvious danger lies in the mountains. Once I ran Mount Molodezhnaya in Kazakhstan in one day without acclimatization. I thought that if I hurried, the ascent from 2,500 to 4,100 meters and the descent back would be easy, at most a slight headache would appear. But at the beginning of the descent, I was hit by altitude sickness. Nausea appeared, my brain throbbed, and my perception of reality was distorted. Aspirin didn't help. I went down on willpower and recovered for a day and a half. Now I know that altitude sickness strikes suddenly, so my personal first aid kit for the hike has been updated with the drug 'Diacarb' and a compact pulse oximeter.

Preparation before going out

Sometimes before leaving, I take a course of supportive supplements: eleutherococcus, echinacea, vitamin C or immunomodulators. A medical first aid kit on a hike solves problems that have already arisen, but prevention is more reliable.

Basic physical training is a must: running, strength exercises and stretching.

First aid kit for specific conditions

My first aid kit for hiking is adapted to specific tasks. As a rule, these are altitudes up to 3,000 meters, less often up to 5,000 meters. Geography ranges from the equator to northern latitudes, duration from 7 to 30 days. The amount of medication is determined by the number of participants. In my case, these are solo routes or trips for two.

Mass group trips to the mountain camp have their own specifics. There, the hiking first aid kit is stored at the base, and only a compact first aid kit for the hike is taken with you on the assault of the peak, the contents of which are reduced to the vital minimum.

I don't have a medical education, so the text below reflects exclusively personal experience and shows what I prefer to take in my first aid kit for the hike. Most likely, you will need to adjust this set to suit your own body.

Download the Excel table

From my cloud, you can download a ready-made Excel table. It contains detailed information about the indications, methods of use and side effects of the drugs. The medical certificate was taken from the official drug register website.

This table is convenient to use when packing your backpack: you mark with a color or a tick in the first column the items that have already been bought. Download the first aid kit table from Yandex Disk.

Detailed list of first aid kit contents

Below I've listed a basic first aid kit for a hiker, the list has been tested over years of practice. This is a ready-made first aid kit for hiking in the forest, mountains or tundra.

Antihistamines

• Suprastin 25 mg — for food poisoning and allergies to insects or plants.
• Sulfacyl sodium 20% (eye drops 5 ml) — antimicrobial eye preparation.
• Reliable spray against mosquitoes, midges and ticks.

For infections of the gastrointestinal tract and indigestion

• Levomycetin 500 mg — strong antimicrobial agent for poisoning.
• Activated charcoal 250 mg — basic cleansing of the body.
• Bifiform capsules — normalizes intestinal microflora.
• No-Spa 40 mg — relieves cramps and sharp abdominal pain.
• Mezim 20,000 units — helps digestion cope with hiking food.
• Loperamide 2 mg — emergency remedy for diarrhea.
• Exportsal powder 10 g — used for constipation.

For infections of the genitourinary system and bronchitis

• Sumamed 500 mg — broad-spectrum antibiotic.
• Biseptol 480 mg — saves with respiratory tract infections (bronchitis, pneumonia).
• Cycloferon 250 mg — proven immunomodulator.

For infections of the upper respiratory tract

• Bromhexine 8 mg — used for inflammatory diseases of the lungs.
• Mucaltin 50 mg — effective expectorant.
• Strepsils — lozenges for sore and sore throat.
• Nazivin in drops — unblocks nasal congestion.
• Lysobact — tablets for rinsing and complex treatment of the throat.

Antipyretics and analgesics

• Nurofen 400 mg — powerful analgesic based on ibuprofen.
• Paracetamol 500 mg — classic antipyretic and analgesic.
• Analgin 500 mg — simple and understandable analgesic.

Antiseptics

• Chlorhexidine 50 ml — suitable for disinfecting wounds and gargling.
• Hydrogen peroxide 50 ml — stops bleeding and mechanically cleanses the wound.
• Streptocide powder 2 g — dries and disinfects open wounds.
• Sanitizer — for quick hand cleaning before eating or medical assistance.

Cardiovascular drugs

• Caffeine benzoate of sodium 100 mg — increases mental and physical activity, fights drowsiness.
• Validol 60 mg — dilates blood vessels and calms the nervous system.
• Nitroglycerin 0.5 mg — emergency help for chest pain.
• Aspirin 500 mg — thins the blood, which is critical for altitude sickness.
• Diacarb 250 mg — specific drug for acute altitude sickness.

Ointments and creams

• Balm 'Spasitel' 30 g — accelerates healing of skin injuries.
• Medical glue BF-6 15 g — seals small cuts.
• Dolobene gel 45 g — first aid for bruises and sprains.
• Repharm Alpine SPF50 balm — saves the face in winter from wind, frost and sun reflected from the snow.
• Sports sunscreen SPF50 — reliable protection of the skin in spring, summer and autumn.
• Hygiene lipstick — protects lips from cracks at high altitude.
• Acyclovir 5% — ointment for herpes manifestations.
• Cream for dry skin 30 ml — moisturizes chapped skin and relieves irritation from chafing.

Sports nutrition and vitamins

Sports supplements are not necessary, but if there is difficult terrain ahead, they will complement what is included in the first aid kit for the hike.

• Creatine — increases the efficiency of muscle work during long hikes.
• Vitamin C and ascorbic acid — support the body during exhaustion and help with altitude sickness.

Electronics

• Electronic thermometer — safe way to measure temperature in the field.
• Pulse oximeter — a mandatory device for routes above 3,000 meters, shows the level of oxygen in the blood.

Dressings and band-aids

Proper dressing material is the basis of safety because minor injuries on the route happen constantly.

• Sterile bandage of different sizes — base for fixation in case of wounds, sprains and fractures.
• Tubular elastic bandage — easily and reliably secures bandages on the limbs.
• Sterile gloves — protect against infection when treating open wounds.
• Hydrocolloid band-aids (for example, Compeed) — the best solution for dry and wet calluses.
• Set of бактерицидные band-aids of various shapes.
• Roller bandage on a fabric base — holds well even in winter conditions.
• Hot pepper plaster 10x18 cm — for deep muscle warming.
• Cotton pads and ear swabs.
• Napkins soaked in ammonia.
• Wet wipes — solve hygiene issues in the absence of rivers or in conditions of severe cold.

Band-aids for wet calluses work like second skin. On one of the hikes, such a band-aid lasted a week and came off only during the crossing of the river wading. Ordinary бактерицидные band-aids constantly come off from the feet while walking, so now I use them only for scratches on the hands.

Tools

• Scissors — to cut bandages and trim nails evenly.
• Classic tweezers — helps to get out a splinter or small splinter.
• Tweezers-twister for ticks.
• Disposable razor — allows you to remove hair around the wound before applying a band-aid.
• Plastic mirror — an irreplaceable thing on a solo hike to examine yourself from the back, remove a tick from an inconvenient place or carefully treat your face.

Assemble a reliable set of medications, regularly check expiration dates and take the first aid kit with you on the route. Safe hikes to you!