Building a first aid kit for an expedition takes me a bit of time. There are, of course, a variety of facets to consider. I take into consideration Group size, duration, isolation, and types of hazards. Or use each of these facets to determine the supplies I want with me.
I usually divide my first aid kits into packets for different types of medical issues. Categories and my Iceland first aid kit are tools, trauma, medical, emergency, and common (usually not in the actual kit).
Group size and duration are typically what I use to determine how much of any one thing I plan to bring. For Iceland, I will be mostly solo, so I’m preparing for one person, and I’ll be in Iceland for 90 days. The kit I build is pretty small. But I know if I run out of anything, I can restock when I pass a town.
Isolation influences the scope of problems I want to be able to solve in the field. For example, on an expedition in Antarctica, help is far away, so serious injuries need to be stabilized in the field and managed for some days while help is on the way. Iceland, on the other hand, is a primarily coastal population with access to helicopters, roads, and boats that can reach most of the places that I will travel, so evacuations are much faster. However, it is still a good idea to be able to stabilize and manage some severe stuff in the field.
Last, I want to think about the types of hazards I will have to manage. In part, this becomes a bigger conversation about equipment as well, for example, bringing water purification. The supplies I bring specifically for the medkit are primarily geared toward the aftermath rather than the prevention. In the end, it comes down to two options an injury or illness that can be managed in the field or one that requires evacuation. A broken leg probably means evacuation. Little cuts, on the other hand, need to stay clean.
After considering Group size, duration, isolation, and the hazards, I then start to build my med kit categories. The tools usually stay pretty similar from kit to kit. On more isolated trips, I might add things like a larger irrigation syringe, a blood pressure cuff, or an O2 saturation sensor.
I try to over-the-counter medications. If it is a very remote trip, I might consider bringing antibiotics. I usually don’t take Advil or Tylenol often, so I don’t carry very much. When I’m traveling with people who like to use pain killers, I like to keep it stashed in the common supply area for things like medical tape, so we don’t have to dig through the medkit, and there’s always an emergency supply.
Building a medical kit from scratch is relatively inexpensive. Refill kits are pretty easy to find online. They are usually the same as a standard first aid kit without the fancy packaging (the expensive part). I divide it into the groups and stick them in a dry bag. Pre-made kits are high quality and super easy to use if you choose to go that route. They often have recommendations for group size and trip duration. I recommend Adventure Medical Kits. They are always well thought out and well-tailored to many different activities like hunting, ultralight, boating, and travel, to name a few.
Medkit reminders
The best thing for any injury or illness is prevention. Managing actual risk does not always match the perceived risk. Camp stoves, for example, cause all kinds of injuries but are often treated very casually.
A medkit is never a replacement for medical training. A first aid kit is only a tool and is useless unless you know how to use it. Additionally, recognizing the early signs and symptoms of a medical issue can help to avoid serious problems. I would recommend at least taking a wilderness first aid class, or even better, a wilderness first responder course. They are expensive but well worth the money.
As always, let me know if you have any questions.