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Advanced first-aid kit

Q. I’m looking for an advanced first-aid kit that has everything I will ever need at a low cost with quality stuff for wilderness, desert, cave, boat, home, camper, car, etc.
—Prepared Paul, Crestwood, Ill.

A. Good for you for taking the steps to Be Prepared and safe outdoors with a good first-aid kit. That’s one of the most important things you can ever carry. There are two things you said in your question that are very important.

First off, you want a first-aid kit to handle all situations from wilderness trips to boating. In order to have a kit so comprehensive that it could truly cover everything, it’d be so huge and heavy that you wouldn’t want to carry that monster anywhere.

Secondly, you said you wanted something that was low cost with quality items inside. With all that in mind, here’s what you should do: Build your own first-aid kit. It’s easy to do and affordable. Go here and take a look at this list of basic components every kit should include. Next, head to your local drugstore and buy each of those items individually — it’s much cheaper than buying a pre-made first-aid kit, and you’ll also benefit from knowing exactly what’s in your kit.

Once you’ve assembled that basic kit, you can customize it with other items that are specific to whatever activity you’re planning to do and how many people will be coming along on outings with you. Good luck and stay safe out there.


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3 Comments on Advanced first-aid kit

  1. First Aid gear is expensive, face it. To keep your cost down, make your own. That way you’re only buying what you need and not what the company wants to sell. Nalgene bottles and peanut butter jars make some of the best containers too.

  2. I started with a reasonably inexpensive kit from a sporting goods store and then added a few specialty items to meet my needs. There are some good over the counter kits. It may be good to have two; one for the home and one for the field.

  3. try to see if they have any thing on Ebay theyalways have lots of good stuff cheap.

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