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Small, lightweight first aid kit for backpacking

Q. Dear Gear Guy, I’m going backpacking and need a first aid kit that’s small and lightweight because I don’t have a lot of room in my pack. What would you recommend?
– Prepared Matthew, Collierville, Tenn.

A. Hey Matthew! Good on you for thinking ahead and packing a first-aid kit. For a small, lightweight kit, consider the Adventure Medical Kits Ultralight/Watertight .5 ($17; adventuremedicalkits.com). It weighs just 3.67 ounces and is packed inside a waterproof bag with enough medical supplies to handle minor injuries and such. Adventure Medical Kits also has lots of other options with no-nonsense first-aid kits for any activity and groups of any size. Remember, you can always build your own first-aid kit, tailoring it to exactly what you think you’ll need on your backpacking trip and store it all in a Ziploc bag. Be safe out there!


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5 Comments on Small, lightweight first aid kit for backpacking

  1. I’ve been a big fan of building your own. When my Webelos were working on ‘Readyman’, we put together great kits. Use your Cub Scout Book or Scout Fieldbook as a starting point. There are also a lot of great backpacking books with suggestions.
    Do some research, and not only will you have an awesome kit, you’ll know how to use it, too.
    Good luck!

  2. I thout it was amazing

  3. Make your own, there is so much in a store bought kit that you don’t need and will likely never use. You will learn so much more by creating your own, adding things as you learn, and taking things out that you find you don’t need. Sharing the load with the rest of the troop is a good idea, but you should always carry your own basic kit, just to be prepared.

  4. Off-Trail-Monkey // November 26, 2012 at 4:08 pm // Reply

    Build your own. Get together with your patrol and you can split the items up, that way everyone doesn’t need to have lots of extra supplies laying around in their drawers.
    A small peanutbutter jar works great, serves as a drinking cup as well.

  5. I got one like that and it was good.

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