The best proven first aid supplies are a must out here in the country.
Since many of us are between 20 minutes or hours away from medical care, time is of the essence. We should all have the best proven first aid supplies in our home pantries, vehicles, barns and medicine cabinets. You never know when something might happen. Let me tell you why.
In February of 2019, my husband Matt was sorting pigs. All of a sudden, our sweet Boar (affectionately named Boarus) whirled around and bit him on the back of the leg.
It happened so fast that neither one of us really believed it was severe. But within minutes, the three pairs of pants he was wearing was seeping blood. Including the thick Carhartts.
Luckily, I have been trained in First Aid since I was 14 years old. I know enough to have the essentials on hand just in case something like this happened. The gash left by Boarus was deep and would later measure 7 inches wide. It was too big for me but I had to do something to stop the bleeding. More on this later.
In this post, You’ll read:
– The 50+ Proven First Aid Supplies You need to have on hand!
– Many examples of experiences we’ve faced having to treat own wounds and ailments.
– How you can become more prepared with a list of these supplies to have on hand wherever you are.
Even though you might live far away from medical care, please know this. You should not have to worry about an accident or ailment happening and not having supplies needed to save you or your loved one! Accidents happen so be prepare. I’m here to help. 🙂
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Cuts & Open Wounds
When Matt removed all three pairs of pants (it’s cold in February!), the gash from the bite was 7 inches wide. This was more than I could stitch up myself but we had to stop the bleeding somehow.
So, I cleaned the wound best I could. Then, I grabbed my super size menstrual pads and taped them on. Then, we raced to the emergency room.
Most wounds don’t need big huge pads or bandages or even stitches. But, when I took one look at Matt’s wound, I knew I could not stitch him up. He needed staples for this huge wound.
The important thing to note is that no matter how much deep or wide the injury, keeping bandages on hand to stop bleeding is important. Here are some more best proven first aid supplies for open wounds and cuts:
- Band aids in a variety of sizes
- Sterile saline water
- Steri strips
- Suture kit
- Vet stapler
- Large bandages
- Super Maxi pads for big problems
- Neosporin
- Gauze squares for packing
- Surgical iodine
- Vet wrap
- Tweezers
- New Skin Liquid Bandage
- Bleed stop
- Super glue/skin glue
- Scissors
- 4×4 sterilized gauze
- Tape
- Roller gauze
- Telfa pads
- Vetricyn for cuts and even burns
- Butterfly bandages
Burns
Having the best proven first aid supplies for burns is critical. Sunburns, chemical burns, mechanical burns and even burning yourself on hot tin is inevitable. You just don’t know when it will happen. Best thing you can do is just be prepared.
Here’s some of the best proven first aid supplies for burns:
Sprains/Breaks
Just one wrong move can cause a sprain or a break. I trip over my own feet all the time and I know this first hand!
My daughter was hopping over straw bales the other day and totally fell wrong on her ankle. She tumbled and rolled for a little bit and was very slow to get up.
Luckily, she did get up and limped around. The main thing was that she could put weight on her ankle. That’s how I knew it wasn’t broken. Just an ice pack for her.
If it was broken, I would have braced it in place with a tourniquet or immobilizing board. I’ve done this with animals before and I have the supplies ready for breaks. Here’s what I have on hand:
Poisons/Stings/Itching
You never know what you might get into. This could be a snake bite, poison ivy or bee stings.
Years ago, I set down on the ground to clip on a fence post at the bottom. What I didn’t realize is that I sat in poison ivy or oak. I don’t know which. But my rear end was covered in itchy rash by the end of the day.
I’ve got a list here of some of the best proven first aid supplies for poisons, stings or itchy skin.
- Benadryl
- Calamine Lotion
- Poison oak wash
- Chewing tobacco for stings
- Skin so Soft
- Sting Swab
- Dermoplast Spray
- Epi Pen
Aches & Pains
Sometimes, there’s days where you just hurt. Weather changes. Hard labor. Old age…(Kidding).
But seriously, when you have migrains or muscle aches, you just want to feel better. I get them all the time and here’s my go-to when I do:
Other Important Items
These are some items that are just good to have on hand in a pinch. I call them more “emergency” items that are first aid related. You might need them to help with your first aid care.
- Matches
- Knife
- Flashlight
- Weather Radio
- Solar charger for phone
- Whistle
- Walkie Talkies
- Bottles of water
- Hard Candy
- Hat and gloves
- Extra sweater
- 2 blankets
- Facemasks
- Eating Utensils
- Canned Food
- A Small Fishing Kit
- Digital Thermometer
- Pen and paper
- Medical rubber gloves
- Safety Pins
- Whiskey
- Tampons
- Animal Scent Cream
Is Peroxide Still A Thing?
Years ago, when I was a kid, my mom put peroxide on all my cuts. I would cry and scream because it hurt so much and made the cut turn pink or white. Remember that?
Mom always said it was already healing when it did that.
However, recent first aid training has claimed that peroxide actually kills healthy tissues. This prolongs healing. Interesting.
A safer and less painful alternative is Saline Solution or Contact Solution. Whether you believe these are better than peroxide is up to you. I keep these on hand because they are just as good if not better. It’s good to have options!
My Disclaimer
I’m not a doctor. I’m not.
However, I believe we all have the right to be prepared. I believe we should all have the freedom to live and work the way we want to without the fear, worry or overwhelm of an accident happening.
I am trained in First Aid but that doesn’t mean I know how to sew up a 7 inch wide Boar bite. We ended up going to the ER and they stapled it together.
We went because my gut told me that this beyond what I could do. You should always consider to provide the best care for yourself or whomever you’re helping. Consider all of your options and do what’s best for you.
These 50+ best proven first aid supplies provides immediate care until you can get further help you need.
It’s Best To Be Prepared
You just never know when you might get a cut, burn, bite or unthinkable migraine.
We all want to feel good as we live our life. I hope that this massive list of 50+ best proven first aid supplies is just what you need to stock up. You’ll be ready for whatever comes your way now.