Creating a Kit for Your Herbal First Aid
This is a portable first aid kit with only 10 items in it, plus additional items you think you may need based on the length of your travel and your own family’s personal needs. Choose a container to hold your first aid kit based on the number of items you deem appropriate. If you are only travelling for a weekend you’ll need fewer items than if you are travelling for a week or more.
Don’t think that because you are only flying to Toronto or Phoenix for a couple days you won’t need a first aid kit. I made that mistake. It was a 3 day trip that started with a 3 hour flight. 8 hours after landing, my husband developed a bad rash all over his back. Within hours he was vomiting. I went to find ginger in the middle of downtown Phoenix. We ended up with a tiny 2 dose package of anti-nausea drugs that were hyperinflated and not as useful as ginger would have been. Now I always pack some ginger tablets, herbal tea, and other essential items for every overnight trip.
Choosing your travel first aid kit container
It needs to be easy to pack for a trip, with everything in one place. Liquids will need special treatment if they are going through airport security in carry-on luggage. But for land travel or for checked baggage, one satchel will do.
An extra makeup bag with a zipper closure
I like to keep my first aid kit in a lined makeup bag. Makeup bags are usually water proof with spill proof liners. The bottles and tins will all fit inside a normal size makeup bag and still allow the zipper to close.
Slip in a 3 x 5 inch notebook and a pen. Use the list below to personalize your first aid kit to your own family’s needs.
Download the First Aid Kit Check List by clicking on the link below
Packing List
Other possible carrying cases
For truck camping you might consider a small soft sided tool kit to store your travel first aid kit.
For weekend trip by air travel, use an essential oils zipper kit that holds 12 essential oil bottles. Package your salves in lip balm tubes and the liquids in 10ml essential oil bottles with roller ball tops or dropper tops. The top of these zipper containers have room for a couple of small salve tins, and tea bags. Slip a few bandages in one of the compartments. You’ll need to carry other items like your notebook, separately.
This first aid kit can also be easily added to a 72 hour emergency kit ready for any emergency.
What else should go in your first aid kit?
While every family’s first aid needs are different, here are some of the things I keep in my kit. Use this as a jumping off point.
- Any other herbal remedies your family uses regularly
- Essential oils that your family uses regularly
- Prescription medications your family uses
- Epi-pen or other allergy emergency medication
- Tensor bandages or Vet wrap for sprains
- Bandages and bandaids for cuts
- Butterfly bandages for gaping wounds
- Tweezers to pull out slivers
- Cotton pads
- Your notebook (3 x 5) and a pen
- Any essential prescription medications
- A brief medical history of each family member
- Copies of health plan numbers and essential phone numbers
- Disposable gloves x 4 pairs
- A current first aid manual