When a natural disaster or other calamity invades your everyday life, your thoughts turn immediately toward providing your family with the basics of survival — water, food, a power source, fuel, and the other things that ensure you are prepared to deal with an emergency situation.
And, of course, you’ll also want to provide for your family at least a rudimentary level of medical care in the event of need. We’ve taken a look at survival first aid kits and have compiled a list of kits recommended as the best available on the market.
Read on to learn more about these survival first aid kits and about some basic considerations for deciding which of the kits best meets your needs.
Our Top Picks
Best Overall:
Surviveware Waterproof Premium First Aid Kit
Best Budget:
EVERLIT 250 Pieces Survival First Aid Kit
Best Short-Term:
Adventure Medical Kits Mountain Series
1. Best Overall: Surviveware Waterproof Premium First Aid Kit
If you’re looking for a first aid kit that can go from home, to car, to anywhere else in the world, while providing assurance of helping you handle a range of medical situations, the Surviveware Waterproof Premium First Aid Kit is a great option.
This kit made our list of the best survival first aid kits precisely because it hits all the buttons. In addition to its portability, it boasts 200 medical supplies, all in a package measuring just 9 inches by 7 inches by 4 inches, and weighing just slightly more than two pounds.
Product Features
Besides being waterproof, this Surviveware kit uses labeled inner compartments to ensure you can find what you need, even under the stress of dealing with a medical issue.
Additionally, the Surviveware waterproof first aid kit is more than adequate to care for the minor wounds, burns and other injuries that can occur anytime and anywhere.
Pros
- Comprehensively equipped with first aid supplies
- Labeled pouches helpful for locating items
- Waterproofing works very well
Cons
- Adhesive bandages may not be top-quality
- Heavier-duty zippers would be an improvement
- Supplies don’t include headache remedies
2. Best Budget: EVERLIT 250 Pieces Survival First Aid Kit
Priced at just under $40, but loaded with supplies and features, the EVERLIT 250-piece survival first aid kit has earned a place on our list of the best kits for the extreme value that it delivers.
Product Features
In addition to its assortment of medical supplies, which includes wound dressings, sterile pads, burn compresses and sting relief, the EVERLIT kit includes some survival gear, including a fire starter, flashlight, poncho, glow sticks and a knife.
Pros
- Includes room to add items like tourniquets
- Lots of treatment items in a small package
- Great option for including in “bug out” survival bag
Cons
- Doesn’t include any burn medications
- Flashlight may not work well
- Items not specifically labeled
3. Best Compact: Adventure Medical Kits Mountain Series
You might call the Adventure Medical Kits Mountain Series first aid kit a “2-by-2” solution to the problem of providing medical care in the wilderness.
Specifically designed to help two hikers deal with a medical situation for two days, the Adventure Medical Kits Mountain Series earns a place on our list as the best compact first aid kit.
Product Features
The Mountain Series kit includes a trauma pad to stop bleeding quickly, and also has medical tape and butterfly bandages for closing wounds.
To deal with common trail injuries, the kit comes with an elastic bandage to stabilize sprained or strained body parts and muscles. And weighing in at less than 8 ounces, a weight that also includes medical shears and forceps, this kit makes perfect sense for backpackers.
Pros
- Enough room for extras like more trauma pads
- Perfect size for backpacking
- Good mix of first aid products
Cons
- Tweezers could be higher quality
- Access to some supplies is a problem
- May be too bulky for some users
4. Protect Life Emergency Kit
If you should ever have to use the Protect Life Emergency Kit, you’ll have the confidence of knowing it was designed by emergency medical technicians, cardiopulmonary resuscitation instructors, and doctors. That, and its compact size, are the reasons it made our list of best survival first aid kits.
Product Features
In addition to its impressive array of medical supplies, the Protect Life Emergency Kit includes a guide to providing first aid. Along with that, you’ll find an array of adhesive bandages, a triangular bandage, multiple sterile gauze pads, a tourniquet, tweezers, scissors, and an emergency blanket.
Pros
- Great “on-the-go” kit to keep in car
- Emergency blanket is welcome piece of gear
- Blister covering useful for hiking issues
Cons
- Scissors are a poor-quality part of kit
- Contents could be better organized
- Kit is too small for all of the included items
5. Yiderbo Emergency Kit
With nearly 300 items in an easily portable zippered package, the Yiderbo Emergency Kit has made our list of the best 10 survival first aid kits as the best multi-purpose kit.
Product Features
From an ample supply of adhesive bandages, to burn dressing, to a tourniquet, forceps, an emergency blanket, and many other first-aid needs, the Yiderbo Emergency Kit is equipped for dealing with a wide array of situations.
As a bonus, those supplies are contained in a packet that can easily fit in your car’s glove compartment. It can also be placed easily in a backpack to be available for handling many backcountry medical needs.
Pros
- Ideal kit for minor emergencies
- Good idea for gift-giving
- Utility tool is worthwhile part of kit
Cons
- Waterproofing claims may not be accurate
- Flashlight requires unusual battery size
- First aid items are packed too tightly
6. My Medic Recon First Aid Kit
Constructed in line with military standards, the My Medic Recon survival first aid kit comes with 250 items for a range of situations. Plus, it comes with a lifetime warranty, an indication of its quality and the manufacturer’s confidence.
Product Features
Packed into a backpack-style bag measuring 9 inches by 8.5 inches by 12.5 inches, the My Medic Recon kit includes first aid tools ranging from sunscreen and lip balm to splinting tools for broken bones to EMT shears to nitrile gloves.
The Recon kit also includes some general survival equipment like rescue blankets, a rescue whistle and a pen light.
Pros
- Accessory compartments make it easy to add to kit
- Wide range of bandages
- Includes headache and allergy medications
Cons
- May need to repack bag to fit individual preferences
7. My Medic 10 Survival First Aid Kit
The My Medic 10 Survival First Aid Kit recognizes a central truth of having a first aid kit. Unless your medical supplies are kept dry, they’ll be worthless in the event they are needed.
That, of course, is more than enough reason for this survival first aid kit to make this list of the best.
Product Features
In the My Medic 10, you’ll find medical supplies oriented toward addressing common backcountry medical situations, from burn treatments, to items for addressing bites and stings, and overexposure to the sun.
You’ll also discover this kit is oriented toward survival situations, with items including water purification tablets, calorie-dense food bars, and a fire-starter.
Pros
- Padded straps and hip belt for easy carrying
- Modular organization with two side pockets
- Ensures medical supplies are kept dry
Cons
- Does not contain as many care items as some other kits
8. Rhino Rescue Trauma First Aid Kit
The Rhino Rescue Trauma First Aid Kit represents the paradox of purchasing a first aid kit. While hoping you’ll never need to use a first aid kit, it’s nice to know that your kit will meet virtually any emergency need. That’s why this kit has made our list of first aid kits worthy of your consideration.
The Rhino Rescue trauma kit’s capabilities are based on feedback the manufacturer received regarding an earlier kit. This latest kit features higher-quality equipment to allow for providing significant trauma aid.
Product Features
This Rhino Rescue kit includes user-friendly items that can staunch the flow of blood from major wounds. Additionally, it includes a 36-inch splint along with triangle bandages and elastic bandages that can handle broken bones.
Pros
- Items in kit come with instructions
- Medical supplies are high-quality
Cons
- Bag may need some rearranging for convenient use
- Best used by people with trauma injury training
Buyer’s Guide for the Best Survival First Aid Kits
Sure, it’s possible to put together your own survival first aid kit, arrange the medical-care items you’ve chosen in a pack or other container, and keep it in an easily accessible place until needed.
But, if you have the least doubt about your ability to assemble an adequate survival first aid kit, there are plenty of survival first aid kits readily available for purchase.
As you consider the best survival first aid kit for your needs, there are many things to consider, most prominently including the situations you reasonably expect to encounter when you’re away from quickly available medical assistance.
Basic First Aid Kit Supplies
As you look at the range of first aid kits, you’ll want to be sure the kits you’re considering can at least be helpful in routine situations. That means that even a bare-bones first aid kit should include a booklet or other material detailing a range of first aid procedures.
Beyond that, a basic survival first aid kit should include an assortment of adhesive bandages along with gauze pads, sterile pads, antiseptic wipes, antibacterial ointment, an antihistamine to treat allergic reactions, a pain reliever like ibuprofen, tweezers and some sort of blister treatment option.
Additional Supplies for Your First Aid Kit
One thing you’ll need to consider, and that won’t be covered by any off-the-shelf survival first aid kit, is the prescription medications that you or others may need. Be sure to include those medications in your first aid kit, many of which have extra compartments for those items.
In addition to personal medications, other items for an expanded survival first aid kit should add the following to the supplies for a basic first aid kit: pressure bandages, treatments for poison ivy and poison oak, eye drops, and even antacid tablets.
Wound Care Supplies for Your First Aid Kit
It’s sad to say, but the longer you’re away from quick medical care, particularly if you’re out in the woods or dealing with a natural disaster, there could be more situations from which a serious medical issue could develop.
As already noted, a medical handbook should be part of your survival first aid kit to ensure you’re at least somewhat prepared to deal with that kind of emergency.
In more practical terms, a survival first aid kit should include saline to sanitarily flush out any wounds, eye pads to protect wounded areas at or near the eye, cleansing pads infused with anesthetic, surgical gloves to avoid further contamination of any wounds, and an oral thermometer.
Beyond that, a first aid kit that is properly equipped to deal with wounds should include liquid bandages, rolled bandages, rolled gauze, a multi-tooled knife, a safety razor, and an irrigation syringe.
FAQs on Survival First Aid Kits
Getting your questions answered on survival first aid kits before you decide which one will best meet your needs can literally have life-or-death consequences.
Read on for answers to a few questions you may have as you look at the many options available with survival first aid kits.
What other items should be in my kit?
When talking about a first aid kit in the sense of a survival scenario, you should consider what you want in your kit beyond medical supplies. Some kits may already include some of the items to be mentioned here, but others may not.
Water Purification Capabilities
One of the first things you’ll want to consider including in a survival first aid kit is some sort of water purification device, or at least some water purification tablets.
Many water purification devices are designed for backpacking and could easily find a place in many first aid kits.
Personal Hygiene Needs
Other items you may want to consider for your first aid kit include personal hygiene items. Many of those supplies, like toothpaste, come in travel-sized packages that won’t take up a lot of space in your survival first aid kit.
Fire Starting Equipment
Whether you’re facing an emergency situation out in nature, or you’re trapped in your home without power by a natural disaster or other calamity, you’ll want to be sure you have matches or other fire-starting tools on hand for warmth, light and cooking.
Your survival first aid kit can be a place for storing those items that is readily accessible and protected.
How much should I expect to spend on a survival first aid kit?
Prices of survival first aid kits vary widely, from around $20 to $200 or more. What you pay for a survival first aid kit will depend on how you plan to use it.
If your expectation is that you’ll largely be facing routine situations, a kit with basic supplies — bandages, pain relievers, and the like — will be on the lower end of that cost spectrum.
If, on the other hand, you expect to be spending considerable time away from nearby medical care, involved in activities like camping or hiking, where injuries are a real possibility, you’ll want to consider a robustly equipped kit, and you should expect to pay a premium for it.
What else should I know about buying a survival first aid kit?
Before you purchase a survival first aid kit, you should realize that many of the medical supplies, medications, and other items it contains will have expiration dates.
As a result, you’ll have an ongoing responsibility to periodically check your survival first aid kit to ensure that all of its supplies are up to date and to replace those that have gone beyond their useful life.
Wrapping up the Best Survival First Aid Kits
We hope this post has got you thinking about being able to provide first aid in emergency situations, and has guided you to the best first aid kit for your needs. For additional information on providing first aid, check out Survival World.