Spruce Up Your First Aid Kit for Summer

When’s the last time you checked out your first aid kit or rearranged your medicine cabinet? If you’re like most folks you have an odd assortment of old bandages, tape and antibiotic ointments.
Admit it, you probably have half-empty boxes of adhesive bandages that mostly contain tiny strips too small to be useful. That’s why they’re still there. Now would be a good time to discard those dinosaurs.
Adhesive bandages have branched out from Band-Aids. There are waterproof bandages that are so cleverly designed that you can shower or swim without exposing a cut to water. There is also such a variety of shapes and sizes that you can find one to fit most any body part: knuckles, fingers, elbows or knees. Your first aid kit should include enough bandages to take care of almost any minor injury.
In addition to standard bandages, you can now find products that include antibiotics already built into the pad. There are also some with silver in the pad as a natural antibacterial agent.
An antibiotic ointment is also a good thing to have handy. Some people are allergic to neomycin, so we would suggest a mixture of bacitracin and polymixin as an alternative (Polysporin). If your doctor will prescribe mupirocin ointment (Bactroban), you will have an even more powerful topical antibiotic available for skin infections.
If you think such products are unnecessary and Mother Nature knows best, you’re out of date. Although mom believed that a scrape should be exposed to the air so it could form a scab, dermatologists now recommend covering cuts and abrasions and keeping them moist with antibiotic ointment. That way they heal faster and have less risk of infection.
Liquid bandages offer another way to seal cuts and scrapes. Some brands contain a form of instant glue that closes a small cut quickly and stops bleeding.
Speaking of bleeding, there are other products designed specifically to stop bleeding. Urgent QR contains hydrophilic polymer and potassium salts that help blood clot almost instantly.
If you don’t have such a product on hand and you want to stop bleeding from a minor cut, you could keep a couple of packets of ground black pepper in your first aid kit. It is surprisingly effective to help stop bleeding.
Another essential item for your revamped first aid kit is 2nd Skin. This dressing is great for burns and blisters. It contains a water-based gel that is soothing to the skin.
With all your new first aid equipment you are faced with a familiar dilemma. Where should you store all this stuff? Most people stuff it into the medicine cabinet or a cluttered bathroom drawer. When you need something in an emergency you have to rummage around looking for just the right bandage.
Our number one choice for first aid gear is a small fishing tackle or tool box. Make sure your new first aid kit has a couple of trays with several compartments so you can see everything at a glance. What’s especially nice about such a box is that you can keep it at home or throw it in the back of the car for a camping trip, picnic or a vacation.