First aid kits for Forest School and Outdoor Learning
When delivering first aid courses I am often asked ‘what should I have in my first aid kit'?’
There is no single answer but here is a list of possible items. These are the things that I include in the kits that I sell. In this blog post, as well as giving you a list, I will also suggest uses for each item.
So let’s go through this list and identify what each item is and how to use it.
Waterproof bag
Before you get the items together think about what you are going to store them in. We supply first aid kits in robust, waterproof roll top bags made a company called Lomo. This means that your kit should survive in the potentially damp outdoor environment.
Selection of plasters
In the outdoor environment it is important to cover any small cuts and grazes to avoid them getting germs in from the muddy, outdoor environment. The downside of plasters is that they don’t always stay on in a damp environment, this is where a bit of tape or cohesive bandage applied over the top can help.
Some people are allergic to the glue that makes the plaster stick so you may need to check first.
Resuscitation Face Shield
Provides a barrier against cross contamination between you and a casualty when giving breaths during CPR. If you are a while away from help or administering CPR to a child then the ability to include breaths becomes more relevant to maintaining oxygen levels in your casualty.
Wound cleaning wipes
You can buy different types of these. The ones we recommend and supply are saline wipes, these will not cause any stinging and are soothing for the casualty, an important consideration when they are children. Check that the wipes you use are alcohol free and come in a sterile packet.
Gauze swabs
Use in conjunction with clean water or saline wash to clean blood and mud away from a cut or a graze. Can also be used to pack a wound if necessary to help stop a major bleed.
Saline Wash
This is an invaluable item in any outdoor first aid kit. Can be used to clean wounds and also to wash foreign objects out of eyes. I recommend at least 5 x 20ml vials of saline wash.
Medium size dressing bandages
The dressing pad is what you would use to apply pressure to a wound in order to stop a bleed. Once the bleed is stopped then you can apply the bandage fully to keep the wound covered and the clot that has formed in place. If the bandage becomes soaked with blood try another over the top. If that still doesn’t work take it all off and start again - you might also need to pack the wound.
Silver Foil Blanket
This item is to prevent heat loss in a casualty who is warm. Can be used when a casualty is upset, in pain or has lost a lot of blood. It is good to also use a coat or wool type blanket over the top for extra warmth.
Tick Removal Tools
Working in the outdoor environment means that insects can be a problem. A Tick removal card can help with extracting a tick from the skin and can also be used to push out a bee sting if that has been left behind. Other devices can also be used to remove tick such as Tick Twisters and Tick Tweezers.
Eyepad bandages
For use if an eye is damaged, sore or inflamed and covering the eye reduces pain. It may also help to stop a child rubbing their eye and aggravating the situation. Cover only the injured eye as being completely blindfolded can be distressing for some people.
Rounded ended scissors
For cutting tape, dressing pads and other small items
Cohesive bandage
Another item that is great for use in the outdoor environment. Can be used on its own as a support bandage or to hold a splint in place. Can also be used over a dressing pad to cover a wound in an flexible area such as the hand. They are water resistant and more rugged than a standard bandage.
Triangular bandages
Use to make a support sling or an elevated sling. Can also be used to pad an area for support or to pack around an embedded object to prevent pressure.
Adhesive dressing pads
Also known as graze plasters. Useful for the larger cut or graze which is too big for a plaster but doesn’t warrant a bandage. They also stay on better than plasters in the outdoors!
Gloves
Best to use nitrile gloves to avoid any issues with latex allergies. Also make sure that they are powder free - often gloves used by cleaners have powder in them and that could contaminate a wound.
Micropore tape
This can be used to hold plasters and dressing pads in place. Can also be used as a temporary cover for a small cut whilst outside.
Safety pins
Can be used to secure bandages in place.
Zinc Oxide Tape
Ideal for covering and protecting sore skin or blisters.
Plastic Tweezers
Essential for removing thorns and small splinters from the skin.
Tuff cut scissors/shears
Strong scissors that can cut through clothing, webbing straps and other items that may need to be removed.
Those are all the items included in the first aid kits that I sell through my online shop. Click the Buy Now button below to go to the shop.
Additional items that you may also consider include some kind of cooling to soothe a bump, bruise or sprained joint. For this I would recommend a re-useable gel pack that you can keep in a cool place. Alternatively you can buy the packs that you squeeze to activate the cooling chemicals but these are single use and cannot be recycled.
In my next first aid blog posts I will be looking at items you might have to help manage a casualty in the outdoor environment whilst waiting for help and also what you might have (and not have) in a burns kit.
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