Paddlers who spend enough time on the water see injuries. Cuts and scratches are frequent while, fortunately, more serious injuries are rare. However, even management of small injuries requires basic first aid materials. Cover the most common contingencies with this DIY first aid kit, perfectly sized and sourced to fit your canoe or kayak.
The Perfect DIY First Aid Kit for Paddlers
If it weren’t for Boy Scout leaders and open boaters (is there a difference?) you’d be hard pressed to find a first aid kit on the river. Off-the-shelf wilderness first aid kits are simply too cumbersome and get left behind. Designing a first aid kit for small group day trips in the river environment is a challenging task. However, so is managing even the smallest of injuries without basic first aid materials.
This kit contains most of the essential supplies for likely first aid scenarios on a single day canoe or kayak trip and reflects the unique challenge of first aid in an aquatic environment. Every item has its purpose. Store in a Nalgene water bottle, which is waterproof, durable and easily packed.
3M
Steri-Strip Reinforced Skin Closures
SALE $25.99 $29.95 | Box of 20
6 strips per pack, each ½”×4” in size. Topical sutures used to close small lacerations.
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3M
Tegaderm Transparent Film Dressing
$9.99 | Box of 20
Waterproof, breathable dressing. Choice method for protecting wounds in wet environments. Pack two.
Band-Aid
Tru-Absorb Gauze Sponges
SALE $5.97 $6.53 | Box of 50
4”×4” sterile gauze pads to cover wounds. Pack two.
Med Pride
Latex Examination Gloves
$17.93 | Box of 100
Heavy-duty, powder-free first aid gloves. Pack one pair in a film canister in your PFD pocket to keep them dry. Keep an extra pair in your kit.
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Covidien
Curity Sterile Abdominal Pad
$12.71 | Box of 36
5”×9” trauma pad for heavy bleeding. Packed on top for easy access.
Band-Aid
Flexible Rolled Gauze
$7.99 | Box of 5
Stretch gauze roll to secure dressing. Each roll is 3” wide and 75” long.
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Mighty-X
Elastic Tensor Bandage
SALE $11.95 $12.95 | Box of 4
Includes two 3” bandages and two 4” bandages, each 15 feet in length. Good for compression and holding a pressure bandage.
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Nalgene
Sustain Tritan BPA-Free Water Bottle
$12.99
A one-liter bottle fits the whole first aid kit. Use cord to attach kit to boat. Tie to bottle-neck—the plastic loop on the cap always breaks.
Deiiro Bloor Publishing
Accident & Incident Report Book
$6.99 | 109 pages
Tear off a few sheets and take them with you. “If it is not recorded, it didn’t happen.” Don’t forget to bring a pencil.
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Duck Tape
Original Duct Tape
SALE $5.86 $7.95 | Single roll
For when it really has to stick. 1.88” wide by 60 yards long.
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Prestige
Medical Nurses Utility Scissors
$11.98
These 5.5” EMT shears will cut almost anything (even pennies). Low profile handle so they fit in the first aid kit and high-quality stainless steel construction.
Hampton Adams
White Athletic Sports Tape
SALE $10.19 $12.99 | Box of 4
1.5” roll, to tape strains and sprains.
Humco
Benzoin Compound Tincture
$12.93 | 2 ounces
Used to prep skin for adhesive tapes. Essential in a wet environment to make things stick.
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CareAll
Triple Antibiotic Ointment
$13.99 | Box of 144
Offers limited antimicrobial action.
Dynarex
Antiseptic First Aid Wipes
$6.58 | Box of 100
Benzalkonium chloride or povidone iodine are a safe antiseptic to clean a wound. Not alcohol-based, 5”×7” in size.
Primacare
First Responder CPR Face Shield
SALE $14.45 $15.77 | Box of 10
Many models available for rescue breathing. Pack in your PFD pocket for quick access.
Thinksport
Face & Body Mineral Sunscreen Stick
$8.79 | 0.64 ounces
Enough said.
Tensoplast
Elastic Adhesive Bandage
$12.50 | Single roll
Cut-to-size bandages. Roll is 4” wide by 15 feet long.
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MediTac
Extra Heavy Moleskin
$10.95 | Single roll
Traditional staple of DIY first aid. Protects from getting blisters. Roll is 2” wide by 15 feet long.
Spenco
Second Skin Dressing Kit
$14.99 | 8 dressings
Aqueous based burn dressing is great for cushioning nasty blisters. Adhesive knits offer pliable and water-resistant dressing thinner than moleskin, the best way to deal with paddling thumb blisters. Pack two sets of dressings.
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P&P Medical Surgical
Sterile Cotton Tipped Applicator
$16.99 | Box of 100
For eye injuries and wound cleaning.
Curad
Sterile Non-Stick Gauze Pads
$3.99 | Box of 20
2”×3” pads to cover wounds. Easier to remove than plain gauze. Pack two.
This article originally appeared in Fall 2004 issue of Rapid Magazineand Paddling Magazine Issue 65. Subscribe to Paddling Magazine’s print and digital editions here, or download the Paddling Magazine app and browse the digital archives here.
First Aid Tools | Photo by Roger Brown from Pexels
The idea of selecting the items you feel best suited for a first aid kit for your needs is good. It can be tailor made to your particular needs.
One way to carry them is to space out the items and tape them to a large sheet of reasonably thick polythene, leaving enough space around the items so that the sides can be folded in. The whole kit is then rolled up much like a tool roll. A couple of strips of tape holds the roll together. Then everything is put into a suitable watertight bag.
So when needed, all that is necessary is to pull the kit out of the watertight bag. Remove the pieces of tape. Unroll the first aid kit, which is laid out easily accessible on a clean surface ready for use.