Do not get all of the items below without doing thorough research yourself. You may not need all of these items. A mountaineer will not want to carry large, heavy items. Like, instead of carrying rolls of gauze, or a bottle of burn relief gel, they might want to carry an emergency bandage, and burn dressings in compact ready-to-use packets. Sailors on the other hand may require a more substantial kit, they may need more than what is written here(depending if there are children or elderly people onboard), and how far they are from shore. Again, do not blindly buy a pre-made kit, make a list of likely ailments and situations and get good quality medicine and first-aid kit items individually(sourced in-person from local pharmacies). Someone building a kit to care for protestors/bystanders in an adversarial environment, will want different items, and may want, for example, to stock up on multiple emergency bandages, hemostatic dressings, and ingredients to counter the effects of tear gas or pepper spray. Someone else living in a city with an opioid problem may want to carry a CPR mask around, and a naxolone kit. Make sure that you understand how to administer medicine, or to practice wound care, to a patient before attempting it. Take a first-aid course, read manuals, etc. When treating someone, be aware of allergies, or contraindicating medical factors and medicines(e.g,: Ibuprofen is contraindicated for anyone with heart issues, regardless of their age). I'll say it again. When assembling a first-aid or a medicine kit, consult rigorously peer-reviewed scientific research, make a list, and get individual items suited for your unique needs and situation. # Basic First Aid Kit: Sterile gauze pads (dressings) in small and large squares to place over wounds - Must be secured with medical or surgical tape, or safety pins. Medical tape - to secure dressings, to hold medical devices on the body(catheter), to protect areas against chafe, etc. Surgical tape - A stronger, very sticky, tape to close surgical incisions, to secure dressing, for makeshift bandages, etc, e.g, 3M Transpore. Roller & triangular bandages - to hold dressings in place or to make an arm sling. Adhesive bandages in assorted sizes - e.g, Elastoplast, Opsite and Compeed. Medical scissors Tweezers - For removing ticks, to manipulate sutures, or for other delicate medical tasks. Safety pins - To tie off bandages, multiple other uses Instant ice packs Disposable nitrile gloves(such as surgical or examination gloves) Flashlight(with extra batteries in a separate bag) Antiseptic wipes or soap Pencil and pad Permanent marker - To write medical information on skin or other materials. Emergency blanket Eye patch Thermometer(strip, and/or full thermometer) A good first-aid manual Burn care dressing(with gel) - Water Jel, Burncare, Alocane, Second Skin, etc. To care for minor burns, quickly. Antifungal - To treat yeast infections, e.g. Canesten. Laxative - Oral. Constipation relief. # Basic Medicine kit: Ibuprofen - Oral. Use for minor pain, and fever reducer, e.g., toothache, menstruation cramps, headache. Aspirin - Oral. Pain, fever, inflammation reducer, e.g., treat/prevent heart attacks, strokes, chest pain. Antihistamines - Diphenhydramine. Allergy/itch relief Motion sickness meds - Scopolamine patches, dimenhydrinate(dramamine), meclizine, promethazine, efphedrine, etc. Ear drops - To treat pain, inflammation, infection and earwax blockage. There are different formulations for each ailment. Eye wash Hot water bottle - To treat hypothermia Insect repellant (mosquitoes can carry malaria, or dengue) - Ought to include picaridin(also known as icaridin), DEET, ethyl butylacetylaminopropionate (IR3535), or oil of lemon eucalyptus (containing p-menthane-3,8-diol, PMD). Hand sanitizer - To reduce germs on skin, aim for a brand with 60 to 95 percent ethyl alcohol or isopropyl alcohol. To protect against diarrheal illnesses, including rotavirus and norovirus, wash hands with soap and water instead. Hydrocortisone - Combat inflammation, severe itching. It may be used topically for allergic rashes, eczema, psoriasis, itching, and other inflammatory skin conditions. It's also used to treat hemorrhoids(as a suppository). Calamine lotion - For insect bites, mild itchiness. Topical anesthetic - To reduce pain, or itchiness on the skin, eyes, the inside of the nose, ear or throat, the anus and the genital area(different formulations for each area). Topical anesthetics are available in creams, ointments, aerosols, sprays, lotions, and jellies. Examples include benzocaine, pramocaine, butamben, dibucaine, lidocaine, oxybuprocaine, pramoxine, proxymetacaine (proparacaine), and tetracaine (also named amethocaine). Antibiotic - Oral. Treatment of bacterial infections, e.g., traveler's diarrhea, gastrointestinal infections, etc, e.g, amoxicillin, azithromycin, cephalexin, and ciprofloxacin. Acetaminophen (paracetamol) - Oral. Severe pain relief, fever reducer. Has the least side effects, e.g, padanol, tylenol. Sunscreen (SPF 30) Aloe vera gel with lidocaine - For burn/sunburn relief. Topical antibiotic (ointment & powder) - Bacitracin/Polysporin/Neosporine. Topical ointment. Prevents infection. For minor scrapes, cuts, and burns. Powder is useful for bad burns that are too painful to touch, and to prevent infection in deep cuts. Hydrogen peroxide(3% dilution) - Wound disinfectant(good for initial cleaning, not for prolonged use on the same area), antiseptic, can use it to sterilize tools and surfaces(. Antidiarrheal - To combat diarrhea, e.g., s loperamide(Imodium), diphenoxylate, bismuth subsalicylate(Pepto-Bismol), cholestyramine, and octreotide. Codeine - To treat mild to moderate pain. Possible to combine with paracetamol (as co-codamol: e.g., brands Paracod, Panadeine, and the Tylenol-with-codeine series, including Tylenol 3 and 1, 2, and 4), with aspirin (co-codaprin), or with ibuprofen (Nurofen Plus). These combinations provide greater pain relief than either agent alone. Hydration tablets(or powder) / Salt tablets - Post-sickness, or dehydration replenishment of minerals and salt, e.g, Dioralyte sachets, Phizz hydration tablets, saltstick dispenser. Anti-chafe cream - To protect the skin against irritation due to chafing(due to moisture, ill-fitting clothing, physical activity, skin folds, heat and humidity), etc. Look for products with combinations of cocos nucifera, glycerin or caprylic/capric triglyceride, aloe vera, zinc oxide, cornstarch, vitamin E, and kaolin clay. Antiseptic cream - To help prevent infections caused by minor cuts, scrapes & burns, e.g, Savlon Cream. Distilled water - Ensures clean water when cleaning wounds, or washing down medical equipment. Rubbing alcohol (isopropyl and water) - Antibacterial. Used to disinfect wounds(using a cotton pad), tools or surfaces(will evaporate quickly, don't use on varnished wood) Zinc Oxide cream - For skin-related irritations, like chafing and sunburns. It helps in wound healing(prevents bacteria infections), and to lock-in moisture. It is also a useful sunscreen. NOTE: For very strong over-the-counter pain relief, combine variations of paracetamol, ibuprofen and codeine, paying attention **not to double dose** with paracetamol. # Advanced Medicine kit add-ons: Staple gun - to close wounds Epinephrine - for severe allergic reactions. Vials, Allerject/AUVI-Q. Avoid EpiPens, they are grifters. Tourniquet - for severe bleeding Compression bandage - To treat sprains or strain, helps to reduce swelling. Reinforced sterile skin closures CPR pocket mask - to give CPR, makes it easier to cover mouth Povidone surgical scrubs (iodine) - Antiseptic. Used to reduce bacteria on the skin prior to surgery or patient care, or for handwashing. Sterile sutures thread with needle Emergency dental kit - Debacterol(for canker sores), Zinc Oxide Eugenol cement(temporary cementation of a prosthesis), light cure cavity liner, LED curing light, hemostatic dental dressing(e.g., HemCon. Oral wound care, like after tooth extraction, or trauma), braided cotton rolls(to absorb saliva/fluids to keep operative areas free of excess moisture), single use sterile syringes(and barrels), dental mirror, medicated paste(for dry socket, oral pain relief, usually contains eugenol, e.g., Orca), EMT toothsaver(formulation to store a knocked-out tooth and protect it from cell damage and dehydration until dental care is available), local anesthetic injection(marcaine HCI 5% with epinephrine anesthetic carpules), topical local anesthetic(LolliCaine 20% Benzocaine Gel, for fast temporary relief during periodontal curettage, local injections, scaling, root planing and other dental procedures), periodontal surgical dressing(provides protection over injured tissue, e.g, Barricaid), headlamp, etc. Hemostatic dressing(with coagulant) - To cover and stop severe bleeding(like head wounds), e.g. QuikClot. Emergency bandage(also known as israeli bandage) - Possible to apply one-handed(to yourself). Designed to apply pressure to a wound, easy to secure in place. Scalpel(with sterile blades) - To remove splinters, boils, etc.