Build your own first aid kit

Overview

What to gather

• A dry, easy-to-open pouch or box
• Sealed sterile gauze in small and large sizes; assorted adhesive bandages
• Medical tape, roller bandages and triangular bandages
• Disposable non-latex gloves; a CPR barrier appropriate to your training
• Rounded-tip scissors, tweezers, instant cold pack and digital thermometer
• Emergency blanket, small flashlight, written contacts and a current first aid reference

Step by step

1. Empty what you already have

   Lay the contents on a clean table. Keep sterile supplies in their unopened packets. Sort them into dressings, protection, tools and information. Discard or replace expired, damaged or opened sterile items rather than packing them because the box looks full.

   Write a short gap list before shopping. Check allergies, glove sizes and whether the tape suits the people who will use it. The Health page calculator is a buying estimate, not a medical standard or a guarantee that a particular number of dressings is enough.

2. Buy the core supplies first

   Prioritize different dressing sizes, tape and gloves. Include roller and triangular bandages, scissors and tweezers. Add a thermometer, emergency blanket and light so the kit is usable during an outage. Buy sterile supplies from a reputable seller and check packaging and expiry dates when they arrive.

   Keep prescription medicines in a separate, appropriate storage plan. Don't add specialist trauma gear simply to make the pouch look complete. Training and genuine equipment matter more than another pocket full of unfamiliar tools.

3. Pack for finding things, not for a photograph

   Put gloves and common dressings where they are easy to reach. Use a few labelled inner pouches rather than tightly filling every space. Keep a contents list inside the lid, with expiry dates where relevant. Don't open sterile packets for the sake of making everything match.

   Store the home kit somewhere dry and accessible to the adults who need it, while keeping medicines and sharp tools away from children. Tell the household exactly where it lives. A lockable medicine box and an accessible first aid pouch can do different jobs.

4. Make the car kit a separate kit

   Don't rely on remembering to move the home pouch each time you leave. Pack a smaller dedicated car kit and secure it so it won't become a loose object during driving. Include written emergency contacts, a light and a blanket alongside the first aid supplies.

   An Ontario car can become very hot or very cold. Follow each item's storage instructions; don't leave temperature-sensitive medicines in it. Inspect adhesive supplies and packaging after seasonal temperature swings, and bring sensitive equipment indoors when its instructions require that.

5. Practise finding the contents

   Have a second adult locate the kit, find gloves and identify the different dressing sizes without unpacking everything. Read the reference together and book a first aid course. Practice on training materials, not by applying unfamiliar procedures to a real person.

   Write down what you used after any ordinary minor incident and replace it promptly. Set a calendar reminder for a regular contents check and before trips. Keep receipts or a simple shopping list so replenishing one item doesn't mean buying another whole kit.

Before you call it done

• Another adult can find the home and car kits without asking.
• Sterile packets are intact and expiry dates have been checked.
• Gloves, gauze and tape are easy to reach; used items have replacements.
• Storage matches the contents' instructions, including seasonal car temperatures.

Products to consider

Sources and further reading

• Canadian Red Cross — first aid kit contents ↗
• Government of Canada — emergency kit checklist ↗
• Canadian Red Cross — Intermediate First Aid & CPR (formerly Standard) ↗