The best First Aid Kit of 2018 is the “Swiss Safe 2-in-1 (120 piece) Kit”.
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I’ve been updating this annually for several years.
Each year I have a look at the latest available first aid kits on Amazon and spend some time reviewing those which are rated the best (4+ Stars) which have the highest number of reviews (indicating popularity), and other criteria.
My basic criteria include price (in the 20 dollar range) and it being general purpose with practical contents.
Best, or in this example ‘best first aid kit’, is entirely subjective. While this particular kit isn’t designed for professional EMS, it’s designed and priced for typical use by the average person – while providing good value.
Good for Home, Car, Camping, RV, Boating, or any general purpose.
Note: A first aid kit is often overlooked as an essential preparedness item. We don’t think about it – until we actually need it. In my opinion everyone should have one at least at home and in their vehicle at all times.
Why is this the best first aid kit of 2018?
– 97% of reviews are 4 Stars or better
– 89% of reviews are 5 Stars
– listed as “Amazon’s Choice” (fewest returns & highest reviews)
– bonus mini first aid kit included
More reasons:
FULL LIST OF FIRST AID KIT CONTENTS:
10 Alcohol Prep Pads
30 Medium Bandages
10 Mini Bandages
20 Cotton Tips
4 Knuckle Bandages
4 Fingertip Bandages
4 Butterfly Bandages
5 Sterile Gauze Pads
6 Antiseptic Cleansing Wipes
4 Sting Relief Pads
2 Disposable PVC Gloves
1 Disposable Instant Ice Pack
1 First Aid Tape
1 Large Trauma Pad
1 Compass
1 Moleskin Blister Relief
1 Triangular Bandage
1 Emergency Mylar Blanket
1 Whistle
1 Metal Scissors 15cm
1 Elastic Bandage
1 CPR Mask
1 Metal Tweezers
1 Sewing Kit
6 Safety Pins
1 Glow Stick (6 hours)
1 Pocket Size First Aid Pouch
EXTRA CONTENTS OF MINI FIRST AID KIT:
10 Medium Bandages
10 Cotton Tips
1 First Aid Tape
1 Non-woven Pad
1 Sterile Gauze Pad
2 Alcohol Prep Pads
4 Safety Pins
2 Sting Relief Pads
1 CPR Mask
Here’s a list of recommended additional items to consider for your first aid kit:
Make your kit even better by augmenting with these:
Quality Scissors and Tweezers!
Miracle Point Splinter Expert Tweezer
Add this for traumatic bleeding!
QuikClot Advanced Clotting Gauze
More: How To Stop The Bleeding With QuikClot
Burn Gel is another smart add-on:
Alocane Maximum Strength Burn Gel
There are LOTS of ready-made first aid kits out there and many of them are great.
I’ve simply chosen this one in general for its price-point, adequate basic items, and apparent customer satisfaction. The word ‘best’ is subjective and there’s no doubt that in this category there are MANY that may be considered the best…
This one might also be considered one of the best:
All-purpose First Aid Kit, Soft Case, 299-Piece Kit
and this one:
Coleman First Aid Kit, 205-Pieces
Tip: Don’t just buy a first aid kit and stow it away in a closet. Take the time to look over the contents and understand what each is for, and how you would use it. Then put it away…
More: Wound Care – When to use Steri Strips or Suture
More: Israeli Bandage – How To Use It To Stop Traumatic Bleeding
A SAM Splint is another excellent add-on to anyone’s first aid kit.
SAM Rolled Splint 36″, Orange/Blue
Often at work with our Red Cross first Aid kits in the metal box lacked what most of us workers needed. It has much of what you see in this article, but it wouldn’t hurt if manufacturers included antibiotic cream and pain reliever pills. I carry them with me.
Antibiotic creams (and pain reliever pills) technically have an expiration date (which simply generally means the potency is becoming less effective). That said, kit manufacturers are likely hesitant to include items like that which will start the clock running (so to speak) from date of manufacture.
I always add antibiotic cream/ointment to a kit and then replace it once each year. I also add other items, some of which are mentioned above. There’s no ‘one size fits all’ so tailoring one’s own first aid kit is a good idea…
To Stardust:
Within the first agency I worked for, it became my job to inventory and update the first aid kits and check the fire extinguishers. supplies were replaced as used as quickly as possible. Pain reliever pills is an entirely individual matter and I remember how fast a big bottle of motrin 200 mg tabs disappeared within 1 week from my locker at work. I no longer keep a bottle at work and now carry it on me in my pack.
Since I came from an ambulance background, the not-so-glamorous job of restocking fell to me. It gave me a chance to steal coffee from the Nurses Break room and try to flirt with the Nursing Students. (back in the day)
DH always carries an Israeli Compression Bandage when he is using a chain saw. It is sealed in an airtight package. I suggest that the You Tube video on how to apply it be watched. If an artery is severed there is no time for reading instructions.
Agreed!
How To Use The Israeli Bandage
A basic first aid class taught at the local Red Cross (or fire station or college campus) is relatively cheap and well worth the investment. It’s a far sight different applying techniques read from a book and using them on a person. Even more so when there really is an injury. Ken, I might suggest an article field dressings and field tourniquets? What someone might think is a good tourniquet may actually be quite harmful (I had some city boys when I was in the army that couldn’t figure out why paracord wouldn’t make a good tourniquet).
I keep a small magnifier in my supplies. Helpful for seeing those small splinters.
First Aid Kit, don’t leave home without it.
In this world, you just never know whet that Asteroid is going to hit.
BTW, a kit is worthless if you don’t know basic First Aid, get yarself learn-ed-ed-ed. When your patching someone up who is leaking is the wrong time to be reading a book/manual.
NRP
That’s a good little kit. I’m not one for prepared kits but I might consider it.
I would add a good tourniquet to that pack. I have a couple of them in my EDC, truck and BOB/GHB. They can be a life saver. Just learn how to use them. Several out there to choose from.
Adapt and Overcome.
I’ve carried this shell as my EDC first aid it for many years… I say “Shell” as everything in a first aid kit is a “consumable” and need to be replaced on a regular basis (and as time goes on you see what you use on a regular basis) and as you replace, you see what you need most. but it is a GREAT size to build you EDC first aid kit from (and there are many variants… Just remember, everything INSIDE is a consumable and can be upgraded/replaced)
I’ve added alternative instrumentation EMT/Scissors Shears (or something similar) to each of my kits and tailored meds/bandages to my needs (eye wash, for example, is lacking in most kits in my opinion)
I do use single dose packs of meds (vice 100 count bottles) in my kits but as I have a kit in every vehicle (plus my and my wife’s EDC, and can spread the purchase out to several neighbors) a 50 or 100 count of ibuprofen or aspirin is not prohibitively expensive (I generally put in a new order of 1 box of 50-100 count for each med once a year..) not as cheap as bigger bottles but easier to rotate stock!
As with any other consumable, rotate your stock… Just found a pack of 10 year old band-aids (needed for war wound fighting with fire wood!) and about 1 in 3 had enough “stick” to cover the damaged nail… ROTATE ALL supplies!
RS