Camp First Aid: The Ten Things That Actually Happen

This is general information, not medical advice. It covers the minor things that genuinely make up most of a camping first aid kit's workload. Anything serious — a head injury, a bad burn, breathing difficulty, a wound that will not stop bleeding, a suspected fracture — is a call for professional help, not a blog article. If you camp regularly, a half-day first aid course is worth more than anything written here.

The rule that matters most

A first aid kit only helps if everyone knows where it is. Not that you have one — where, specifically. Say it out loud on arrival, put it in the same place every trip, and make sure a second adult could find it in the dark.

The ten things that actually happen

1. Scrapes and grazes

Rinse with clean drinking water — properly, until the grit is gone, which takes longer than people expect. Then cover. Most camp wound infections come from inadequate cleaning rather than inadequate dressing.

2. Blisters

Deal with a "hot spot" the moment it is felt, not when it becomes a blister. Cover it with tape or a blister plaster immediately. An intact blister is best left unburst and padded around with a doughnut of moleskin.

3. Splinters

Clean fine-tipped tweezers, pull along the direction it went in. If it will not come out easily, leave it, cover it, and let a professional deal with it rather than digging.

4. Minor burns

Cool running water for a good long time — around 20 minutes. Then a loose, clean, non-fluffy covering. No butter, no ice, no popping blisters. Anything larger than the person's palm, on the face or hands, or on a small child needs medical attention.

5. Bites and stings

Cool water, antihistamine or hydrocortisone. Watch for a reaction spreading well beyond the site. Know where anybody's adrenaline auto-injector is before you need it.

6. Sunburn

Almost entirely preventable and almost universally underestimated at altitude, near water, and on cloudy days. Aloe and cool compresses after the fact. Prevention is a hat and reapplication, not a higher number on the bottle.

7. Twisted ankles

Rest, and an elastic wrap for support. If they cannot bear weight, that is a hospital question rather than a camp question.

8. Upset stomachs

Usually poor hand hygiene rather than bad food. Hand sanitiser before every meal and after every toilet trip prevents more camp illness than anything else you can pack. Fluids, and rest.

9. Headaches and dehydration

The most common complaint at camp, and it is almost always dehydration, sun, or too much coffee and not enough water. Two litres per person per day, more when active or at altitude.

10. Something in an eye

Rinse with clean water, do not rub. If it will not come out or vision is affected, get it seen.

The kit that handles the list above ReadyKit Emergency First Aid — 85-Piece

Labelled compartments, so somebody who is not you can find the right thing quickly. Add your own painkillers, antihistamine and any personal medication.

See the kit →

What to add to any bought kit

Every off-the-shelf kit is short of the same handful of things:

• Painkillers for adults, and the correct paediatric formulation for children
• An antihistamine
• Personal and prescription medication, in enough quantity, plus a spare of anything critical
• Blister-specific plasters, more than you think
• Tweezers and a tick tool
• Hand sanitiser and disposable gloves
• A written note of allergies, conditions and emergency contacts for everyone in the group

Prevention beats every item in the kit

• Hand hygiene — prevents more camping illness than any single item.
• Closed shoes around the fire and the camp. Most camp foot injuries happen in sandals.
• Set the water rule out loud on day one — nobody near open water without an adult. Drowning is quiet and fast, and it is the genuine risk at family campgrounds.
• Headlamp each, so nobody is walking around in the dark guessing where the guy lines are.
• Leave a plan with somebody at home — where you are, which site, when you expect to be back.

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The free Camp Checklist has a safety section you can work through before you leave. If you camp regularly, book a first aid course — it is the single best outdoor purchase that is not gear.