- Today, we're gonna talk
about the one item that every camper,
whether you're full-time, part-time, or sometimes,
should have in their RV, and that is a first aid kit
and a very well-stocked first aid kit at that.
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It doesn't matter if you're camping out on BLM
out in the middle of nowhere
or if you're camping just around the corner from your home,
a first aid kit is necessary
because accidents and injury can happen while camping.
As a nurse practitioner, I recommend one thing
even long before you start packing your first aid kit,
and that is a CPR class.
If you've never taken a CPR class, don't worry.
They walk you through it and you will definitely learn
and feel comfortable when you leave the class.
If you have taken a CPR class
but it's been five years or more,
I recommend you taking a new CPR class
because a lot of things have changed in the last few years.
Many state and national parks are miles and miles away
from hospitals and emergency services.
Learning the proper techniques for CPR could save a life,
so get everyone involved, get everyone into that CPR class.
Knowledge is power,
so sign everybody up for the class.
It'll be worth every penny,
even if you never have to use it.
I recommend going to the American Heart Association website,
and I'll put that link below,
to search for a class near you.
While you're looking for the CPR class,
check out the first aid class.
Those classes can be invaluable in case of injury
or an emergency while you're out in the middle of nowhere,
so sign everyone up for that as well.
Now, of course, the best way to treat an injury
is to prevent it,
so make sure you follow all the proper precautions
before you go out camping.
So wear the sunscreen. Wear long sleeves.
Wear long pants.
Wear the proper shoes for the activity.
Take a map. Take extra water.
Make sure somebody knows where you're gonna be
if you're going out in the middle of nowhere.
Make sure you're taking precautions
that can prevent some of these injuries or accidents
from happening in the first place.
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(birds chirping)
Okay, let's dive into the first aid kit.
Now, you can go and buy all the items
or clear out your medicine cabinet
and create your own first aid kit.
As a matter of fact,
I have a list of the items that should be
in a very basic, very minimum first aid kit.
So you can start there or you can go on Amazon, like I did,
and buy a kit that's pre-made.
So this kit comes with a ton of items already in it
that every first aid kit should have.
And the reason I chose this one is because it's lightweight.
When you get it, it weighs only a pound
with all the items in it.
It also has Velcro on the back
and you can use this to attach to your backpack
or you can attach it to your bike
if you're going mountain biking,
so that way you can always take it with you.
It's also a great size to fit in your glove box
if you want to keep one in the car.
Even though I think this first aid kit is pretty complete,
there are many items I feel like that were missing
out of this first aid kit that I have ordered and added in.
Now, you can see it's still pretty small.
It's pretty lightweight.
I didn't add that much to it as far as weight,
but I did add a few things.
So let's check out what I've added.
So you can see this first aid kit is laid out pretty nice.
It's very organized and everything is in Ziploc bags
so if your first aid kit were to get wet,
everything would stay dry.
It's all sealed, so I really liked that.
And I really like how the pockets are labeled
and everything is laid out.
But I have moved things around in here just a little bit
so all of my items will fit in here.
And I have everything I wanted, except for one thing,
and that was on back order, but I will have it soon.
So let me show you what I added.
I added a small bottle of eyewash
in case you get something in your eye.
I added some blister pack band-aids
because when you're hiking long distances,
you just never know what's gonna happen,
and these are great for blisters.
I have some Benadryl
in case of any kind of allergic reaction
from a bee sting or whatever.
Advil for those really strenuous times
or, if you're like me, when you bounce down a mountain,
like I did on Mount Monadnock.
I have some calamine lotion.
I have some burn cream.
I have some anti-itch cream,
and Benadryl also helps with that too, as a matter of fact.
I have some insect repellent.
And I have also added a quick clot.
Now, this was great in helping bleeding stop really quickly.
I highly recommend it.
It's a little more expensive than some of the other stuff,
but it works really well.
And the only thing that I have missing
that isn't in my pack yet and that is liquid band-aid.
That stuff works really great.
I have it in my medicine cabinet,
but I really wanted some of the smaller packs
that are disposable that I could use.
The bottle I have is glass,
so I didn't want to take that with me.
Now, all of this stuff easily fits
right back into this pack, as you can see,
and it's not a big deal to pack it all up
and take it with you.
So if you don't have a first aid kit,
now is the time to get one and stock it up.
Leave it in the rig or leave it in your car, have multiples.
That way you don't forget it.
I definitely recommend you taking it with you.
I gotta tell you, when I fell down Mount Monadnock,
I didn't have one of these and I wish I had.
I really needed an ace bandage
for my ankle for the swelling and I didn't have it.
And what do you know?
This would have been the perfect thing for me.
It was pretty bad
by the time I got down the bottom of the mountain,
about a mile and a half later.
So I definitely recommend you guys having one of these.
Now, let me pack this up
and I'm gonna give you one more tip.
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Now, I have chosen specific spots for specific items
so I'm going to know where they are.
All right, there you go,
all my items easily packed into my bag
and it's easy to take with me wherever I go.
Now, the one tip I want you to remember
once you pack your bag is to not forget
to check your expiration dates.
If you put any kind of creams or medications
in your first aid kit, they will eventually expire.
So I recommend you check them at least twice a year.
Whenever you check your batteries in your smoke detectors,
also check this or you can check it
every time you take it out and go hiking.
Now, an easy way to check it
so you don't have to go through every single medication
is to get some medical tape,
write the date of the first item
that's going to expire on it,
and simply put it here on the inside of your kit.
That way all you have to do is open it up
and peak and you'll know when to switch out that medication
before it expires.
That's it for the first aid kit.
Now, if you would like a checklist
of all the items I've included in my first aid kit,
head over to the website
and you can download that checklist for free.
I would really love to know what you think I am missing
from my first aid kit
or let me know if something happened to you
and you wish you had a first aid kit
and you didn't have one with you.
We all know accidents and injuries can happen anywhere,
especially while you're camping.
All right, guys, that's it for today.
Thanks for watching.
Be sure and stay safe out there and, oh, before you go,
make sure you hit that subscribe button
and give me a thumbs up, please,
I'd really appreciate it.
And if you know somebody who's camping, going hiking,
whatever, make sure and share this video with them.
Again, thanks for watching and I'll see you on the road.
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