Survival First Aid Kit List, Guide, and Checklist
This is a dynamic survival first aid kit guide curated by all of our authors for preppers both new and experienced. It is constantly being updated with up-to-date and accurate information, so please check back frequently for updates.
First Aid Kits are a cornerstone of preparedness. Keeping you and yours healthy and intact is a great start to responding to any situation when SHTF. First aid kits can be the basic store-bought variety or a comprehensive kit that you are fully trained on how to use.
While training and practice are key to all kits, it is especially important with this kit because some of the more involved tools can be dangerous when used improperly. An untrained prepper with an involved first aid kit is just an illusion of safety and security.
Contents (Jump to a Section)
Survival First Aid Kit List
Our basic first aid checklist is meant for home use. A smaller kit would be better when included in bug-out bags, car kits, or get-home bags. Start with the foundation level if you are starting from scratch, and add modules based on your local threats.
First Aid Basics
These should be the cornerstone of your kit and included in any first aid kit:
- Standard First Aid Kit: M2 Basics 321 Piece Emergency Survival First Aid Kit
– or –
- Bandages (variety): Curad 300 Count Variety Bandages
- Antiseptic Spray: Antiseptic 2oz Bottle
- Antibacterial Ointment: Neosporin 5oz
- Cotton Applicators: Cotton Tip Applicators (100 Sterile)
- Nitrile Gloves: TitanFlex Nitrile Gloves – protect your hands from contamination with the most durable nitrile gloves we’ve reviewed.
- Cold Compress: Instant Ice Pack
- Medical Scissors: Ever-Ready Trauma Shears
- Tweezers: Stainless Steel Surgical Tweezers
- Safety Pins: Safety Pins (500 ct)
- Finger Splints: Sterile Tongue Depressors (100 ct)
- Hand Sanitizer: Purell Travel Packs (125 ct)
Medications
- Prescription Meds: Extra supplies of prescription medicine should be on hand. This can be difficult to procure.
- Antibiotics: Jase Case – antibiotics used to be difficult to get a hold of, but this is the best company to get an antibiotic supply from as they continue to change the prescription drug game.
- Eye Drops: Refresh Tears Lubricating Drops
- Diarrhea Medicine: Loperamide Hydrochloride Tablets (24 ct) – yep, we’ve reviewed anti-diarrheal pills, and these are the best value.
- Aspirin: Aspirin 325mg (500 ct) – for heart attack symptoms, mostly. Never give Aspirin to kids.
- Ibuprofen: Ibuprofen 200mg (500 ct)
- Benadryl: Diphenhydramine HCl 25mg (400 ct)
Trauma
- Combat Tourniquet: CAT Gen7 – for severed limbs or clamping unreachable veins and arteries (see why this is the best survival tourniquet)
- Trauma Pads: Combine ABD 5×9 Pad (5 ct)
- Gauze Rolls: MedPride Stretch Gauze (12 rolls)
- Gauze Sponge: MedPride Surgical Sponge (200 ct)
- Medical Tape: NexCare Cloth Tape (2 ct)
Miscellaneous
- Mylar Blanket: EverLit Mylar Thermal Blankets (4 ct) – stay warm and dry, great for covering those in shock (see why this is the best mylar blanket)
- First Aid Kit Container: Dixie EMS Responder Bag
- First Aid Manual: ACEP First Aid Manual
- Medical Contact List: Get all the important contacts down on one list. Doctors, emergency family contacts, poison control centers, etc.
Suggested Additions for Your First Aid Kit
This gear may not be essential by definition, but adding any of these to your FAK will improve your kit’s versatility for even more situations.
- Israeli Bandage: EverLit 6″ Israeli Bandage (3 ct)
- Hemostatic Gauze: QuikClot Gauze (2 ct)
- Suture Thread and Needle: Sterile Sutures (24 ct) – you’ll need some skill, but these are our top-reviewed sutures.
- Aluminum Splint: SAM Splint 36″
- Hydrogen Peroxide: Hydrogen Peroxide 32 oz
- Blister Treatment: MediTac Moleskin
- Throat Lozenges: Luden’s Throat Drops (90 ct)
- Electrolyte Mix: DripDrop Electrolyte Powder – the top pick out of our review of the best electrolyte powders.
- Pepto Tabs: Pocket Pepto (24 ct) – We reviewed these as part of our anti-diarrheal pill review and they are extremely versatile.
- Super Glue: 3M Vetbond Tissue Adhesive – For when you need something faster and easier than staples/sutures. (See why this is the best super glue)
- Razor Blades: Dorco Safety Double Razor Blades (100 ct)
- Sting Kit: Sting-Kill – Take the bite out of a sting quickly (See why this is the best sting remedy)
- Anesthetic Spray: Hurricaine Topical Anesthetic Spray
Extra Supplies for your First Aid Kit
Essentials and suggested additions have been covered, so this is the area will you will find everything else that could be useful to have on you in a medical emergency. These extra supplies will help you in very specific situations, are less versatile, and may take up a lot of space. Even still, they could be the difference makers in an emergency- so it could pay off to consider adding these.
- Chest Seal: Hyfin Vent Chest Seal (2 ct)
- Irrigation Syringe: Curved Tip Irrigation Syringe 12cc (8 ct)
- Nasopharyngeal Airway: Rusch 28FR Nasopharyngeal Airway
- Thermometer: Digital Oral Thermometer
- CPR Mask: EverReady Adult and Infant CPR Mask
- Petroleum Jelly: MedPride Petroleum Jelly (8 oz)
- Antacids: TUMS Antacid Tablets (330 ct)
- Laxatives: Docusate Sodium 100mg (100 ct)
- Cough & Cold Medicine: NyQuil LiquiCaps (48 ct)
- Aloe Vera Lotion: 100% Aloe Vera Gel
- Calamine Lotion: Humco Calamine Lotion (6 oz)
- Caffeine Pills: Prolab Caffeine Tablets 200mg (100 ct)
- Hydrocortisone Cream: Hydrocortisone 1% Cream (2 oz) – higher concentrations available with prescriptions.
- Medical Waste Bag: Rolled Medical Waste Bags (20 ct)
- Dental Tools: Emergency Dental Kit (Extractors, forceps, etc)
Survival First Aid Kit Checklist
A perfect first aid kit doesn’t exist- what is right for you depends on your situation, training, and risk tolerance. That said, we have as close to perfect of a starting point for you: our definitive FAK checklist.
Our checklist is available as both a pdf download and as a Google Sheet/Excel file where you can check off items yourself, and even add and subtract items from the checklist.
Survival First Aid Kit Printable PDF Checklist
If you are looking for the simplest way to print and use the checklist above, download our printable PDF version. It is one page long on 8.5″ x 11″ paper if you reduce the margins to 0.5″. This FAK PDF makes gathering and tracking your FAK gear extremely easy. Once you open the first aid kit PDF checklist in your browser, you can either print it directly or save it through your browser.
Survival First Aid Kit Excel / Google Sheets Checklist
If you are looking for a comprehensive way to track your EDC loadout, open our Excel / Google Sheets version. The sheet is sharable, and you just need to copy it to your own Google Sheets account or download it to Excel to edit it. We also keep the best-reviewed item for each category linked to simplify shopping for any equipment you may find yourself missing.
The Next Step
A first aid kit is a common specialized kit that can help you every day or in an emergency. Here are some other common specialized kits:
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