What's in a personal kit
- Adhesive bandages, assorted, and sterile gauze pads
- Adhesive tape and moleskin (for blisters)
- Soap or an alcohol-based hand sanitizer
- Antibiotic ointment
- Small scissors and tweezers
- Non-latex disposable gloves
- A CPR breathing barrier
- Pencil and paper, to record what happened
A group kit scales this up: more gauze and dressings, roller and triangular bandages (for slings and splints), an instant cold pack, an emergency blanket, extra gloves and barriers, and emergency instructions and phone numbers. Match the kit to the trip — more people and days, or more remote, means more supplies, and only carry advanced items someone present is trained to use.
Keep it ready
- 1Check the kit regularly and after every trip.
- 2Replace expired items (ointments, wipes, any medicines) and anything used up.
- 3Keep an inventory list in the kit so you can spot what's missing.
- 4Store it dry and within a reasonable temperature range.
- 5Make sure whoever carries it knows what's inside and how to use it under stress.
When to use it
- Every hike, campout, meeting, and drive — the kit is one of the scout "essentials" to carry.
- A personal kit for the small stuff (blisters, small cuts) so the group kit is saved for bigger needs.
- Trip planning — the quartermaster and patrol leaders sizing the group kit to the outing.
Common mistakes & safety
- A kit you don't have with you helps no one. The whole point is that it's present and stocked when the need is sudden.
- Only stock advanced items you're trained to use. A tourniquet, hemostatic gauze, or medicines belong in a kit only if someone present knows how and when.
- Expired supplies can fail. Ointments and antiseptics lose effectiveness — check dates.
- Restock immediately after use. The most common kit failure is reaching for something that got used last trip and never replaced.
- Keep medicines controlled. Any medications in a group kit need proper authorization and storage per your unit's health rules; keep kits out of reach of young children.
- Know your kit before the emergency. Fumbling for gloves or a barrier during a real event wastes the minutes that matter.
Going deeper
- Personal vs. group is the key idea. The personal kit handles the everyday small stuff so it's always with you; the group kit is the deeper backup carried for the whole patrol.
- Part of "the essentials." A first-aid kit is one of the standard things to carry on any outing, alongside water, a map, and the rest.
- A kit is a system, not a box. Knowing the contents, keeping an inventory card, and restocking discipline matter as much as what you bought.
Official source
First aid kits — Scouting America →Confirm the current recommended contents against the Scouts BSA Handbook and First Aid merit badge pamphlet. See also the Red Cross kit list.