What to put in a home first aid kit (Red Cross checklist)
The American Red Cross recommends a family-of-four kit with 19 items, from 25 adhesive bandages and gauze pads to gloves, tweezers, an emergency blanket and a first aid instruction booklet. Keep one at home and one in the car, and check it regularly for used or expired items.
The Red Cross list
Your ticks save on this device, so you can build the kit over a few shopping trips. List from the American Red Cross.
- 2 absorbent compress dressings (5 x 9 in)
- 25 adhesive bandages (assorted sizes)
- 1 adhesive cloth tape (10 yd x 1 in)
- 5 antibiotic ointment packets (about 1 g)
- 5 antiseptic wipe packets
- 2 packets of aspirin (81 mg each)
- 1 emergency blanket
- 1 breathing barrier (with one-way valve)
- 1 instant cold compress
- 2 pairs of non-latex gloves (large)
- 2 hydrocortisone ointment packets (about 1 g)
- 1 roller bandage (3 in wide)
- 1 roller bandage (4 in wide)
- 5 sterile gauze pads (3 x 3 in)
- 5 sterile gauze pads (4 x 4 in)
- Oral thermometer (non-mercury, non-glass)
- 2 triangular bandages
- Tweezers
- Emergency first aid instructions
What to add for your own family
The Red Cross says to add personal items: your own medications, emergency phone numbers, and anything your doctor suggests. The Mayo Clinic also lists pain relievers, antihistamine, a first aid manual, a flashlight with spare batteries, and medical history and insurance details for each person.
Aspirin warning: the Mayo Clinic says never give aspirin to children, and adults who are allergic, have bleeding problems or take blood thinners should not take it.
Keeping it ready
- Keep one kit at home and one in every car.
- Make sure everyone in the house knows where it is.
- Check it regularly. Replace anything used or past its date.
- Restock straight after you use it, not "next time you're at the store".
Common mistakes
- Buying a 300-piece kit that is mostly tiny bandages and nothing for a real wound.
- Keeping the only kit in the house when the emergency happens in the car.
- Never checking dates, then finding dried-out ointment and dead batteries when it counts.
- Owning a kit nobody knows how to use. The Mayo Clinic suggests a first aid course through the Red Cross.
Gear for this
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A ready-made family first aid kit
The fastest way to tick most of the list. Top up the gaps from the checklist above.
Emergency mylar blankets
Light, cheap, and on the Red Cross list. Buy a pack and put one in every kit.
Instant cold packs
For sprains and swelling when there is no ice. On the Red Cross list.
Non-latex nitrile gloves
Two pairs per kit at minimum. Get the size that fits the person likely to use them.
Questions people ask
What should be in a basic first aid kit?
The Red Cross lists 19 items for a family of four, including bandages, gauze, tape, gloves, antiseptic wipes, tweezers, an emergency blanket and instructions.
How often should I check my first aid kit?
The Red Cross says to check it regularly and replace anything used or out of date.
Is a store-bought first aid kit good enough?
It is a good start. Compare it with the Red Cross list and add what is missing, plus your family's own medications.
Sources
Related entries
- D-01Hurricane emergency kit checklistThe FEMA kit list as a tick-off checklist, plus the hurricane rules that keep people alive.
- W-01How to make water safe to drink in an emergencyBoil it, bleach it, or filter and treat it. Exact amounts from the CDC.
General safety information only, not medical or professional advice. Rules can change, so check the linked sources and follow your local officials. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.