How to Pack a First Aid Kit for Your Car

Save money by putting together an on-the-road emergency preparedness kit yourself.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• First Aid Books
• Maps
• Blankets
• Cereals
• Cereals
• Water
• Aspirins
• Bandages
• Cotton Swabs
• Diapers
• Eyebrow Tweezers
• Facial Tissues
• Medical Tape And Gauze
• Sterile Dressings
• Cotton Swabs
• Paper And Pencils
• Emergency Flares
• Ice Packs
• Whistles
• Flashlights
• Cellular Phones
• Flashlights
• Ice packs
• Maps
• Water
• Blankets
• Bandages

1. Buy a waterproof sack that's large enough for everything you need. Include a smaller plastic bag inside it to keep your medical supplies dry.

2. Pack a flashlight, a blanket, two large bottles of water, $20 in cash, safety streamers, a whistle and, if you have a baby, a few emergency diapers.

3. Include everything you might need for a medical emergency: 4-by-4-inch nonadhesive bandages, gauze and medical tape, butterfly bandage strips and an elastic bandage. Add a trauma pad, instant ice pack, alcohol wipes, tweezers, swabs, cotton balls, a small pack of tissues, antibiotic ointment, tincture of benzoin, insect sting relief pads, cortisone cream and an irrigation syringe. Include acetaminophen and ibuprofen for pain relief, and antihistamines for allergic reactions. A first aid instruction book can be very helpful.

4. Keep a pencil and pad of paper on hand in case you need to write down directions or a phone number.

Tips & Warnings

• Invest in a cellular phone.
• Always wear your seat belt.
• Never leave a child unattended in a car.
• If your car breaks down, stay inside with the doors locked until a highway patrol officer stops.
• If you do get out of the car, stay in front of it rather than behind it.
• If you can, pull over to the shoulder of the road.

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[naviman246]

on 6/3/2009 put a granola bar or two and a large bottle of water into your kit as well.

on 8/8/2006 I always keep a Surefire or Maglite with me when I travel. They are practically indestructible. First Aid kits should also be on hand and kept in a water proof container.

on 6/30/2006 If you know CPR, always carry a CPR mask and a pair of disposable gloves in your car. You can get a mask at for about four bucks. There are so many blood-borne pathogens around, you never can be too careful!

on 1/4/2006 You can buy emergency blankets at any outdoor gear store. They only cost a couple of dollars each. They reflect approximately 90% of your body heat back to you. They are paper thin and weigh practically nothing. I carry 4 of them in my glove box, one for each member of my family. Essential equipment for cold weather traveling.

on 11/22/2005 Keep a roll of trash bags in your vehicle. A woman and her son were stranded in their vehicle in winter without the clothing to keep them protected. The mother used the trash bags for warmth by cutting a hole in the closed end of the trash bag for a head hole. Plastic retains heat, so this makes sense to me.