Together we’ve spent decades trekking through the mountains and finding ourselves in all types of dangerous scenarios. None of this compares to what we face today and that’s having to fend for ourselves without medical care in a survival scenario. Having the best survival first aid kit will be the difference between comfort and infection, disease, and even death.
We’ve used our experience paired with the opinions and thoughts of other experts to put together this complete and exhaustive guide on survival first aid kits. We take this very seriously and there’s never been a higher need for preparation than there is today. Read through and see if you find one that works for you and your family.
Our Choices for the Best Survival First Aid Kits
Pros:
- Large assortment of survival supplies
- Durable packaging
- Easy to organize and find what you want
Cons:
- Low quantity of supplies
- Heavy bag
What We Like
This survival first aid kit comes with a large number of useful supplies and everything you need to treat small and large injuries. It comes with an assortment of bandages ranging from large to small, safety pins, medicine bags, a whistle, tweezers, and an emergency blanket.
The material of the bag is a ripstop and durable material and the internal contents of the bag are protected from water due to the laminate pouches.
For a small travel-size kit survival kit, they include a lot of materials in an organized fashion. There is also a first-aid guide, gloves, and CPR mask to walk you through basic resuscitation.
What Needs Improvement
The biggest issue we have with this survival first aid kit is the low quantity of materials you get. While there is a large variety of bandages, many of them only come with one or five pieces so the kit won’t last you that long if you’re using it in a bug-out scenario.
This will serve as more of an emergency kit that you’ll want to keep somewhere in case you don’t have easy access to your primary first aid station.
Bottom Line
Our pick for best survival first aid kit made the list because of its large assortment of components, CPR kit, and overall usefulness. This kit makes a great portable option when you may need to venture away from camp and have something small on you.
Pros:
- Loaded with useful survival tools
- Room for additional gear
- Compact
Cons:
- Some flimsy tools
- Lacking OTC medication
What We Like
This survival first aid kit is amazing. It comes with everything including a large assortment of bandages of varying shapes, tourniquets, medical tape, gloves, whistle, scissors, military shovel, pocket knife, and a flashlight. It even features a DIY fishing kit and parachute cord with a carabiner.
It’s the ultimate survival first aid kit for long-term emergencies and bug-outs. The bag also contains extra space so you can include some of your own gear as well. It lacks OTC medication of any kind so you’ll want to make sure you bring that.
What Needs Improvement
Our biggest complaint comes with the durability and strength of the bag itself. The material it’s made from is not strong, will rip easily, and it is only water-resistant so you’re in trouble if it falls in the water.
Bottom Line
Regardless of our negative opinions, this kit is everything. If you have a survival first aid kit checklist, this should check most of your boxes. It’s the perfect choice for long-term survival, bug-outs, and portable emergency kits.
Pros:
- Compact and lightweight
- Comes with basic OTC medication
- Great value
Cons:
- No CPR mask
- Limited quantities
What We Like
This survival first aid kit is barely the size of a postcard so it can squeeze into any backpack. It comes with a first aid guide so you can reduce the size of it by removing that. The kit features most first aid materials you would need for minor to moderate cuts and scrapes.
It includes ten different bandages, butterfly closures, antiseptic wipes, ointment, alcohol swabs, and trauma pads. One thing that stands out about this kit is the number of OTC medications included. You get bug bite wipes, aspirin, antihistamines, ibuprofen, and acetaminophen.
The portable first aid kit is water-resistant, ultralight, and highly durable if you’re forced away from your camp and need to rely on it long-term.
What Needs Improvement
The primary issue we see is the lack of a CPR mask. Because there is no CPR mask, this pack would not be able to serve as a survival first aid kit on its own. You would have to accompany it with something else. We believe the limited quantities of bandages are also concerning if you’re planning on using this long-term.
Bottom Line
If you’re looking for something simple, lightweight, compact, and easy to travel with, this survival first aid kit is a great option. We recommend having a primary kit or accessory bag to go along with it but the number of medications and bandages in here should set you off on the right foot.
Pros:
- Great high-quality bag
- Well organized
- More advanced components
Cons:
- Weight
- Price
What We Like
If you seek something with a bit more heavy-duty gear, this is the survival first aid kit you want. As we mentioned, having accessory bags are nice because one survival kit can only do so much. This one can pretty much do it all.
It comes with liquid skin, three different sizes of gauze, burn gel, CPR shield, splints, sunscreen, Neosporin, hydrocortisone cream, Orajel, Benadryl, Advil, survival blanket, thermometer, and much more.
The main advantage of this kit is the fact that it will work long-term. If you need to venture away from your camp or bug-out, this will last you a while and have essential supplies for when emergencies happen.
What Needs Improvement
The weight of this kit is over three pounds which doesn’t seem like a lot but it becomes cumbersome when you’re walking long distances and wishing you had something lighter. That said, it’s a trade-off because you get everything you need in one pack instead of requiring multiple kits.
Another downside is the price. This is the most expensive survival first aid kit on the list but once again, you get what you pay for.
Bottom Line
The bottom line is, if you’re serious about your survival and you want to make sure you’re prepared for anything, you need this kit. It will ensure you have everything you need when you’re pushed away from camp.
Pros:
- Comes with purified water and food rations
- Two-person tent
- Sewing kit
Cons:
- Only one pair of gloves
- Leaky bags
What We Like
In the event of a natural disaster, bandages are going to be the only things you need. That’s why we continue to preach the importance of accessory bags. This emergency bug out bag won’t be something you take with you everywhere, but it’s an essential survival kit containing 7200 total calories in rations, 24 water pouches, 20 water purification tablets, hygiene kits, and much more.
What Needs Improvement
Of course, you can only fit so much in one bag so this one is severely lacking in terms of first-aid equipment. But, if you’re using two of these bags, one for first aid, and one for emergencies, you should have nothing to worry about. It’s also quite heavy at 16 pounds but the backpack contains room for other first aid items as well.
Bottom Line
When disaster strikes, those who are prepared will survive and those who aren’t will perish. Having emergency survival kits like these around are the difference between life and death. In the event that you lose your shelter on a bug-out, this kit can also serve as temporary comfort until you put together a plan.
Three Additional Survival First Aid Kits
What We Like
We love the design of this kit because it contains two sides so it’s easy to keep everything organized. It only weighs 1.2 pounds as well which is nice and light for long-distance travel. All of the components in the first aid kit are FDA-approved with trauma shears, ice packs, and various survival gear.
It comes with contents such as alcohol prep pads, cotton tips, gauze pads, antiseptic wipes, sting relief pads, gloves, compass, blister relief, mylar blanket, whistle, sewing kit, glow stick, and assorted band-aids.
What Needs Improvement
Even though the Swiss Safe kit is lightweight, it’s not that portable because of its hard box design and lack of foldability. In many cases, this will come in handy but it could also serve as a major con when you don’t have enough backpack space to carry it and have to leave to empty the contents out to move it.
Bottom Line
This multipurpose first aid kit is lightweight, well organized, and comes with a tremendous guide on how to properly administer first aid to someone. If you need something portable to keep in your shelter or at home during a survival scenario, this is a great option.
What We Like
This portable and lightweight kit contains everything you’ll need to patch up minor scrapes, scratches, and cuts. It has 299 medical supplies in a soft-sided case that’s shorter than the size of a ruler. It contains essential first aid gear for wound cleaning, closures, antiseptics, gauze, and trauma gear. Best of all it’s portable enough to fit in any backpack and very affordably priced.
What Needs Improvement
To be honest, we can’t find much to complain about here as long as you know what you’re getting. This first aid kit will not contain essential survival gear. It’s a first aid kit so it is limited but it’s certainly something you’ll want to have with you when bugging out or even somewhere in your shelter for quick repair of scrapes and scratches.
Bottom Line
The bottom line is, this is an essential piece of survival gear because first aid is important. There are many bandages, gauze pads, and sterile wipes in this portable pack so it’s a great choice for traveling.
What We Like
If you’re a prepper and you’re determined to be ready for it all you’ll want to have this survival kit by your side. It contains everything you’ll need to survive for 72 hours until you can find new shelter, food, and water. It comes with food rations, emergency drinking water with a five-year shelf life, whistle, glow sticks, essential first aid gear, gloves, masks, and a guide.
What Needs Improvement
The supplies are limited, there are issues with expiration dates, and the backpack itself leaves a lot to be desired. You were probably wondering why this was so far down on the list because it appears to be the epitome of the best survival first aid kits but it lacks in execution. Many of the kits arrive with food already ready to expire, there isn’t a whole lot of food so you’re not surviving “well” so to speak.
Bottom Line
It’s a great starter survival kit that can serve in absolute “no-option” situations. We also recommend this for role-playing because it’s affordable. If you and your family are prepping, this kit is affordable enough for you to play out different scenarios as you prepare for the ultimate bug-out.
How to Choose the Best First Aid Kit for Survival
Now that you’ve seen the top picks, choosing one might be a bit more difficult. Keep in mind that you only want what you need because preparedness is important but you need to keep it within reason. You don’t need anything extra or unnecessary to carry. Here are some of the factors we considered when choosing these as our top picks.
Intended Use
The most important thing to understand is that everything requires a scenario. There is no “one-size-fits-all” option. You won’t find a survival kit on the market that gives you everything you need so you need to know which ones will take care of you in an emergency situation.
For example, you’ll want to have a first aid kit that contains a lot of bandages, gauze, and first aid supplies for when a family member falls down an embankment and requires emergency care from an EMT or first responder.
A shelter, water, and food rations will not help you in that situation. That’s why you need to have both kits.
What we recommend doing is playing out every possible scenario based on how you’re prepping and what you’re planning for. Then, purchase the kits that make the most sense based on how you’re preparing to tackle it.
Current Supply
Your current supply is also a factor. Perhaps you already have a large number of first aid supplies but you simply need a way to move it in a portable and easy fashion. If that’s the case, you’ll want to go with a small portable pack because you’re not as worried about the number of supplies inside the pack. You’re more concerned about having a bug out vehicle to transport it all.
That said, on the other side of the spectrum. If you have absolutely nothing and you’re starting from scratch, you might be more concerned about stockpiling as many supplies as you can and worrying about portability later when you get closer to the imposed bug-out date.
Quantity of Components
As for the trauma kit itself, we pay a lot of attention to how many of each thing you get. For example, some kits only come with two butterfly bandages and that’s simply not enough. If you’re planning on relying entirely on the survival kit, you’ll need to complement it with another bag and that adds something else for your or someone else to carry.
The bottom line is you want to get the most bang for your buck and make sure you pay attention to just how many of each bandage, gauze, and cream you get.
Why Do We Need a First Aid Kit in a Survival Kit?
First aid is part of survival. Most importantly, doing first aid properly is the key so we recommend having someone in your household trained in basic first aid, CPR, child CPR, and wound care. When the shit hits the fan and you’re entirely required to fend for yourself, access to medical treatment will cease to exist and if it does exist, it’s expected to rise to exponential levels in terms of cost so it’s up to you to take care of yourself and your family.
How to Make a Survival First Aid Kit
Everyone needs to have a survival first aid kit list to determine exactly what you need, what materials, how to store it, and what you should have if you can’t find something. These are the Red Cross recommendations for first aid based on a family of four:
- 2 absorbent compress dressings
- 25 adhesive bandages
- 1 adhesive cloth tape
- 5 antibiotic ointments
- 5 antiseptic wipes
- 2 packets of 81mg aspirin
- 1 blanket
- 1 breathing barrier
- 1 cold compress
- 2 pairs of nonlatex gloves
- 2 hydrocortisone ointment packets
- Scissors
- 2 roller bandages
- 10 sterile gauze pads
- Oral thermometer
- Two triangular bandages
- Tweezers
- First aid guide
If you’re doing a DIY survival first aid kit, make sure you have at least these essential items and a method and means for transporting them in an organized fashion.
Final Thoughts
Ensuring you have the best survival first aid kit can mean the difference between life and death whether the SHTF or you’re backpacking across the country. Make sure you’re confident that you not only have the right materials but you’ve trained yourself or someone in your household on how to properly administer them. Preparation makes all the difference.
