Family First-Aid Kit Checklist

Most family camping injuries are small: scraped knees, splinters, bug bites, a bit too much sun. A kit built for those, plus a plan for the rare bigger problem, covers nearly everything.

A store-bought kit is a fine base, but most are built for adults and light on the things kids need most. Use this checklist to top one up. Keep the kit in a brightly colored bag, tell every child old enough to understand where it lives, and put a small "pocket kit" in the daypack for walks away from camp.

Before you go

A few minutes of planning at home make the kit far more useful. Check expiry dates, replace anything you used last trip, and write down the address and phone number of the nearest urgent care or emergency department. Phone signal at campgrounds can be patchy, so a written note is more reliable than a map app.

The pocket kit for walks

Keep a small zippered pouch in the daypack with: four bandages, two antiseptic wipes, blister bandages, tweezers, sting relief, a few doses of each child's usual medicine, and a copy of the information card. It weighs almost nothing and means you are not walking back to camp for a splinter.

Restock after every trip

The kit is only useful if it is complete. When you unpack, open it on the kitchen table and replace anything used, damp or expired. Children grow quickly, so check the information card too: weights, medicines and allergies can change from one season to the next. Keeping a short list taped inside the lid of the kit makes restocking a two-minute job, and means the kit is ready the moment the next trip is planned.