Ultralight First Aid Kits: Which One is Right for You?

When Moses descended from Mt Sinai, he brought down with him the Ten Essentials. Ok, ok… it was actually the Mountaineers, a Seattle-based organization that first formulated the list in the 1930s, and they were probably descending from Mt Rainier or another Cascades peak. Amongst the sacred Ten Essentials identified by the Mountaineers back in the day was a First Aid Kit, and this is as important an item in today’s backcountry travel as it was nearly one hundred years ago.

Of course, many things have changed in the ways things have with almost all backcountry gear: first aid kits are now lighter, more readily purchased, and have the benefit of the past 100 years of science and technology. Just like any other piece of gear, since we all do different things in the backcountry and come to it from different places in life, we all need slightly different things out of a backcountry first aid kit.

Why Purchase a Premade First Aid Kit? 

I liken this a bit to a person who cooks all the time versus a person like me who uses a meal prep delivery service on occasion with all the ingredients portioned out in the amounts I need. I’m really not sure if we have turmeric in the cabinet, or hoisin in the fridge, or any fresh ginger around the house. If I buy ingredients in normal quantities, they will go unused for long periods of time and likely spoil.

I am quite the opposite with backcountry first aid supplies. I have ordered 100 packs of antibacterial gel, alcohol wipes, sting relief wipes, anti-diarrheal pills, giant packages of an assortment of sizes of bandages, tapes, etc... If you don’t spend as much time as I do in the backcountry, the cost of an outlay of all the individual items in a first aid kit is prohibitive, especially if it includes things you wouldn’t stock at home or buy until you need them. After all, in civilization, a DoorDash person can just bring any of these things to you. 

It may be that for you a ready-made first aid kit both makes the most economic sense and is the best use of your time, so I propose a the following agreement: If you don’t make fun of my lack of kitchen and cooking skills, I won’t make fun of the fact that your hall closet doesn’t look like you are prepping for the end times.

Hmm... actually, seems like both of those are making fun of me. On to the first aid kits GGG has on offer!

common gear First Aid & Repair Kit (3.2oz)

BEST FOR: THRU-HIKERS

Real talk: It comes in a cute little Dyneema pouch with a waterproof zipper, and the moment I finish writing this my wife is going to steal it from me. The lightest kit and the only one featuring repair materials on this list, this is the best of the bunch for leaving it exactly as is, throwing it in your pack, and going on your hike. As such, I think it would be particularly appealing to thru-hikers that need to top off or refresh items in their kit mid hike. You’ve probably got painkillers already, or at least they're easily purchased in manageable quantities… but you aren’t walking out of town with a box of bandaids, and probably aren’t easily finding Leukotape at your next resupply town… but if you had one of these pouches ordered there to meet you, it could cut down on a lot of errands.

common gear's kit is remarkably similar to the composition of my own first aid and repair kit. Particularly thoughtful here is the inclusion of some water purification tablets — I keep these in my first aid kit as well, along with the added super glue. Notably absent are any pharmaceuticals, and it presupposes, like all these kits, some mini Swiss Army Knife or sewing scissors.

Adventure Medical .3 Medical Kit (2.5oz)

BEST FOR THE WEEKEND WARRIOR

Eschewing the Dyneema pouch for a cost effective plastic waterproof package, the .3 Adventure Medical Kit is very similar in composition to the common gear kit without the repair items. It clocks in a little heavier because it includes tweezers (helpful if you don’t carry them already or some sort of multi tool that includes them), as well as safety pins. There is a healthy dose of medical tape included as well. Adventure Medical also offers a .5 medical kit (3.68 oz), .7 medical kit (8oz), and .9 medical kit (12 oz) with additional materials to cover multiple people and longer days. 

Peak First Aid Kit (6.5oz)

FOR THOSE WITH MEDICAL TRAINING, GUIDES, and MULTISPORT BACKPACKERS

This kit comes in a cheery orange robic waterproof package — maybe not quite the swag of the common gear Dyneema pouch — but durable and reusable. The Peak First Aid Kit’s big distinguishing factors are the inclusion of a tourniquet and a collection of pharmaceuticals for dealing with common problems: an anti-diarrheal, antihistamine, antacid, and a trio of painkillers. The tourniquet is the big distinguishing factor here, substantially upping the level of injury this kit can be used to treat. However, the professional medical consensus is that tourniquets should not be attempted by untrained personnel, so this kit is best purchased by someone who has completed a Wilderness First Aid course, or more advanced First Responder Training. It also makes it best suited for trips and activities where there's a risk of more serious injuries than your average thru-hike. 

In Conclusion

If you are on the go, on a thru, or just someone that likes the simplicity of an all in one kit, the common gear and Adventure Medical kits are excellent choices. They’ll save you spending town time looking for a dozen items in an unfamiliar grocery store in sizes that are larger-than-idea to carry. For those with emergency medical training, perhaps serving as a guide or engaged in a high risk endeavor, the Peak First Aid kit is the choice for it’s inclusion of a tourniquet. 

Based in Portland, Oregon, Scott Nechemias has hiked over 10,000 miles in the backcountry, often accompanied by his wife Jordan and their fur monsters, Cheese and Utah. He has a particular affinity for off-trail travel, the high desert, and the places in the world less traveled by people. You can find more of his trips on Instagram. 

First Aid & Hygiene

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