First Aid Kit for Fieldcraft
Building a First Aid Kit for Fieldcraft: What You Actually Need (and What You Can Ignore)
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| Example DIY first aid kits. |
Let’s talk about first aid kits — not the ones designed for Everest expeditions or zombie apocalypses, but the kind that fits in your coat pocket and quietly saves the day when your walk turns into a minor medical drama.
You don’t need a tactical pouch with MOLLE webbing and 47 compartments. You don’t need a kit designed by ex‑military paramedics who assume you’ll be dealing with broken limbs — because while those can happen, that’s not first aid, that’s search and rescue, unless you haven't left the carpark..
You just need something simple, sensible, and suited to the kind of walking you actually do.
🧈 The Margarine Tub Tradition
Scouts have been building their own first aid kits for as long as scouting has existed — often using margarine tubs, tobacco tins, or whatever small container was lying around. It’s a tradition rooted in practicality: use what you have, carry what you need, and don’t overthink it.
A repurposed plastic tub works just fine. It’s waterproof, lightweight, and easy to spot in your bag. If it rattles, add a rubber band. If it leaks, put the contents in a zip lock bag. The point is: the container doesn’t matter. The contents do.
🎒 Purpose‑Made Kits: Useful but Pricey
You can buy pre‑packed first aid kits from outdoor shops, and some of them are genuinely useful. But many are:
overpriced
overstuffed with things you’ll never use
understocked in the things you will
They often include burn dressings, eye wash pods, and trauma pads — which are great if you’re leading a Duke of Edinburgh group across Dartmoor, but slightly excessive for a Sunday walk in the Cotswolds.
If you do buy one, treat it as a starting point. Open it up, remove the fluff, and add the things you’ll actually need.
🩹 Blister Plasters: Your Best Friend
If you take nothing else from this post, take this: blister plasters are your best friend.
They’re the difference between finishing a walk and limping home like a wounded Victorian orphan. A single hot spot on your heel can ruin your day — and once the blister forms, it’s too late.
Carry:
Compeed or similar hydrocolloid plasters
A few normal plasters for cuts and scrapes
A small roll of microporous tape
A couple of alcohol wipes
A sachet of antiseptic cream
A folded gauze pad or two
A couple of painkillers
Optional: tick remover, antihistamines, safety pins, small scissors, gloves
That’s it. That’s the kit.
🐍 Ticks, Lyme Disease, and Adders: The Things People Worry About (But Rarely Need To)
When people think about countryside first aid, their minds often jump straight to dramatic wildlife encounters — snakes, ticks, mysterious rashes, the whole lot. The reality is far calmer, and far more manageable.
🐍 Adder Bites: Britain’s Only Venomous Snake (and a Notoriously Shy One)
Adders do exist in the UK, but they are:
small
timid
sunbathers by nature
absolutely uninterested in humans
They avoid people whenever possible. Most bites happen when someone accidentally steps on one or tries to pick one up — both easily avoided.
If you see one, admire it from a distance and carry on. They’re more scared of you than you are of them.
For peace of mind:
Stick to paths in adder‑friendly areas
Don’t poke around in long grass or heather with bare hands
Wear boots on moors and heathland
Actual adder bites are rare, and serious complications are rarer still.
🕷️ Ticks and Lyme Disease: The Real Thing to Watch For
Ticks are far more common than adders, and they’re the main reason to think about first aid when walking in the countryside.
The good news: tick bites are preventable, and Lyme disease is treatable when caught early.
Ticks like:
long grass
bracken
woodland edges
warm, damp environments, like your crotch!
They don’t jump or fly — they cling to passing legs like tiny hitchhikers.
🧥 How to Prevent Tick Bites (The Easy Way)
Dress for the environment:
Wear long trousers
Tuck trousers into socks in long grass
Choose light‑coloured clothing so ticks are easier to spot
Use insect repellent in high‑risk areas
After your walk:
Check your legs, waistline, and behind the knees
Brush off any ticks before they attach
Shower when you get home and check your nether regions, just in case
Simple, quick, and massively reduces your risk.
🩹 If You Do Find a Tick
Carry a tick remover in your first aid kit — they’re tiny, cheap, and incredibly useful.
To remove a tick:
Slide the remover under the tick
Lift gently and steadily
Don’t twist, squeeze, or burn it
Clean the area afterwards
Then keep an eye on the bite for a few weeks. If you develop a circular rash or flu‑like symptoms, contact a doctor. Early treatment is straightforward and effective.
🧭 Final Thoughts
Your first aid kit doesn’t need to be impressive. It needs to be useful. Whether it lives in a margarine tub, a zip‑up pouch, or the side pocket of your rucksack, it should be:
small
simple
tailored to your actual adventures
And above all, it should contain blister plasters. Because no matter how good your boots are, one rogue seam or sweaty sock can turn a lovely walk into a slow‑motion tragedy.
