Even if you’ve already stocked up on basic first aid supplies, there’s a good chance a few important items slipped under your radar. It’s easy to focus on the obvious supplies and forget about some of the lesser-known tools that can still make a big difference in a medical emergency.
Whether it’s something to help you move around, treat burns, or protect your eyes, these overlooked items could end up being just as critical as the standard gear in your first aid kit.
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1. Antibiotics
While you can’t purchase antibiotics over the counter in the United States, some online retailers will ship to your door. Antibiotics are a controlled substance due to creating antibiotic-resistant situations.
However, in an emergency, having penicillin on hand could be the difference between life or death. As always, choose what is best for your family and know the risks of abusing antibiotics.
2. Bandages
While you could make your own bandages out of torn fabric, it is always a good idea to have plenty of medical bandages on hand. Keep a wide assortment from small to large as well as trauma bandages as well. Band-aids can mean a world of difference when a finger or sensitive area is cut.
3. Burn Gel or Burn Dressings
Burns are a common injury in off-grid or emergency scenarios, especially when cooking or using improvised heating methods. Having burn gel or sterile burn dressings on hand can reduce pain, prevent infection, and promote healing.
These specialized treatments offer much more relief and protection than a basic bandage and should be part of any complete medical kit.
4. Crutches
It is common for members of the family to have leg issues in an emergency situation. Scrambling to safety can often mean a twisted ankle or knee. Sometimes a more severe condition, like a broken leg, can create a big problem.
After addressing the issue, it is crucial that the person can still get around without bearing weight on the damaged area. Storing a pair of crutches in your stockpile can be quite helpful.
5. Eye Wash
No one thinks about just how important their eyes are in an emergency. You only have two of them, and if they are damaged, it dramatically reduces your chances of survival.
Keep a solution of eyewash in your stockpile to use for eyes contaminated with many of the possible liquids or smoke that could be used in an emergency situation. Keeping your eyes clean and clear is a vital part of survival.
6. First Aid Books
Even if your family doesn’t have any emergency medical issues, there are other normal ailments that you may need to know about. Storing a good medical book or two can be the difference between life and death when there is no chance of getting to a medical facility. Reading through the books is also an excellent way to pass the time.
I highly recommend The Survival Medicine Handbook by Joseph Alton MD.
7. Goggles
Another overlooked medical supply is plastic goggles. Having a pair of clear goggles for everyone in the family can help protect against any kind of smoke or agent in the air. Again, your eyes are very important in an emergency, and wearing a pair of goggles is a small task to protect yourself.
8. Head Lamps
Battery-operated headlamps are beneficial in an emergency situation. They help illuminate the area and can be vital when someone has a medical emergency. Consider storing solar-powered headlamps that can be set out in the sunlight during the day so that you don’t need to worry about storing extra batteries.
9. High Filtration Mask
While we all are pretty familiar with masks nowadays, it is essential to get a high filtration mask for each person in your family. These heavy-duty masks are those that have filters included inside the mask that help filter the air. Hopefully, you never need them, but it is important to have them ready to go on hand if you do.
10. Instant Ice Packs
Refrigeration may not be possible in an emergency. Stock up on instant ice packs that can be activated when needed. Ice is an essential medical supply that helps focus the body’s attention on a specific area.
It reduces swelling, numbs pain, and can be a big asset for medical issues. Instant ice packs aren’t activated until shaken, so they can store well in a stockpile.
11. Iodine
As a natural disinfectant, iodine is a critical component of doing any kind of medical procedure in an emergency. Use iodine to disinfect the body of either a cut or if you need to close a wound. Iodine stores well in dark areas, and you can’t have too much in your emergency stockpile.
12. IV Bags
While IV bags are hard to find in America, there are some options that pertain to pets. Storing a few IV bags with some saline solution could help in a dire situation. Educate yourself on how to place an IV but hope that you never need to use it.
13. Magnifying Glass
It may seem like an odd supply, but a magnifying glass has many different uses in an emergency. You can use the magnifying glass to take a closer look at an area that is wounded.
A magnifying glass can also be used to refract sunlight to start a fire. This is quite helpful for creating a heat source and boiling medical items to disinfect them.
14. Medical Scissors
Keep a pair of medical scissors nearby your emergency stockpile to use quickly in an emergency. Also called trauma scissors, they are designed to make quickly cutting away fabric or clothes. Medical scissors can also be used to cut bandages and other medical supplies.
15. Pedialyte
Known as a product primarily for young children, Pedialyte is often used to help combat dehydration in adults as well. It is a great product that helps heal the body with water and electrolytes.
Pedialyte helps replenish the body after sweating and urinating, which can help in an emergency. You can find plastic jugs of it at any local grocery store for easy storage.
16. Rubbing Alcohol
On the slim chance that you would need to perform a surgery, hard alcohol can be used to help dull the senses to reduce pain. Alcohol is also a natural disinfectant when needed, and it has many other uses as well. Store bottles of alcohol in a cool and dry place and hide them if necessary to keep them for emergency purposes only.
17. Suture Kit
While you probably aren’t a surgeon in real life, it is highly possible that you would need to close a wound in an emergency. Suture kits are vital in closing an area that would otherwise get infected. Consider adding a small card to the suture kit showing different kinds of stitches and closures to help aid you when needed.
18. Syringes
Storing a box of syringes is a good idea in an emergency. Needles can be used to administer medicine as well as used as a vacuum to remove excess fluid. Having a good amount of syringes on hand is best so that you don’t reuse syringes that can be contaminated.
19. Tongue Depressors
Often forgotten but surprisingly versatile, tongue depressors can be used for more than just checking the throat. In an emergency, they’re ideal for splinting fingers, applying ointments, mixing medications, or even improvising a small brace. Lightweight and cheap, these wooden sticks take up almost no space but can serve dozens of functions in a medical emergency.
20. Trash Bags
Storing a roll or box of trash bags is always helpful in an emergency. The trash bags help keep your area clean of used medical equipment and are suitable for other things as well. Use trash bags as a makeshift poncho to keep out the rain, as well as an extra layer of protection to keep bodies warm.
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