Uncommon Yet Useful Items To Consider Adding To Your First Aid Kit

There are many different guidelines for first aid kit contents, and often the recommendations are based on the types of treatments people trained in first aid can provide at the scene of an accident, common sense, and specific medicines and treatments based on the people and environment the kit is used by.

However, whilst every first aid kit should be well-stocked with sterile plasters, bandages, eye dressings, tweezers scissors, antiseptic cream, painkillers and many other items, some first aid kits also have some rather unusual additions to help in rather more unusual situations.

None of these items are replacements for professional medical help, nor should they replace other parts of your kit, but can be surprisingly useful additions in some circumstances.

Here are some uncommon but useful items that you may want to consider adding to a first aid kit.

Petroleum Jelly

Often known by the brand name Vaseline, petroleum jelly used to be more of a common fixture in medical kits, but despite not being a disinfectant can still be very helpful during a first aid situation.

After cleaning a wound, a dab of petroleum jelly can seal the wound off from potential contaminants, and its lubricating qualities are very helpful for avoiding scarring after injuries caused to the skin.

Gaffer Tape

Whilst gaffer tape has a reputation for being able to solve every problem, there are a few places where it can even help in first aid. It can be used as a makeshift sling or splint due to its strong properties (although always on top of a bandage; never apply directly to the skin).

Safety Pins

This is a borderline case as the NHS and HSE advice is to include the versatile safety pin into your safety pin, but many people underestimate just how useful they can be.

They are typically used to hold bandages, but in some cases can be used to dig out splinters.

Hand Sanitiser

Most people tend to have a bottle of hand sanitiser or rubbing alcohol to hand given that for the last two years one of the legal requirements to enter many public buildings was to thoroughly sanitise your hands.

However, for these reasons they are also an essential item in a first aid kit, as they allow you to quickly clean your hands before putting on medical gloves and after treating wounds.

Tampons/Sanitary Towels

Besides it being important to have feminine hygiene products for their intended purpose, scent-free tampons and sanitary towels also can be very useful for use in first aid.

Their exceptional absorption properties make them very useful for helping with deep cuts and puncture bruises.

Lollipop Sticks/Tongue Depressors

Tongue depressors are used primarily when treating children, but they can be surprisingly useful as a splint to treat broken or sprained fingers.

Boiled Sweets

Whilst not the first product that comes to mind when you think of first aid kits, they can in the case of traumatic injuries be an essential part of treatment until professional help arrives.

Boiled sweets, as well as being a source of sugar for people suffering from hypoglycaemic shock, can also help to calm people down who are starting to panic after suffering an injury and the effects of adrenaline and shock are beginning to wear off.