Our first aid/emergency kit came in more than a little handy during our last hike. Some people have asked us what we carry in our kit so I just did an inventory.

Some of the items are a little unusual thanks to my husband's worst-case-scenario thinking acquired from his military days. It's a good thing he typically carries this emergency kit because I'd get rid of a few things simply based on weight. But hey, I can't argue that our kit has been a life saver previously.

Gum, tictacs and lollipops. It gives kids something to focus on rather than the injury. We've given away some of these feel-good items on the trail too. Like the time a little girl lost her tooth and was upset about the blood, another time a little one fell and badly scraped his legs, and one time we weren't sure what happened but we could hear the crying (and screaming) about 1/2 mile away and thought we'd stop to help... These situations always confirming for us that ANYTHING can happen on the trail with kids.
acetaminophen for adults AND kids
ibuprofen for kids as well (a necessity since this hike)
band-aids of several sizes
triple antibiotic cream
alcohol swabs
bottle of iodine
anti-itch cream for bug bites
athlete's foot cream
antacid
meat tenderizer - mix into a paste for bee stings. It gets a big endorsement from G. that it really works
2 clothespins - why, I'm not sure but Fino insists
plastic spoon
small scissors, a needle, nail clippers and tweezers
waterproof tape
ace bandage
feminine hygiene pads - my husband says they're good for a serious accident because of their absorbency (I refrained for getting those in the picture of our kit however)
mole skin
waterproof matches
a couple of hooded ponchos
baby wipes - great for a quick washdown if you run into poison ivy
baby powder - it's magical in getting sand off skin. When you have a kid with sensory issues, it's a parent's best friend.
deet-free insect repellent
sunblock lotion

We go through our emergency kit periodically to replenish and check on expiration dates. On our hike in Topsham I realized that the kid's bottle of acetaminophen had just expired but the ibuprofen was OK. It's hard to keep up on these things until you really do have an emergency but we now have a renewed priority to do it.

You just never know when some crazy thing is going to happen. Or, when you have a situation and you realize, "Yeah, that clothespin was just what we needed." I'm still waiting on that one but Fino will be feeling quite smug when it happens I'm sure.

What do you carry in your emergency/first aid kit when hiking with kids?

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