Recently I have been encouraging my girlfriend to put together a small medical kit for her use.
In a previous blog I mentioned that I came across a first aid pouch in the local 99p store.
I would have paid that for just the pouch, but it also came with a number of medical items. Not enough to constitute a full medical kit, but a useful start.
I looked on line for something similar for my lady and came across a pouch that claimed to hold 23 medical items. The contents include 15 plasters of three different sizes and even a small set of scissors.
Not a full medical kit, but a good starting point. I presented this to her with a handful of additional alcohol wipes and the suggestion that she add some painkillers.
At the same time, I presented her with a bundle of ziplock bags. Many of the contents of this pouch are loose and would be vulnerable to water. Hence, ziplock bags.
A stock of such bags is recommended since many items of your travelling or emergency kit will need their additional protection.
It is also a good idea to include some spare bags in your kit.
Suppose, for an example, that you need to change location and need to leave a message for anyone that might come looking for you. A piece of paper from your notebook will not last long in the rain and the ink will run. A spare bag will solve this problem.
Of course, wet ink is not a problem if your kit includes a pencil.
In similar vein I will pass on a tip that I encountered decades ago but that I do not often see repeated. This is to include some chalk in your kit.
Chalk can be used to leave messages, mark locations and indicate routes. Ideally have a piece of light chalk and also a darker colour for contrast when writing on lighter surfaces.
Keep your pieces of chalk in a ziplock bag, but wrap them individually in clingfilm or the different colours will contaminate each other.