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Hiking First Aid Kit: Build your own ultralight and find the balance between Minimal to Overloaded

Dr Kate Grarock

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Snake bandage $25 ($22.46 with code KATEG10) https://collabs.shop/mar27n

Restock MEDIUM med kit $80 ($71.96 with code KATEG10) https://collabs.shop/r8mywg
Restock small kit $55 https://collabs.shop/qlbcbf

Get 10% discount at Survival First AID with code: KATEG10

When you’re hiking in remote places, a basic store-bought first aid kit often isn’t enough. In this video, I show you how to build your own hiking first aid kit based on real wilderness experience — what you actually need, what you can leave behind, and how to tailor it to your trips.

As an ecologist, expedition leader, and long-distance hiker, I’ve spent years in remote environments where being prepared really matters. This DIY first aid kit setup is lightweight, practical, and designed specifically for hiking and backpacking.

In this video you’ll learn:
• The essential items every hiking first aid kit should include
• How to keep your kit lightweight but effective
• Common mistakes hikers make with first aid kits

Whether you’re going on a short day hike or a multi-day wilderness trip, this guide will help you stay safer and more confident outdoors.

Let me know in the comments:
What’s one item you always carry in your first aid kit?

How I make my kit

S2S First aid dry bag 1L or 3L https://collabs.shop/mmwm47
Snake bandage x2 https://collabs.shop/mar27n
Betadine 25ml https://katehike.short.gy/5AW98O
Saline 15ml x2
Mini Duct tape https://collabs.shop/dg5djz
Airpad patches
Whistle https://collabs.shop/azchoh
Medication (codeine, Panadol, ibuprofen, cold and flu, diarrhoea tablets, stemetil (vomiting tablets, Antihistamine)
Restock med kit $80 ($71.96 with code KATEG10) https://collabs.shop/r8mywg
Includes:
Adhesive dressings, sterile, individually wrapped - small (40) (TAKE 15)
Adhesive dressings, sterile, individually wrapped - large (10) (TAKE 5)
Cotton gauze swabs (3 per pack), sterile, 7.5cm x 7.5cm (5) (TAKE 1 pack)
Emergency blanket, 2.1m x 1.6m in zip lock bag (1) (TAKE 1)
Eye pads, sterile (2)(TAKE 2)
Fever scan strip (1) (REMOVE)
First Aid Booklet (1) (REMOVE download to phone)
Hydro gel, sterile, 3.5g sachet (5) (TAKE 3)
Hypo allergenic adhesive tape, 25mm wide roll (1) (RAP around betaine bottle)
Nitrile gloves (2) (TAKE 1)
Non-adherent wound dressing, sterile 5cm x 5cm (3) (TAKE 2)
Non-adherent wound dressing, sterile 7.5cm x 10cm (1) (TAKE 1)
Pencil (1) (REMOVE, notes on phone)
Plastic bags (3 sizes) (3) (REMOVE use bags around bandages)
Pressure bandage, medium weight, 10cm x 1.8m (2) (REPLACE with 2x SMART snake bandage)
Resuscitation shield, disposable (1) (TAKE 1)
Safety pins, individual (6) (TAKE 2)
Saline, sterile, 30ml (2) (REPLACE with 2x 15 ml saline)
Skin cleaning wipes, with cetrimide (4) (TAKE 4)
Splinter probes (5 per pack), sterile (1) (TAKE 2)
Triangular bandage, 96cm x 96cm x 136cm (1) (TAKE 1)
Wound closures (3 per pack), sterile (1) (TAKE 1 pack of 3)
Wound dressing, No.14 medium sterile (1) (TAKE 1)

Other things you might need to think about
Asthma
Blister treatment https://collabs.shop/kshqvs
Strapping tape

Note: The information in this video is based on my own experience outdoors and what I’ve found useful. It’s not a replacement for professional medical training or advice.

Blister free WRIGHT socks https://wrightsock.com.au
Personal Locator Beacon Zoleo device https://collabs.shop/cxpr7b
Sit Pad https://collabs.shop/n2uaha

#HikingFirstAid #OutdoorSafety #HikingTips #BackpackingGear #WildernessSkills #HikingAustralia #FirstAidKit #OutdoorAdventure

20 Comments

@lesliedalbey9127 8 months ago

After a cut for a friend on day 2 of an 8 day trip, I became concerned about infection. For my next GP visit I shared the concern and she wrote a prescription for a general use antibiotic to use if signs of infection develop. Thankfully we did a good job of doctoring the cut on trail and it healed up really well but I’ll carry the antibiotic for peace of mind in the future. Also, we call it “vet wrap” but it is stretchy and sticks to itself and is reposition-able. That was super helpful in dealing with the cut and earned a spot in all of our med kits.

@CarolynThomas-z3j 8 months ago

Great information Kate, thank you. I keep the pamphlet for my PLB in my first aid kit - if I was unconscious and someone else needed to activate it they have clear instructions. I also pack a small ziplock bag with cotton balls and matches for an emergency fire - when a day walk turned into an unexpected overnight stay in the Budawang’s this and the emergency blanket kept us warm (enough!). I show everyone at the beginning of the trip where my first aid kit is kept in my pack including the PLB instructions.

@matthewvelo 8 months ago (edited)

Sadly I've discovered I now also need to carry an EpiPen for bees as well as antihistamines. Well structured FAK, and I've just wrapped a metre of duct tape around one of my hiking poles. Great idea, as well as using a sit pad as a splint.
I did a remote area first aid course some years back that was run by a person who used to be a casevac pilot for the army. One of the best investments I've made, as it was all about what to do when there wasn't an ambulance for at least 24 hours.

@ervinslens 8 months ago

Another fantastic and important topic! Your content is always educational and a joy to watch!

@l214laus 8 months ago

I bought the vehicle kit and the snake bite kit from this company. They are extremely well put together units.

@kylieb2209 8 months ago

Hi Kate, I sought your advice when getting my 1st first aid/rescue/repair kit and you were very helpful - thanks again! My first edition kit came in at 900g-ish. My kit has been tweaked since then as I have attended a remote first aid course and gained more hiking experience. Funnily enough, it is back down to 460g and quite similar to the one you have just shown. My key additions are tick spray, a hemostatic dressing and aspirin (in case of any heart issues, being slightly more advanced in years and less advanced in fitness).

@muskadobbit 2 months ago

Thanks for the detail and the wisdom in this video.
Putting a kit together myself was a great exercise in thinking about what I would really need, and what I actually know how to use. I added in a strip of Leukotape or KT Tape. Also GearAid tape is great for patching tents/clothes.

@cherienoon6974 4 months ago

Thank you, well helpful. I also carry a ratchet strap.

@bananasusyd 8 months ago

I think it is obvious; but I guess should be said; an epi pen.

Loved this video. Going to share it.

@linwalks 8 months ago

Helpful video, Kate. Good to hear the weight of your kit. I had wondered if mine was tending towards the ‘pack your fears’ heaviness but it is similar to yours.

I have a mirror in mine for checking the unseeable bits. (And signalling if it ever came to that.)

At a remote first aid course I did last year they mentioned the slishman strap/bandage. It’s around 40 grams and is a compression bandage with Velcro on it so is easy to adjust pressure without unwinding it the whole way. If the poo hits the cooling device it can be more easily used as a tourniquet than a snake bandage. I reckon it would be useful for pack repairs too.

@Nordtroll 3 months ago (edited)

Great advice overall. I usually carry a similar-sized med kit, and most recently bought that same Sea to Summit 1 l dry-bag as I worried my previous red cross fabric pouch with a zipper was not be ideal depending on the climate you hike in. It was always inside my pack liner to keep it dry, but a dry-bag is additional protection and gives me more options where to put it. I think 1 liter is enough size for multi-day trips but still near civilization. Some additional stuff that are not “emergency items” to get to immediately, like tape for blisters or a tick removal card, can also go in my little regular waterproof wash/cosmetics pouch.

One hint: You might not get to that whistle fast enough or at all anymore if it’s inside your pack and additional pouch when you need it. So I have put mine in a shoulder strap pocket intended for a small drink bottle or phone (or bear spray as another important emergency item in some areas 😂), secured with a little shot-cord. A hip belt or fanny pack pocket should also work. Just about all packs from Osprey, though I don’t use those at the moment anymore, even have a whistle integrated into the chest strap buckle, which I always thought was a useful feature.

And yes, as you mentioned at the end especially if you hike alone - it’s important to have an electronic device able to call for SOS without cell service in case of an emergency. It might be surprising how little you can sometimes do for yourself or others, even with a well-stocked first aid kit and experience. I got reminded of that 3 years ago hiking in a group across the Spanish pyrenees when on a difficult route a girl in our group fell and badly twisted her ankle. She couldn’t walk much less scramble in technical terrain anymore under her own power, and we wouldn’t have been able to carry her down a steep mountain to safety, at least without additional risks. By chance we even had TWO trained medical doctors in our group, a surgeon and a general practitioner. They still couldn’t do much for her except bandage the ankle to reduce swelling and offer stronger than Ibuprofen pain medication, which she didn’t really want. So our guide called in an emergency helicopter from the firefighters, as the only good option was to airlift her off that mountain.

@moe_1886 8 months ago

Excellent info Kate! Thank you!

@PavoTreks 7 months ago

Very helpful vid, thanks Kate.
Regarding the Satellite SOS it's worth mentioning that Google has finally rolled it out to Pixel 9 and 10 series phones in Australia in June 2025 (these phones have built in Samsung Exynos 5400 modem).
SOS is also available on all iPhones 14 and newer models.
Anyone can run a demo in their phone to get familiar with how it works.

@adelevickers2120 8 months ago

Great topic and video, thank you. I needed saline for my eye on Larapinta, luckily my hiking friend had it in her kit! I now always have it.

@michellekitzler3582 7 months ago

Hey Kate ! Love the Survival Firat Aid kits. Been carrying them in car and hikes for years now. Great idea about their resupply kits. Never thought about getting a whole one ! We use the splinter probes a lot off track and bushbashing; and having had a few adventurous kids; I always carry a sanitary pad or breastfeeding pad for heavy bleeding injuries !! Hopefully catch you on one of Smanda’s trips.

@traveller6853 8 months ago

Hi Kate, thanks for the video. My 1st aid kit for multi-day (and sometime solo) trips is pretty much the same as yours. One item I still need to update my kit for latest advice, is a cream / spray to assist with the removal of ticks and avoid using tweezers.

@reynaanderson6887 8 months ago

Tampons are a great idea, i dont need them anymore for traditional purposes, but have some kicking around. I also pack a small instant ice pack and a small tube of voltaren for my old lady knees. Ill look at seperating my daily stuff from emergency, also a great idea. Thanks Kate!

@handsmcneil 3 months ago

What a great kit. Seems like backpackers often neglect a good med kit which is unfortunate. Its worth the weight. Especially super ultra light hikers, they have the weight to spare. Seems foolish.

I always pack a tourniquet. Makeshift tqs have a super high failure rate and God forbid you need one, a real one counts. Tccc certified TQ ideally but the snakestaff edc wide is basically a cat tq scaled down and seems like a great backpacking option. I carry the sof-t wide because it packs down super flat but is the heavier of the three.

Had a buddy get a bad ice axe injury that luckily a pressure bandage was all that was really required but it made me understand how important a tq is for my personal kit. An arterial bleed anywhere and youre basically dead without a tq but especially in the back country.

@BlackshacksBushcraft 8 months ago

Awesome video thanks Kate. I just bought a cheap hiking 1st aid kid on eBay and added to it.
Saline, paracetamol, voltarin, ibuprofen, stingose, antihistamine, alcohol swabs, and a snakebite bandage. I keep it in a bright red dry bag. Not sure what it weighs.
It's just one of those things you drag along and tolerate the extra weight and hope that you never need to use it.

@fogalsmurf 8 months ago (edited)

Mine is very similar to yours - in the 1L Sea to Summit - but I can't fit two Snake Bandages in mine - not same brand as yours so maybe yours are smaller (mine is the Aero Brand with Indicator) I have 10 Ml Salines but have four which might be taking up too much room. I can squeeze a normal compression bandage in, in addition to the proper snake bandage. This kit goes on all walks / activities with me.
When out remote / multi day I do carry a survival kit of similar size that has my other real snake bandage in it plus Bivvy, PLB, Fire Starting kit, Bright Orange Poncho, Mirror, Saw).