The term “first aid kit” is applied to a wide range of products. Some consist of little more than a few adhesive bandages in a cheap case. Others are the kind of kit you want with you during the zombie apocalypse. The Adventure Aid Survival Emergency Products First Aid Kit is definitely one to keep by your side at the end of the world. It’s geared much more towards treating serious wounds, rather than just patching up splinters and stubbed toes (as painful as those are!).
This kit appears to originate from Survival Emergency Solutions, an Australian company with a wide range of first aid products for the home, workplace, and travel. The first aid kit I received appears to be a slightly modified version of their Traveller First Aid Kit, changed just a little before releasing on the American market.
The bag is water resistant, extremely heavy duty and well-made, with quality double zippers that you can use to open/close from either end. The back of the case includes a window with small card reminding of the steps for Adult CPR (on side 1) and Child CPR (on side 2). There is another window for you to insert identifying information (including medical alerts, etc). The bag also has belt loops, a carry handle at top, and reflective piping so when the zombies attack at night in the forest, you’ll be able to find your first aid kit in the dim moonlight.
The first time I opened the kit (and let’s be honest, every time after that too!) I was very impressed at the careful organization and thoroughness of this kit. Everything not only has a place, but a large clear tag so you can put it back together after you finish fighting off the zombies and patching your wounds.
It (apparently intentionally) does NOT contain any items where expiration dates or shelf life could be an issue, so you will need to add your own medicines and related items. However, it carefully leaves pockets available for many of these items (e.g. sunscreen) and there is also a zippered mesh pocket labeled “Personal” for any additional items you want to add.
The kit includes the following items, each in their own labeled pocket.
Left Panel:
- 50 adhesive dressings (aka bandaids)
- 1 fever strip (aka one-time use thermometer)
- Tweezers, which are good quality, but I would really call them forceps. These are large and not for delicate tasks – I’d rather use it to dig out shrapnel than a splinter. I’ll be adding my own set of tweezers to this case.
- A mylar emergency blanket
- A first aid booklet, which is actually a piece of paper that folds out flat (like a map would). Note that this assumes you HAVE had basic training in first aid (e.g. telling you to “Follow DRSABCD”). If you haven’t had first aid training, this booklet (and some of the items in this kit) may be less helpful than you hope. However, the information in it is a great quick-reference. I would rather see it in true booklet form and more water resistant, instead of on thin glossy paper, but it’s certainly better than nothing. It could easily be replaced with your own booklet if you have one that fits the pocket dimensions.
- Bandage shears. They’re fairly good quality and could definitely cut through bandages, clothing, etc. I won’t be buying a replacement, but if you already have a nicer set, you may want to swap it out.
- Notepad and pencil for recording vital signs. These are a great inclusion to the kit which most people overlook. I would LOVE to see this kit include a waterproof pad (a la Rite in the Rain), however, as the zombies are liable to attack in the middle of a hurricane and my notes will get all smeared on normal paper. I’ll also be switching out the included pencil for a mechanical one (this one is an odd choice, it has the removable lead inserts that are seated in plastic that stack on top of each other)
- Elastic pockets for sunscreen & insect repellant (not included) – you’ll need to supply your own travel-size bottle, but I prefer to do this anyways!
- 4 safety pins – these are nice and sharp
- 2 ziploc bags (marked as “for waste”, though they could be used for any number of things)
Middle Panel:
- Roll of adhesive tape (1-inch, hypoallergenic) – I wish it said how long the tape is on the package
- 2 “Crepe bandages”, also known as elastic (or ACE) bandages
- 1 triangular bandage (non-sterile, 38″x38″x54″)
- 1 sterile wound dressing
- Pair of nitrile gloves
- Elastic pocket for saline tubes (not included), to be used for irrigating wounds or throwing in the zombie’s face in hopes of slowing them down.
Right Panel:
- 1 sterile non-adhesive dressing (4″x4″)
- 1 sterile combine dressing, aka wound dressing (8″x4″)
- 3 cotton gauze swabs (3″x3″). Note that these aren’t q-tips, despite the name; they are better termed pads in my opinion, probably a regional difference.
- 3 antiseptic wipes containing cetrimide
- CPR kit in its own carry bag (in case you want to remove it from the kit and carry it separately), including another pair of nitrile gloves, another antiseptic wipe, and a protective mask. The carry bag also contains another reminder of the steps for both child and adult CPR.
What is it missing?
- Not much! Everyone will have different opinions on what, if anything, this kit should have added to be complete. Personally, I plan to add the sunscreen & bugspray (which it provides pockets for), QuikClot, Israeli battle dressing, assorted pain killers, burn gel, water purification tablets, rehydration powder, splinter probes, antibiotic ointment, and a backup supply of my family’s prescription medicines. And yes, while it’ll be a tight fit, I believe there’s just enough room!
My impression of this kit is OVERWHELMINGLY positive, and I highly recommend it to anyone looking for a first aid kit that covers the basics and much more. It’s by far my favorite item I’ve received for review to date. The only things I’d like to see changed are little details, like converting the metric measurements on the bandages to inches for all us silly American folk, including a more precise set of tweezers, etc.
This Adventure Aid First Aid Kit will definitely be my new go-to emergency kit (that I hope I’ll never use) and a great addition to my bug-out bag. Extremely happy with it, and glad to see it making its way to the American market.
I received a discount on this product in exchange for my honest and unbiased review. I welcome your questions & comments on my experience. If this review was helpful to you, please take a moment to let me know!
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