First Aid Kits – What You Should Have and How to Choose the Right One

The first modern first aid kit appeared in the late 19th century when railway workers and the military began assembling compact sets with bandages, antiseptics, and tablets.

Today, most households have a first aid kit — and for good reason. Modern medications handle everything from a minor cut to cold symptoms. According to the CDC, over 50% of minor injuries can be treated at home if a proper first aid kit is available. The key is to make sure it has everything you might need.

Types of First Aid Kits: What They Are and How They Differ

A first aid kit should be packed with exactly what you might need in your situation. On the road – motion sickness pills, bandages, and something for food poisoning. In a family with a child – fever reducers, iodine, and something gentle for digestion. Below, we break down the types of kits and what to include in each.

Home First Aid Kit

This is the most essential kit. A home first aid kit should be ready to cover everyday situations — a child comes home with a fever, someone cuts their finger while cooking, or an elderly family member experiences a sudden spike in blood pressure. You need a set of proven, reliable remedies at hand.

Minimum essentials for every universal home kit:

• Fever reducers (Paracetamol or Ibuprofen)
• Pain relievers (Analgin, No-Spa, or Spazmalgon)
• Antiseptics (Chlorhexidine, Iodine)
• Band-aids of different sizes, bandages, sterile wipes
• Blood pressure medications (Captopril, Corvalol)
• Nasal drops (Naphthyzinum, Pinosol)
• Antihistamines (Suprastin, Loratadine)
• Digestive aids (Activated Charcoal, Smecta, Loperamide, Enterosgel)
  

You can also include additional meds for chronic conditions, like NSAIDs or diuretics for kidney or joint issues — the main thing is to have everything you need close by.

First aid kit from USA Apteka

Emergency First Aid Kit

This kit is all about quick action in emergencies — cuts, burns, unconsciousness, heart issues, and more. It must include a tourniquet, various bandages, sterile dressings, antiseptics, painkillers, heart medications, and tools like scissors, tweezers, and a thermometer.

Everything should be clearly organized in a box or bag with compartments. Include a simple instruction sheet on handling bleeding, burns, heart attacks, or strokes — print and keep it inside so you don’t waste time looking things up during a crisis.

Must-haves:

• Tourniquet
• Elastic and gauze bandages
• Sterile wipes, medical gloves
• Antiseptic wipes
• Pain relievers (Pentalgin, No-Shpa)
• Nitroglycerin, Validol
• Scissors, thermometer, tweezers
  

In public places or workplaces, these kits must be checked and restocked regularly.

Travel and Hiking First Aid Kit

Compactness and versatility are key. It should fit easily into your backpack, suitcase, or handbag. Use small bottles, single-use sachets, and multipurpose wipes to reduce space and weight.

What to pack:

• Fever reducers (Coldrex, Fervex)
• Pain relievers (Tempalgin, Spazmalgon)
• Insect repellents and bite creams
• Digestive aids (Mezim, Enterosgel)
• Motion sickness tablets
• Mini antiseptics, wipes, compact bandages
  

This kit is ideal for managing headaches, fever, food poisoning, stomach issues, insect bites, cuts, and burns — especially when traveling or in nature, where access to a pharmacy is limited.

Baby and Child First Aid Kit

Children are sensitive to dosage and ingredients, so you need a dedicated kit.

For newborns and infants under 1 year, stock fever-reducing syrups or suppositories (ibuprofen or paracetamol), colic drops (Espumisan, Dill water), saline or nasal drops, a nasal aspirator, droppers, and alcohol-free antiseptics. Homeopathic remedies like Lident can help with teething.

Baby kit from USA Apteka

For children aged 1 to 6, include throat sprays (like Tantum Verde in child dosage), antihistamine drops, fever reducers in syrup form, and child-friendly band-aids and bandages. Digestive treatments like Smecta or Enterosgel should be age-appropriate.

Older kids (6+ years) can use the same fever reducers in tablet form, general cold meds, eye drops for irritation, allergy treatments, nasal sprays, throat sprays, and remedies for nausea or motion sickness.

Kit for kids from USA Apteka

 
Car First Aid Kit

In the past, car kit’s content was regulated. Today, you can build your own — just make sure there’s enough space in the pouch or bag.

Recommended basics:

• 2 disposable face masks
• 2 pairs of gloves
• 2 packs of sterile gauze wipes
• 1 tourniquet
• CPR mouthpiece
• 4 narrow gauze bandages
• 3 wide gauze bandages
• 1 roll of adhesive tape
• 1 pair of scissors
  

You can also add:

• Painkillers like Ibuprofen, Citramon
• Fever reducers like Paracetamol, Aspirin
• Heartburn meds like Gastal, Rennie
• Digestive aids like Loperamide, Smecta, Activated Charcoal
  

Even for short city drives, a well-packed car kit gives peace of mind.

Update Your Kit Regularly

Expired meds lose effectiveness or can become harmful. Bandages lose sterility over time, and some drugs change chemically and may cause allergic reactions or toxicity — especially antibiotics, eye/nasal drops, and fever reducers.

Doctors recommend checking your kit every 6 months. Go over expiration dates, replace used or damaged items, and adjust the contents based on the season or changes in the household — like the arrival of a baby, new allergies, or chronic conditions.

Organize your kit for easy access. Use containers with dividers or labeled sections. Store the kit away from sunlight and moisture to preserve the medications.

🔹 Tip: attach a list of contents with expiration dates to your kit. It’ll help track what needs replacing.
🔹 Another tip: group items by purpose — pain relief, allergy, fever, etc. This makes it faster to find what you need during stress.
 🔹 Set a reminder on your phone to check your kit every 6 months.

Buy First Aid Kits at USA Apteka

We’ve put together ready-to-go kits for all occasions. It’s more affordable to buy the full set than each item separately. Our compact, sectioned pouches are easy to store and help you quickly find what you need.

Browse our first aid kits.

USA Apteka is a Russian online pharmacy in the U.S. where you can quickly and easily order drops, tablets, and medications from Ukraine, Russia, and other CIS countries. Our catalog features products that truly work — and that’s backed up by customer reviews.

Orders placed by 3 PM (Mon–Fri) are shipped the same day. We also offer a loyalty program, discounts, secret promo codes, and Russian-speaking customer support via chat, WhatsApp, email, and social media.

It’s the most convenient Russian pharmacy service in the USA.