a new kind of first aid kit

Back in October while we were camping with some friends, Philip, who was helping wash dishes, reached out to move the lantern.  Unfortunately, he managed to catch the side of the lantern in his bid to grab the lantern, resulting in a minor, if painful, burn. My first thought, after making sure he was ok, was "why in the world didn't I think to bring a first aid kit?!" I had thought of everything else, long johns, wool hats, wool socks, plenty of food, extra wool blankets, and yet we had no first aid supplies save for a few bandaids squirreled away in my wallet.

Almost as soon as we arrived home, I started looking for a first aid kit, thinking that it would be good to have one in the car anyway, when I quickly realized that I was unlikely to find a first aid kit with the types of aid I'd wish to have in a minor emergency. And so I started to make my own first aid kit.

I started with a little organizer box that I found on Amazon. I wanted one that was deep enough to stand homeopathic bottles and small bottles of essential oils upright. My favorite feature about this box was the ability to adjust the size of the compartments with little sliding dividers.

Some of the items that we use most frequently at home were added to the box, Umcka Cold Care for the onset of a cold, Valerian from Herbs for Kids for kids who are having trouble winding down to sleep, Arnica gel as well as Arnica pellets for minor bumps and bruises, Gripe Water for upset tummies.

I also added Calendula Ointment for minor rashes and Burt's Bees bug bite relief for the inevitable insect bites.

Poison ivy is my most dreaded fear (well, aside from bears) when we are camping, so I found a poison ivy salve to add to our kit as well as an herbal remedy for bumps and bruises by Burt's Bees. A colloidal silver throat spray, to kill any impending sore throats, is part of our home remedy collection so I included this too.

Driving the mountain roads up to various camping spots often makes me vaguely nauseous so I included Tabacum pellets for motion sickness, as well as some homeopathic Coldcalm for the sniffles.  The essential oils I included are Tea Tree oil for general germ-killing especially in small scratches and abrasions, and Eucalyptus for stuffy noses and coughs that may develop. (And I don't necessarily recommend these particular brands.  They happened to make small quantities that fit nicely in our kit.)

I found a small container for Enzyme tablets to help any upset tummies that might occur from too many roasted marshmallows.  Along with various sizes of bandaids, gauze, and a length of elastic bandage, I feel like our kit is pretty well stocked with any needed supplies.

The best thing about having this kit is that we now have one box to grab for a day trip or even a road trip, which means no loose bottles clinking around my toiletry bag when we travel.

Have you made a similar kit for travel or even just home use?  Is there anything that is a part of your kit that I'm missing?  I'd love to hear your thoughts.