Why a First Aid Kit Needs to Be on Your Dorm Packing List (and What Should Be in It!)
You usually only think about a first aid kit when you really need one. But it’s good to be prepared so you have a bandage at the ready or a thermometer to take your temperature.
Jennifer Lopez, MPH, a health educator at Kansas State University’s Lafene Health Center, says you should have some kind of medical kit you can get to quickly. “Accidents happen; we get sick, and we need to be able to take care of ourselves,” she says. “It’s nice to be able to have something immediately to help you out.”
But what exactly do you need to put in an individual first aid kit?
Lopez says pain medication, a thermometer, and bandages are among the most important items you can have. Jameel Sylvia, MPA, NRP, the director of paramedic education at UCLA, agrees that materials to stop bleeding, like bandages and gauze pads, are vital to a first aid kit.
A first-aid kit isn’t a replacement for a doctor or a hospital, but you can do your best to make sure you have the essentials in the case of a minor emergency. The American Red Cross sells a 73-piece kit on its website that includes nearly everything the organization recommends for a first aid kit. (The only thing it doesn’t have is an emergency blanket.) You can also find a similar 80-piece kit from Johnson & Johnson.
If you’d rather piece together a first aid kit yourself or supplement your premade kit with even more helpful items, here’s what our experts recommend. (The products with asterisks are things our experts suggested, but they aren’t on the official Red Cross first aid kit list.)
For Lopez, first aid kit essentials are:
- Pain medication (e.g., ibuprofen, acetaminophen, aspirin)
- A thermometer
- Bandages (in assorted sizes)
- Alcohol/alcohol prep pads
- Antibiotic ointment/cream
- Hydrocortisone cream
- Antifungal cream*
- Cotton swabs (to apply creams or ointments)*
- Cold/flu medication (e.g., Tylenol Cold & Flu, DayQuil)*
- Cough drops*
- Dramamine (to help with nausea or vomiting)*
- Antidiarrheal medications (e.g., Imodium, Pepto Bismol)*
- A face mask*
- An at-home COVID-19 test*
Remember to read labels for the recommended dosage and check with your medical care provider before you take any unprescribed medications.
Being a paramedic, Sylvia is focused on remedies to stop bleeding, including having a tourniquet for extreme circumstances. His first-aid must-haves include:
- Bandages
- Gauze pads
- Alcohol wipe pads
- CPR breathing barrier with a one-way valve
- Instant ice packs
- A roll of gauze
- Elastic bandage wrap
- Latex-free gloves
- A roll of tape to secure bandages and dressings
- Scissors/shears*
- A tourniquet*
- Hand sanitizer*
Having a first aid kit is good for minor medical emergencies (and remember to replace supplies as you use them). But be sure to speak with your doctor or the on-campus health center whenever you’re injured or feeling ill, and consult your school’s health and safety guidelines for information on isolating and quarantining.