Getting caught without what you need never feels good, its worse when you are the mom and your sweet baby needs a band aid.
Band Aids cure many owies in my house, and my van.
After our family’s first camping trip it became painfully obvious that we needed a first aid kit in the car immediately.
What First Aid Items should I keep in my car?
You should keep all the items that you find in a basic kit and anything specific to the ages and needs in your family. This includes formula and diapers for babies, emergency medications and important comfort items.
For my family I made a list and headed to dollar tree.
This is the kit I assembled
- Bandaids – This is so important for my kids who are so comforted by the application of this glorified sticker.
- Antibacterial ointment – I like to keep this for any real blood cuts and scrapes
- Burn Cream – burns are AWFUL and unbearable without some treatment. There are some great natural remedies in this category too!
- Itch Cream – bugs are part of the outdoors so we keep the itch cream. This helps my kids fall asleep if they are struggling with a recent mosquito bite. A cold pack can work here if it is a more significant issue like poison ivy.
- Sunscreen– I try to pack this in a babybag or the luggage, but it is too important to forget so I keep an extra in the car kit
- Trash Bags – so helpful, great for trash, wet clothes, car sickness or a diaper malfunction.
- Knife – This is mostly for kitchen type issues, not a pocket/survival type knife. I just grabbed a regular steak knife and have found it helpful many times! I use this knife to cut sandwiches, bread, and other things we need to split.
- Aspirin – Aspirin can save lives. My uncle started having a second heart attack and someone walking by had an asprin and saved his life. This is why I keep them in my car. I recommend just grabbing 1 at a gas station or from the travel section so that it is securely packaged.
- Benydril – I am allergic to cashews. I carry benadryl in case I start having a reaction. If you have kids I say throw some kids benadryl in there too.
- Children’s Ibuprofen – Keeps everyone feeling much better. Nothing ruins an amusement park like a headache!
- Wash Cloth – So many great uses so you dont have to wipe everything on the back of your jeans.
- Hair Elastics
- Hand Sanitizer
This kit is designed to keep us more comfortable away from home and keep us ready to deal with any minor injuries or illnesses. You may want more or less for your family and your van storage space.
Is it safe to keep a First Aid kit in my car?
I am writing this post in the winter months when it is safe to keep most things in the car, but in the summer months the car gets so hot! There are a lot of things that break down when they get hot. Some of the things in my kit need to be replaced frequently in the summer even if I am careful to store them away from direct sunlight. Aspirin, Benydril, sunscreen, water bottles and hand sanitizer are all designed to be kept at room temperature so you might want to move this kit into the baby bag during the hot months in your climate.
I am not a doctor or medical professional. I got this information from some manufacturers websites for the following products.
Can I keep Aspirin in my car?
I did a bit of research on this, and it seems like aspirin can begin to break down in the heat. The results could upset your stomach and not be effective at relieving pain. If you do decide to keep it in the car, do not take it if it is discolored or expired.
Can I keep Benadryl in the car?
Yes, the medication is likely safe to store in the car, unless it is expired or discolored. The danger here is dehydration. Allergy medicines can make it harder for your body to sweat and that could be bad. Be careful.
Can I keep sunscreen in the car?
Sunscreen really loses its effectiveness with heat. This is a great item to keep in the baby bag in the summer months. You will always have it with you and it won’t get super hot. I still keep a backup bottle in the car, because I think it is better than nothing if I happen to forget it somewhere.
Can I keep Ibuprofen in the car?
This is another medicine that can be less effective if its been heated up. Make sure you pay attention to the expiration date and condition of the actual pills. As far as I can tell they do not test this, they just recommend that you keep medicines at “room temperature.”
Can I keep Hand Sanitizer in the Car?
Because Hand Sanitizer is flammable it is best to keep it from getting too hot. You may want to see if you can use a sanitizer that is not alcohol based. If you do keep alchol bases sanitizer in the car, keep it away from the sun, may I suggest that spot in the door where you always lose your phone? Just me? Ok ok ok
It has been really helpful having these things with us in the car, but the list is far from exhaustive. If you do not have time or desire to DIY the kit, you might want one like THIS. This is the one we keep in our house and we use it pretty regularly.
This is what we keep in the car for medical reasons but i LOVE having lots of gear in the car. IF you are interested to see what else I keep in my extreme mom van check out THIS and THIS.
