Adventure · 5 min
How to pack a first-aid kit for hiking
On a trail, weight matters and blisters are the injury you will actually get.
On a hike, two constraints dictate what goes in the kit: the weight you carry, and the fact that you are far from a pharmacy.
Blisters, the real hiking injury
It is not the fracture or the sprain, it is the blister. That is what cuts days short and ruins itineraries.
Treat it before it appears. The moment a spot feels hot, stop and cover it. Five minutes of pause saves two days of limping.
Take hydrocolloid plasters in several shapes — heel, toe, sole — plus anti-friction tape. Ordinary plasters do not survive inside a boot.
The rest of what earns its weight
Plasters and sterile gauze, for the cuts and grazes any rocky terrain produces.
Cohesive bandage. It holds a dressing, supports an ankle, secures an improvised splint. The most versatile item for its weight.
Antiseptic solution. In humid conditions, a badly cleaned wound infects quickly.
A tick removal tool. In Switzerland and across much of Europe this is essential as soon as you walk in forest or long grass. Remove the tick promptly and note the date.
An emergency blanket. Fifty-five grams. It matters if someone is injured and has to wait for rescue, including in good weather: staying still cools you fast at altitude.
Electrolyte tablets. A long walking day makes you sweat more than you notice.
The case matters
A waterproof case is not a luxury. A downpour or a slip into a stream turns a kit into wet cardboard, and damp plasters no longer stick.
At altitude
The sun is harsher and the air drier. SPF lip balm, filtering sunglasses and high-protection sunscreen are not optional above 2,500 metres, even under cloud.
What no kit replaces
A kit compensates for neither a badly judged route nor an ignored forecast. Before a mountain day, check conditions, tell someone your route, and know the local rescue number — 1414 for Rega in Switzerland, 112 across Europe.
For high-altitude trekking or a remote expedition, seek medical advice: altitude sickness is prevented by your rate of ascent, not by the contents of a kit.