First Aid Kit Advice For River Travel
The first thing we need to remember is that there is no perfect first aid kit. The environment, the terrain, the climate, the skill set of companions, the number of days, the number of people, and the remoteness of our expedition need to be taken into consideration.
We can then determine what we need to bring.
First Aid Kits: Rafting
It is usually possible to build ourselves a comprehensive first aid kit before rafting down a river, especially during a multi-day trip.
If you secure and organize the contents in plastic bags and then choose the appropriate waterproof storage container (I prefer a pelican box or watershed bag), the raft has plenty of room and can handle a heavier kit. I build my kits just like I would for a climbing base camp or a sea kayaking expedition.
I do build a secondary first aid kit that is specific to hands and feet when rafting, especially on desert rivers where sediment in the water combined with intense wind and sun can result in dry, cracked, and damaged. My kits are built just as I would for a climbing base camp or a sea kayaking tripracked, and infected. That’s why I treat my hands and feet before they need it.
First Aid Kits: Kayaking
For kayaking, I need to be more selective in my first aid content since there is limited space. Also, weight management equals risk management, so I need to be mindful of how heavy I make my kayak before plunging down the next drop.
Recently, I've taken advantage of the foam pillars inside my white-water kayaks to carve in storage housing for my critical needs. Nalgene bottles make excellent first-aid kit containers for kayaks—one of them is my major first aid/drug kit and another is my minor first aid kit, mostly dedicated to taking care of my hands. This particular setup was implemented before a five-day, 280-mile self-supported kayak journey through the Grand Canyon.
Supplies to Consider
Items I prioritise include (but are not limited to):
Wound management (gauze, band-aids, closure kit, ointment)
Tweezers
Trauma shears
Irrigation syringe
Knife
Mirror
Nail clippers
Nitrile gloves
Tape
EpiPen (Epinephrine/Adrenaline)
Paracetamol
Ibuprofen
Ciprofloxacin (for bad belly)
Emergency communication device
Wilderness Medicine Field Guide
Bandages and ACE wrap
My first aid kit is in a constant state of change and that’s part of what I love about backcountry travel. Discover what works best for you but avoid getting too comfortable—risk management is a journey, not a destination.
Good luck, happy paddling, and push "pause" before your next trip. Extra thought before leaving the house can go a long way toward minimizing the epic nature of your next mishap.
Learn more in the free online course presentation hosted by the Canoe Cruisers Association, and the Canoe and Kayak Club of Greater Washington D.C. in conjunction with the Centre of Wilderness Safety.
