Exploring the Australian outdoors can be exiting and fun, but there are times when you can fall ill or get injured. Which is why it is best to always have a travel first aid kit on hand, especially when you’re travelling to more remote areas of the country.

A Travel First Aid Kit for Australia

A general travel first aid kit really doesn’t work. It needs to be customised for the place to which you are travelling. So, if you are travelling within Australia, then you need to cater to the kind of injuries or illnesses that are specific to this country.

You need to know how to treat snake bites, and deal with leeches, ticks and stinging trees. You need to know how to take care of sprained ankles, fevers, cold and coughs.

Contents

Here are some of the essential items you should always have in your travel first aid kit:

• Bandages and Wrapping

A compression-type bandage is a must, along with a safety-pin or a stretch grip to keep it in place. You should also have sterile wound dressings, a sling, adhesive tape, eye dressings and a tape.

Keep lots of plasters handy for those little cuts and blisters.

• Antiseptics

Antiseptics are a necessity, but choose easy to use sprays or sterile wipes. That doesn’t mean you can’t use antiseptic cream and cotton gauze. Also keep some saline solution in your travel first aid kit for flushing out eyes as well as open injuries.

• Tools

Tools such as scissors to cut through clothes to get to injuries, or to cut bandages, as well as needles and tweezers to take out splinters or thorns.

• Responder Protection

You should also carry tools for first aid response such as CPR kits and gloves. This way you can not only take care of yourself, but also of others who may be in need.

• Medicines

Ensure that all the medicines you need are in your first aid kit, especially if you have pre-exiting medical conditions such as diabetes, allergies, seizures, and so on.

• Non-Standard First Aid Inclusions

When you are travelling to remote parts of the country, it is better to be over-prepared than under. So, here are a few extra items that you should add to your travel first aid kit:

• Exposure blanket. This is not just useful not just for those exposed to the elements, but also for those who are in shock due to an accident or injury.
  • Tick removal tool.
  • Insect repellent and high-SPF sunscreen. These are preventative measures, but they will help you avoid first aid at times.

If you are planning long journeys across Australia, then you need to ensure that you are also trained in first aid. It’s no use having a first aid kit and not having the training to use it. Ensure that you also get trained on handling specific situations that are unique to the Australian Outback so that you are not taken by surprise.