First Aid Kit Checklist for Canadian Homes

Accidents happen, often at the least convenient time. A well-stocked first aid kit helps you handle minor injuries quickly and stay calm while you wait for help with more serious ones. Here is what to keep at home, in the car, at the cottage and in your backpack.

Basic home first aid kit

Keep your main kit in a waterproof container somewhere everyone in the household can find it, but out of reach of young children.

• Adhesive bandages in assorted sizes, including fingertip and knuckle shapes
• Sterile gauze pads and a roll of gauze
• Adhesive medical tape
• Elastic (tensor) bandage for sprains
• Triangular bandage for a sling
• Non-stick dressings for burns and scrapes
• Antiseptic wipes or a bottle of saline for cleaning wounds
• Antibiotic ointment
• Scissors, tweezers and safety pins
• Disposable nitrile gloves
• Digital thermometer
• Instant cold packs
• A CPR face shield or mask
• A first aid manual

Medicines to include

Check expiry dates at least once a year and choose products that suit everyone in your home, including children's formulations.

• Acetaminophen and ibuprofen for pain and fever
• An oral antihistamine for allergic reactions and itchy bites
• Hydrocortisone 0.5% or 1% cream for rashes and bites
• Calamine lotion
• Oral rehydration salts for diarrhea and vomiting
• Antacid tablets
• Burn gel or aloe vera gel
• Any prescribed emergency medicines, such as an epinephrine auto-injector, an asthma reliever inhaler or glucose tablets

Ask your pharmacist about free naloxone kits, which are available at many pharmacies and can reverse an opioid overdose.

Important information

Keep a card in your kit with:

• 911 and your provincial poison centre number
• Your family doctor or nurse practitioner's contact information
• Your provincial health line, such as Health811 in Ontario
• A list of each family member's medicines, allergies and medical conditions
• Copies of health card numbers

Winter car kit

Canadian winters can turn a short drive into a long wait. In addition to a basic first aid kit, keep these in your vehicle from late fall to spring:

• Warm blanket or sleeping bag, extra hat, mittens and socks
• Emergency foil blankets
• Chemical hand and foot warmers
• Flashlight with extra batteries or a wind-up flashlight
• Phone charger or battery pack
• Bottled water and non-perishable snacks
• Small shovel, ice scraper and sand or kitty litter for traction
• Candle in a metal container and matches

If you are stuck, stay with your vehicle, keep the exhaust pipe clear of snow, and run the engine only for short periods with a window slightly open.

Cottage kit

Cottages are often far from hospitals and pharmacies, so pack a little extra.

• A larger supply of bandages, dressings and burn care
• Tick remover tool or fine-tipped tweezers
• Insect repellent containing DEET or icaridin, following age-appropriate concentrations
• Sunscreen with SPF 30 or higher and after-sun lotion
• Waterproof bandages for swimmers
• Enough of your regular prescription medicines for the whole stay, plus a few extra days
• Motion sickness tablets for boat rides
• A whistle and a marine-safe first aid kit for the boat

Know the location and hours of the nearest hospital or urgent care centre before you need it, and check cell coverage in the area.

Hiking and camping kit

Keep a compact, lightweight kit in your daypack.

• Blister care such as moleskin or hydrocolloid dressings
• A few bandages, gauze and tape
• Small tensor bandage
• Antihistamine and pain reliever
• Tick remover and insect repellent
• Emergency blanket
• Water purification tablets
• Headlamp
• Whistle and a map, compass or GPS device

Always tell someone your route and expected return time.

Ticks and Lyme disease

Blacklegged ticks that can carry Lyme disease are found in more areas of Canada each year, including parts of Ontario, Quebec, Manitoba, the Maritimes and British Columbia.

• Wear light-coloured long sleeves and pants tucked into socks in wooded or grassy areas
• Do a full-body tick check on yourself, children and pets after being outdoors
• Remove attached ticks promptly by grasping close to the skin with tweezers and pulling straight up
• Save the tick in a sealed bag and note the date

In Ontario and several other provinces, pharmacists can assess tick bites and prescribe a preventive antibiotic when appropriate.

Keep your kit ready

Restock after each use and review the whole kit once or twice a year. Taking a first aid and CPR course through a recognized Canadian provider gives you the skills to use it confidently. Our pharmacists can help you choose the right products for your family any time.