4 Best Cheap First-Aid Kit for Preppers in an Emergency
In today’s uncertain world, especially here in the UK, being prepared for emergencies is not just a choice but a necessity. We have a great NHS, but no-ones going to deny even during a non-emergency its stretched and at 99%. A well-equipped cheap first-aid kit can make a crucial difference in providing immediate medical assistance during unforeseen situations.
Whether you’re a prepper gearing up for survival scenarios or simply a conscientious UK homeowner ensuring family safety, having a reliable first-aid kit at hand is indispensable. From minor injuries to more serious incidents, a properly stocked kit can provide peace of mind and potentially save lives, both at home and on the go.
Disclaimer – as these are products designed for the delivery of medical intervention – improper use, application or many other factors can lead to disastrous outcomes. Conduct your own research on components, know how they work and use them correctly. Don’t just prep based on my opinion here!
Defining a Good but Cheap First-Aid Kit
A good first-aid kit should strike a balance between affordability and functionality. We’re obviously looking for cheap first-aid kits here, but thats a balancing act. A single box of plasters is super cheap – but no-one’s going to mistake that for a whole first-aid kit.
While cost-effectiveness is important, the cheap first-aid kit must also contain essential medical supplies to handle a range of injuries and emergencies. Key items typically include bandages, gauze pads, antiseptic wipes, adhesive tape, scissors and tweezers. Basic meds like painkillers and antihistamines should be bought and added manually to any shop bought kit.
The best cheap first-aid kits are compact yet comprehensive, designed to meet basic medical needs without breaking the bank.
Cheap First-Aid Kit Considerations
Before we take a look at a small selection of different first-aid kits, have you sat down and worked out what emergencies you need to be covered for? If you’re struggling, there’s my article on disasters that could hit the UK, but there’s also our more medical advice focused article on How to Make Medical Preparedness less Painful.
Maybe have a quick scan of those before returning to read this The Best Cheap First-Aid Kit for Preppers in an Emergency.
Exploring Several Available and Cheap First-Aid Kits:
Entry-Level First-Aid Kit
Start with the most affordable options that cover essential supplies for basic first aid needs. Highlight the simplicity and cost-effectiveness of these kits, perfect for beginners or those on a tight budget.
An entry-level and cheap first-aid kit is most suitable for those wanting to stay super-mobile while they bug-out, are very limited by storage space, or are needing a second back-up medical supply. It’s all well and good having a comprehensive first-aid kit at your bug-in location, but what happens if disaster strikes and you can’t get to it? Maybe having a much smaller, more primitive kit, is a good risk-management decision you can store elsewhere.
Kit №1 ‐ Compact Reliance Medical Cheap First-Aid Kit
Okay this little cheap first-aid kit is actually incredible with what it contains. Standard assortment of bandages and dressing, but also filled with small scissors, tweezers, gloves, cleaning wipes (10), ice-pack (1), eye-wash (20ml) and eye-pads (six!).
If you’re super pressed for space or pounds, or looking for a secondary kit, this is a great cheap first-aid kit. I would recommend checking our list of Additions later in the article, but otherwise, a great starter / secondary kit.
Size: 10 x 18 x 15 cm. Product weight: 380g
Mid-Range Kit
Move on to kits that offer a bit more variety and quantity in terms of supplies. These mid-range kits emphasise their suitability for households, small businesses, frequent travelers and those preppers looking for a step up in readiness.
As you can see, they’re still classed as relatively cheap first-aid kits, but contain numerous more items such as bottles of eye-wash solution, space-blankets, wound closure kits, burn gel and resuscitation masks.
Two suitable mid-range cheap first-aid kits are shown below.
Kit #2 – Premium Large First Response First Aid Kit Rucksack
This kit comes with numerous bandages and adhesive dressings as mentioned in the previous cheap first-aid kits, however a few really nice things this kit provides is multiple (2) space blankets, a whole bottle (500ml) of eye-wash solution, 3 eye-pads, 2 ice packs and multiple wound closure strips.
Note that because this kit contains an eye-wash solution bottle, this kit is noticeably heavier that others. Maybe must useful for buggin-in than a mobile first-aid kit.
The physical size 38 x 26 x 20 cm. Kit weight: 1.9 kg
Kit #3 – BearHoHo 165 Piece First Aid Kit Bag
This kit comes with all the standard mixed adhesive dressings (60), gauze swabs, multiple bandages, (25) iodine cleaning kits, scissors, tweezers, 3 pairs of gloves, 2 eye pads, resuscitation mask, wound closure kit, an emergency blanket, 4 packs of burn gen and a pull poison kit.
What is really nice about this kit, is the organisational and labeling of the different sections. It makes it so much easier to find and return all the first-aid parts to the right area. It’s also a lot lighter than the previous suggestion.
The physical size is 23 x 10 x 18 cm.
The whole kit weighs about 0.85kg
Comprehensive / Trauma Kit
Feature more elaborate kits that include advanced medical instruments, larger quantities of supplies, and specialty items. Technically we’re getting more into trauma kits than first-aid kits, but thesare for serious preppers or families prioritising thorough emergency preparedness. They also have the benefit of being able to treat numerous people due to duplicate items, as well as not needing to be refilled as often.
Kit #4 – Trauma First-Aid Kit
This kit will be about as comprehensive of a kit as you can buy. As you can see from the picture is significantly larger (and double the price).
For that increase in price, you get the standard stuff, plus a digital thermometer, bag-valve-mask (BVM) oxygen ventilation system, a blood pressure monitor, stethoscope, small torch with batteries, extraction neck collar and face-shield.
This kit is obviously designed with at least some medical or first-aid experience, but if disaster strikes you (or another prepper) may depend on things in here!
Size: 55cm x 35cm x 25cm. Weight: 1.75kg.
Additions to your First-Aid Kit
While a comprehensive kit contains numerous medical items, and covers a much wider spectrum of medical incidents, they quickly become bloated with items that you may already have, or will never need. For that reason it may be more beneficial to buy something like a small or medium kit, and buy separate components to increase your medical resilience in an emergency.
Perhaps you’ve got a high-end or even a full blown comprehensive first-aid kit, but you still need to buy additional first-aid items to tailor it to scenarios you believe you may face.
Cheap First-Aid Manuals
Do NOT buy a first-aid kit and think you’re sorted. If a disaster occurs, whether that be at a national level or a car accident outside, you will not have time to read up on CPR or the proper use of tourniquets.
Like all prepping, you need to plan and upskill before the situations arise. Get a good manual, like this one (approved by St Johns and The Red Cross) and brush up on your knowledge of first-aid. You never know when you may need to draw on that first-ait knowledge.
Oximeter / Blood Oxygen Monitor
This bit of digital tech (the only one I’m listing here, I think) is super portable (size of a finger) and gives a clear and accurate measurement of the blood / oxygen saturation in the blood, as well as your pulse.
This device, a great addition to any expanding first-aid kit, is half the price of leading competitors and does exactly the same function.
Cool & Heat Packs
Useful little thermal packs that can be applied to swollen ankles, burns, sprains and other minor injuries. The cool packs are super useful to help bring someones temperature down if they are experiencing any form of exposure symptoms. I’ve also used cold compresses for migraines, that would be rather debilitating otherwise in an emergency. These ones are slightly bigger (surface area) and slightly cheaper than the branded KoolPak
Tourniquets
Incredibly important device for severe trauma incidents, where blood flow needs to be cut off temporarily to limbs / extremities. Hopefully you’d never need to use one, but vital to have for when a very serious emergency occurs.
Eye-Wash / Saline Solution
Personal opinion, having multiple small eye-wash saline tubes / pods is better than a larger volume stored in a bottle. Individual pods maintain their sterile nature and are far easier to store / split between kits and transport. I would purchase these for cheap first-aid kits and then just secrete two or three into the pre-made kit.
Cheap First-Aid Kits – Summary
Choosing the best cheap first-aid kit for you involves considering whatever specific needs and budget you have. Do you need to be mobile, or is the priority being prepared for more scenarios? Whatever your main focus, whether you’re looking for a basic kit for occasional use or a more comprehensive set for extensive preparedness, these kits listed here hopefully offers you a range of options to suit every requirement.
As we posted in our Prepping Pitfalls: 10 Simple Mistakes Leaving you in Vulnerable (Pt.1) article – make sure you know how to use your gear! Medical emergencies are fast and fraught, you really need to know WHERE and HOW to use your cheap first-aid kit.
Once you’ve bought or built your very own first-aid kit, make sure you have the most important medical first-aid skills and knowledge to cover you and others in an emergency [LINK].
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