The best first aid kit is the one you won’t mind bringing along everywhere you go. That means, it should fit as many useful stuff in a compact case that you can keep in your everyday bag. The VSSL First Aid Mini definitely qualifies as that type of kit, with its well-curated selection of smartly-organized stuff for emergency medical treatment.
If you’re familiar with VSSL, then you already know their deal. They make a variety of stuff all packed inside a portable, flashlight-like tube. That same thing happens here, with the outfit bundling dozens of essential medical items inside a compact tube container that you can stash in backpack pouch, keep in the glove compartment, or even carry on your backpocket.
The VSSL First Aid Mini is billed as a “durable, portable, everyday-carry first aid kit.” That’s a pretty apt description, with the kit bundling over 40 different medical essentials in a tube that measures 6.75 x 2 inches (height x diameter). Inside, it comes with three tins, each containing a variety of neatly-organized items. The first tin is called Clean, Cut, and Cover, which contains stuff you will need to deal with garden-variety scrapes, cuts, and bruises. Those contents include six 2.5-inch square antiseptic wipes, two wound closure strips to quickly cover small cuts, two large bandages for closing out bigger wounds, and antibiotic ointment, so you can clean and sterilize wounds quickly before patching them up.
The second tin is called First Aid Tools, which contain medical tools you can use when applying bandages and medication. These include tweezers for easily removing debris from wounds, a razor blade, safety pins to keep bandages and wraps secure, a sewing kit for closing out those bigger cuts, medical gloves to keep everything hygienic, and even an emergency whistle when you need to call out for help.
The VSSL First Aid Mini also comes with a tin called Outdoor Essentials, which puts together medical stuff specifically for use in outdoor settings. This contains six blister pads to protect those skin bubbles from further contact, eight tablets of pain medication for instant relief from whatever ailment you contract in the wild, a topical cream for burns, bug bites, and other irritation, two knuckle bandages to protect your cracked knuckles after fighting with a bear, and two disposable thermometers, just in case you want to check whether you’re just tired or you’re really running a fever like you suspect.
According to VSSL, all the stuff is put together by a group consisting of medical instructors and the author of the first aid manual used by the Canadian Red Cross, which means, these probably are real essentials you’ll find useful in your adventures. The tube container and the tins, by the way, are made from 6061 aluminum, with a waterproof seal, so your first aid kit won’t get damaged even if you end up soaking in the rain. Oh yeah, the tins are designed to fit in any of the outfit’s tube containers, so you can integrate them into any that you own, in case you don’t want to bring the whole thing along.
The VSSL First Aid Mini is available in both standard and flashlight versions, with the latter having a case that doubles as a flashlight. Price starts at $70.