Serious bleeding and a ruined foot are very different problems, but they're both things a basic first aid kit often under-serves — and both are far easier to deal with if you're carrying the right dedicated item, not making do.
We've picked a military-grade emergency bandage designed to control serious bleeding with one hand, and hydrocolloid blister plasters that cushion and protect a blister well enough to keep walking — a small addition to any kit that covers a genuinely common failure point.
A trauma (Israeli) bandage combines a dressing, pressure bar and securing wrap in one, to control serious bleeding fast. The step up from plasters that could genuinely save a life.
The pressure bar lets you apply firm, focused pressure and secure the bandage one-handed — the feature that sets a trauma bandage apart from an ordinary dressing.
It must be sterile and vacuum-sealed, with a sensible expiry date. Check the date periodically and replace when needed.
A vacuum-packed bandage survives being carried in a kit for years and takes up little room in a car or grab bag.
The first time you use one shouldn't be on a real casualty. Buy a spare to open and practise routing the pressure bar.
For a spurting limb wound, a tourniquet may be needed first. Understand where a pressure bandage fits in the wider first aid picture.
A combat-proven pressure bandage with a built-in pressure bar to control serious bleeding. Simple, effective and worth learning to use.
Invisible hydrocolloid blister plasters that cushion, protect and speed the healing of blisters, keeping you moving on foot with far less pain.
Two 500ml bottles of sterile saline eyewash with a wall bracket and eye-wash mirror, for flushing grit, dust or a chemical splash out of the eyes. It fills a gap most home and workshop first-aid kits miss, and is worth keeping wherever you cut, drill, sand or garden. From an established UK medical supplier.
The main route into storm, power cut, warmth, water and car-kit guidance.
A practical first plan for lights, phones, food, warmth and checking on people.
Buyable kit picks for the most common UK storm and outage problems.
A printable checklist for cold weather, outages, travel disruption and home prep.