It’s 16 days and counting with all things college in our world. The basement has been taken over with sheets, towels, organization pieces, and more. And I’m slowly piecing together those final things. Something that I knew would bring peace of mind to my world when he left home was a first aid kit. I’m a planner and don’t fly by the seat of my pants. This one honestly made me feel better. So today I’m sharing How to Make a First Aid Kit for College!
{Pssstttt… I also have some eye candy and trivia below when it comes to the traditional first aid kit, so be sure to check that out, too!}
I know that this is more for me, than for him. I am fully aware of the psychology behind making one, and one in particular, that may go above and beyond. I have this real fear of him waking in the middle of the night and actually needing something that he doesn’t have until he can get to a doctor. There’s nothing wrong with having some gastrointestinal distress supplies on hand. He’s also going to a college that has a lot of fun-filled outdoor activities as a part of their culture, which he plans to participate in. From hiking to white water rafting, camping, and more… This is peace of mind for Mom.
What everyone else sees:
What I see. Therefore, I’ve prepped for ALL the things.
My dilemma with a first aid kit is that they get pricey and fast. So I decided to take the practical route and build it up from things we already had combined with smart purchases. Today, I’m including everything, as well as a few shortcuts. I put a list together by consulting multiple friends in healthcare, as well as my own mom-concerns. So I hope that if you’re sending a kiddo to college, this may give you a few ideas, too!
This is by no means a complete list. I will probably realize I left something out later. Each kid is different. For instance, mine doesn’t need Midol. Feel free to add things in the comments below.
Necessary Disclaimer: I am not a doctor or a healthcare professional, nor do I claim to be. I am providing a few ideas so that you might glean from them. I will also go over all these instructions with my child before he leaves for college. Communication is key here. We hope this list helps. I earn a small amount when you click and purchase, but only share products I trust and love. So thank you for understanding and supporting our small business.
The First Aid Box:
First, I wasn’t sure where to start on the practical side of things. Those impractical metal first aid kits we all love seemed stupidly pricey. So I grabbed this tackle box, because it checked all the boxes. Multiple levels of storage, along with a durable piece that he can stash under his bed until it’s needed or in his car on a camping trip. Maybe he will never need it, but again, piece of mind. He can also refill supplies as needed from here. I think the key is everything sections, and any tackle box will do.
Little Pill Holders
Next, I added these small boxes.
As I mentioned above, with all the other things we’ve purchased for his first apartment, I’ve realized how quickly things add up. Medicine is an entirely different category in which you can spend hundreds of dollars in seconds. I didn’t think he necessarily needed an entire bottle per medication. I could grab most of these from around the house, and with a few labels, make my own makeshift pill boxes. {He can also make a refill when he comes home or runs to the store if he uses a lot of something.}
After pre-washing each box, I added these simple labels on the inside. I typed up the basics of the drug info, printed out on cardstock, and placed the label inside. Granted, he can google all these things. He can also call me. But this was to keep everything organized, and he can refill when needed.
What these cards contain:
• The first line holds the drug name.
• The second section explains the symptoms it can cure via my mom-notes.
• The third is the instructions for taking said medication.
• The fourth contains hazards to be aware of at a glance. {For instance, don’t take Dayquil with Tylenol.}
On the back, I wrote the expiration date. If he wakes with a fever in the middle of the night, he’s covered until he can get to a medical professional.
The labels are cut out and slide inside.
If you’d like to make your own labels, the blank PDF can be found here!
I did not include drug info for you because, again, I am not a medical professional. this was personal for my kiddo. But you can definitely make your own labels!
I also found these stick-on labels in case anyone wants to try stickers, instead.
{Note: If you don’t feel like typing something up, you can also handwrite any instructions on multiple cards as needed. It doesn’t have to be fancy.}
I love these little boxes because they fit nicely within the tackle box, without taking up room with all the bulky packaging. I have a few left and will definitely be traveling this way next time. I never leave home without some gastrointestinal distress supplies.
From there, I started to add the other supplies.
This thing is chock-full of medical necessities and goods.
I’ve included an entire list with links below, along with my favorite money-saving tip for the rest of these things!
Again, please take from my list, and make your own. And again, I am not a medical professional. But I am a mom, and have nursed this kiddo back from the flu, covid, bronchitis, strep, and more… so I think I have a good idea of what may do the trick in college.
You probably have a lot of these things around the house, just like I did.
Again, here’s where I started: The tackle box as listed above, + the smaller pill boxes, so I could pull from what I had.
Here’s the second important part: This first Aid kit was gifted to him upon graduation. He has an extra one in his car, and has already used it for a friend this summer. I combined that with the medications listed below. Next, I supplemented it with a few more things. So, if it makes sense, start with this first aid kit, read the list of things it already contains, and then build your own from there. It contains most of the bandages with a few things added. Just be sure to look over the list.
If you want to hop right to my curated list in Amazon, check it out here. Otherwise, I have the list, one by one, below.
• Tackle box & Containers {as outlined above.}
{Maybe} this first aid kit, to fill in the majority of bandages, neosporin, etc. {as outlined above.}
• Antibiotic ointment
• Cold pack
• Tweezers + Clippers – the red first aid kit has clippers but not tweezers.
• Cotton balls {I moved these to a smaller baggie so that they fit inside the box nicely}
• Bandaids of various sizes – I believe the first aid kit above is more cost-effective, but it all depends on what you already have}
• Cleaning agent (soap, alcohol, betadine, hydrogen peroxide …)
• Blister bandage (Hydro colloidal band-aids)
• Butterfly Band-Aids
• Steristrips
• Benadryl cream
• Hydrocortisone cream|
• Aquaphor
• 4×4 gauze
• Hand cleaning wipes
• Benadryl (diphenhydramine)
• Aloe Vera
• NyQuil + DayQuil
• Imodium
• Ibuprofen
• Tylenol
• Acid reducer {a game changer if you feel nauseated, too.}
• Aleve
• Claratin
• Gas-X
• Pepto Bismol
• Covid test
• Cough drops
• Thermometer
• Gloves
• Mask – in case the doctor requires it for an appointment, or he has to clean up after a sick roomie
• Pedialyte – a game changer
• Emergen-C
It definitely took some finagling, but I could fit everything in nicely! {It helped to group bandaids with rubber bands, according to size.} We hope this helps put together a little something and a big peace of mind for those of you with young adults headed to college! Hugs for all your sweet mom hearts who are in the same boat and totally get me.
But now to the eye candy…
I finished putting this together last Friday, and then made the family humor me so we could go to the local flea market one last time before school started on that same afternoon. You truly never know what you’re going to find. Lo and behold, I found this at the flea market, and it was a total dopamine buy for 15 smackers. I had an absolute conniption when I realized it still had some of the original goodies inside. WHAT.
I believe this one is circa 1939. And I found a similar one with less things inside going for 140 on Ebay…
It’s crazy how far first aid kits have come. Do you think they knew how great their graphic design was way back when or is it a vintage thing, now? Because it wins either way.
So many fun things inside! Including the original burn cream. To be honest, it smells like my grandmother’s house, and in a good mid-century modern kind of way.
For those of you who are nerds {like me} and curious about the origin of the First Aid Kit, I found this interesting tidbit here.
My, how far we’ve come. I was just thrilled it hadn’t been made into a makeshift sewing kit.
That offset printing and color combo has my designer heart. It’s the little things, really.
So here’s to all things being prepared and the satisfaction it can bring when you have peace of mind.
Are you creating a first-aid kit for your kiddos? What have you found they need the most? Is there anything you think I should include that I didn’t? I’d love to hear!
Have an inspired day!
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