If you’re going to be out on an African adventure for awhile, it helps to have a first aid kit in case of minor injuries.
And while you could just go buy something off the shelf, it might not always have what you need, and could have more stuff you don’t need — do you really need 40 adhesive bandages?
Here are some things you should definitely put in a first aid kit if you’re doing long term travel in Africa.
The first thing you need is a good container, make sure you have something with some compartments to keep things sorted — an old first aid kit works fine, and you probably have several under your bathroom sink.
First things first, you want all the standard stuff in there which includes basic bandages, butterfly bandages, gauze pads, medical adhesive tape, antiseptic wipes, disinfectants and antibiotic ointment.
You’ll also want to throw in a good pair of medical scissors and tweezers for trimming the adhesive and gauze pads.
Next, you’ll want some painkillers for random headaches or more serious pain.
You should just pack what you normally use — ibuprofen, acetaminophen and aspirin will all do the trick.
Other medicines in small quantities are good to have, such as cold pills, an antihistamine, and motion sickness tablets.
After you have all of these, you’ll want to pack the things that are more Africa specific, such as oral rehydration salts, water purification tablets, anti-diarrhea tablets, an antibiotic like ciprofloxacin, and malaria pills if you are going to an area that is prone to the disease.
If you are going somewhere really remote, consider bringing a splint, sling, and a blood clotting agent like Quik-Clot.
And although they might not fit in your kit, other suggested Africa-specific items include sunscreen, aloe, and mosquito repellent.
