Do you have a first aid kit on your motorcycle? If you do carry one, when was the last time you checked what was in it to make sure it was well stocked? If it’s been awhile since you looked, you could be in for a very unpleasant surprise the next time you need it. You may have already used items that you thought were still in it. Or a medication may have expired. 
Even if you purchased a first aid kit from the store, it may not contain everything you really need for your kit.
Here is a list of items you may want to consider putting in your first aid kit. You can get them all or pick and choose the ones you want and feel you may need. It’s all up to you.
Motorcycle First Aid Checklist
- Ace bandage
- Antacids
- Anti-bacterial lotion
- Aspirin (give to someone suspected of having a heart attack and then call 911)
- Tylenol / Ibuprofen (pain reliever)
- Bandages – Assorted sizes
- Benadryl non-drowsy (for insect bites)
- Betadine
- Burn ointment
- Carry an air splint for the arm or leg. (These are plastic devices that fit over an arm or leg that once on you blow air into them. They help hold the bone in place.)
- Dressings – Assorted sizes
- Eye drops
- Gauze
- Irrigation syringe
- Large safety pins
- Moleskin for blisters
- Q-tips
- First aid book
- Scissors
- Sunburn lotion
- Surgical gloves
- Bandage tape
- Telfa pads to cover road rash
- Chemical heat and cold packs
- Razor blade
- Anti-diarrheal medications (i.e., Pepto-Bismol, Imodium A-D)
- Tweezers
- Vitamin E caplets to put on cuts or scabs
- 1 oz Ipecac Syrup
- Small sewing kit (type you’d get in a hotel)
- Chap stick
- Thermometer in hard case
- Watertight container to store everything in
- Wet dry towels for clean up
Remember, these are just suggestions. Feel free to look through the list and pick and choose the ones that fit your needs. Hopefully, you won’t need to use most of the items, but you never know when you might need something. That’s why it pays to be prepared.
So stock up your first aid kit or create one if you don’t have one, and enjoy your time riding.
