A first aid kit only helps if you can find what you need when it matters. The Survival Vehicle First Aid Kit is built around that: colour-coded, labelled pockets, a snake bite bandage and a tough bag that stays in the back of the car. We paid $150 for ours.
What’s in the box
A first aid kit for cars, 4WDs and caravans in a black, coated 600D Oxford bag with MOLLE straps, a carry handle and luminous piping. Inside are 105 items in labelled pockets, including a SMART snake bandage, a CPR kit and a zipped mesh section for your own things.
50 adhesive dressings (10 large, 40 small), 6 gauze swabs, 4 non-adherent dressings, 2 eye pads, a No 14 wound dressing, 3 wound closures, a triangular bandage, adhesive tape
Bandage shears, tweezers, 5 splinter probes, 6 safety pins, 3 plastic bags, a fever scan strip
2 saline tubes, 4 skin cleaning wipes, 5 hydrogel sachets
Resuscitation shield, 2 nitrile gloves, emergency blanket
First aid booklet, CPR card, note pad and pencil
SMART snake bandage (heavy duty, 10 cm × 2 m) and a second pressure bandage
What we like
- Colour-coded, labelled pockets
- SMART snake bite bandage
- Tough 600D bag, covered zips
- MOLLE straps on the back
- Mesh pocket for your own items
- Numbered labels make restocking easy
What we don’t
- Pricey at $150
- Over 1 kg on our scale
- Built for two people, not a group
Quick Specs
| Spec | Details |
|---|---|
| Brand | Survival |
| Material | Coated 600D Oxford polyester |
| Colour | Black |
| Weight | 1,090 g |
| Size | 21 × 11 × 19 cm |
| Pieces | 105 items |
| Features | Colour-coded pocketsSMART snake bandageMOLLEMesh personal section |
The Bag
The bag is coated 600D Oxford polyester, moisture resistant and easy to wipe down with disinfectant. An extra layer of fabric covers the zips to keep the weather out, and luminous piping makes it easier to find in the dark. On the back, MOLLE webbing lets you strap it to a cargo barrier or a seat, and there’s a carry handle and a clip on top. The front panel shows the colour code and QR codes, so you know where everything is before you open it.
Inside
Open it up and everything sits in labelled, colour-coded pockets, grouped by job, from trauma to hygiene, so you can grab the right dressing quickly. The labels also say what each item is for and how many there should be, which makes it obvious when something needs replacing; a QR code links to Survival’s restock portal. There’s a CPR kit with a face shield and gloves, an emergency blanket and a first aid booklet with a CPR card. A zipped mesh section and two deep pockets leave room for your own things: sunscreen, insect repellent, your medications or a couple of extra bandages.
Snake Bites
This is what sets it apart from a basic car kit. The SMART snake bandage is a heavy-duty, reusable pressure bandage with printed pictograms that show you how to apply it at the right pressure, so you don’t have to guess. It also suits funnel-web spider bites, and the kit has a second, medium-weight pressure bandage to go with it, which matters on remote tracks far from help.
In the Car
At about 21 × 11 × 19 cm it’s compact enough to live in the back of the car, and ours sits in a storage compartment where we can reach it quickly. It weighed 1,090 g on our scale, more than a basic kit, and it’s made to treat up to two people; for a big group or a long remote trip, add extra supplies in the personal section.
Survival or Trailhead?
We’ve also reviewed the Trailhead First Aid & Survival Kit, a $50 kit in a roll-top dry bag. It’s much lighter and cheaper and adds survival extras like a poncho and a compass, but it’s mostly plasters and covers only the basics. The Survival kit is better organised, has proper pressure bandages for snake bites and is the one for longer trips.
This one Survival Vehicle | Lightest Trailhead Kit | |
|---|---|---|
| Snake bandage | Yes | No |
| Items | 105 | 129 |
| Bag | 600D Oxford, MOLLE | Roll-top dry bag |
| Survival extras | Emergency blanket | Poncho, compass & paracord |
| Weight | 1,090 g | 576 g |
| Price paid | $150 | $50 |
| Our score | 8.9 | 8.8 |
Conclusion: Survival Vehicle First Aid KitConclusion
The Survival Vehicle First Aid Kit is a very well-organised first aid kit: colour-coded, labelled pockets, a SMART snake bandage with picture instructions and a tough, weatherproof bag with MOLLE straps and room for your own items. It’s pricey at $150, weighs just over 1 kg and is made for two people, but as a kit that lives in the car and is easy to use under pressure, it’s worth it.
A car first aid kit you can find your way around in a hurry.
Colour-coded, labelled pockets, a SMART snake bandage and a tough bag that lives in the back of the car. It’s $150 and just over 1 kg.
- 4WD tourers
- Caravanners
- Car campers
Yes, if you want a kit that’s easy to use under pressure. $150 is a lot more than a basic kit, but you pay for the layout, the snake bandage and a bag that lasts.
