Every trip needs a first aid kit, and the best one is the one you actually take. The Trailhead First Aid & Survival Kit was ours for a good while: 129 pieces of first aid and survival basics in a red roll-top dry bag. It cost us $50, and it did the job until we upgraded to a bigger kit for bigger trips.
What’s in the box
Most of the 129 pieces are dressings and bandages, and 70 of those are adhesive bandages. The rest are cleaning supplies, a few tools, cooling packs and a handful of survival extras, all in the dry bag.
70 adhesive bandages in four sizes, 2 butterfly closures, gauze, non-woven and abdominal pads, conforming, triangular and ace bandages, tape
8 alcohol pads, 4 cleaning wipes, 10 cotton buds
Scissors, metal tweezers, 10 safety pins, first aid manual, small nylon bag
Poncho, thermal blanket, compass with thermometer and whistle, candle, 20 ft paracord, moleskin, 2 L waterproof bag
Cold compress, 2 cooling patches, insect relief pad
Red roll-top dry bag with a buckle and clip; everything packs into it
What we like
- Covers the first aid basics
- Sturdy, waterproof dry bag
- Survival extras: blanket, poncho
- Clip to hang it on a bag
- Light: 576 g on our scale
What we don’t
- Too small for bigger trips
- Lots of the 129 are plasters
Quick Specs
| Spec | Details |
|---|---|
| Brand | Trailhead |
| Model | TR3820 |
| Weight | 576 g |
| Packed size | 26.5 × 11.5 × 11.5 cm |
| Warranty | 1 year |
| Included | 129 first aid and survival itemsDry bag |
The dry bag
The bag is what we liked most. It’s a sturdy red roll-top dry bag with a buckle and a clip, so the kit stays dry in the car, in a pack or by the water, and you can hang it on a bag or a strap. Ours carries a Lifegear logo; Anaconda sells the same bag under its own Trailhead name.
First aid and survival items
Inside, the first aid items come in a small red zip pouch, so you can grab them without tipping out the whole bag. It covers the basics well: cuts, grazes, blisters, splinters, a sprain or an insect bite. Just keep in mind that 70 of the 129 pieces are adhesive bandages. The survival extras, the thermal blanket, poncho, whistle and paracord, are the kind of things you hope never to need but are glad to have.
Size and weight
Packed, it’s about 26.5 × 11.5 × 11.5 cm and weighed 576 g on our scale, more than the 450 g Anaconda lists. That’s light enough to throw in a day pack and small enough to live in the car. For longer, more remote trips we’ve since moved to a bigger kit with more dressings; this one is the right size for weekends and day trips. To keep your first aid gear dry in its own bag, the Sea to Summit First Aid Dry Bag does a similar job empty.
Conclusion: Trailhead First Aid & Survival Kit (129 Piece)Conclusion
The Trailhead First Aid & Survival Kit puts 129 pieces of first aid and survival basics, from dressings, wipes and tweezers to a thermal blanket, poncho and paracord, into a sturdy red roll-top dry bag that we really liked. It weighs 576 g and is small enough to live in the car or a day pack. A lot of the 129 are plasters, and for bigger trips we upgraded to a bigger kit, but at $50 it does the job and covers the basics for weekends and day trips.
129 pieces of first aid and survival basics in a sturdy, waterproof roll-top bag, 576 g.
Fine for short trips; for bigger ones you’ll want a bigger kit.
- Hikers
- Car campers
- Couples
Yes, for short trips and as a first kit. $50 gets you the basics and a sturdy dry bag that keeps them dry; for longer, remote trips, step up to a bigger kit.
