You might want to add in some over the counter medicines depending on your level of medical training. An antibiotic ointment for cuts and scrapes can be very helpful. A NSAID (aspirin, ibuprofen) can be helpful for sprains and strains. If you are concerned about allergic reactions, Benadryl might be a good idea to carry. I don't carry anything beyond that. Some people bring something for gastrointestinal issues.
I know in India prescription drugs are more easily obtained, but I don't think anyone should carry those without the proper medical training. There is a movement here in the US to make epinephrine auto-injectors more widely carried. You should get training, however the training is pretty simple. Having one available could save life of someone anaphalyxis shock.
I don't have medical training so please make up your own mind.
Registered: 02/05/03
Posts: 3292
Loc: Portland, OR
If there are endemic diseases, such as malaria or cholera, in the area where you will be trekking, then you should consult with a physician about the best approach to protecting yourself against them and follow the instructions you are given.
For your own use, it is advisable to bring what you would need to treat common maladies, such as headaches, bruises, cuts, abrasions, diarrhea or constipation. More specific treatments should reflect your specific personal needs, such as allergy supplies if you are allergic, or thyroid supplements if you are hypothyroid. You will know these needs better than we do.
If you trek in some extremely remote and impoverished areas, then your first aid kit may represent the most sophisticated medical treatment available to the people who are living there, even if your kit only contains aspirin and a few sterile bandages. It is charitable to bring enough of such basic supplies that you can share them with those in need.
The sophistication of your first aid kit should not exceed your knowledge or ability to use the supplies you bring, because without the proper knowledge to use them correctly you may do more damage than good.
I don't carry much of any of these, except occasionally I'll throw in an extra travel-sized tube of Tylenol if I've had a problem recently.
In spring I'll add an allergy medicine like Allegra.
If I have a cold, I'll add a cold medicine like DayQuil. I don't carry NyQuil because I very rarely need a sleep aid.
I carry a few adhesive bandages, a couple butterfly closures, an elastic bandage, and a gauze pad, but most of what I need are medicines.
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"Stand in the ways and see, and ask for the old paths, where the good way is, and walk in it; then you will find rest for your souls."
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