Ready for the Festival? Don't Forget Your First Aid Kit!
Festival Pharmacy Essentials: Prepare Your Medication Kit for the Gathering
Music festivals are all about the tunes, the vibes, and the camping essentials—think sleeping bags, wellies, and gas cookers. But, there's one thing that often gets overlooked in the excitement: a well-equipped festival pharmacy. Tamara Sperber, a volunteer paramedic for the Maltese Cross and festival veteran, offers her must-have list to keep you prepared for minor and major ailments:
Here are her festival first aid kit essentials, all of which can fit easily in a side pocket of your backpack:
Gear Up: The Festival First Aid Kit Checklist
- Hand Hygiene Items: Hand sanitizer and wound disinfectant for cuts, scrapes, or injuries caused by glass, tent pegs, or stumbling around the campsite.
- Medications:
- A trusted medication for headaches
- Medication for nausea
- Tips from the Experts: Tamara recommends carrying a teaspoon of mustard, a trick original to the field of obstetrics, for those prone to heartburn due to alcohol consumption.
- Over-the-counter medications for pain relief, such as acetaminophen (Tylenol) and ibuprofen (Advil)
- Antihistamine gel for relief from insect bites
- Anti-diarrhea medication if you're susceptible to it
- First Aid Supplies: Tweezers or a tick card, useful for removing splinters or ticks
- Bandages and blister treatments
- Sunscreen with a high SPF to protect from the sun
In addition, consider enhancing your festival first aid kit with these extra items:
- Over-the-counter medications:
- Antacids or heartburn medication for heartburn or indigestion
- Motion sickness medication for travel or intense activities
- Additional pain relievers for a variety of pain types
- First aid supplies:
- Naloxone kit for emergencies involving opioid overdoses
- Polysporin or Neosporin antibiotic ointments to prevent infections
- Gauze pads and medical tape for dressing larger wounds
- Cold packs or cold compresses for minor injuries or swelling
- Personal hygiene items:
- Anti-bacterial handwash or wipes if hand sanitizer isn't enough
- Toilet paper or wet wipes for personal hygiene in case facilities are scarce
- Miscellaneous:
- Insect bite or sting relief such as hydrocortisone cream or calamine lotion
- Your personal medications, like EpiPens or inhalers
- Safety and Communication:
- Whistle or other signaling device for emergencies requiring help
- Phone power bank and portable charger to keep your device charged throughout the festival
By packing these items, you'll be ready to tackle whatever festival life throws your way!
- Incorporating music, health-and-wellness, and outdoor-living, it's wise to have sunscreen with a high SPF in your festival first aid kit to protect your skin during sunny performances.
- To maintain a balanced lifestyle, you might consider adding anti-bacterial handwash or wipes to your festival first aid kit for proper hygiene, especially when food vendors and portable restrooms are common.
- If you're a fitness enthusiast or an avid camper, it's essential to pack cold packs or cold compresses to manage sore muscles or minor injuries sustained while dancing or setting up camp at the festival.
