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Preparedness Tool

First Aid Kit Completeness Checker

Score your first aid kit against 25 essentials, flag the critical gaps first, and turn the missing list into a quick restock shopping list.

Part of building a finished prep kit, pair with the 72-hour kit calculator to plan supplies beyond the medical core.

Check your first aid kit

Check off what you have on hand. Critical items get priority weight, missing ones move to the top of the restock list.

Kit contents

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Estimated Kit Score

0% complete

Check off items above to see your score.

0 Items you have
0 Items missing
0 Critical gaps

How to use this checker

Go through your actual first aid kit, not from memory, and check off each item you physically have on hand. The tool scores your kit out of 100% and flags any critical items you're missing. Critical items are those needed to manage bleeding, airway emergencies, or anaphylaxis, where minutes matter. Once you see your gaps, use the missing list to build a restock shopping list.

Tips for success

  • Store cool and dry. Heat and humidity degrade bandages, medications, and adhesives faster than expected.
  • Check dates yearly. Audit medication and antiseptic expirations at least once a year. Pin it to a daylight saving time change so you never forget.
  • Run two kits. A full home kit plus a smaller vehicle kit covers most emergencies, since many happen away from home.
  • Replace as you go. After using anything from the kit, restock that item the same week, not at the next audit cycle.
  • Tape contacts to the lid. Include a printed sheet with emergency contacts and any family-specific medications (dosages, allergies) inside the lid.
This checklist covers standard first aid for most households. If you have specific medical needs (insulin, EpiPen, cardiac medications), those are essential additions beyond this baseline list. Consider taking a basic first aid and CPR course, the supplies are only as useful as your ability to use them.

Understanding the score tiers

  • 90–100% Excellent: your kit covers nearly every common emergency scenario.
  • 70–89% Good: a few gaps, but you are well-prepared for most situations.
  • 50–69% Fair: significant items missing, restock before relying on this kit.
  • Below 50% Incomplete: this kit would struggle in a real emergency. Prioritize the critical items first.

Common mistakes

  • Over-stocking small bandages. Store-bought kits pile in dozens of finger-sized strips while skipping the gauze rolls and tourniquets that actually matter when bleeding gets serious.
  • Skipping the tourniquet. A CAT or SOFTT-W tourniquet is one of the highest-leverage items in any home kit, yet most pre-made kits do not include one.
  • Trusting expired medications. Antihistamines, aspirin, and antibiotic ointment lose potency past their date. A "complete on paper" kit can fail in practice.
  • No CPR barrier. A pocket mask or face shield costs a few dollars and is the difference between performing CPR confidently and hesitating in the moment.
  • One kit for the whole life. Home, vehicle, and any frequently-used trail bag need their own copies, not one shared kit that lives wherever it was used last.

FAQ

How often should I audit my first aid kit?

At minimum, once a year, many people do it when changing smoke alarm batteries. If you frequently use your kit (sports, outdoor activities), check it after each use. Look for expired medications, depleted supplies, and damaged packaging.

What's the difference between a home kit and a wilderness/camping kit?

A home kit assumes you're within 30 minutes of emergency services, so it focuses on stabilization. A wilderness kit needs to handle wound closure (butterfly strips, steri-strips), blister care, splinting, and treatments that may need to last 24–72 hours before evacuation. If camping remotely, add SAM splints, a tourniquet, and a blister kit.

Are pre-made kits from the store good enough?

Most commercial kits are a reasonable starting point, but they often over-stock low-priority items (excessive small bandages) while under-stocking critical ones (no tourniquet, limited gauze). Use this checker to see exactly where a store-bought kit falls short, then supplement accordingly.

Should prescription medications be stored in the kit?

Only if they're for emergency use (EpiPen, nitroglycerin, rescue inhaler). Routine daily medications are better kept in their normal storage location. If you do store emergency prescriptions in the kit, check expiration dates more frequently, some medications lose potency quickly.

What's the single most important item missing from most home kits?

A tourniquet. Most home kits contain none, yet uncontrolled limb bleeding is one of the few emergency scenarios where the right tool applied in the first few minutes can be the difference between life and death. A CAT or SOFTT-W tourniquet costs $25–$35 and lasts years.