A mountain first-aid kit isn't the same as the one in your bathroom at home. Here's the minimum it should include for a day outing:
For wounds: sterile gauze, medical adhesive tape, bandages of different sizes, alcohol or antiseptic solution, latex or nitrile gloves.
For sprains and bruises: an elastic bandage, some rigid material that can be improvised into a splint.
For the body: basic pain relievers, an antihistamine (in case of a reaction to stings), rehydration salts.
Mountain-specific items: an emergency thermal blanket, a whistle, some blister tape to apply before blisters form (you can feel them coming — don't wait until they hurt).
At Nahueltrek we sell SOS first-aid kits put together specifically for trekking in our shop, reviewed by our WFR guides. Having one is only half the job — the other half is knowing how to use it, which is exactly what our team's Wilderness First Responder certification trains for.
