Our family was enjoying a gorgeous Midwest autumn day. We were walking around the streets of a small town in the midst of celebrating the fall foliage. As is typical when traveling with young children, a restroom break was needed, in quick order. The nearest public restroom was in a historic courthouse building.

Unfortunately one of the stalls had an uncovered hot steam pipe, and of course it found the back of my four-year-old son’s leg, resulting in a third degree burn.

We reassured our son, carried him to our car and calmly pulled out the first aid kit. The proper burn ointment was applied, as well as a sterile bandage. He rested as we drove him to our hometown to see the family doctor.

I remember the doctor asking me how we were able to treat the wound so quickly and properly, and I‘ll never forget his surprise when I told him we carried a first aid kit in our car. I was stunned that he was surprised.

I’ve always been a big proponent of having a first aid kit handy. You can ask my husband. He is mildly amused at the variety of different ones I’ve insisted on purchasing over the years. But the small emergency kit we carry for a local hike doesn’t come close to containing all the items we might need when we are backpacking cross-country. You get the idea.

I’m sure all of you reading this have some type of first aid products in your homes, at the very least, bandages and first aid cream.

You probably think about having some type of first aid on hand for outdoor sports, such as bike rides, hiking, backpacking or camping trips, boating, skiing…just to name a few.

But are you equally prepared for travel? And I’m not only talking about road trips. What about flying to another part of our country – or across the ocean to a foreign place? I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been grateful for those bandages I packed, to protect those unexpected blisters brought on by walking more than normal in a strange city.

You can find first aid kits of all kinds, in a variety of sizes and scope. Check out the auto section of your local department store for a plastic box type kit to fit in your car’s glove compartment or under the seat. And outdoor and sporting goods stores carry all types of first aid kits, from hard cases to soft easy-to-pack cases, tailored to fit your needs.

Watch for a future post where we will take a closer look at different types of first aid kits you can purchase or create yourself.