I have carried a first aid kit in my car and on my bike for over a decade. Every year or so I check expiration dates and swap things out depending on what life looks like. A few years back, that meant adding dog stuff. This year, it meant adding things for a baby.

Until recently, I only had two kits—one in the car and one on whatever bike I happened to be riding. But now I switch bikes multiple times a day between daycare drop-off and commuting, and I pretty much stopped moving the kit back and forth. Getting caught without it would have been a problem.

The old kits were store-bought and mostly expired, so I rebuilt them from scratch. I ordered supplies in bulk and made four new ones: replacements for the car and bike kits, plus two extras—one for the other bike and one for the stroller. I wanted them to be compact but useful. Not just band-aids and aspirin, but something I could actually use if I rolled up on someone hurt—or crashed myself.

I also added Narcan. I have never had to use it, but a few months ago I saw a guy riding with a sign on his bike that said “I carry Narcan” and thought more of us should do that. It is cheap, takes up almost no space, and it can save a life.

# Gear

This all fits in a medium-size pouch. I keep one in the car, one in the cargo bike, one on my commuting bike, and one in the stroller.

Item	Count	Description	Total Cost
First Aid Bag	1	Just a basic pouch to hold everything	$4.00
Gloves	4 pairs	First thing you should reach for	$0.72
Gauze pads (2x2)	2	Good for small scrapes or cuts	$0.16
Gauze pads (4x4)	2	Same as above, just bigger	$0.38
Cotton tip applicators	10	Apply ointment without touching wounds	$0.10
Cotton tape	1	Tears easily, sticks well	$1.91
Instant cold packs	4	Useful for bumps, bruises, sprains	$3.52
Ibuprofen (single dose packs)	5	Handy to have on the go	$1.00
Sting relief wipes	2	Bug bites, bee stings, etc.	$0.14
Antibiotic ointment	6	Helps prevent infection	$1.32
Alcohol prep pads	12	Clean hands, tools, skin	$0.744
Band-aid (3X1)	10	Good for the usual cuts and scrapes	$0.90
Band-aid (2x4)	4	Same as above, just bigger	$1.04
Closure strips	1 pack	Sort of like DIY stitches	$0.70
Tweezers + Scissors	1	Splinters, cutting tape, whatever	$3.99
Narcan nasal spray	1	Opioid overdose reversal spray	$15.00

Total cost: About $37. Or $22 if you skip Narcan (but you could save someone’s life if you have it)