Test & best list of first aid kits & first aid bags 2024

BEST LIST OF FIRST AID KITS: Velomotion tests various kits for emergencies. Here you can find out what belongs in the set and what can be left out. You will also find important tips for dealing with accidents and first aid kits.

First Aid Kits: Why They Matter

An accident can happen quickly - whether on a mountain bike on the most demanding descents or in traffic. Often you are not even the cause or the victim. Of course, you can also witness an accident without being involved. Here you are obliged to help, otherwise this could be a failure to provide assistance and this is relevant under both criminal and civil law. In any case, it is good to be able to provide help quickly to prevent something worse from happening.
On the one hand, it is important to master emergency measures as a first responder. Anyone who would like to refresh or gain knowledge here can, for example, visit: DIMB (German Mountain Bike Initiative) relevant courses. Another good place to start is DAV (German Alpine Club), whose courses cover a wider range of sports.
On the other hand, a suitably equipped first aid kit is necessary. Because when cycling, many accidents are not so extreme that life-saving measures have to be taken. Often there are abrasions, cuts or lacerations or even a fracture that you sustain. Depending on how serious the injury is, emergency services are often not necessary and you can be treated with a first aid kit. Nevertheless, it may be advisable to see a doctor afterwards. But a first aid kit is also very important for more serious injuries such as deep cuts. Depending on the location of the accident and its accessibility, the emergency services may take a while to get there. In the worst case scenario, heavy bleeding can cause the accident victim to bleed to death - especially in this case, immediate treatment of the wound using a first aid kit can be life-saving! A classic, for example, is the handlebar that drills into the body. It sounds unimaginable, but our editor has experienced it repeatedly.

Best list of first aid kits — The test candidates in our best list of first aid kits: everything from small to large is included.

First aid kits: what is important? What has to go in?

For this article, we spoke not only to doctors, but also to medical professionals and Hermann Meyer – head of the first aid courses at DIMB and DAV. Opinions can differ here and there when it comes to the contents and scope of a first aid kit. Basically, a small set is better than no set!
Especially on the small house tour, a dangerous thought can arise: “It's only a small tour and I know it, nothing will happen and the first aid kit is too big for me”. At the same time, however, this is the route you drive most often - statistically speaking, the probability that something will happen here is highest. That's why we recommend having at least one small set with you on every trip!

Accessibility of the sets is also important. If you have to open dozens of bags or rummage through “unnecessary” things, this costs valuable time. If the content is poorly organized, in case of doubt everything can fly towards the user and land in the dirt. This is therefore an important test criterion in our list of the best first aid kits.

First aid kit positive examples — Positive examples: Ortovox has the contents of the bag printed next to the first aid instructions. Flexeo even has viewing windows!

The content itself is individual and depends on many factors. Anxious people are well advised to have a comprehensive first aid kit - as are larger families where only one person needs to carry a kit with them. Anyone who undertakes cycling trips to more remote regions should also be well equipped. But of course weight and pack size play an important role. On the home trails mentioned, however, a small set is sufficient. Therefore, in the test we do not evaluate the scope of the first aid kits, but rather the usefulness and quality of the contents put together.

Basic content

From our point of view, you should at least have:

2 pairs of gloves to care for another person. Why 2? When used outdoors, your first pair gets dirty quicker than you think. The second pair keeps the wound clean longer.
2 packs of bandages. These are pre-made gauze bandages with a wound compress. Alternatively, you can of course work with individual compresses and bandages.
Emergency blanket to keep accident victims warm. Depending on the season and location, you may be able to do without it. But having is better than needing.
A few plasters in different sizes. These have a major psychological effect, especially on children, even if the wound is harmless.
Triangular bandage for fixing the arm in the event of fractures or dislocated shoulders. Can also be used to clean wounds. If you want to save weight and space, you can often get ahead with a jersey.

Additional things

In addition and especially for longer, remote tours, it is also useful:

Staple plasters / Leukostrips for closing lacerations and cuts.
Scissors for better handling.
Adhesive tape / tape with good adhesive strength.
2 painkillers if you can or have to go to the rescue yourself and the pain is very severe. Usually has to be added yourself!
Ventilation aid to lower the inhibition threshold and risk of infection during mouth-to-mouth ventilation.
Blister plasters for longer tours, such as Alpine crosses.
Tick tweezers, depending on the region. To prevent Lyme disease, a tick should be removed as quickly as possible.
Gauze pad to clean the wound. Usually has to be added yourself!

Disinfectants can also be useful. However, without appropriate cleaning options, it is often not possible to get a wound completely sterile while on the move. Therefore, disinfectant spray is sometimes questioned.
Our test shows that a surprising number of first aid kits are not equipped with all of the things mentioned above - be it a small set with basic contents or a large set with the additional things. So if you want to be on the safe side, it's best to retrofit yourself.
If you lose your nerve easily and/or haven't refreshed your knowledge of emergency measures as a first aider in a while, you can simply put a cheat sheet in your first aid kit. This is even included in some sets. The DRK (German Red Cross) also offers an app that can help in emergency situations. Nevertheless, it is always better to refresh your knowledge in a course.

Shear — Steel scissors are not light. If you want to save weight, choose the more compact version.

First aid kit access — Loose contents, small opening: Amazon's Basic Care Set doesn't score with the best handling.

Tips for dealing with first aid kits and accidents

First aid professional Hermann Meyer has valuable tips on how to behave in accident situations as well as how to equip and use various pieces of equipment:

Things like scissors or tape are not of very high quality in many first aid kits. It is advisable to test these in advance and, if necessary, replace them with higher quality material from the pharmacy. People with small or large hands in particular should check whether the gloves fit - these are sometimes inferior.
Injuries such as deep tears or lacerations that are treated with staple plasters or leukostrips at the scene of the accident should be assessed and closed by a doctor afterwards. If dirt remains in the wound, it can cause dangerous blood poisoning. In addition, things that get stuck in the body after an accident - such as branches, twigs or stones - should only be removed by doctors.
A first aid kit is only as good as its user. It is therefore essential to deal with the set occasionally. Where are which things? Do I know how to apply a bandage?
If you need emergency services, a shocking number of athletes often don't know where they are. This costs valuable time if the location first has to be found out or the rescue goes to the wrong place. Therefore, good tour planning should be a given, especially in unknown terrain.

First aid kits: DIY version

Of course, you can also put together your own first aid kit in a small, waterproof bag. You can get everything you need in pharmacies, sometimes from your family doctor or in various online shops. Gaffa tape is also very suitable as an adhesive tape. Here, for example, you can simply wrap 0,5 to 1 m around an old pill bottle and store the gauze bandage in the interior. Everything else can be folded flat and therefore takes up little space in your backpack or backpack Hüfttasche path.

First aid kit DIY — Compact DIY sample set: Waterproof, empty bags are available for purchase, which contain 2x wound dressings, 2x bandage packs, 1x emergency blanket, 1x respiratory aid, a few plasters, 2x gloves (only unpacked for the photo).

First aid kits: The tests of the best list

If you don't want to DIY, you can get interesting, often well-equipped first aid kits from various manufacturers. We tested these as part of our list of the best. The test criteria for us are: