Experience has shown that most of the medicines, antiseptics, bandages and implements usually found in first aid kits are not necessary for first aid.

In fact, if you keep bandages and dressings stored for a long time, they usually gather dust containing all kinds of bacterial spores and, if the air is damp, they will even grow fungi.

Some bandages and dressings are sold in sterile bags, but even these may grow harmful organisms if they are not checked regularly for damage and for expiry dates. A clean cloth that has been washed and dried may often be safer and better.

Ointments and antiseptic lotions are not necessary. The following items could be useful while you are doing first aid.

• A set of large safety pins to make slings and splints
• A pair of tweezers to take out splinters and thorns
• A pair of scissors to cut cloth bandages and dressings
• A cake of soap to wash small wounds, to remove grease and dirt and to wash your hands after you have given first aid