Building a Van First Aid Kit — What to Pack for UK Van Life
Why Your Van Needs a Purpose-Built Kit
A standard high-street first aid kit — the kind you buy at Boots or Superdrug for £15 — is better than nothing, but it is not designed for van life. The scenarios you face living on the road are different from what you might encounter at home: burns from diesel heater servicing, cuts from angle-grinding steel in a confined space, allergic reactions miles from the nearest pharmacy, and water-borne illness from a questionable tap.
This guide covers what to carry, what to leave out, and how to handle the most common medical situations you will encounter doing van life in the UK.
The Core Supplies
Wound Care
- Assorted plasters (fabric, not plastic — plastic peels off in damp conditions) in multiple sizes
- Sterile gauze pads — 10cm x 10cm, a pack of 10
- Micropore tape — holds gauze in place without sticking to the wound
- Triangular bandage — versatile: sling, padding, or securing dressings
- Crepe bandages — 7.5cm and 10cm widths for sprains and compression
- Blister plasters (Compeed or similar) — your feet will thank you after a day walking coastal paths
- Medical scissors — for cutting tape, bandages, clothing if needed
- Tweezers — splinters, ticks, and grit from a beach shower
Burns and Scalds
Burns are the most common van build injury. Diesel heater exhaust pipes, soldering irons, and hot glue guns all leave marks.
- Burn gel sachets — single-use, kept in the cab glovebox for quick access
- Non-stick dressings (Melolin or similar) — do not use regular gauze on burns
- Sterile saline — 20ml ampoules for irrigation
Medications
- Antihistamines (cetirizine or loratadine) — hay fever, allergic reactions, insect bites
- Ibuprofen and paracetamol — stock both, they work differently
- Loperamide (Imodium) — food poisoning and dodgy water strikes fast in a van
- Oral rehydration salts — crucial if you get a stomach bug (more on this below)
- Antiseptic wipes — cleaning cuts before dressing
- Hydrocortisone cream 1% — for rashes and insect bites
Tools and Miscellaneous
- Tweezers and tick removal tool — ticks are common in Devon, Scotland, and the Lake District. Lyme disease is a real risk.
- Safety pins — popping blisters (sterilised), securing bandages, impromptu repairs
- Latex-free gloves — a few pairs for treating others
- CPR face shield — pocket-sized, negligible weight
- Foil blanket — shock management and emergency warmth
- Instant ice pack — for sprains and swelling
- Small torch — examining wounds at night without the van's interior light
UK-Specific Considerations
Water-Borne Illness
The biggest health risk on the road is contaminated water. UK campsite taps and public water points are generally safe, but wild camping without a proper water system increases your risk. Symptoms of cryptosporidium (the most common UK water-borne parasite) include watery diarrhoea, stomach cramps, nausea, and low-grade fever — appearing 5-7 days after exposure.
Prevention: carry water purification tablets (chlorine dioxide works against cryptosporidium, iodine does not) or boil all drinking water.
If you get sick: loperamide for symptom control, oral rehydration salts, and rest. Most cases resolve in 7-10 days but medical attention is needed if you cannot keep fluids down for 24 hours.
Tick Bites and Lyme Disease
Ticks are found across the UK in grassy and wooded areas, including campsites, coastal paths, and wild camping spots. The NHS estimates 2,000-3,000 cases of Lyme disease per year in England and Wales.
Tick removal: Use a tick removal tool or fine-tipped tweezers. Grasp the tick as close to the skin as possible and pull upward with steady, even pressure. Do not twist or jerk. Do not apply Vaseline, alcohol, or heat.
What to watch for: A circular red rash (erythema migrans) at the bite site, appearing 3-30 days after removal. It looks like a bullseye target. Fever, headache, and fatigue follow. If you see the rash, go to a GP or NHS walk-in centre — early-stage Lyme disease is treated effectively with doxycycline.
When to Call 999 From a Remote Spot
If you are wild camping in Scotland or a remote part of the UK and need emergency help:
- Dial 999 — it works from any UK mobile network, even with no signal bars (all UK networks have a legal obligation to connect emergency calls from any mast)
- What3Words app — download it before you leave, it gives rescue services a precise 3-metre square location. This is far more accurate than a grid reference or postcode.
- If you are in the mountains, also know how to alert Mountain Rescue via police (dial 999, ask for Police, then Mountain Rescue)
What to Leave Out
High-street first aid kits come stuffed with useless filler. Throw out:
- Foam plastic strips (they do not stick and fall off in damp conditions)
- Small round plasters (too small for any real cut)
- Cotton wool balls (leaves fibres in wounds, use gauze instead)
- Tape that comes with the kit (it is invariably the wrong kind — buy micropore separately)
Where to Keep the Kit
The boot of the van is the wrong place — if you burn your hand while cooking, you do not want to climb over the bed to reach the first aid kit through the back doors.
Best location: In the cab — under the passenger seat or in a door pocket. Most incidents happen during build work (in the back) or during cooking (at the side door). Having the kit within arm's reach of the cab means you can access it without navigating the living area.
St John Ambulance First Aid Course
The single best thing you can do for your safety on the road is take a St John Ambulance first aid course. They run one-day courses across the UK for about £60. You will learn CPR, wound management, burns treatment, and what to do if someone is choking — all skills that matter much more when you are an hour from the nearest A&E.
The Bottom Line
A first aid kit for UK van life is not about buying the biggest pre-made bag. It is about having the right supplies for the specific risks you face on the road: burns from van build work, ticks from coastal walks, and stomach bugs from unfamiliar water.
Build the kit yourself. Add to it as your travels reveal gaps. And take the St John Ambulance course — that £60 will do more for your safety than any piece of equipment you can buy.
My recommendation: Start with adhesive dressings, burn gel, antihistamines, and rehydration salts. The rest can be added as you discover what you need.
