Pack the tent, the cooler, the firewood — and the first-aid kit. That last item tends to be treated as an afterthought, but it’s probably the most important item in your gear. Cuts, burns, sprains and insect stings are among the most common camping injuries, and with Mississippi’s summer heat, heat exhaustion is never far behind.

A good kit can handle the small stuff that doesn’t need medical care, but for anything beyond that, State Urgent Care is ready to help you, and we’d rather see you sooner than later. A wound that looks minor at the campsite can turn into an infection by the time you get home, and that’s exactly the thing we can take care of.

The core supplies your kit needs

The American Red Cross suggests a fundamental set of supplies for a camping first-aid kit, and you should expand upon it based on your group’s size and how remote your location is. The essentials cover wound care, pain relief and basic injury management:

Adhesive bandages in multiple sizes
Gauze pads and rolled gauze
Medical tape and wrap bandages
Antiseptic wipes and antibacterial ointments
Instant cold pack
Tweezers and scissors
Disposable gloves
Splint and triangular bandage
Thermometer
CPR mask

You’ll also want medications. Pack pain relievers for both adults and children, along with antihistamines and burn gel.

Tailoring your kit to your trip

A weekend campsite near Starkville calls for a different kit than a multi-day backcountry trip. Families with young children will want to double up on bandages and pack children’s-dose medications.

If you’re heading somewhere remote, add oral rehydration salts and a water purification method, since clean water becomes the bigger concern the farther you are from town.

Wound care out in the field

Cuts and puncture wounds are among the more common injuries we treat at State Urgent Care after camping weekends. For a minor cut, MedlinePlus suggests that you:

Rinse it well with antiseptic wipes or sterile saline
Dab some antibacterial ointment on it
Cover it with a clean bandage

Keep the wound covered and dry while you’re out there and change the bandage if it gets wet or dirty. If you notice redness spreading around the cut, swelling or warmth in the days after, those are signs of infection worth getting looked at.

Deeper cuts, wounds that won’t stop bleeding or anything involving a puncture from a rusty object deserve a visit to us. We can clean the wound properly and assess whether a tetanus booster is in order, which is easy to overlook when you’re focused on getting the bleeding to stop.

Heat and the Mississippi summer

The heat in Mississippi can be oppressive in June and July, and it’s one of the biggest risks your group faces out at a campsite. Dehydration and heat exhaustion sneak up on people who are active and distracted, and children are especially vulnerable after long hours outside without enough water.

Pack more than you think you’ll drink and keep electrolyte packets in your first aid bag for when plain water isn’t cutting it. If someone develops heavy sweating, weakness or dizziness, the CDC says that you need to get them into the shade and start them on fluids right away.

When those symptoms don’t get better with rest, come to the clinic.

Sprains, stings and everything else

Slippery creek banks and overloaded backpacks make sprains a regular part of camping season. An elastic wrap and an instant cold pack can manage a mild ankle sprain at the campsite.

But if the pain is significant or the swelling won’t go down, come see us. We have an on-site X-ray available, so we can tell you quickly whether you’re dealing with soft tissue or a fracture.

For insect bites and stings, antihistamines and hydrocortisone cream handle most reactions. A severe reaction is another story. If someone develops throat tightening or difficulty breathing, that’s a 911 situation, not something to manage from a camp chair.

Come see us at State Urgent Care

The best camping trips are the ones where the first aid kit never gets opened. Pack it anyway.

If you come home from your trip with something that needs a closer look, visit us here at State Urgent Care on 521 South Montgomery Street in Starkville. We’re open seven days a week from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m., and no appointment is needed.