A home first-aid kit for a crisis covers everyday injuries and the gaps that open when help is slow: dressings and tape, painkillers, a week of any prescription medicine, basic hygiene, and a way to keep clean water and warmth. The goal is to handle small problems yourself so they do not become big ones. Sweden's Agency for Civil Defence (MCF, formerly MSB) recommends every household manage at least one week on its own. Here is what to include.
Reviewed by Oskar Bjork, defence engineer (Swedish Armed Forces) and adviser to Kapsel. Last updated 2026-06-23.
The first-aid basics
- Plasters and sterile dressings in a few sizes, plus medical tape and a bandage.
- Disinfectant or antiseptic wipes, and disposable gloves.
- Scissors, tweezers, and a few safety pins.
- A basic first-aid guide on paper, so it works without a phone.
Medicine
- At least a week of any prescription medicine, with a written list of doses and a copy of the prescriptions.
- Painkillers, paracetamol and ibuprofen, and anything you use regularly: allergy tablets, rehydration salts, anti-diarrhoea.
- A thermometer, and child doses if you have children.
Hygiene keeps you healthy
- Hand sanitiser, wet wipes, soap and toilet paper.
- A plan for the toilet if the water is off, and bin bags for waste.
- For the household: sanitary products, nappies and any personal care, as needed.
The two things behind first aid
Most illness in a long outage comes from two things: dirty water and cold. Keep a way to make water safe, see how to purify water safely, and a way to stay warm, see how to stay warm without power. First aid is easier when those are handled.
Where this fits
First aid and hygiene are part of the standard home kit. Build the whole thing from our complete emergency-kit checklist. The Kapsel Core includes a first-aid and hygiene base in its Water and Health capsule, so the medical side is covered as part of the system. See the Kapsel Core.
Frequently asked questions
What should a home first-aid kit contain?
Dressings, plasters and tape, antiseptic and gloves, scissors and tweezers, painkillers, a week of any prescription medicine, a thermometer, and basic hygiene like hand sanitiser and wet wipes.
How much medicine should I keep at home for an emergency?
At least a week, ideally two, of any prescription medicine, with a written list of doses and a copy of the prescriptions. Keep painkillers and anything you use regularly.
What first-aid items matter most in a power cut?
A week of prescription medicine, clean dressings, painkillers, and hygiene supplies. Behind those, a way to make water safe and to stay warm prevents most illness.
Do I need a first-aid course?
A short course helps a lot, but a paper first-aid guide in the kit means the basics work even without one. Knowing how to stop bleeding and treat burns is the most useful start.
Sources: MCF (mcf.se), krisinformation.se, Roda Korset.
First aid covers heat injuries too: learn to recognise heatstroke in the guide on getting through a heatwave.