I’ve taken quite a few wilderness medicine courses over the years, starting with Wilderness First Aid and then a Wilderness First Responder course, with re-certs as appropriate.
I’ve received excellent instruction, tips, and ideas from these classes that expanded my knowledge of the outdoors and applied to other parts of my life.
One simple but effective tip I received from an instructor?
Every year, go through your pack, supplies, and medicine cabinet, note when the over-the-counter drugs expire, and replace them as appropriate.
Simple.
But based on how many backpackers, campers, climbers, and other outdoor enthusiasts have an old bottle of ibuprofen kicking around in a first aid kit from a thru-hike two or more years ago, it seems like an obvious thing many people ignore.
Myself included, to be honest.
Since then, every January I go through our medical supplies, go old school, make a quick note on our calendar that doubles as wall art, and replace supplies as needed.
Fun fact: I received “Unsatisfactory” comments from the Catholic school nuns about my penmanship. I have no idea why…
I then mark the expiration dates on the aspirin, ibuprofen, Tylenol, and other non-outdoor supplies such as cough medicine.
As noted in the comments below, expired meds are probably “fine,” but potentially less effective, especially for medications that have spent time exposed to heat, cold, and moisture in a first aid kit.
Again, simple and effective. And something everyone should do.
It’s a good idea to check everything in the kit. But for most solid medication’s, the ingredients are relatively inert and should not expire regardless of expiration date. Expiration dates are primarily set by the evidencesubmitted to the FDA. A two-year expiration date it doesn’t mean it’s unsafe to take them after two years. It means the company has not submitted efficacy or safety data that would validate both the efficacy and the safety of the medication past that expiration point. I’m not saying not to replace them. But if they are in the kit and expired, I would still… Read more »
Thanks for sharing. But I’ll defer to advice from medical professionals. In short, it’s probably “fine,” but potentially less effective, especially for medication that’s spent time exposed to heat, cold, and moisture in a first aid kit: https://www.poison.org/articles/expired-medicines-can-you-take-them
(EDIT: I’ll add this info to the post.)
I print out little labels for all meds. Each label includes what it is for, name of med, dosage and expiration date. I go through those meds every spring and check expiration dates. While medications are mostly still good long after the expiration date, I want peak efficacy of any medication I might need emergently in the backcountry.
Example:
Aches & Pains
Ibuprofen
200 mg tabs
1-2 every 4-6 hours
Max 1200 mg in 24 hrs.
Expires 12/27
Walmart sells ziplock bags in a 2 “ x 2 “ size. Those are perfect for what I pack.
Thanks, Win! Here’s what a real medical pro suggests vs. a dirtbag hiker like me. Ha! Appreciate it.