Vintage First-Aid Kits Are the Prettiest Ways to Dress Your Wounds

Coleman's Military Surplus

We no longer need any shelf space for our movies or music. They’re all just digital files and streaming services now. We don’t even need space for spare parts since most of our devices come hermetically sealed.

But our bodies still break down and require DIY maintenance, and you can’t download topical ointments and bandages just yet. With that in mind, you should use some of that free shelf space for a first-aid kit. And what better way to celebrate the frailty of the human condition, same as it ever was, than with one of these classic boxes from sometime in the mid-1900s?

You can find these bright red boxes on the deeply captivating (and recently redesigned!) Coleman’s Military Surplus website. At 6 inches long, 5 inches wide, and 3.25 inches deep, the Sanitas Auto kits are a little bit smaller than a lunchbox. These classic car kits are billed as “Vintage Czech First Aid Kits,” but Sanitas itself is a Lithuanian company.

And yes, there are actually old bandages and gauze and whatnot inside some of these boxes, according to Coleman’s. Whether you’ll find old gauze inside them is pretty much a crap shoot, though: Some boxes are empty, some are not, and you can’t specify which you get.

At least you’ll double your chances of landing some decades-old Band-Aids: These boxes come in pairs; you get two for $20. Great for gifting to your clumsiest friend. Or for use as bookends. Or stashing USB sticks.

If you need more robust storage options, you won’t need to stray from the Coleman’s Military Surplus site. They have hot deals on a “55 Gal. Drum, EMPTY” for just $10, a Swedish military milk can for $100, and a 10-pack of car-sized plastic bags for just under $30.