Don’t get caught without a way to treat injuries

With the way today’s world is, you never know where trouble is lurking. While many people think that it is good to have a solid concealed carry weapon and some sort of body armor, that is not all you need. While these are two things that could potentially save the most lives, in reality a proper first aid kit is just as important, if not more, than a weapon or body armor. A well equipped first aid kit can quite literally be the difference between life and death, especially in a combat scenario or survival situation.

Let’s break down what first aid kits are, the top reasons that you need them, and what our favorite first aid kit is.

What is a First Aid Kit?

A first aid kit, also known as a medical kit, is a collection of supplies and equipment that can be used to give immediate medical treatment to treat minor or moderate wounds, or keep someone stable until they can get to a proper facility.

That being said, if you know how to properly use one, first aid kits are truly the difference between life and death.

The Top 5 Reasons for a First Aid Kit

That being said, let’s take a look at the top five reasons that you need a first aid kit in your list of gear no matter where you are or what type of situation you are in.

Treat Injuries Quickly

First-aid kits help you handle medical emergencies as quickly as possible, which is extremely beneficial when out in the field. In an emergency situation, a delay of just a single minute can cause irreconcilable damage, so you need to react fast and efficiently when something goes south and someone needs medical attention. First aid kits offer basic and instant care for common medical injuries like injuries, burns, cuts, and even some things that can be more severe.

Everything You Need in One Place

A first-aid kit contains all vital medical products in one easy location that can be attached to your duty belt right next to a holster or your chest rig or wherever you deem fit. That being said, in case of an emergency, you do not have to waste valuable time assembling the appropriate medical items, you can just grab and go.

Less Risk of Complication

Piggybacking off of the point of keeping everything in one place, a first aid kit provides less risk of complication for treating serious injuries and less room for things to go south in the event that things go very far south.

Stop Blood Loss Immediately

Injuries can get messy, for example say you are in a home defense situation or a close quarters combat scenario and you get stabbed or shot, you will be losing a lot of blood until the medics arrive, which can be a long time.

Having gauze and bandages handy and ready to apply immediately can help to stop the blood loss and potentially save your life. It can be extremely difficult to stop blood loss efficiently without the proper medical products on hand, and bleeding out for an extended period of time can be fatal.

Instant Burn Relief

When you are being exposed to all types of different fields, you can come face to face with some serious situations, or even just too much sun exposure, which can cause some complications, such as burns. If a burn or scald occurs, one of the first things that you do should be work to treat the affected area. The goal is to relieve the pain and prevent further damage.

What to Keep in a First Aid Kit

Now that we have seen what benefits a first aid kit brings, let’s take a look at what your first aid kit should contain.

Gauze- Gauze should be included to help stop any bleeding as well as assist in any general cleaning, dressings, prepping, packing and debriding wounds. Gauze also can be used as a temporary absorbent dressing over wounds.

Tourniquet- A tourniquet may come as a surprise to you as it seems that these are a higher level of treatment, but the need for a tourniquet can happen quicker than you think. Say you took a bullet to the leg, you’re going to want to stop the blood flow to that area to prevent bleeding out and dying, so applying a tourniquet is your best option.

Nitrile Gloves- Nitrile gloves are absolutely essential for any first aid kit or rescue pack. Cleaning a wound with dirty hands could end up being more detrimental than the initial wound, especially if you are out in the field. Chances are that when you are out in the field, you have some bacteria on your hands, and if you are treating a wound, getting that bacteria in there could cause infection and be the death of the person you are treating. That being said, a set of sterile nitrile gloves is crucial (not latex because latex allergies are more common than you think).

Bag to Keep All of this In- It is one thing to have all of the key components of a first aid kit, but you do not want those items strewn all over your tactical bag or vehicle. That being said, having a bag specifically to hold all of your first aid items truly completes your first aid kit.

The Best First Aid Kit

Now that we have established exactly what a first aid kit does for you and should be filled with, let’s take a look at our favorite first aid kit to help keep you alive.

The Aptus First Aid Kit

The Aptus First Aid Kit was designed to be easily accessible no matter where it is mounted. However, it was designed to be securely retained, and features many value added features most kits on the market do not. It can be mounted via MOLLE/PALS or belt loop. The front of the AFAK has a 2"x3" field of loop for attaching patches to identify the AFAK as a medical pouch. It also has two elastic retention bands on the top and bottom that are able to hold all CoTCCC recommended tourniquets, shears, our Talon hook knife, gloves, or other similar sized items.

The AFAK can be accessed ambidextrously via the unique tab and pull handle system designed to be tactilely unique when grabbing with gloved hands, in the dark, or out of the end user's sightline. The insert is a hook and loop closed quad fold design eliminating the possibility of a jammed zipper due to dirt, debris, or sand. Once opened the quad fold insert clearly displays the casualty card while protecting it in a clear pouch. The included elastic organizer can hold an array of popular medical interventions, or if desired the Aptus LVAK (Low Visibility Aid Kit) can replace the included elastic organizer. Once emptied the open arms of the quad fold insert can be wrapped around the arm or lower leg of the casualty and secured drawing attention to, and attaching, the casualty card to the patient.

If desired a hook backed marker, such as the Patient by Precedence Marker, can be attached to the loop field above the casualty card to further mark/identify the casualty.

The Stocked Aptus First Aid Kit includes the following items:

1x CAT -TQ
1x Combat Gauze
2x Compressed Gauze
Halo Chest Seal (2 pack)
1x Rescue Essentials 3"x 5 yard flat fold elastic wrap
1x 6' surgical tape board
1x Pair of exam gloves
1x Casualty Card

Training

That being said, having a first aid kit is great and all, but if you do not know how to use it then it is useless. First aid kits are part of your overall kit just like night vision goggles and boots, and you need to learn the insides and outs of them just as you would with any other piece of equipment. So, don’t go on not knowing how to use these crucial pieces of equipment, get out and train.

Check out the training on Core Vision Training to see what bundles are available, when and where you can learn how to properly use your first aid kit.

Wrap Up

Overall, there are many crucial components when it comes to your overall kit, whether they are on your plate carrier, belt, or in your backpack, and you do not want to be caught without them. One of the most important things to make sure you always have is a first aid kit, and our top choice is the Aptus First Aid Kit.

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The Top 5 Reasons You Need a First Aid Kit