First Aid & Kits

posted on August 23, 2012
** When you buy products through the links on our site, we may earn a commission that supports NRA's mission to protect, preserve and defend the Second Amendment. **
rackley2015_fs.jpg (2)

Defense is more than carrying and training with a gun. It is being prepared to fight and survive, which includes having a basic understanding of first aid.

Anyone can stick an adhesive bandage on a cut, but do you know what to do if a loved one is truly hurt? Or what if you have been shot by a bad guy and you are the only thing between him and your family? Could you staunch the wound long enough to provide your family with a few more minutes to prepare or run?

While you don’t need to know everything there is about combat medicine, it would be a good idea to take First Aid and CPR classes. In addition to teaching you what to do if your kid breaks his or her leg, you can learn how to assess a wound, properly dress it and how not to panic in a life threatening situation, which is probably the most crucial of survival skills.

Also, the skills learned will be extremely useful if the world implodes in some sort of apocalypse. And in that sense, you need a first aid kit. I actually recommend multiple first aid kits, compact kits for every vehicle and go bag, with a larger kit for home. When you bandage a skinned knee, simply replace what you used. And while there are many compact kits available from the box stores, you can find everything you will ever need at online retailers like Cheaper Than Dirt, including near military grade trauma kits and supplemental items such as bags of Quick Clot.

Keeping a first aid kit around will make you a hero when your family obtains a small boo boo (yes, I have a small child), and taking a class will make you prepared for most of the injuries you will face.

Latest

Smith & Wesson Night Guard revolvers
Smith & Wesson Night Guard revolvers

New for 2026: Smith & Wesson Night Guard Revolvers

Smith & Wesson brings back the Night Guard series of revolvers in .44 Special and .357 Magnum.

Battle On The Border: Pancho Villa’s Raid On America

In March 1916, Americans living in the quiet town of Columbus, N.M., suddenly found themselves attacked by Mexican bandits, and many citizens sought to arm themselves and fight back, both during the raid and afterward.

The Armed Citizen® Feb. 9, 2026

Read today's "The Armed Citizen" entry for real stories of law-abiding citizens, past and present, who used their firearms to save lives.

Swiss Armed Forces Select SIG Sauer P320s

Swiss Armed Forces select a domestically sourced SIG Sauer P320 as standard issue.

Preview: Reptilia RECC-E Carbine Stock

Versatile and exceptionally lightweight, the polymer RECC-E SR-15/M4/AR-15 Carbine Stock from Reptilia provides a constant, uniform cheek weld across a generous range of settings for length-of-pull...

The MAT-49: France's Mid-20th Century SMG

After World War II, the French military was left with a hodgepodge of leftover submachine guns. After several years, the army consolidated on a standard service rifle, the MAS-49, and a standard submachine gun: the MAT-49.

Interests



Get the best of American Rifleman delivered to your inbox.