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

Nra Leaders Attend White House Event 1
Nra Leaders Attend White House Event 1

NRA Leaders Attend White House Dinner as President Trump Signs Orders Expanding Access to Public Lands and Waterways

NRA Executive Vice President and CEO Doug Hamlin and Institute for Legislative Action Executive Director John Commerford represented NRA members at a White House dinner hosted by President Donald J. Trump.

The America 250th Longrifle: Creating One Tribute to America's Semiquincentennial

As part of the America 250th celebrations this year, one longtime American Rifleman contributor had to have his own special tribute to our country's semiquincentennial.

The Long & Short of It: Rock Island Armory's Pak-Out Platform

One of the latest designs to come from Rock Island Armory is its Pak-Out, a folding shotgun that is offered in several different configurations.

Gun of the Week: The New Taurus Judge

For 2026, Taurus USA took a fresh look at one of its most popular platforms, the Judge revolver, and updated it with a new feature set while retaining the versatility that made it popular in the first place.

The Armed Citizen® Sept. 18, 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.

This Maryland County Moved to Disarm Jews and Others in the Face of Evil

Even given the unconscionable history of gun control, the law banning concealed carry in and within 100 yards of houses of worship and other public assemblies in Montgomery County, Md., is particularly disturbing.

Interests



Get the best of American Rifleman delivered to your inbox.