First Aid

Something that many people don’t take into consideration about a bug out situation is that emergency services will likely be ineffective or completely shut off. This means no more police to protect you, no more firefighters to rescue you, and most importantly – no more emergency medical staff to treat you.

If you get seriously injured in a bug out situation, that very well could be the end of the line if you’re not prepared. There’s only so much a basic first aid kit is good for, like cuts and scrapes.

When you have severe bleeding, punctures, or twisted and broken bones, you’ll be on your own. Having a more advanced first aid kit, and more importantly, knowing how to use it, could save your life or the life of a family member.

While you can’t fit a whole ambulance worth of supplies in your bag, you can fit a small first responder’s kit, like the Lightning X First Responder Trauma Bag. This bag is fully stocked with everything you could need to treat severe injuries, while still being a compact package.

At only 17”x9”x11” large, this bag is easily portable and can even be attached to the back of your bug out bag. It also comes with an optional strap so you can tote it around. The bag is absolutely stuffed with medical supplies.

It comes with 100 standard sized bandages, cold packs, a CPR mask, gauze, plastic forceps, a variety of shears, a variety of sterilization items, eye wash, sting relief pads, ammonia spirits to prevent fainting, a stethoscope, and more.

Many of the items are for treating deep wounds, infections, and bone related injuries, so if you use them incorrectly, you could put the person you’re treating at even greater risk. Therefore, it’s very important that you take some classes or do research online to find out how to use all of the items in your kit.

It’s also important that you’re not the only one who knows how to use the items in the kit. If you get incapacitated or faint from some kind of trauma, you don’t your fate being left in the hands of people who are just guessing.

Leave a small notebook in the bag with instructions for things such as CPR and wound treatment, so when someone else has to spring into action, they won’t use the wrong bandage or perform CPR incorrectly. It can also help you focus and prevent panicking when a severe injury occurs.