Why you should trust us
Our emergency preparedness guide recommends two great general-use first aid kits: the First Aid Only 298 Piece All-Purpose First Aid Kit and the Adventure Medical Kits Mountain Series Backpacker Kit. Both come with a wide selection of gear for treating minor cuts, burns, and scrapes (bandages, wipes, ointments, and painkillers), as well as some items for handling more-serious injuries (a trauma pad, gauze, and some dressing pads).
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We compiled a list of additional considerations after speaking with folks who use or teach first aid as part of their everyday lives. Jason Perez and Wesley Long are active emergency medical technicians, cohost a podcast called DisasterClass, and own an emergency preparedness and education company called Instinct Ready, which sells go bags and first aid kits. (Wirecutter has not reviewed their kits, and our interviews focused on their EMT experiences.)
We spoke with Lisa Hendy, a canyon district ranger at Grand Canyon National Park, where she oversees all of the park’s backcountry rangers and river patrol (she was formerly the first woman chief ranger of the Great Smoky Mountains). We interviewed Tom Gill, a lifeguard with 30 years of experience and vice president of the United States Lifesaving Association. We also spoke with Dr. Matthew Levy, deputy director of operational medicine and EMS and associate professor of emergency medicine at Johns Hopkins Medicine.
Single-use CPR mask
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Chest compressions are the most important aspect of cardiopulmonary resuscitation, and when many heart health associations learned that rescue breathing (commonly known as mouth-to-mouth) is often a barrier to treatment with CPR, public service campaigns began to focus on hands-only CPR. As Perez put it, “People were like, ‘I don’t want to put my mouth on somebody, a stranger.’”
But in some cases, rescue breathing still serves an important function by delivering oxygen into a person’s lungs during CPR. It’s particularly important when one is performing CPR on children, people with chronic lung disease or acute asthma, and people being rescued from drowning or an overdose.
A single-use CPR mask can help. A thin plastic barrier and raised plastic center allows airflow to pass through, reducing the risk of communicable disease and helping to eliminate a delayed start to CPR with rescue breathing before help arrives.
Single-use CPR masks are inexpensive, often come in multipacks, and save lives. Not only should one be in every first aid kit, but we highly recommend keeping one in a purse or backpack at all times.
Naloxone
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With the opioid epidemic still devastating communities, you simply never know when you might encounter someone experiencing an overdose.
Naloxone—aka Narcan—is an opioid antagonist that reverses the effects of opioids and comes in an easy-to-administer nasal spray. In March 2023 the FDA approved Narcan for over-the-counter use, and it’s now available for purchase online, and at chain pharmacies and big box stores like Walgreens, CVS, Target, and Walmart in all fifty states.
Like any medication, Narcan has an expiration date stamped on it, but research shows that the drug might still be beneficial past the date marked. The American Red Cross offers virtual training programs on how to administer Narcan, and in some states, local training courses will distribute Narcan free after completing a training session. (A two-pack currently costs around currently costs $45.) Search online for “naloxone training near me” to see if this is available in your area, and if you don’t have time for a class, here’s a quick primer on how to use the nasal spray to save a life.
Tourniquet
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When applied properly, tourniquets reduce the amount of blood loss caused by a traumatic injury until help arrives. Tourniquets fell out of favor for a time due to fears that they can cause nerve damage. Hendy recalled them being considered taboo when she took her first EMT course in the 1990s, but battlefield experiences in the Iraq War changed conventional wisdom and returned tourniquets to the foreground as a commonly used lifesaving tool. (Levy refers to this type of warfare trickle-down effect as a “military to civilian knowledge transfer.”)
Several of the experts we spoke to like the SWAT-T Tourniquet for its ease of use. The latex-free elastic bandage lets you know the right amount of pressure to put on a limb with a clever visual device: When the diamonds on the bandage become squares, you’ve hit the pressure sweet spot. This visual cue makes it possible for someone with little or no training to still use the tourniquet effectively. You can also use it on yourself if you’re alone and sustain an injury that still allows the use of at least one hand and your mouth.
Hemostatic gauze
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A tourniquet is not the right choice to help stop excessive bleeding in several areas of the body: the neck, obviously, and places like the shoulder and armpit. Gauze or gauze material containing an agent that speeds up the body’s natural blood-clotting abilities can help stem blood flow from serious injuries. Several of our experts mentioned the brand QuikClot, and Levy said that it’s well studied. But you can’t simply place hemostatic gauze on top of the injury and expect it to work.
“What stops bleeding is really pressure—holding and maintaining pressure,” Levy said. You also need to pack the gauze inside the wound, ideally while wearing protective gloves. This PDF breaks down the basics of how to use hemostatic gauze; we strongly encourage taking a Stop the Bleed class in your area to feel more comfortable should you ever have to use this tool.
Splint
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As EMT workers, Long and Perez always had access to Sam Splints in their emergency kits. They’re available in several sizes, from smaller ones meant for fingers all the way up to 36-inch-long models (that are also available in an XL size for wider limbs). This malleable foam and aluminum model easily forms to the curves of a limb or finger and has instructions for use clearly printed on it.
When a Sam Splint is applied, bones are still visible through X-rays so it doesn’t have to come off until a doctor knows exactly what kind of injury they’re looking at. Sam Splints are designed to be reused after removal—just be sure to wash it thoroughly. Their website offers several training videos for different scenarios.
Choking rescue device
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The American Red Cross recommends a repeating cycle of five back blows and five abdominal thrusts to clear an airway blockage caused by choking. Often, that’s enough to get someone breathing again, but in the event standard first aid is ineffective, an airway clearance device could come in handy. This model from LiveVac fits over the nose and mouth to provide upward suction that may help dislodge a blockage. The one-way valve prevents air from pushing the obstruction deeper into the airway.
This device—which is not approved by the FDA—has inspired mixed opinions from the medical community. Setting up and using a device like the LifeVac could take away valuable time that could have been used administering proven first aid techniques. Still, if those techniques fail, a device like this could prove to be effective. Though studies on the effectiveness of the LifeVac and other devices like it are small, one evaluation found that the LifeVac was successful in 123 out of 124 cases and another found the LifeVac was effective for 38 of the 39 people who reported using it.
Ultimately, more research is necessary before airway clearance devices become the standard of care over tried-and-true back blows and abdominal thrusts, but you may want to have one for peace of mind.
This article was edited by Harry Sawyers.
Sources
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Matthew Jason Levy, deputy director of operational medicine and associate professor of emergency medicine at Johns Hopkins Medicine, phone interview, December 8, 2022
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Jason Perez, vice president at Instinct Ready, phone interview, August 8, 2022
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Wesley Long, president at Instinct Ready, phone interview, August 8, 2022
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Tom Gill, vice president at United States Lifesaving Association, phone interview, March 15, 2022
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Lisa Hendy, canyon district ranger at Grand Canyon National Park, phone interview, March 5, 2022
