There are two general types of first aid kits: trauma kits and ouch pouches/booboo bags. The armed forces use IFAKs (Individual First Aid Kits) that are geared for massive hemorrhage and breathing issues, because statistically those are the highest numbers of preventable deaths on the battlefield. If you look for military grade first aid gear, that’s what you’ll find.

But IFAKs don’t have what you need for the everyday nicks and scrapes. For the average citizen, a trauma kit isn’t useful and frequently ends up getting left behind. This is where the ouch pouch comes in. It is a good idea to have both the trauma kit and the ouch pouch in your vehicle, and extra ouch-pouches stashed in various places, including on your person.

Here is a quick overview of what you may want to put into each type of kit. Note that there is very little overlap. If you choose to carry a trauma kit, be sure to include the supplies from the ouch pouch. Supplies are chosen for their usefulness, light weight, and ease of carrying rather than any attempt at comprehensiveness.

Ouch Pouch

Bandages (regular and knuckle)
Bacitracin or triple antibiotic ointment
Aspirin (Chewable tablets like this are a great choice as a combination pain reliever and first line treatment for a heart attack)
Ibuprofen or Tylenol, as preferred
Duct tape (a short length wrapped up in lieu of the whole bulky roll)
Elastic bandage (this is bulky, so I opt to leave it for the larger trauma kit)
Benadryl/diphenhydramine (travel packs take up little room )

Trauma Kit

· Tourniquet (the C-A-T is recommended. SWAT-T or Soft-T are also popular choices)

· Elastic bandage

· 4”x4” gauze (enough to have a nice thick wad)

· Rolled gauze (2 or 3, if you have room for them)

· Nasal pharyngeal airway, 28 french

· Chest seal (make sure you have a two-pack, in case of entry and exit wounds that need to be sealed)

· Gloves (get your size, but get the stretchy kind, in case someone with larger hands than yours needs to use them)

· Trauma shears

· Sharpie

It is pretty popular to include a decompression needle in trauma kits. If you have the training to properly use one, by all means go ahead. Otherwise, you may want to skip it. Improper use can kill someone who wouldn’t have otherwise died, and that is really not what we’re trying to do here.

Where possible, I have provided links directly to manufacturer’s websites for tactical gear. These folks have put a lot of effort into developing the best possible product, and it isn’t worth the risk of getting a cheap imitation elsewhere. (Note that Amazon links are affiliate links. That means I get a few pennies when you order using the link, at no extra cost to you.)