This Is What US Army Soldiers Keep In Their Individual First Aid Kits
If anyone knows how to pack a first aid kit for serious emergencies, it’s a soldier. The U.S. Army’s individual first aid kit (IFAK) is designed to be light enough to carry into battle but stocked well enough to save a life. While most of us won’t ever find ourselves on a battlefield, there’s still something to learn from how the military prepares for the worst. Here’s what’s in a soldier’s individual first aid kit, and why you might want to steal a few ideas for your own.
Medical Tape, Marker, and Basic Instructions
Soldiers know to not just rely on memory. Their IFAKs include tape to secure dressings and a permanent marker to write important info like the time a tourniquet was applied. Some kits even come with quick instruction cards as a backup in case there isn’t anywhere to write on the injured person. These simple extras help a lot when stress kicks in and thinking clearly becomes harder. It’s a great idea to add similar tools to any home or car first aid kit, as remembering small details is super hard in an emergency.
Compressed Gauze for Bleeding Control
When someone’s bleeding heavily, you need more than a few tissues to stop it. Soldiers pack compressed gauze because it’s compact and expands fast when unpacked. It’s used to stuff wounds and soak up blood while helping apply pressure and slow bleeding. You can also wrap it around injuries if you don’t have a better option. It’s a staple in most first aid kits because it works so well for different injuries.
Tourniquets Save Lives in Seconds
One of the most important tools in an IFAK is a tourniquet. Soldiers carry it where they can reach it quickly because bleeding out can happen in minutes. This isn’t your average stretchy bandage either. It’s built to clamp down around a limb and stop blood loss completely. It’s the kind of thing you hope you’ll never need but would be glad to have in your glove box or hiking pack just in case the worst ever happens.
Chest Seals for Puncture Wounds
This one sounds intense, and it is. Soldiers carry chest seals for sucking chest wounds, which is when something like a bullet punctures the lung area. These seals help keep air from rushing in and collapsing the lung. While it’s unlikely most of us will ever use one, it shows how the military thinks ahead for worst-case scenarios. You probably don’t need to run out and buy one for your kit, but it's still a good reminder to prepare for more than just scraped knees.
Nasal Airways to Keep Breathing Open
If a person’s unconscious and can’t keep their airway clear, that’s a huge problem. That’s why IFAKs include nasal airways. They’re soft rubber tubes that go through the nose to help someone keep breathing and keep their airways open when they can’t do it themselves. Again, this isn’t your everyday casual first-aid gear. But it reminds us how important breathing is in an emergency situation, and to always check airways for any obstructions when doing first aid.
Gloves and Trauma Shears for Quick Action
You won’t find Hello Kitty Band-Aids in a soldier’s kit, but you will find gloves and trauma shears. Gloves protect both the injured person and the person giving first aid, and the shears can cut through clothing in a hurry to get to the injury. If you’ve ever fumbled with scissors during an emergency, you know how important having sharp shears can be. This setup is all about speed, safety, and not wasting time when every second matters. Every first aid kit should have gloves in it, and some kind of scissors.
Burn Dressing and Emergency Bandages
Burns are tricky, painful, and can get infected fast. That’s why the military adds burn dressings and large emergency bandages to the IFAK. These aren’t just gauze pads, they’re designed to cool the burned area and protect it until help arrives. Even at home, having something on hand for kitchen burns or firepit mishaps could make a big difference in healing time and comfort while waiting for help to arrive.
A Mindset That Matters
Maybe the most important thing the Army packs into a first aid kit isn’t a tool, it’s the mindset. Every item is put in the kit to save lives and buy injured soldiers time until real medical help arrives. Soldiers know not to fear all the things that could hurt them, even though they’re ready for the worst. Instead, they know packing their IFAK is about being ready to help someone they care about. And honestly, that might be the most practical lesson any of us can take from the way soldiers prepare.
Be Ready For The Worst
You don’t have to go full survivalist-mode to take some inspiration from a soldier’s first aid kit. Even just upgrading your kit with a tourniquet or a few trauma items could be a game changer if something goes wrong. Building your first aid kit should be done with the goal of buying time, saving lives, and being ready to help, not just hoping someone else will know what to do. Because sometimes, that “someone else” is you.