Best Trauma Kits (& DIY Builds) On The Market Today

Searching For A New Trauma Kit (or want to build your own)? You’re In The Right Place.

Nowadays, there are hundreds of unique trauma kits on the market.

And in general, that’s a good thing.

But with so many options comes confusion and analysis paralysis.

For example, you may find yourself asking some of the following questions:

What’s the best trauma kit? What trauma kit devices are “must-haves” vs. “nice-to-have”?

(Or even more important) – Which ones can I do without? What’s the recommended overall weight of a full-fledged EMT kit vs. an EDC kit?

That’s why today, I’m going to rely on my Research and Rescue Training to share everything I know about trauma kits:

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Best Trauma Kits For Sale

Trauma Kit Vs. First Aid Kit

What’s In A Trauma Kit?

Why Do YOU Need One?

How To Use A Trauma Kit

Best Trauma Kit Features

How To Build A Trauma Kit

Trauma Kits For Pets

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Best Trauma Kits For Sale Today

Since there are so different types of trauma, it makes sense that there are tons of different kits on the market.

These range from EMT bags for an ambulance crew to individual trauma kits.

They can also reflect a wide range of users and scenarios.

Here are some of the best for each category.

Full EMT-Style Kits (4)

↓ The Medic First Aid Kit Overview ↓

↓ Lightning X Warehouse Series – EMT Bag ↓

Medium Duty Trauma Kits (3)

↓ Lightning X Warehouse Series – Modular O2 Trauma Kit ↓

↓ What Goes In A Stop The Bleed Kit? ↓

Individual Trauma Kits (4)

↓ Lightning X Individual First Aid Kit IFAK ↓

↓ Advanced Trauma Kit from EVERLIT Survival ↓

↓ Life Saver! MediTac Premium Individual First Aid Kit (IFAK) ↓

Trauma Kit Vs. First Aid Kit

At first glance, it might be easy to confuse a trauma kit with a first aid kit.

Both are bags full of medical supplies. And they may even carry some of the same equipment.

So to understand the difference, you must look at the underlying focus of each type of medical kit.

First off, a first aid kit is designed to treat basic, superficial wounds that people suffer every day.

They help with injuries such as small cuts, scrapes, and stings that don’t require a hospital or a doctor.

These types of injuries are often treated with a first aid kit.

Most first aid kits include bandages, burn cream, antiseptic, and over-the-counter medications.

On the other hand, a trauma kit is designed to treat severe, life-threatening injuries long enough to reach professional care.

We’re talking about life-threatening injuries from situations such as car accidents and active shooters.

Tragic events when getting someone stabilized and transported to an emergency room is of the utmost importance.

Most first aid kits are not nearly enough in such situations, and a tactical trauma kit is best.

Now, it’s important to remember that any medical kit’s primary focus is to save lives.

This means they often forgo items that might alleviate a victim’s temporary discomfort and pain. Why? Because these items are considered secondary to keeping them alive.

It’s a bag full of life-saving tools designed to keep someone’s vital functions working.

As A Way To Introduce You To Skilled Survival, We’re Giving Away Our

Ultimate Survival Gear Checklist. Click Here To Get Your FREE Copy Of It.

What Supplies Are In A Trauma Kit?

To better understand what a trauma kit is, let’s take a closer look at its contents.

Airway Adjunct Devices

Most kits contain at least one “airway adjunct.”

An airway adjunct is a device that helps someone keep their airway open. Because if you can’t breathe, you die within minutes.

They keep an airway open if a victim has been through significant trauma or is suffering from anaphylaxis shock.

There are two main types of airway adjuncts:

↓ How To Insert An OPA ↓

↓ EMS SKills – Nasopharyngeal Airway Insertion ↓

Breathing Devices

Once patients have a clear airway, they must continue getting oxygen to their lungs.

Sometimes this may even require assisted breathing:

↓ Pocket CPR Mask ↓

↓ EMS Skills – Bag Valve Mask Ventilation ↓

↓ Hyfin Occlusive Chest Seal 3D Video ↓

Bleed Control Devices

Trauma kits often contain traditional gauze and bandage materials.

However, they also include advanced ways to control excessive bleeding:

↓ Celox First Aid Hemostatic Blood Clot Granules ↓

↓ Celox And Quikclot Gauze Packing ↓

↓ Stop The Bleeding: Tourniquet Application ↓

Trauma Tools

Finally, most kits also contain a small selection of tools.

These tools help make the removal of clothing and accessing the injury easier:

↓ Leatherman Raptor Trauma Shear Review ↓

↓ Eye Assessment Nursing | How To Assess Eyes ↓

Why You NEED A Trauma Kit?

A trauma kit is a precise tool, but one that has lots of real-world applications.

Even if you never see a day of combat, chances are you’ll encounter a medical emergency at some point:

• Hunting
• Survival
• Search and Rescue
• First Responder
• Wilderness Medical
• Unfortunately, the odds of facing an active shooter are on the rise nowadays.

In these scenarios, seconds matter, and your ability to act may save a life.

Having a well-designed medical kit as part of your EDC lets you respond immediately. That’s why it’s an essential part of our prepping basics.

As A Way To Introduce You To Skilled Survival, We’re Giving Away Our

Ultimate Survival Gear Checklist. Click Here To Get Your FREE Copy Of It.

How To Use One Under Duress

If you want to save lives with your trauma kit, you must practice first. Learn how to use all the individual components beforehand.

Make sure you have the fundamentals down first. Then continue to educate yourself. It’s easy to find online resources to keep up to date on new technology and protocols.

Many trauma kits follow the MARCH acronym framework:

• M: Massive Hemorrhage
• A: Airway Control
• R: Respiratory Support
• C: Circulation
• H: Hypothermia/Head Injury

The MARCH framework helps prioritize treatments and improve patient outcomes.

Mnemonics like this are far easier to remember in high-stress situations. Much better than trying to recall explicit protocols on a whim.

It will spur your memory when you can’t recall what comes next.

↓ How To Use Your IFAK ↓

There are other protocols used in hospitals and EMS settings.

However, these clinical training videos often get to the designed use of the tools better than user-supplied videos.

In this case, applying the active clotting agent dressing and subsequent bandaging is well-executed and efficient.

As always, in-person training is best because it helps lock in the lessons learned.

↓ How To Use Trauma Kits ↓

Look for outdoor schools, ski patrols, and local groups that offer first responder training.

Many of these groups have ongoing training that keeps you up to date. Plus, they allow you to learn in a group environment that allows you to operate as part of a team.

If those aren’t available, it may be worth organizing a class at work.

Many organizations realize the benefits of training employees to respond to emergencies. Employees can respond faster than professionals.

Plus, a knowledgeable workforce far outweighs the liability of having many confused and overwhelmed employees in times of chaos.

↓ Trauma Kit Is Not Enough! ↓

Best Trauma Kit Features

With so much riding on your kit, how do you choose which one is right for you?

Several factors determine whether a trauma kit is a good fit for your needs.

Price

Price is always a consideration in survival gear or kit selection.

Luckily, the contents can last a lifetime. Why? Because they’re infrequently used and tend to be well-built devices.

One of the highest costs with such a kit is the bag itself.

Tactical tourniquets and tools (shears, hemostats, etc.) can also be expensive.

However, first aid supplies, such as bandages, are easy to find online at a discount.

So choose a budget you’re comfortable with, but like most things in life – you get what you pay for…

Organization

For a trauma kit to function without a hitch, thoughtful gear organization is essential. So make sure you invest in a quality kit with an intuitive organization.

It’s best to assume there won’t be time to dig through the compartments. You need immediate access when someone (even yourself) is seriously injured.

Life-saving gear should be at your fingertips almost instantly.

That’s why your bag should have dedicated compartments. That way, you can organize it via the different phases of the MARCH framework.

This framework will also help reinforce the sequence of treatment steps.

Some feature removable modules. These allow you to hand off treatment steps to other team members as necessary. Or to keep the main contents of your kit protected from the elements.

*A WORD OF CAUTION*

There is a fine line between insufficient compartments and too many. Too many compartments can add confusion AND pack weight. Both of which will slow you down in an emergency.

Focus on finding your supplies as easily as possible.

Consider using different colored modules. This strategy can make it faster to grab the right devices without much effort.

Size & Weight

The type of trauma kit partly determines the size and weight.

For example, an EMT kit is made to respond to nearly any wound. But they are not prepared to go very far from an ambulance.

Why? Because they’re bulky and heavy. But these EMT kits contain EVERYTHING (even bottled oxygen and portable defibrillators).

On the other hand, an EDC combat kit is designed for use on the battlefield.

That’s why they are compact for carrying EVERYWHERE but can only treat the basics.

Key Contents

As we noted earlier, a quality kit will contain the supplies:

• control major bleeding
• airway management
• circulation management

At a minimum, tourniquets, combat bandages, occlusive dressings, and airway adjuncts should all be present. But it will also need a good stock of exam gloves, facemasks, bandages, and other consumable goods.

From there, it highly depends on what situations you expect you might face.

Durability

Unless you’re a soldier or an EMT, your bag will likely spend more time rolling around behind the seat in your truck than it will in use.

But when it comes time to use it, you want to have confidence that it’ll be in good shape and not fall apart.

Most kits use rugged Cordura nylon and feature heavy-duty zippers and buckles.

After using any medical items for your kit, please wash them before restocking them.

A sturdy bag will stand up to many trips through the washing machine far better than a cheaply built one.

Quality of Equipment

Again, this is life-saving equipment, so your trauma kit isn’t a place to cut corners.

Buy quality shears and surgical-grade hemostats. Look for military tourniquets and active clotting agents. Buy LOTS of bandages and gloves that fit.

If you train on using a blood pressure cuff and stethoscope, be sure to buy ones that receive high ratings.

The difference in quality can be enormous in precision equipment.

As A Way To Introduce You To Skilled Survival, We’re Giving Away Our

Ultimate Survival Gear Checklist. Click Here To Get Your FREE Copy Of It.

As A Way To Introduce You To Skilled Survival, We’re Giving Away Our

Ultimate Survival Gear Checklist. Click Here To Get Your FREE Copy Of It.

How To Build A Trauma Kit

Maybe you’re the kind of person who enjoys customizing all your survival gear.

In this case, you might want to consider building a trauma kit for your personal needs.

It’s not as hard as you might think, forcing you to decide on every piece of gear in the bag.

You’ll quickly discover there are items you feel passionate about and want to pack more and some items you can do without.

Some of these kit-builds tend to follow the mold of an EMS medical provider. This trend usually means building a more extensive kit with more supplies.

These kits are great, but they’re often too large to carry far from a vehicle. Others are better suited for the survivalist mentality, where size and weight matter.

These kits often sacrifice larger items, especially if you can improvise them using materials in the field.

There are even budget builds.

These DIY trauma kit-builds start by avoiding buying an expensive bag. Then keeping the trauma supplies focused on just the most critical components to keep costs reasonable.

If you get friends together and build similar kits, you can buy them in bulk and share the cost.

Trauma Bags Options

Once you know what kind of kit you plan to put together, you’ll need to find the right bag to contain it.

Again, this is a personal choice, but consider how and where you plan to carry your kit.

If it’s mainly going to live in your vehicle, a “gym bag”-style will work well and provide plenty of space.

But if you plan to wear it on your tactical belt or attach it to another pack, you’ll want to look for MOLLE webbing.

Trauma Kit List

While this is *not* an exhaustive list, these trauma kit supplies provide an excellent base.

Supplement them with additional bandaging and wound care supplies, especially as you advance your medical training and skills.

Trauma Kits For Pets

You CAN find pet-specific trauma kits on the market, containing many of the same items as a standard kit.

It’s often not worth carrying an entirely separate set of medical supplies when the needs are the same.

Because the medical treatments ad the MARCH framework apply as much to a golden retriever as they do to a human.

The primary issue in treating trauma in an animal is the communication barrier.

A calm demeanor, reassuring tones, and deliberate movements can help establish trust.

Once you have made contact with the animal, a collar or slip-lead can help keep them under control.

Gently muzzling an animal is also a good idea in many situations to provide safety for all involved.

An ordinarily docile pet may turn violent when hurt. In this frame of mind, they may endanger themselves and anyone trying to treat them.

However, the design of many trauma-based medical supplies is specific to human applications. So they may not fit the different body shapes of an animal.

For example, Oxygen and pet-specific masks are more common now.

EMTs, in many cities, carry a few dog trauma kit supplies in their ambulances. They have dedicated pet trauma masks that are beneficial when an accident scene involves a pet.

↓ How To Do CPR On A Dog ↓

Sometimes you can improve equipment or alter it to fit an animal subject.

For example, a tactical tourniquet may not be sized small enough to go around a dog’s leg.

So a belt or cravat-style tourniquet might be necessary.

In addition, you can form a SAM Splint to just about any shape necessary. This flexibility makes them invaluable for treating both human and animal injuries.

As with all medical treatment, seek proper training first and practice often.

If your animals allow it, practice on them. It will make you more familiar with the process and reduce stress and fear if you ever have to do it in an emergency.

Final Thoughts

Trauma kits are easy to confuse with a standard first aid kit.

But they’re a precise tool built from the ground up to save lives.

And it’s primary mission is to stabilize a subject after a traumatic injury. Often just long enough to get them to definitive care at a hospital or with paramedics.

You may not think your life takes you into situations where a trauma kit is necessary. But even your commute to work can put you on the scene of a car accident.

And hopefully, there’s someone close by with a trauma kit even before any EMT shows up.

Mass shootings, industrial accidents, sporting mishaps, and even animal incidents benefit from on-the-scene help.

The best way to do this is for more people to carry one and learn how to use it!

Whether you build your own or buy one pre-made, a trauma kit should be part of your emergency survival plan.

Jason K.

P.s. Are you ready for the tough times ahead?

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