Stop the Bleed Kit: What Belongs in a Real Trauma Kit

Most IFAKs are Instagram props. Here’s a Stop the Bleed style kit for home and truck-what to buy, what training matters, and what to skip.

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Bleeding doesn’t care about your prepper brand loyalty. A real Stop the Bleed kit is small, boring, and practiced.

I’m Mike. I keep trauma gear because roads, tools, and bad luck exist – not because I think I’m a combat medic.

Minimum kit

  • CAT Gen 7 tourniquet (know which end is which before you need it)
  • IFAK trauma kit with pressure dressings and gloves
  • Chest seals if trained for them
  • Permanent marker, shears, gloves
  • Home layer: solid trauma kit plus a normal first aid box for cuts and burns

Training beats gear

Take a Stop the Bleed class. Practice applying a tourniquet on yourself one-handed. Gear in a drawer with the plastic still on is not a plan.

Where to stage it

One kit in the house known to every adult. One in the truck. Don’t bury it under jumper cables and old french fries.

Related: Car first aid kit guide

FAQ

What’s in a stop the bleed kit?

Tourniquet, pressure dressings, gauze, gloves, shears – focused on life-threatening bleeding, not splinters.

Is a CAT tourniquet worth it for civilians?

If you train with it, yes. Buy a real windlass tourniquet from a reputable maker, not a mystery pack.

We may earn a commission when you buy through these links, at no extra cost to you. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.