At every airsoft event, the field is full of players with the coolest or best gear and guns available, but many forget some basic essentials. One of the most common things overlooked is a simple medical/first aid kit, and yet it is one of the most crucial pieces of your loadout. While almost every experienced player has their own compilation of what actually goes in the kit, here is a very simple one I like to carry:
Quikclot gauze
Velcro tourniquet/CAT
Sterile gauze squares
Assorted band-aids
Butterfly bandages x4
Aspirin x2
Ibuprofen x2
The Ibuprofen and Aspirin should be in a small, sealed sandwich bag, compressed to squeeze the air out. The other items (except for the tourniquet) are all placed in a larger ziploc, and again the excess air squeezed out and sealed. Gauze and band-aids are pretty self explanatory, and the butterfly bandages make excellent hasty stitches. The Quikclot gauze can be a life-saving tool in cases of extreme bleeding, but use sparingly: the chemicals in it heat up and will be a painful experience in of itself.
I recommend the velcro tourniquet for two reasons: one, it is simple to use… just wrap it around the affected limb and hook it. Two, it is tight enough to deal with most airsoft-related injuries without being so tight that you create a new injury altogether. Generally, a velcro tourniquet will either stop the bleeding in of itself, or slow it down enough to get to an ambulance. Regardless of which type you use, have it either attached to your vest or in an easily accessible pouch.
The Aspirin is a great aid with sprains and breaks, as it helps prevent swelling. That being said, DO NOT use the Aspirin if you are bleeding, it is an anti-coagulant! The Ibuprofen serves as a safe pain killer. That being said, the Aspirin and Ibuprofen is for you, not other players… a little pain or swelling is better than giving someone an allergic reaction. Finally, as you use items, RESTOCK!
