Medical

A quality first aid kit is essential—for cuts, scrapes, and minor medical issues, a basic kit is sufficient and a great place to start.

Be sure to have one in your home, car, and backpack—when you need it, you'll be glad you didn't have to search around to find it!

If you're into adventure sports, traveling far from home, driving off-road (or even on freeways), handling firearms, etc.—or if your access to medical services could be delayed, you need a more advanced medical kit.

When it comes to serious injuries including broken bones, life-threatening cuts, puncture or gunshot wounds, and other serious medical incidents, a basic first aid kit won't do.

Remember, you're your own first responder.

Having the right gear is essential—but knowing how to use it is critical. With the right training, you can not only reduce the amount of gear you need, but be more effective with it.

Start with First Aid/CPR, Basic Life Support, then advance into more targeted training such as "Stop the Bleed," and Wilderness First Responder courses.