Category: EDC

I’ve had a lot of first aid training over the years – starting with Boy Scouts and Sea Scouts, and moving on to my professional career with Red Cross training, and then additional training as a Boy Scout Leader.

I know how to stop the bleed. I know how to perform CPR. I know all the basics. And I can easily update and refresh my certifications online.

Yep, I only know the basics.

I’m glad that I have some training. I hope I never have to use it for more than a scrape or cut. However, given the world we currently live in – mass shootings, increasing violent crime, increased social tension – the likelihood that I have to use what training I have seems to increase regularly.

It makes me fear that my basic first aid training is not enough.

Since the family and I like to travel and go camping, I’ve wanted to take a Wilderness First Aid class. Unfortunately, when I have the time, classes haven’t been available. Classes have been more sparse since the start of COVID, and especially problematic is that they are usually several hundred miles away from home. When I look at classes, they are in Arizona, Colorado, or Utah. One of my 2023 priorities is to get Wilderness First Aid trained.

Where to get trained

If you are looking to get trained, here are some great places to start:

What about a First Aid Kit?

I really recommend getting some training before you go down the rabbit hole of buying or putting together a first aid kit. That way, you can tailor the kit you purchase or put it together to your skill and comfort level. You will also learn all the acronyms that come into play – IFAK, TFAK, and more.

If you decide to put together a first aid kit – which is what I did for our cars, camper, and backpacks – you will need to be careful to make sure that you source quality products from quality sources. Some items, like antiseptic wipes, alcohol wipes, bandages, and gloves, can easily and inexpensively be sourced from places like Amazon, Wal-Mart, or Target. Other items, like splints, quick clot, and tourniquets, should be sourced from a reputable vendor since there are a lot of counterfeit items out there that look good but are of inferior quality.

If you decide to purchase a first aid kit, make sure that you are purchasing from a reputable provider. Some places even allow you to spend HSA or FSA money on a first aid kit. This is a great option if you are in a use-it-or-lose-it scenario with that money (like, wow, I still have $300 in my FSA that I will lose on New Years’ Eve if I don’t spend it). As with purchasing individual items, make sure that you are buying from a reputable source – check reviews on the internet if you have to.

Remember, a first aid kit isn’t just something that you can chuck into the trunk of your can and forget about. It is something that you need to check on after every use to make sure that you still have everything you need, and you have to make sure that things haven’t expired and need to be replaced.

 

My Smith & Wesson M&P Shield Plus

How I decided to buy a handgun in the first place…

Last year I purchased my first handgun. It was a few weeks before my 49th birthday and during the holiday sales that are ever present in November and December. I had thought about it the year prior while driving the long miles between Albuquerque and Colorado Springs every other week for 3 months. During those drives, often passing through sketchy areas late at night or very early in the morning, I ran into several uncomfortable situations where I wished I had something more than pepper spray and a pocket knife to protect myself.

Not growing up in a gun-friendly household, I only had a small amount of experience shooting a .22 caliber rifle at Boy Scout camp and a few trips to shooting ranges with friends under my belt. I decided at the time that I would wait to purchase a firearm until things had stabilized in our household.

Last Fall, things had not only stabilized, but I had been diagnosed with prostate cancer, started Androgen Deprivation Therapy (ADT), and completed 50 rounds of Radiation Therapy. Despite daily walks and light weight training (to retain my muscle mass and keep my bones strong), I had lost much of my strength. With a long drive to visit family, my loss of strength, and long stretches of road with limited services, I was concerned about the safety of my family and myself.

Buying a handgun…

So I dug up a bit of research I had done in the past and refreshed my familiarity with beginner firearms. I figured that I find something that would work as a starter, and I could grow from there. Checking the ads, I found a really good deal on a Smith & Wesson M&P Shield Plus for around $275. I went to the store, and a few hours later, I was home and learning about my new handgun.

Safety first!

After taking an NSSF First Shots class with my son, we went to the range and tried it out. We had a lot of fun, both in the class and firing my new pistol! While I didn’t shoot very well, I did a lot better than I expected. The surprise was that my son not only shot well, but he also did better than I did.

My thoughts about the M&P Shield Plus

While the M&P Shield Plus is a great pistol, it is not an ideal learning platform for new shooters. It tends to be a bit snappy, even with 115gr ammo. The sights are nice and clear, and the pistol feels good in my hands, if a little on the heavy side. My major complaint is that the recoil spring is extremely stiff. So stiff that it can be difficult to rack for a beginner. After a year with the pistol, I am comfortable with it and shoot it pretty well.

All in all, I’m happy with the M&P Shield Plus, and it has a place in my carry rotation now that I have my concealed carry permit.