Build Your Own ACTR Range IFAK: The Exact Gear List We Recommend

A lot of ACTR students ask the same question after class: "Where do I buy the kit you had us train on?"

We don't sell IFAKs — that's not the business we're in. What we do want is for every student walking out of an ACTR clinic to go build a kit that matches, or beats, what they trained on. So here's the exact list, minimum loadout and upgraded loadout, with notes on what actually matters and where you can save a few bucks.

Important note: This is our ACTR range bag IFAK/trauma loadout. This is NOT our Wilderness, Vehicle or Family first-aid/trauma kit. We'll be posting those loadouts soon though.

The Minimum Loadout

IFAK pouch

Amazon — The cheap mil-sim pouches out of China work perfectly fine for a range IFAK. You don't need to spend $80 on a pouch that's going to sit in your range bag or on your belt at the flat range.

Nitrile gloves

Amazon — Latex allergies are more common than they used to be, so nitrile is the safe default. These come in a box of 100 — keep a stack in the kit and use the rest for every other messy job in your life.

CPR mini-mask

Amazon — These only seem to show up in bulk packs on Amazon, which honestly works in your favor. Put one in every kit you own and hand a few out to family.

CAT Tourniquet

Order direct from North American Rescue — This is the one item on this list where we will not budge: buy it from a source you trust. There are a lot of counterfeit tourniquets circulating on major online marketplaces right now, and a fake CAT TQ can fail at the exact moment someone's life depends on it. Order straight from NAR and skip the gamble.

Pressure dressing

Amazon — A solid budget version of the Israeli-style emergency trauma dressing we use in the ACTR clinic itself.

Packing gauze

Amazon — Non-hemostatic gauze is basically the same regardless of brand, so this is just a cheap, solid option. If you're tight on budget, plain roller gauze from any pharmacy will do the job too.

Rescue blanket x2

Amazon — Around $1.50 each when bought in a 10-pack. Grab two: shock management matters more than people think, and you'll have a spare for a buddy's kit.

Mini Sharpie

Amazon — TIME. If you've sat through the ACTR clinic, you already know exactly why this earns a spot in the kit.

Recommended Upgrades

Once you've got the minimum loadout dialed in, here's where to spend a little more:

• Upgrade to hemostatic gauze — Amazon
• Add 2 occlusive dressings — Amazon
• Add 4–5 4x4 gauze pads — Amazon
• Add single-use trauma shears — Amazon

Close the Loop

Gear is only half the equation. If you're already ACTR certified, the single best next step is getting CPR certified. A kit full of the right gear doesn't do much good if the skills to use it aren't current. That's the whole point of ACTR — trauma response and the fundamentals should work together, not live in separate boxes.

Got questions about substitutions or want a hand picking gear for a specific carry setup? Drop a comment or reach out — Our mission here is to ensure as many people as possible have the skillset and the gear to save a life, if and when that moment comes.

Want hands-on training to go with the kit? Check out our upcoming ACTR clinic dates.