Nobody ever plans to crash their motorcycle. The odds are you will leave, have a great ride, and return home safely—but what if it happens? Will you be even remotely prepared to deal with a minor injury or, worse, some type of major roadside trauma? Here is a handful of compact, yet extremely helpful medical kit products that may just save a life one day.
Arms, legs, hands, feet are all body parts that are commonly injured in a crash. The RATS is designed to be applied by the injured person if necessary so it can be done effectively with one hand. There is also the venerable SWAT-T (Stretch, Wrap, And Tuck Tourniquet), which has been used by law enforcement and personal protection agents for decades. It's light, cheap, and can be just as effective with practice. At under $20 these are likely the best bang for the buck of all the products in this article.
I know that was quite a while back but you may recall how great it was to ice a sprained ankle, twisted knee, or broken finger. Well, it still feels good and can help make an injured rider more comfortable until they make it home. These are tiny, take up very little room in a backpack, and will come in handy one day.
Also known as sport tape, this stuff leaves no residue and sticks to itself like crazy. This can be used as a sling, to support a busted body part, or even to keep pressure on a serious wound. For 10 bucks, this stuff is irreplaceable. Plus, you can color coordinate it with your bike or gear so you get extra brownie points.
If you plan to incorporate any of these products into your personal first-aid kit, then you should take the time to learn a little bit about how to use each of them effectively as well. Most manufacturers have excellent videos that guide you step by step through the process of applying a RATS tourniquet using any of the common first-aid goodies. It won’t do anyone any good if you don’t know how or when to use it.