Guide · Bleeding control training
Stop the Bleed training equipment: what an instructor actually needs
A bleeding control class teaches three things: direct pressure, wound packing and tourniquets. Every piece of equipment on your table should help a student practice one of those three with their own hands. This guide walks through the gear, what each item is for, and how to choose a trainer that fits the way you teach.
The three skills every class practices
Courses built on the American College of Surgeons Bleeding Control Basic curriculum, and most TECC and TCCC courses, come down to the same hands-on skills:
- Direct pressure. Finding the source of bleeding and holding firm, steady pressure on it.
- Wound packing. Pushing gauze deep into a wound cavity until it is full, then holding pressure on top.
- Tourniquet application. Placing a tourniquet high and tight on an arm or leg and tightening it until bleeding stops.
Watching a video does not build any of these. Students need repetitions on something that pushes back, and ideally something that bleeds.
Stop the Bleed training supplies checklist
- Training tourniquets. One per student pair at minimum. Use dedicated trainers or retired units, and keep them separate from the tourniquets in your real kits.
- Packing gauze. Rolled gauze or trainer gauze that can be washed and reused. Plan for it to get wet if your trainer uses simulated blood.
- A wound packing trainer. Something with a real cavity to pack, not a flat pad. Depth and resistance matter.
- A tourniquet trainer. An arm or leg the tourniquet can actually close down on.
- Gloves, towels and a drop cloth for anything that uses fluid.
- Simulated blood if your trainer supports it, plus a plan for cleanup and drying between classes.
Task trainer or full-body trainer?
Most programs start with task trainers: a single limb for tourniquets and a block or thigh for wound packing. They are compact and good for teaching the motion.
A full-body bleeding control trainer adds what task trainers leave out: kneeling beside a person-sized body, finding the wound under clothing, reaching across the torso, and moving from one injury to the next in the same scenario. For police academies, tactical medicine courses and scenario-based training, that context is often the point of the class.
Questions to ask before you buy a bleeding control trainer
- Does it bleed, and how long does setup and cleanup take?
- Can a student pack a real cavity, or only press on a surface?
- Can it run an amputation or junctional scenario, or only limb tourniquets?
- How does it travel? Will it fit in a trunk, closet or gear locker?
- How many students can work on it at once?
- Can your purchasing office get a quote, W-9 and specification sheet?
Where Wounded Wilson fits
Wounded Wilson is a full-body, fold-flat training dummy built for hemorrhage control practice. A wet-blood system feeds wound ports for tourniquet and wound-packing drills, and magnetic limbs detach mid-drill so an instructor can turn a routine tourniquet rep into a traumatic amputation scenario. Each unit is built to order in Lubbock, Texas.
See the trainer, $2,500 Request a quoteFrequently asked questions
What equipment do I need to teach a Stop the Bleed class?
At minimum: training tourniquets, packing gauze, something to pack (a wound packing trainer) and something to put a tourniquet on (a limb or tourniquet trainer), plus gloves. Many instructors add a full-body trainer for scenarios.
What is the difference between a tourniquet trainer and a wound packing trainer?
A tourniquet trainer is an arm or leg that lets students practice placing and tightening a tourniquet. A wound packing trainer has a cavity that students fill with gauze. Some trainers, including full-body units, do both.
Should training tourniquets be kept separate from real ones?
Yes. Tourniquets used repeatedly in class wear out. Mark them as trainers and never put them back into an emergency kit.
Is simulated blood worth the mess?
For most classes, yes. Seeing bleeding slow and stop is the feedback that tells a student the tourniquet is tight enough or the wound is packed well. Plan for gloves, towels and drying time.
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STOP THE BLEED® is a registered trademark of the U.S. Department of Defense. Wounded Wilson and Shots Fired Innovations LLC are not affiliated with or endorsed by the Department of Defense or the American College of Surgeons. Wounded Wilson is training equipment, not a medical device, and is not for clinical use.