# Apply bandages

Part of the First Class guide: [Introduction & Overview](https://scouting.university/scouts-bsa/ranks/first-class/guide/index.md)

*7. First Aid and Emergency Preparedness*

> **7a.** Demonstrate bandages for a sprained ankle and for injuries on the head, the upper arm, and the collarbone.

A bandage does two jobs: it holds a dressing in place, and it supports an injured part so the person can move — or stay still — safely until real help arrives. This requirement asks you to demonstrate four specific bandages, each solving a different problem.

Merit Badge Guide: [First Aid Merit Badge Guide](https://merit-badge.university/merit-badges/first-aid/guide/): Master advanced wilderness bandaging, splinting, emergency transport, and CPR/AED protocols.

### Bandage a sprained ankle

Wrap a roller bandage or elastic wrap starting at the base of the toes, working up and around the foot and ankle in a figure-eight pattern, overlapping each layer by about half its width. Snug, not tight — you should still be able to slip a finger under the wrap, and toes should stay warm and normally colored.

Video: [Bandages for Sprained Ankle, Head, Upper Arm, Collarbone — Scouting America](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ybpr7nCelK0)

### Bandage a head injury

Use a triangular bandage folded into a cravat, or a roller bandage wrapped around the crown of the head and under the chin or around the forehead, depending on where the injury sits. Cover the wound without wrapping so tight it restricts breathing or vision, and check that it stays secure if the person needs to sit up or walk.

### Bandage an upper arm injury

Wrap a roller bandage in a spiral pattern up the arm, overlapping each turn, then secure the end. For many upper-arm injuries, follow the bandage with a sling that takes the weight of the arm off the shoulder and holds it against the chest.

### Bandage a collarbone injury

A collarbone (clavicle) injury is usually immobilized with a sling and swathe: a sling supports the forearm, and a second wide bandage (the swathe) wraps around the body to pin the arm against the chest and stop it from swinging.

![A completed sling-and-swathe bandage for a collarbone injury, with the sling supporting the forearm and the swathe binding the arm to the torso](https://ik.imagekit.io/doulacoop/tr:w-1376/su-assets/scouts-bsa/ranks/first-class/guide/sling-and-swathe-bandage?v=3c18ec53)

> **Tip**
>
> Practice each bandage on a real person, not a pillow or a chair. Cloth behaves differently against skin and joints than it does against a flat surface, and you won't know if a wrap is too loose or too tight until you feel it on an actual arm or ankle.

Demonstrate each of these four bandages for your evaluator. "Demonstrate" means tying it correctly on a real person, not describing the steps out loud.

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- Previous: [Show line rescue](https://scouting.university/scouts-bsa/ranks/first-class/guide/req6e/index.md)
- Next: [Transport an injured person](https://scouting.university/scouts-bsa/ranks/first-class/guide/req7b/index.md)