Medical gear and items doesn't get enough attention.

Post and share any tips, tricks, info or philosophies about medical equipment you have.

A few questions to get this thread started.

What medical gear do you carry?

My main rig has an NPA, a 4' Izzy, 6" Izzy, combat gauze, H&H gauze, roll of medical tape, small amount of duct tape, a sharpie, a CAT, 3 pairs of gloves, trauma shears and a TK4.

What do you consider to be the bare minimum to go into an IFAK mounted on your gear?

I believe the bare minimum (especially for someone on a very tight budget) should be a tourniquet of some kind, a pressure bandage, roll of gauze, medical tape, duct tape, a sharpie and at least 1 pair of gloves.

Bare minimum, Israeli Bandage, 2 TQs, Quickclot Gauze, Small roll tape

On belt:Izzy, QC, 2 CATs, NPA, NCD, gloves, shears, belt cutter, sharpie, tape.

On PC, SOTECH El Dwiggo and Mojo Medic pouch packed with shit for 2 casualties.

LBT slimline aid bag packed with shit.

Camelbak BFM with medbak insert that stays on the truck that has the minor shit and sick call shit, plus shit to resupply.

Oh and if situation dictates, TQs in every pocket.

I agree with this. If more is needed you need to work on getting evac to an aid station

Yeah, basically this is a minimum BOK. Other stuff is nice if you can carry it(Think, CLS type stuff in your pack), such as more Israeli Bandages, Ace Wraps, Gauze/Kerlex, NPAs, etc.

I can agree that would be a good minimum. I had the duct tape and sharpie on my bare minimum simply because most people already have some/one laying around.

"I wish I didn't have a sharpie and duct tape" said by no one ever.

On my PC I carry a Dark Angel D.A.R.K, containing 1 pair Nitrile gloves, size L, 1 pair HALO Seals, 1x Nasal Airway, 1x 4” Izzy, 1x QuikCLot Combat Gauze, 1x H&H PriMed Compressed Gauze, 1x Mylar Blanket, 1x TCCC Casualty Documentation Tool, 1x 14 Gauge ARS Decompression Needle and a set of shears. On my belt I have a very simple HSGI Bleeder with shears, 1x 4" Izzy, 1x Quikclot and HALO seals.

Yep, but I carry two chest seals and two nasals.

Truth!

I have sharpies all over my kit and grease pencils. Hell I have a sharpie taped to my stethoscope.

If one sharpie is good, ten are better. I have them everywhere.



In addition the individual trauma kit items, I carry Benadryl, Ibuprofen, Imodium, 10 x non-adhesive 4x4 bandages, 2 x 4.5" Kerlix gauze rolls, 2 x Vaseline gauze, Betadine swab sticks, 10 x alcohol swabs, Neosporin, and a Rite-in-the-Rain EMS notepad for PCRs in a general medical kit for camping and whatnot.



Oh yeah, and One Wipe Charlies. Peppermint. Mmmmmmm.



 

Does anyone know places that sell complete IFAKs? molle compatable? with rip chord?

You can find some on ebay and various sites like chinook medical and ar500. Honestly it'd be cheaper to buy the individual pieces and put it together yourself, unless you can find a good deal at a gun show or something that is.

Agreed. Chinook and Dark Angel are awesomesauce, but not cheap. I like to buy from them for more of the advanced life support gear, but basic gear you might want to look around a little.



Check this site out for NSN lists of what's in the kits and shop around to see if you can build it a little cheaper.



The premium that you pay for at DA and Chinook is that you get something that's turn key and put together by guys that know this stuff.



 

I have a HSGI pouch that I'm going to use on a Belt set up.

I'm not looking for a minimalist setup but don't want overkill either.

I have had a fair amount of first aid training but nothing in the combat trauma type of training other then stuff I learned in Basic's back in the 80's.

Would someone recommend items for this ?

Eidt:

The above link finally downloaded.
Seems pretty straight forward.

I have no training on the nasal air way tube, but I've I watched several Youtube vid's on this and other items.
I try to watch the ones put out by the companies selling the items.

Might be good to keep one just in case.

I have no experience with that pouch so I have no idea of its size. I would recommend a 4" izzy/h-bandage/cinch tight, an H&H compressed gauze or similar, an externally mounted CAT, a TK4, 3 pairs of gloves, a sharpie, about 5 feet of duct tape wrapped around an old gift card,an NPA, celox or quickclot (preferably the gauze impregnated stuff) and a roll of medical tape. Most of this stuff is pretty straight forward to use and learn how to use.

If you have more money to spend then a 14 gauge decompression needle can be useful but requires a good bit of training. Chest seals are good too but if you get some make sure you get at least 2.

A quick tip on chest seals is that a thick piece of plastic wrapper from an Izzy can be placed over a sucking chest wound and duct taped on 3 sides to make a ghetto chest seal. Is it as good as a purpose built chest seal? No, but if you find yourself needing a chest seal or 2 and you don't have one or you used all your real ones up on someone else (think multiple gunshot victims from a mass shooting) then you may need to ghetto rig a few up. For the same reason I listed of multiple injured people is why I carry an extra bandage and may be adding a 3rd one and more gauze soon. So if your job is a security guard, LEO, or you are enlisted i'd suggest carrying more bandages, gauze and tourniquets.

Not trying to come off strong, but If you're unfamiliar with the equipment in your IFAK, I highly suggest seeking out education and not just Youtube. I'm sure if you go down to the local hospital there are classes that may teach you how to use all of the contents of your kit properly, it'll run you a $90+ but well worth the knowledge and training experience.

I agree on the training with equoiment.
I have never trained with the NPA so I looked at the vid's a couple of the companies put out.

The Izzy bandage and the other one, kind of like the izzy ( can't think of the name of it ) I was not failure with
so watched the vid's on those as well.
 
The vid's were for my curiosity although applying the bandages how to's seem useful.

The chest seals seem pretty straight forward. In the 80's, we used a gauze pad and used it's wrapper as the chest seal.

So, there are some items I'm familiar with some are straight forward in use.

As of right now, don't really have the kit.
I should of already had several made for the family but I've procrastinated.

That's why I made my post. To get some recommendations from people that have more experience with this type of kit.

No offense taken.

Yea, good points.

I want to have a small kit made up to keep in the truck as well.

Prep for REALISTIC SURVIVABLE scenarios.

Only carry what you are trained on.

Maintain your education on field equipment.

Example:

Unrealistic: You find a guy who was attacked by a grizzly in the middle of the mountains, missing 3 limbs, so you pull out your 8 hemostats, 6 TQ's, IV bag, and begin field medicine you've watched on Youtube.

Realistic: You find a guy involved in a car accident, bleeding from a deep laceration in his leg, use your izzy plus TQ you keep in a small bag in the car to apply pressure and stem the bleeding while calling 911 and informing of the location, situation, and present state of the patient.

I use the surplus Eagle medical pouches; pretty similar to an issued IFAK packing list;

1 CAT on self
1 CAT in IFAK
Israeli dressing
H rolled gauze
quick clot combat gauze
14ga chest decompression needle
bolin chest seal
28fr NPA
gloves
NARP gecko grip tape

Good list, but those items aren't exactly medical basics. They also will not, in many states, be covered under good Samaritan laws.

this is a blow out kit on a body armor vest, it's got interventions to prevent loss of life in the sort of scenarios you'd have in a situation where you need to wear a body armor vest.

I have a first aid kit with steri strips, various sized gauze, coban, tape, and the like under the sink for "real world" emergencies.

I'll just say a couple of things. I've seen several people say to only carry what you've trained with. I don't think that matters at all. There are plenty of times where you can come up on a scene and there's a doctor/nurse/ insert favorite medical professional here but they don't have the supplies they need. You could be driving in an ambulance for all I care as long as you can exercise self-restraint and not try putting a central line IV in and tubing the guy then you should be good (examples just don't be an idiot with the stuff you have). You could potentially be saving the life of someone by giving someone who knows what they are doing the tools they need to save someone.
Secondly... Don't store non trauma items in a trauma kit. When you need your quickclot you don't need to be pulling out a cold pack and a bottle of aspirin with it. Keep that stuff in a completely separate area. Even small stuff like bandaids and neosporin. If you wont need it right then and there then keep it seperate from you trauma items.

And if you find a good deal at a gunshow, it's probably either expired or fake.

Found 1 at a gun show for $25 once. Had the original pouch, tape, an H&H compressed gauze, 4" Izzy, CAT (still in wrapper), 4 pair of vaccum sealed gloves, and NPA. Only thing expired in it was the Izzy but it was still sealed and will still perform its job just fine. I wouldn't count on finding much for trauma stuff at gun shows and if you do they are usually way overpriced, however deals can be found once in a while.

I'm looking at Chinook Med right now.

I've this before but it's been awhile and I forgot .

What's a good tourniquet ?

The other bandage I mentioned in an earlier post above is the Olaes Modular Bandage. Is this better then the Israeli bandage or about the same ?

Just like anything you'll have people who love 1 item and hate another, truth be told  CAT,SOF-T, SWAT-T and TK-4 are all good tourniquets. One may be better than another for one reason or another. TK-4's are great for keeping as a spare tourniquet because it is small and compact, the SWAT-T is good because it is also fairly compact and is fairly straight forward (stretch, wrap and tuck. Just like the name implies) the CAT is available and is fairly thin and can be rubber banded or shock corded to shoulder straps or MOLLE, the SOF-T is like the CAT but has a set screw to really make sure it stays tight and has a metal windlass instead of plastic.

Which one is best for you is the real question. I have a CAT and a few TK-4's. I chose the TK-4's and CAT because: The TK-4 used to be cheaper so I got a few for real cheap and they wouldn't take up much space. The CAT I got in a kit that was cheap but I like the cat because it can be folded flat and be set up to be easily accessed.

As for the bandage question, I have no experience with the Olaes. I've seen it gaining popularity as of late and it looks pretty good. Izzy, Olaes, H-bandage or cinch tight? Like I said about tourniquets carries over to bandages, some people love one type and hate another however there are multiple good ones and it comes down to your use and budget. I use Izzy's because they work, are cheap and available. Are they the best? Probably not.

I like stuff that works, is available (so I can more easily replace it) and inexpensive. That's because I personally would rather have a half dozen good kits set up between rigs, range bags, etc than, have one really good kit full of the latest and greatest. That way i'm more likely to have medical supplies and just like ammo it's better to have more than you need than not enough.

I think the OP hit the nail on the head.  I agree with the above list except maybe putting the Izzy type bandage ahead of the TQ, but that's just my opinion.  After you have these things, add in chest seals (I like the Hyfin for their compactness), some sort of clotting agent (the impregnated gauze is nice, but if you don't know how to properly pack a wound, the Quick Clot Sport Sponge is an easy alternative), and an additional TQ.  NPAs and chest darts are nice to haves, but you must be trained on them.

One of the main limitations of carrying medical supplies is size of the individual items. I figured i'd compile the sizes of a few items that I have access to.
If someone could measure and post sizes of other medical items it would be great info to have access to for all of us.
These are the measurements I got with them measured in the smallest area I could fold them/ their wrapper into.

ITEM                                    H x W x D
4" Izzy                                4 x 3 x 1.25
6" Izzy                                5.75 x 2 x 1.75
CAT                                    8 x 1.75 x 1.125
TK-4                                   2 x 2.75 x 1.125
H&H compressed gauze   2.5 x 2.5 x 1.125
Combat Gauze                   2.5 x 3 x 0.5

If anyone has a way to fold a CAT into a smaller size please share, same with the TK-4. Looking for measurements of other TQ, bandages, gauze and chest seals.

A couple TQ's like the SOF-T or CAT, an Israeli bandage, small roll of tape, and a couple small packs of combat gauze are all that's really needed. An NPA wouldn't be a bad thing to have either if you have training on them. Anything more than that and it's time to start a 9 line.

I never folded TQ's and always stored an extra one in my IFAK. Our SOP when going out was at least 2 TQ's, one in each bottom leg pocket of our ACU's. Those things are crucial and getting them on right and in time is vital to.... Ah vitals. :)

I was looking at vids today on the CAT and the SOFT.

It looks like the CAT would be a lot easier to put on with one hand.

The SOFT looks like you need both because the set screw on it.

Is this correct ?

I like the idea of the metal windless but if I ever had to apply it to myself on an arm then the CAT would be better.

Anyone mind giving me their opinion on this before I place my order ?

I almost ordered the SOFT but decided the check the vids first on applying them.

The CAT I keep folded is simply folded for compactness. It is still fast to retrieve, unfolds simply by "whipping it", and applied. I agree that it's important to have a TQ readily available. I've seen too many people with TQ's hiding somewhere in the bottom on a med pouch buried under all other items.

As for CAT vs SOF-T i'd suggest the CAT. If you can keep it out of the sun it will keep UV rays from weakening the plastic windlass. Hopefully one day they'll make the CAT with a metal windlass. I say CAT because as you said the SOF-T takes a bit more work to put on one handed and it's important to get a TQ on when you need to. A SOF-T can be put on one handed but takes more work, time and practice. Which ever one you choose make sure you practice taking it from your pouch/rubber bands and applying it.

Part of the reason for having more advanced components in an IFAK is so it can be used on you by a qualified caregiver if needed.  Also allows you to introduce and facilitate ability to deliver advanced care on a scene where qualified caregivers are present.  Perhaps this is a more tertiary consideration though.  The hope is that those advanced-trained caregiver folks have their own gear and kit with them, but think multi-casualty critical incidents like Boston.  We're at a point where we have to consider these types of incidents as increasingly possible.  

These are both quality TQs. Go with one and practice your ass off with it. Just make sure you are sitting down when you practice on your leg.



The CAT-T is more ubiquitous, and you'll probably see them in other people's kits more than the SOF-T, so if something happens to someone and you need to help out, you'll be well practiced. The ease of self application is a big plus for it as well.



I love the SOF-T because of the metal windlass and I have two as backups in a big medical kit. However, on my IFAKs, I carry CAT-Ts.



The CAT-T should be just fine if you are going to be here in the states and are building a range / SHTF / Zombie Apocalypse kit. The key is to practice with it - a lot.



 

Thanks for that.

I'm ordering the CAT.

Agreed. I prefer the CAT as well. To those reading, if you get a CAT make sure its the model with the red tab. Its improved with a stronger windlass.

I suggest trying several different TQ's and seeing which one you works the best for you, then purchase a handful and keep on aside for training only.

I honestly don't know how many I have any more. I prefer the SOFTT-W but have a bunch of CAT's and SWAT's as well.

I don't think it's been mentioned in this thread but as a average earth person you are probably more likely to need med items in your vehicle and at home than on your gear. I have used items out of my vehicle kit more than any other kits combined.

Where are some places that you guys are sourcing your med supplies?

My minimum kit, on my war belt:
Gloves
CAT
HyFin chest seal
Combat gauze
14g angiocath
Combat dressing (the old, thin, 4x6 kind)
Sharpie.

I like the ITS IFAK deal

The only thing I add to them are medical tape and two additional hyfin North AMerican Rescue packs they fit perfectly and don't get crammed in there with their regular halo

Can't find the image of the other one but its about the same size as these

I prefer the wideband catheters.  Helps prevent unexpected pop-off.

Generally chinook med or the tactical medic. I check amazon every once in a while as well because I have prime but generally amazon has med gear for a much higher price (except for CAT's)

What's the consensus on these? https://www.botach.com/tems-swat-tourniquet-pressure-dressing-elastic-bandage-2-pack-individually-wrapped/
Are they comparable to combat tourniquets?

Tourniquets
CAT or SOF-T Wide. Either is great, as someone else said get one and practice, a ton. I like the CAT cause I can put it on one handed faster than a SOF-T. Two handed I can put both on just as fast. SWAT-T is a great backup or EDC Tourniquet. Difficult to put on one handed but it can be done, two handed, piece of cake. It also works better on children. My EDC is a SWAT-T, Combat Gauze and gloves. the SWAT-T can be used as a pressure dressing, just don't wrap so tight.

Pressure Dressing
For me it nothing but the OLAES. It has nothing to do with the pressure dressing itself, although I think the material in the OLAES is better than the Izzy. For me it is all about how you open the package. The Izzy (and just about every other product on the market for that matter) requires finger tips to tear across the package. This is a fine motor skill, if you do not understand what this means then do some more studying. The OLAES tear tab is in the middle of the long dimension of the package, gross motor skill to open, plus the dressing is very easy to get to without digging into the package that was vacuum packed tight. Oh and you get more gauze in the OLAES.

Hemostatic Agent
Combat Gauze, Celox Gauze or Chito Gauze. If you want powder go with Celox. If you have Quick Clot ACS, First Response, Sport or any of the "sponge" crap, get rid of it. Why? Here Ya Go -  USAISR Study and NAMRU Study The USAISR Study was the first to compare products - Combat Gauze was the winner. The NAMRU study looked at Combat Gauze as the baseline to find other good products.

Chest Seals
HALO or bust. Honestly any chest seal works pretty well. Go big, go multiple. HALO, HyFin Extreme, etc. I would avoid the Asherman and Bolin, nothing really wrong with them, there are just much better products available. Vent or No Vent? CoTCCC wants vents on chest seals now. They work, sometimes, depending on the wound, so it's not a bad idea. Remember if you need more that package your chest seals came and some duct tape do the same thing. How to store that huge chest seal? Wrap it around your trauma dressing, no creases and really no extra space taken up.

NPA
They are all about the same

Other
Gloves, Duct Tape, Sharpie, Trauma Shears. Yes (Nitrile Gloves, no Latex), Yes, Yes, Yes

Kits
HSGI, Blue Force Gear, ITS, all about the best around.

Beyond your IFAK
Think about what you are doing and equip yourself so. Adventure Medical Kits are a great starting point. Saline Rinse, Burn Treatment, Splinting, Gauze, OTC Meds (Remember what you want for pain in presence of bleeding - Tylenol), Space Blanket, Tape, Ice Pack, Heat Pack. If you want to go exotic, increase your diagnostic ability (with training) (BP, Stethoscope, SpO2, etc.), Skin stapler (and remover), and anything else you want to carry.

Where to buy
Resuce Essentials
Chinook Med
North American Resuce
TacMed Solutions
CTOMS - For you boys and girls in Canada

Train, Train, Train

Anything involving any amount of dexterity in your hands is a fine motor movement. Picking up the package is a fine motor movement. Using the back of your hand to sweep it off the table in a fit of rage is a gross motor movement.

As to the last, it's the best piece of advice. Train until you think you got it down, then do it some more.

Some people may not know how to use some basic medical items such as bandages, gauze and TQ's. Could someone more technologically inclined hot link some sites or videos explaining how to use each item?

Also, a tip for people who may have or want to carry medical items on your kit but don't want to buy a specific pouch, a surplus double M4 mag pouch is usually around $5 and is a good starting place for a med pouch. It can hold a bandage, gauze and gloves inside the pouch easily and a CAT or SOF-T sized TQ can fit in the elastic band. Just remember to mark it in someway so it's easily identified as medical.

If you want to carry some on you everyday and have cargo pants or shorts then a quart sized zip lock bag will fit in a cargo pocket and hold a good amount of supplies. If you wear some type of "tactical" pants that have a pocket for an M4 mag or radio you can jam a 4" bandage, a compressed gauze and a tk-4 in there, it's not perfect but you will have the majority of your blood stopping med items on you.

Having trouble fitting an Izzy into an elastic loop, pouch or bag because it is just a bit too big? The Izzy has an inner and outer wrapper. You can take it out of the outer wrap and it will be slightly smaller and will also be faster to access. Also TQ's don't need to be sterile so you can take any TQ's out of there packaging (if the have instructions and you want to keep them then at least open the bag it's in).

Try keeping medical supplies in every bag/pack/rig that you own. If you only keep it in your plate carrier or similar then if you aren't wearing it or not within arms reach then the IFAK isn't much help. Range bag, car, truck, camelback, pants pocket, etc should have some cheap rolled gauze and a roll of medical tape at the very least.

If you need rolled gauze for an IFAK that isn't space limited then get some Johnson and Johnson rolled gauze from wal-mart or CVS, Walgreens. It's about $5.47 for 5 rolls of gauze. It isn't super compact but if you are on a budget then this is a good option to have. Don't have money to buy a pressure bandage? Well if you have an ACE wrap and some gauze pads you can make a ghetto pressure bandage.

My CTOMS 2ndLine Main Pack

CTOMS 2ndLine Main Pack (External)

CTOMS 2ndLine Main Pack (Internal)

For some reason I can't embed images onto my post.

The 6" Bandage and Hemostatic Contents were later switched.

If it comes down to where you need to address multiple bullet wounds, an easy way to save space in your IFAK is to carry a tampon or two. They are small, sterile, expand with moisture, and can be a quick fix if you are close to a hospital or evac.

Don't put tampons in your IFAK. They aren't suitable for any sort of hemostatic uses.