Yes, a Google search will reveal pages and pages of places selling medical supplies. It's easy to find someone selling a nylon bag labeled a "trauma kit," stuffed with a bunch of 4x4 gauze pads and band-aids.

Where would a savvy shopper look for things not readily available at Wal-Mart? I'll post a couple sites that come to mind, but this is not a professional endorsement of any vendor or product. Please feel free to contribute to this list or send me an IM/note about a vendor being a bad boy. It's not comprehensive, caveat emptor, don't buy stuff you shouldn't legally own, you could maim or kill someone if you use this stuff without training, etc.

I used a couple things from one of my NARP bags to resplint my broken leg and gave the bulky splint back to ski patrol.

Companies are US based unless noted otherwise. International suggestions welcome for our members worldwide.

Bound Tree Medical

Chinook Medical

CombatMD. New company. RATS tourniquets, Combat Gauze, Izzy dressings, and anticipated product line expansion.

Conterra. Bags and rigging and litters, oh my!

EMP - Emergency Medical Products. Many things available for licensed individuals.

Israeli First Aid. Warehouse based in Israel, plus US distribution facility.

ITS Tactical. It's tactical? IT's Tactical? Regardless, they're here and tactical.

Moore Medical

North American Rescue Products (NARP). Great stuff, but you'll pay for it.

Rescue Essentials

The Tactical Medic

Tactical Medical Solutions

Techlinetrauma for trauma simulation products. Make your training even more realistic.  Use code ARFCOM for 10% discount.

Go for it, and thanks. You have the magic tack button. Hope this is useful.

http://shop.thetacticalmedic.com

Veteran owned. He had great inventory and prices. Ships for a flat rate too.

What's the Best recommended bang for buck truck bag from them? I'm a rn so I've been trained or seen more things than average.

We ordered 10 Israel Bandages and 10 WoundStopPro bandages from Israeli First Aid and got it all safe and sound straight from Tel Aviv Israel.

Great experience, will order from again.

A good place for bags, http://www.conterra-inc.com/



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EMP has always been one of my first "go to" med supply houses. There used to be a company called PMI that had super cheap prices but boundtree bought them up. They still have alot of the same good deals, just different vendor name. I also keep an eye on moore medical, they are more hospital based, but that means they also carry lots of equipment as well. Hemostate, scalpel handles, forceps etc. their prices arent always the lowest on bandaging & splinting but they do have sales from time to time that are pretty good.

Www.mooremedical.com

Www.boundtree.com

Keep in mind that for bandaging and splinting needs, your brick & mortar pharmacies (CVS, walgreens, etc.) will usually be 10x more expensive than ordering from a medical supply house, BUT these local places will sell in individual quantities though. But why spend $5 on a few 4x4s when you can buy a box of 50 for $3? Thats enough to stock 2-3 bags.

When I make an order i generally go to all the sites, opened in seperate tabs, and add everything to the cart and compare totals with S&H and whoever is the cheapest that day gets my monies

Yea we use em where i work too. Our rep is super cool and customizes a lot of stuff for us like IV start kits & CPAP setups.

What would you guys think about tacking a thread with recommended supplies for a GSW/major trauma kit? Like the essential things that should be in a kit to handle major trauma that a lay person could use.

My biggest thing with lay persons making aid kits is training and knowledge of use. I have seen a lot of people, both in person, and on the interwebs that carry advanced equipment that they admittingly have no idea how to use. Most things can be improvised relatively easily and cheaply. Chest seals can be made with duct tape and plastic wrap. A TQ can be made with some webbing or strap from a rig and anything strong enough to be a windlass. Yes these re not ideal, but my point is you dont have to go spend $60+ on these items too just because thats what the military ot tacticool youtube guys say to use.

The best thing in your aid kit is what's between your ears.

That being said, yes, i think a thread on suggested supplies could be helpful, but without proper knowledge on how to utilize them, theyre just dead weight on your rig. Yes you can watch youtube vids on how to use things....but whats the background of the instructor? Theres lots of idiots out there who will tell you how to do something, when they themselves have never done it before and THEIR only training was from other youtube vids. From what I have seen so far, we have quite a bit of experience and knowledge available to you from other members. Also, keep in mind that medicne is practiced, meaning theres usually multiple different ways to do things and medicine is constantly evolving, so expect to get differing opinions on almost everything, and know that a lot of times, all the answers you get are correct, just one may be "more correct" than the other correct answers LOL

Bottom line is you need to know how and when to properly use everything in your aid kit, and the idea that "i'll be able to figure it out if the time comes" is NOT the way to do things. If I buy a new bandage, i order an extra to open up and play with, as a trainer. I generally stick with the same type/style of equipment that I use or have used at my job, so im very familiar with it and its implementation.- and no, that does not read that my job(s) unknowingly donate equipment to my cache LOL

OK, [/soapbox]

Recently purchased from Tactical Medical Solutions.  Great folks to deal with and for some items had prices far better than anyone else I could find.  I'll be purchasing from them in the future I'm sure.

I understand where you're coming from, and honestly I expected someone to say this. All I have in my kit is gauze, quick clot, an Israeli bandage and a tournequit. They seem simple enough in their use, and I would rather have them in the event of an emergency than not. I would like to get some training at some point and expand on my kit as appropriate for my abilities. Maybe we need a post on appropriate medical training for laymen?

Im down! Mods & lawyers may not be though lol

I teach emt & cpr class as part time gigs

I'm glad we finally have this forum (and not sure how I missed it until now).

For the links in the OP, do you want to include any prepared kits (vs. build your own)?  Just trying to get an idea of what suggestions are appropriate, and which are not.

I'm a personal fan of the ITS Tactical kits and run one on my belt.  Fairly well thought out, in a small vacuum sealed pouch.  Rip and go.

Let me know if that's a fit here or not.

Advertising is not permitted without a dealer account.  Please contact Striker or [email protected] for details. ~ medicmandan

Tag

My kit is similarly simple, with the addition of tape and shears. My wife is a nurse so she has shown me the basics, but I intend to locate some local training on the most likely things I will encounter if the need should ever arise.

For those who use advanced airways---Rusch has very lightweight disposable laryngoscope handles and blades. Not the quality feel of the old heavy stainless ones but perfect for field bag.

We only got the Rusch ones. Chosen for us so I don't know the others
I've gotten used to them

I can help anyone out with medical logistics if you just PM Me.

Moore Medical has merged with McKesson. Private party sales are now done though SimplyMedical.

https://www.simplymedical.com/

I like using Refuge Medical . They have a great selection of American made , lifetime warranty kits. If you use a Refuge Medical kit to save a life , they will replace the gear you use at no cost to you !! They also have medical training on how to use the kits and how not to die in general. Check them out !