I've recently been working on a project/presentation for my Office. The project is to demonstrate the life saving capabilities a tourniquet has, and why my office should allow us to carry tourniquets and possibly trauma kits as part of our normal duty gear.  I put together a "packet" which contains numerous studies and articles related to this topic. My last step was to get quotes on the cost for various different tourniquets, trauma kits, and ways to carry them.

I called up Rescue Essentials, who just happen to be located about 2.5 hours from me and I agreed to go down and they would not only get me quotes, but they would also put together some samples for me. I was excited and made the trip yesterday. When I arrived, I was surprised at how small a building these guys operate out of, especially for being one of the largest tac med providers in the US. Everyone I spoke with was extremely helpful and knowledgeable. Just all around good people. They took me to a small conference room area where they had my samples and quotes ready. I also got a tour of their facilities and I instantly started a personal shopping list

So we start going over the samples and quotes, and they demo some products for me and teach me how to use some of them. They even filled me in on some trainings I will hopefully be attending.

After the business bit was done I brought in my personal gear and asked if they would go through my kits and make recommendations. Not only did they do this, but they also vacuum sealed one of the kits for me so I could quit using a ziploc. So far all of this was free of charge mind you. They looked through my kits made some recommendations, and I wound up spending a little over 120 bucks on more stuff. Pics will be below.

After I made my purchase I was given some swag, and even got given some of the opened products they demoed for me. These guys treated me great and were extremely professional and accommodating. They even took the time to look over my presentation for me and make suggestions. I can't say enough how great these guys were to work with. I should also note I am in no way affiliated with them, just a happy customer

ETA: Right before I left I decided I needed a better EDC kit. We walked through the warehouse picked out what I wanted and then vacuum sealed it. I paid for it of course but I was impressed at how enthusiastic these guys were over something so small as a personal trauma kit.

Here's the basic trauma kit contents they demoed


The tourniquet pouches I chose to demo on a duty belt


Some of the swag


My new EDC kit

Here's the personal kits they looked over

My HSGI bleeder on my PC. They really liked this setup and only recommended vacuum sealing the contents which they promptly did



Also bought the FDE shears there

My ATS IFAK

They liked this kit to and only recommended adding a chest seal. Next thing I know I was being shown a HALO and one of the newer NAR HyFin seals. I went with the HyFin, which comes with two individually sealed seals. One for the IFAK, and one is riding behind my armor on my PC

www.darkangelmedical.com

The Dark Kit is the best on the market.

It's a great kit and was designed by the guys at Rescue Essentials

ETA: with the guys at DARK of course. Both are CO based companies

What line of work are you that would require an IFAK? LE?

i love rescue essentials !

just got my order from them a few days ago. very easy going and responsive to their customers.

Yes I'm an LEO

I've ordered from them before but this was my first trip to the actual storefront/warehouse

I'd like to make it over there sometime. Not sure when I'll be in salida again.

It's more than worth the trip. Plus Moonlight pizza is just down the block

I spent 3 years living less than an hour from Salida and made the trip almost weekly, but I never made it to the store

That's very cool of them. Just remember your training counts so much more. Purpose built supplies are great but without the ability to do it right, under stress, in the dark and with a screaming friend and slippery hands it can all be for nothing. The converse to all this is with good training some duct tape, a belt and a broom handle will do a good job too. Training is everything. That should be priority for your department and your primary goal. If it is then my apologies I read your post wrong.

Absolutely. This whole project started when I approached my SGT about the gap there is between the med training we do get and what we are actually facing. It then snowballed into "get a presentation together" and training is incorporated into that packet. I'm looking at TCCC LEFR training for at least me and then I can pass that knowledge onto the other deputies

I love rescue essentials. That and chinookmed has everything you need/want.

I could've gone broke and died happy in their warehouse

Any way you can give a breakdown of the contents of the HSGI Bleeder?

The bleeder is pretty basic right now. NAR Z Pak gauze, NAR pressure dressing, small celox packet and gloves inside with CAT and shears outside.

Thanks for the heads up, never knew they were instate. Could be helpful later.

I just put together 2 kits, most came from them.  I placed an order the day after thanksgiving and had it the next Tuesday, they are fast and great to deal with.

I put together basically the same kit, one in an ATS tear off pouch, and one in a "flat" package (exact same stuff but with a CPR mask added and chito gauze instead of celox) to keep in my backpack.

contents:

in ATS pouch:

in flat package:

Very nice!

PACK it TIGHT

decide to keep the TQ separate or included in the contents.  current mentality is to keep the TQ separate from the main kit.

but get it done. and then DONT dick with kit contents until it is NEEDED, or if you need to replace an expired consumable item.

Contents are pretty much universal, however some components come either filled with a quantity of inert gas or vacuum compressed

and that in itself will be mitigating factor in volume displacement and thus impact your available options for a carrier



Yes I am familiar with the DARK kit as I designed the first gen bungee wrapped kit pouch before the current slate from First Spear

Good stuff guys thanks for sharing.


spf

I just noticed that the OP was putting together a proposal for admin.  Since I'm thinking about it, here's an after action from an incident last week.  





spf

Good read, thanks!

Thanks for the great information.

What is the best CAT to purchase these days?  There is a a lot of new equipment and I am not sure which of these would be best to put in my gear.  I read someplace one of the CAT's had a problem with the windlass breaking or something.

What would you pro's recommend?

I'm not a pro by any means but I would get a NAR CAT with the red tip. But make sure you but from a legit company because fakes have started floating around

there's only one CAT, its a trademarked name of a certain TQ. theres something similiar called the SOF, that has a metal windlass and a buckle vs velcro tighteninign thing. the windlass breaking was a problem of early gen CATs, the new ones are fine. be wary of knockoffs.

We are only issued CAT's,  some with the red tip, some with white and some with black.  I wouldn't mind something a little more low-profile but they seem to have become industry-standard

Definitely beware of the fakes, evidently airsofters  want fake tools to handle uncontrolled fake bleeding.  

There used to be a couple of online guides to help one discern real from fake.  Best bet is to just go with a reputable dealer.


spf

Great thread!

One topic that carries throughout, which I hate to see left out of many such discussions, the correlation between training level, equipment carried, and individual anticipated needs. KISS when weight and/or space are considerations.

Also like to comment on Heineken's kit...notice the Sharpie. When TSHTF, that's the way to mark your casualty's TQ time, on the forehead with a Sharpie. When it comes down to it, writing legibly on the labels on the TQ will be the least of your worries, difficult to do, and may wear off or be obscured with fluids. And a casualty that needs TQ will have much bigger worries than how to remove the Sharpie ink from his or her forehead. Unfortunately I speak from experience.

Sharpies belong in every kit if you carry a tourniquet. I've got one on my PC and one in my ATS

Sharpie in every one of my IFAKs

You sir are a gentleman of fine taste

Good tip, makes sense.

A note about training, I can tell you I have a chest decompression needle in my kit, BUT no way in hell i would attempt to use it, i have it in case there is a trained professional around who can use it.  i would rather have and not need then need and not have.  i have also seen the debates about how unlikely it is that these are actually ever needed, but it take up little to no room in the kit so it is not like something didnt make it in the kit because of it.

First of all, why would they  NOT allow individuals to carry whatever medical gear they wanted to?

Secondly, this is an observation made from experience overseas and from working with our 18D's (special forces medics). Those personal kits that use clips and not zippers are going to be near impossible to get into when someone is covered in blood. Our medics started making our batallion train getting into IFACs and using the tourniquets with our hands covered in KY. Yes, that's KY jelly. It simulates slippery blood. If you are alone and trying to get into your med kit and put on a tourniquet covered in blood you are going to have a seriously hard time doing it. If you think about it, if you are pulling out a tourniquet its probably because there's some heavy bleeding. What's the first thing you're probably going to do when you get shot, stabbed, whatever? You're most likely going to grab that area with your hands and get them covered in blood. That training was a real eye opener and it really changed how a lot of us started carrying medical equipment. It's just a suggestion and something that might be in your best interest to try and I wanted to pass it on.

Also it's not a bad idea to carry two tourniquets. Not necessarily because you may need two, but because you may not be able to get the one you are carrying in a particular position.

Training on the military side has always been to put the time on the casualties forhead and ditto on KISS.