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Tourniquet use, ambulance number, destination, etc. for report writing. I also write down anything else pertinent for the responding paramedics to know, and yes, I write it all on the patient.
My FAK in my EDC bag, just finished this one since my previous FAK went MIA…
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[IMG]Condor rip-away EMT lite
contents:
1 olaes 4″
1 swat t
4 melolin 2″
4 melolin 4″
4 surgical swabs
4 alcohol cleaning swabs
1 burn pad
2 regular gauze dressings
2 pair nitrile gloves
small pack of absorbing cotton wool for nose bleeds
15 assorted band aids
10ft duct tape
4 safety pins
1 set steri strips
emergency blanket
mini bic
tweezers
small trauma shears
sharpie like pen
petzl e+litemost of those things are organised in separate ziploc bags
Verstuurd vanaf mijn LG-D855 met Tapatalk
This is my EDC first aid kit and if I’m not out playing with knives the one I bring when out walking. The pouch I made myself and is based on the Kifaru UL pullouts. The tri-glide in the top loop is so that I can thread it through a square D ring in my bergen and stop me having to search through my bag.
FlickrThe contents from top right are;
Clinell wipes
‘Butterfly stitches’
varied plasters incl blister plasters
stretch bandage
4” Israeli bandage
Wound dressings
Burn gel
Diaoralyte powder to make a rehydrating drink after diarrhoea
varied painkillers
Anti diarrhoea tablets
Midgie bite stick
Alcohol wipes
Small sewing kitFlickr
My current IFAK is split into: Kifaru 1000D Organizer Pocket In Wolf Grey (Trama) and a custom ZPack Zip Pouch in Orange (Boo Boo). The Boo Boo slips into the Kifaru. The Kifaru get attached to the lumbar, shoulder or chest. I run or walk or hike. The patch is a custom one off from Etsy. On my table:
I HATE it. It’s bulky, cumbersome and heavy. It bounces, slips and slides. (It’s great for a standing solution though…) My current insanity is trying to measure the smallest footprint I can stuff and smoosh my items into.
The Olaes is the current best of the trama bandages but even the flat pack is a pig of a beast. I’ve managed to flatpack the TQ quite nicely but I continue my insestuous flirtation with the RATS.
I keep looking at the ITS Tallboy, but I’ve never liked this style of IFAK holder:
https://store.itstactical.com/medical/its-eta-trauma-kit-pouch-tallboy.html
or the Coyote STOMP, and that has all kinds of extranous stuff built onto the exterior that I don’t like:
http://www.coyotetacticalsolutions.com/slim-tear-off-medical-pouch-s-t-o-m-p/
I may be insane: I refuse to compromise on the quality of the items I carry, and demand multipurpose use from them, but want them in the smallest flatest footprint they can be in…
My EDC First Aid / Survival Kit
(Packed super tight)
Survival:
Mini signal mirror
Rescue whistle
Compass
Sparker fire starter
10 – weather proof matches and striker
6 – fire tinders
2 – water purification tabletsFirst Aid:
2 – 2×2 gauze pads
4 – Large band-aids
2 – Small dot band-aids
2 – Butterfly closures
Compact tampon
Woundseal topical powder
Burn gel
Hydrocortisone cream
2 – cleaning wipesI’m waiting on 3M Steri-strips to come in, arriving today.
I think I’m happy with it. It’s basic, but should cover any day to day incidents.
Not 100% sure I need the survival stuff in my bag, could just be in my car.
Thoughts?
ETA: Well it was packed to tight. I went to add the Steri-Strips last night and found the case had cracked. So now I’m searching for a pouch.
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First, my car fak:
Ontario SPAX SP-16 hatchet
Ace bandage
Assorted bandaids
Batteries for my flashlights(Not first aid, just stored in it)
Note cards
Sharpie
Super glue
25 ft. Utility rope
Nitrile gloves
4×4″ gauze pads
bandana
Bunch of alcohol prep padsThis is it for now, but I’m going to be redoing it in a bigger bag to hold more supplies. Also, my medical skills are slim to none, but that doesn’t mean I can’t do anything
Hopefully my posts will kickstart this somewhat old thread :/ Anyways, next up is my IFAK. I wouldn’t say that it’s with me every minute of the day, but it goes wherever the backpack it’s attached to goes. My backpack goes a lot of places.
The goodies:
Handwarmers
Sharpie
Bug bite relief
4×4″ gauze pads
Assorted bandaids
Gauze wrap
Med shears
Nitrile gloves
Advil
Allergy relief
Alcohol pads
Tape
Eye drops
Chapstick
ACE bandageAlmost everything is double bagged and stuffed in.
Lastly, all my toys can get stuffed into my Fieldline backpack, outfitted with the ifak, a battery-powered glow stick, my edc kit, Gerber Strong-arm, and my car fak.At the beginning of each year I tend to rip apart any preexisting items, reassess, and reorganize. This includes what I want to do for the year in training, any advances in medical technology, and the appropriate funds for both. The need for a high quality IFAK became readily apparent as I began to hike/walk/run longer distances. At some point you look around and it’s just you. Without the proper training and equipment you can get into trouble very, very quickly.
This IFAK is set up for a small external footprint, carried on my person, with a treatment capability of one (myself) or two (family/friend/stranger). The external colors are purposefully set up as a drab green/black so the three points of RED standout externally. A RED cross patch, exterior front, for quick identification (This is a medical pouch.), RED zipper pulls (Open here!!) and a RED “T” for quick tourniquet identification.
I’m cognizant of the military idea to separate the trauma and boo boo kits into physically distinctive units. My use case and needs differ. Furthermore, If I don’t carry it or have it with me the IFAK tends to stay at home. So I married both kits, trying to find the smallest possible footprints for items while not skimping on any advancement in technology.
I’m also aware of the outrageous cost, talking about Aquacel and hemostatic bandage(s), for what could amount to a minor injury. Cuts and scrapes are easily treatable wounds, with low bandage cost(s), and shouldn’t deserve special treatment. However, does it make a qualitative difference using a hemostatic bandage for small cuts/bruises/scrapes? How well do these types of band aids hold up to field use? Are they worth extra cost by granting shorter and better healing? I intend to road-test.
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Coyote Tactical Slim Tear Off Medical Pouch (S.T.O.M.P.) Ranger Green with a 2X2 Ranger Green Spartan Village Red Medic Cross Patch.
TLDR: The best IFAK pouch I’ve ever used.
The small footprint and well thought out design, coupled with the current trends and advances of making slimmer and lighter equipment in the medical supply industry, allow for a deceptively spacious and full featured pouch. I believe it’s well worth the asking price compared to similar offerings.
This isn’t to say I don’t have opinions or suggestions with the current version STOMP:
When the STOMP is full with equipment the grab handle is ineffective. There isn’t enough slack between the handle and the pouch for an easy grasp. My STOMP is full and I have to wriggle my finger into it. I’m not sure, in an emergency or running, I would be able to confidently grasp the STOMP and “tear” with complete confidence. Finding the sweet spot between too much/too little slack on the grab handle is, I’m sure, tricky.
I dislike the TQ attachment method. I have not experienced a drop or loss of a TQ as of yet but I’m still uneasy about the Velcro (?) tabs. Scientifically, I have not had a failure but my gut just doesn’t trust them. Personally, I would sacrifice the ability to “tear” off the TQ for a PALS row. My TQ holder of choice has a snap fastener that allows for, and what I perceive to be, a more solid attachment method.
The internal inner elastic loops are an absolute miracle for organization but I feel they are spaced incorrectly. The top and bottom loops butt against the frame of the pack inhibiting some items due to size. I would rather see less loops, with a wider profile, to use the space more efficiently.
The internal branding tag is too big, on the inside where it does no good, and has a tendency to snag on items as I move things in and out.
Overall, I’m incredibly pleased with my purchase. I’ll continue beating on it for the foreseeable future.
INTERNAL:
2 pair Bear Claw Ultimate Nitrile gloves size large
6″ Israeli Bandage
QuikClot Combat Gauze LE (Z-Folded)
Phokus Research Group Frog Gauze 1 (Nonwoven) 3″ x 4 yds 1/2″ thick Z-Folded
Curaplex Adjustable Flange Nasopharyngeal Airway
Decompression Needle
(3) 3gm foilpac Surgilube inside a waterproof kingfishermaps.com license holder
HyFin Vent Compact Chest Seal Twin Pack 4.75″ x 4.75″
Jeff Halopoff Purple/Gold V1 Custom Titanium Tweezers
MoMa MUJI nail clipper (Japan) small 6cmI’ve had two pair of Rubis tweezer points in previous IFAK builds. Fantastic tweezers, unfortunately, both bent with light storage. I’m not doing that again.
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Orange Zpacks Passport Zip Pouch 6″ X 4.25″. Weight: .30 oz. / 8.5 grams
The, very unfortunately, now discontinued orange color was chosen for high visibility in contrasting the ranger green interior and the bright color for low light situations. It’s also a bonus it’s waterproof and dirt-proof protecting some of the more expensive and sterile components.
INTERNAL:
Phokus Research Group Frog Tape 2″ x 9″ x 1/6 “. 6 folded strips per package. 3M Durapore medical tape on easy release backers
HemCon First Aid Bandage 1″ x 4″ X2
HemCon First Aid Bandage 2″ x 2″
Aquacel Extra AG 4″ x 5″
Moleskine 4.5″ X 3.5” X2TOURNIQUET:
Combat Application Tourniquet® (C-A-T®) Generation 7 inside a Black SORD Tourniquet Cover (Red “T”)
Missing items:
High quality trauma shears with an actual steel. I’m talking a S30/S35vn. I’ve seen plenty of the disposable throwaways and have been unimpressed. I’ve followed the Leatherman Raptor but remain unconvinced due to the clunky size and shape.
Duct Tape. I have a flat packed version and with the Phokus medical tape I’ve questioned the need to include this.
Triangle Bandage.
SOF® Tactical Tourniquet-Wide (SOF®TT-W). The tourniquet handle on the CAT is plastic. This still makes me nervous.
2017: TRAINING.
I’ve already allocated the appropriate financial resources for a Wilderness Medical TECC/TCCC approved course. I need to find something in Northern Ohio. I would like to find training in improvised care as well.
Thoughts, comments or suggestions?
This is the FAK I keep in the main compartment of my work bag (5.11 Rush 72), take it with me whenever I leave the house aside from quick runs to the store.
It’s a Vanquest FATpack 7×10 Gen1
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This is what is in the front slot pocket
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Left side – Leatherman Raptor and a couple pair of nitrile gloves in a ziplock.
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Right side – RATS and Nitecore EA21
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Pack open
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Front flap open – More gloves, tweezers, amonia tubes, q-tips, cayenne pepper and duct tape in the flap, assorted creams, ointments, wipes, swabs, etc in the ziplock
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In the zippered flap velcroed to the front flap – Ziplock full of pills – cough drops, ibuprofen, cold medicine, allergy, aspirin, etc., ziplock of misc band aids, another pair of gloves and some tape.
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Left flap – Fenix HL50 headlamp, NPA w/lube, bic lighter wrapped in duct tape and a couple of binder clips
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Center pocket – CAT, 36″ SAM splint, surgical mask, ab pads, assorted pads, gauze and triangular bandage in ziplock and mylar blanket.
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Center, out of pocket – Pair of vented chest seals, 25g QuickClot, 15g Celox, 6″ Israeli bandage and Water Jel burn dressing.
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Right flap – Red and green chem lights and 15g Glucose Gel
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Picture of all contents
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Some of these kits are seriously awesome and well thought out! I have many of the general things that everyone has, things like bandaids, scissors, gloves, tape, and ace wrap. I saw some people carried things like meds, which can be a good idea, but personally I just carry my essential oils. They take up about the same amount of space and I can use them more, though I do still carry a few meds, but I use them sparingly. These are some great packs though and I am going to see if I can add anything to mine!
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