Individual First Aid Gear Placement

[izzyscout21]

Let's talk about gear placement on the primary gear a bit as it relates to what we do.
I realize that this can fit in either the Equipment forum or the medical, so since this is medical related, let's put it here for now.
　

Something we should all consider if you maintain any kind of fighting load is where you should put your medical kit and what should be in it.
　
For most of us, we have at least one other person that may be around should SHTF. This is what I want to address.
　
Guys and Gals:
There is no reason you should have to carry a full on first aid/ trauma kit on your fighting gear.
Why?
　
Well, for starters, that takes up a lot of room that could be best utilized for something else.
I'm not saying that having a full blown kit is bad, far from it. It is my opinion based on experience, that the more extensive kit and supplies should be maintained within easy reach either at your BOL or in your BOV for easy access. This is to treat other injuries other than your own. You may even be the one doing the treating.
　
Your personal kit that stays on your loadout should be smaller and lighter. It is used for treating YOU. A blowout kit on your gear is for your use. Not your buddy, not your dog. As such, your buddy should also have one on their person, in a similar placement as yours clearly marked. This is what you use to treat injured comrades. If you have to use yours, so be it, but always try to use theirs first. You may need it later.
　
Here's an exmple:
My Blow Out Kit on my vest contains the following items:
1 Israeli Bandage
1 CAT Tourniqet
1 pair of EMT shears
1 pack of Quick Clot.
　
See.....small. Compact. Simple.
　
This combination can be used to treat most inuries related to *scuffles* you may get into.

If you need a bandaid, chances are you can wait until later, when you can pull it out of a larger kit. I have a full stocked STOMP medical bag just for this purpose.
　

Secondly, this kit should be located somewhere on the kit, where both hands can access it with ease. It does you absolutely no good if you can't reach it. Period. This is pretty common sense.
Life saving self-aid is almost always a very difficult thing to do, understandably. Frankly, if you're in a position where you can do more self aid than very simple things like applying a TK, then you're most likely not hurt enough for the delay between self aid and buddy aid to matter.

Ever tried to apply an Israeli Dressing with one hand in a real life situation? It's hard. Very hard. Pretty much impossible. You're better off using your mitt to hold pressure until someone else can get there and help you get it on correctly. Same with regular gauze. It doesn't really have an advantage over hand pressure in a self aid situation. The only thing that might be better would be something like Combat Gauze, or another similar hemostatic agent, and even that's iffy if you should waste your time trying to open it up (which would leave you bleeding without any interventions while you fumble with it).

I always teach people who ask me to do the following if they're hit:

1. Return fire if still you can.
2. Get to better cover.
3. Start holding pressure.
4. Call out that you're wounded.
5. If you can, put on a TK as tight as you can.
6. Keep breathing, shooting back, and wait for us to show up to help you. We'll be there.
7. Re-evaluate your condition periodically.

Again, if you're wounded so much that you can't get your IFAK on one side, then you're very likely wounded so much that you wouldn't be able to use anything in it if you could get to it, other than a TK.

If you can get your IFAK, good stuff, start fixing yourself and get back into the fight you malingerer.

Just a few thoughts.

Comments? Additions?

[LUNCHBOX]

I keep a Quikclot, Is bandage, CAT and a H&H wrap just in case its a through and through. I don't carry the shears...I figure cutting with a blade is just as well. I fully agree an "oh shit, I'm hit kit" is all you should carry on your rolling rigand keep a more complete kit in your pack.

[realist]

Great advice. We operate under the same premise.

Special Operations Technologies

I have been carrying one of these for the past 6 years and it has been through a lot. I carry the same as you however there are a couple of things for bobos as well. I can hook it to a belt or pack. When I am in the car the hook and loop (Velcro) keeps it on the transmission hump so it is accessible anytime.

I have a Stomp that I have since switched out for a pack from Tactical Survival Specialties.
M4 Special Operations Medical Bag
It is smaller but suits my needs for a small team. The big thing is no matter what you have you need to know how to use it. The problem is that there are so many things to learn and only so much time..........

[mitunnelrat]

I've got the HSGI bleeder kit on my vest, with a CAT holder from narescue strapped to the side, and the shears strapped into the provided space. I probably jammed too much into it though.

In addition to any izzy dressing, quikclot packet, and H&H gauze I've got an NPA, skin marker, plastic sheeting/ 100 mph tape, and PPE for whoever's treating me (mask and gloves.)

I keep meaning to replace the plastic sheeting and tape with an ACS, I have one thanks to LUNCHBOX. I'm overdue. Then, I want to add a decompression needle for treating tension pnuemothorax.

I say "jammed", but it all moves easily when I yank the pullout strap.

[Gunfixr]

I have a standard US IFAK.
For base camp, there is a platoon kit, which has the surgical kit and splint kit.

[apssbc]

I keep a kit with a Cat, OLAES Bandage, a few triangles, quick clot, and a few airway items in my BOK on my gear. I carry a more advanced and extensive kit in my assault pack for short "missions." The assault pack fits in my main pack and is positioned on top for quick access along with my emergency kit. Being a Medic as my career naturally that is my role in my group thus I carry a little more of those items.

I have another cat on my chest in reach of either arm. Between my LBV, BOK, and Med Pack I have 4 CATS. Those are one item worth their weight.

[Stormfeather]

We all have standard .mil IFAK's on our gear, plus the whole huge medic stomp packs already packed with gobs of surplus supplies boxed up already. Actually, this reminds me I need to check a batch of Saline bags that I know was getting close!

[ak474u]

One of the dealers that carries my company's flashlights has a company that makes really cool MOLLE gear, and holsters as well as lots of paracord items... the other day, we had our annual dealer lunch, and he showed me a new ankle rig BOK he has come up with, it's pretty sweet, I'll try to get a photo of it and post it. I put it on and it was very comfy, and had lotsa goodies in it as well as a hook and loop section for Blood type patch and a little more space.


Medical Ankle Holster Here it is, his website isn't great, but is products are top notch.

[LUNCHBOX]

^^^That last sentence brings up a question....Do you know all the blood types in your immediate family? If not, well, you get the idea. It might not be a bad idea to come up with a personal "dog tag" for each member of your family with just some basic info--allergy, blood type or even major meds. Just an idea.

[izzyscout21]

One of the dealers that carries my company's flashlights has a company that makes really cool MOLLE gear, and holsters as well as lots of paracord items... the other day, we had our annual dealer lunch, and he showed me a new ankle rig BOK he has come up with, it's pretty sweet, I'll try to get a photo of it and post it. I put it on and it was very comfy, and had lotsa goodies in it as well as a hook and loop section for Blood type patch and a little more space.


Medical Ankle Holster Here it is, his website isn't great, but is products are top notch.

that............is very different.