As I'm sure you know by now, our company builds med kits. Damned good ones, too. Theyâre not the least expensive out there, but theyâre not the most expensive, either. If you do your research youâll find that out. We have kits of varying sizes and prices so that we can fit into pretty much anyoneâs budget. That said, there are many solid companies out there who build good, solid med kits and there are also some kits that are less than stellar. Caveat emptor. But, we understand that many, if not most, of us are on tight budgets and we will be the first to let folks know, âroll your ownâ if you canât afford a commercially available one. If you choose to do that, good on you, but there are a few considerations as to how youâll want to build it.
- Cost
- Size
- âMission Requirementsâ
Cost is always a driving factor because, letâs face it, medical equipment isnât cheap and if it is cheap, watch out because it can be counterfeit or stolen or about as useless as saddlebags on a pig. I donât trust my life or the life of my friends and loved ones to âbargain basementâ medical gear. Be wary of QuikClot Combat Gauze less than $43/roll and CATâs less than $27/tourniquet as they may be counterfeit or stolen. Get gear from a reputable dealer and get items which have been proven to work in austere environments and get solid gear. âFlea-Bayâ shouldnât be where you shop for lifesaving kit. Just sayinâ. Buy once, cry once.
Size matters. Seriously, no matter what youâve been told, it does matter, especially with med kits. Ounces equal pounds and pounds equal pain. There are lots of components out there which have a minimal footprint and maximum effectiveness. Get only what you can carry comfortably.
The âMissionâ drives many peopleâs decisions on what they get and by mission we mean what theyâll be utilizing the kit for, ie. Military, Law Enforcement, day-to-day carry, etc. Ultimately, we have to get the kit which is best suited for us, what we do and the situations in which we may find ourselves.
âOkay, so what do I put in it?â Remember these two things: Stop the bleeding and start the breathing.
At a minimum, we need some type of hemorrhage control, because, ultimately, thatâs the most important factor because blood belongs in the body. Itâs science. But, here are some items you can put in your own med kit, or if youâre looking for a kit, what it should have in it.
- Tourniquet: ($30) not just the last resort anymore. There are several studies and real-world incidents which show the efficacy of this once-maligned device.
- Hemostatic Agents: ($44) The latest âgenerationsâ are the most desirable due to the fact that the agent is impregnated into gauze which makes it easier to get to the source of the bleed.
- Gloves: ($5) Nitrile, not latex. There are many folks out there with latex allergies. Donât kill them while youâre trying to help them.
- Pressure Bandage: These help put focused pressure on wounds and reinforce hemostatic dressings.
If you have room, you can add:
- Occlusive Chest Seals: ($14-20) Vented or Non-Vented. Check the latest TCCC guidelines on this. Vented is first choice, non-vented, second. With either dressing in place, though, youâll still need to monitor the patient for the development of a tension pneumothorax.
- Mylar Blanket: ($3) Keeps them warm. The warmer they are, the better they clot. The better they clot, the less they bleed. The less they bleed, the more they live. Once againâ¦.Science.
- Nasal Airway: ($4) Quick, basic and easy way to secure an airway and it actually can be utilized orally.
- Decompression Needle: ($10) For relieving tension pneumothorax. Remember that this is an advanced practice medical device. Donât buy one if you donât have the training AND certification to use it. Just because you stayed at a Holiday Inn Express last night doesnât qualify either. Sorry.
Thatâs just some of the basic items you can have in a kit. Remember, itâs your kit and you can keep adding more and more stuff to it but in a stressful situation we fall to our lowest level of training and when we do that, more âstuffâ can become confusing instead of us going right for the piece of equipment we need. Confusion leads to hesitation. Hesitation leads to exsanguination. Exsanguination leads to expiration. Expiration leads to frustration and possible litigation. Keep it simple.
The last point weâll make is of the utmost importance and that is to get the training you need to effectively employ your equipment. It does you no good to carry a kit if you canât use it. Know WHAT to carry, HOW to use it, WHY youâre using it and WHEN to use it because youâre way more likely to use the med kit than you ever will your firearm. Fact.
Med kits and training may not seem as cool as that sweet new blaster you bought, but the last time I checked, watching myself or my buddy bleed out ainât too cool either.
Stay safe!
