Medical/Bleed Kits

[RedneckRampage]

I'm looking at the North American Rescue bleed control kits to keep in the cars. Is there an alternative?

I like how they are vacuum packed so everything stays together and dry until needed.

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[bradsteen]

What size of kit are you looking for, and what contents? How / where do you intend to store it?

I lean towards pocket-sized kits mainly because if you don't have a kit on your person it's unlikely to get used when needed. Same argument as EDCing a pocket pistol vs a full-sized one - the full sized works better, but is more likely to be left on the nightstand. Keeping them in the car is easy - center console, glove box, side door pocket, etc. - and when you have to go administer aid you can throw it in a pocket and take off.

NAR is a pretty solid product. An alternative would be the Rescue Essentials pocket trauma kit, which is also vacuum packed. Other pocket-sized options that aren't vacuum packed but more of a proper reusable kit are the LTC pocket IFAK and the trauma wallet. Full disclosure, the trauma wallet is my product, so I'm biased on which of the two is better, but they're both good kits. Note all of these use the SWAT-T tourniquet to save space, keep the kit flat and pocket-sized, and because it doubles as a compression bandage and sling. You can augment the kit with separately purchased tourniquets that use a windlass if needed. CAT and SOF-T would be good choices, though LTC now has the EDC TQ that is the same size as a Glock 19 mag, so if space is at a premium that would be worth checking out.

Hope this helps!

 

[L84Cabo]

The alternative...and it's almost always cheaper...is to build the kit yourself. The markup on first aid kits is usually pretty high.

It used to be that you would spend the same amount of money to build your own kit...but you got exactly what you wanted...the good stuff...and you usually got a lot more of it...so you could build multiple kits and/or have refills on hand.

It's far easier now because many places will sell things in single item quantities instead of having to buy, say, a box of 10 gauze pads. So you can likely save some money...and maybe get better stuff.

A bleeding control kit is pretty straight forward:

• Nitrile gloves
• Israeli bandage (4" or 6")
• Vented chest seals (if you want to be covered for gun shot wounds)
• Your choice of tourniquet (I prefer SOFTT over CATS but they're both fine)
• Quick Clot if you want to spend the money, otherwise regular gauze roll for packing
• Shears
• Sharpie
• Medical tape
• Survival blanket

Other things you can add...

• If these are going in cars, you may want to add some "boo boo" kit type stuff like an assortment of bandaids, etc.
• Pen light, and a headlamp is great for hands free
• CPR mask
• EXTRA tourniquets...you can never have too many of these
• Small roll of duct tape
• Various meds...Aspirin, Benadryl, ibuprofen,
• Tweezers
• Bag to put everything in

 

[Defense Minister]

Here's my last IFAK thread that will hopefully be of assistance.

Compact IFAK for Summer Cargo Shorts Carry Using Food Saver

After looking for a suitable waterproof pouch to carry a compact IFAK in cargo shorts, and falling short with Loksak when the zip closure failed in less than a week, I decided to make my own. I put my Food Saver to work and vacuum sealed the items linked below. This kit cost about $55 with the...

www.northwestfirearms.com

I've since learned that the Foodsaver bags aren't tough enough for this service on their own and usually lose seal in about a month of regular carry, but there are some options you can explore to help protect the bag from abrasion by using a secondary outer bag.

 

[JRich]

I built my own and made kits for different locations. I made one for my truck and bought a rip away headrest pouch on Amazon and it works great.

 

[Angie]

I'm sure @RedneckRampage has already purchased his kit, but for those who haven't . . .

We attended a trauma first aid course from Stop the Bleed a couple of weeks ago. Very eye-opening. The most important thing we learned was that the tourniquets that we purchased in a kit at a gun show (and much of everything else in it) were manufactured in China. The kit wasn't cheap, so I'm a little pissed about that.

Another thing I learned is the value of QuikClot, or similar product, over cotton gauze. The hemostatic gauze is very expensive and likely cost-prohibitive for many. I purchased the minimum that I thought I could get by with, but I know it's not enough. Cotton is going to have to work in an emergency, but the quikclot is incredible. Practice using the tourniquet before you need it. Unwrap it. You aren't going to get the packaging open with blood on your hands. Many suggested making a duct-tape tab on your gauze and chest seals so that they are easier to open in an emergency.

After leaving the course, I purchased a lot of supplies from NA Rescue, but we made our own kits. Our EDC kit is different from the kit that is in the vehicles.

 

[Dungannon]

Good video on use of the Israeli bandage.
Israeli bandage use

Since it's sealed, watching this now will be useful if it ever have to use it in an emergency.

 

[1911Fanatic]

The alternative...and it's almost always cheaper...is to build the kit yourself. The markup on first aid kits is usually pretty high.

It used to be that you would spend the same amount of money to build your own kit...but you got exactly what you wanted...the good stuff...and you usually got a lot more of it...so you could build multiple kits and/or have refills on hand.

It's far easier now because many places will sell things in single item quantities instead of having to buy, say, a box of 10 gauze pads. So you can likely save some money...and maybe get better stuff.

A bleeding control kit is pretty straight forward:

• Nitrile gloves
• Israeli bandage (4" or 6")
• Vented chest seals (if you want to be covered for gun shot wounds)
• Your choice of tourniquet (I prefer SOFTT over CATS but they're both fine)
• Quick Clot if you want to spend the money, otherwise regular gauze roll for packing
• Shears
• Sharpie
• Medical tape
• Survival blanket

Other things you can add...

• If these are going in cars, you may want to add some "boo boo" kit type stuff like an assortment of bandaids, etc.
• Pen light, and a headlamp is great for hands free
• CPR mask
• EXTRA tourniquets...you can never have too many of these
• Small roll of duct tape
• Various meds...Aspirin, Benadryl, ibuprofen,
• Tweezers
• Bag to put everything in

Unless you have an ambu bag, there's no use in delivering rescue breaths, as your exhaled air is nearly all carbon dioxide. That's why the new CPR guidelines don't include mouth to mouth anymore. Took them 50 years to figure that one out.

 

[dplev4]

Check out out some of the kits from Dark Angel Medical. They are expensive and too big for a daily carry, but work great in a car or a hunting pack, or in a range bag. You can tailor it to your own needs The only things I add for hunting is a suture kit (they are small and only weigh a few ounces).

 

[Tony617]

I have few a IPOK kits and I always carry one in my get home bag.

https://www.narescue.com/tactical-apparel/medical-kits/individual-patrol-officer-kit.html

I also have a C-A-T tourniquet:

https://www.narescue.com/combat-application-tourniquet-c-a-t.html

There are many kits so you look at the main page here:

https://www.narescue.com/