The Minimalist IFAK / Blow Out Kit - 3 Essentials

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Originally Posted by Mr blasty

I can't under any circumstances shake my personal belief that ending life and saving life should be a no expenses spared endeavor. For that reason I'll most likely never do it professionally because then budgets and administrators are involved.

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I understand what you're saying but you're acting like ace/gauze won't work as a pressure dressing. From my limited training I've gotten, if I can't stop a bleed with the pressure that I can get out of an ace bandage, then I likely need a TQ.

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Originally Posted by Mr blasty

SPOT is on my short list but I don't have one yet. I fully understand the importance of getting help asap but some things end up out of ones control at times. Medical training is something both my wife and I (she does a fair amount with me) are looking to get in the short term. If you have some recommendations for training in or near Minnesota, I'm all ears. I'm pretty much a regular at the hospital. I'm particularly interested in improvised medical care and emergency care in austere conditions. Combat medical training seems to have more to offer me than a basic emt course.

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I do backcountry elk hunting out west and go deep off trail like you mentioned above. I've taken a Delorme InReach SE with me the last couple years and would highly recommend it over the SPOT. It's more reliable (sending messages) and is a two-way communicator. Definitely gives the wife some peace of mind.

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Originally Posted by Ironman8

I understand what you're saying but you're acting like ace/gauze won't work as a pressure dressing. From my limited training I've gotten, if I can't stop a bleed with the pressure that I can get out of an ace bandage, then I likely need a TQ.

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I think the question would be can a cheap ace bandage offer enough pressure over time, blood and other goo to properly keep a wound packed. I've had ace bandages fail to keep my ice packs in place, so I'm not 100% sure I'd want to risk my of my families life on one.


If that's all you can afford, so be it, but IMO Id be replacing them on a monthly basis till I had all my kits stocked with dedicated gear.

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Originally Posted by TacMedic556

A
-CAT or SOF-T Tourniquet (1)
-QuikClot Z Fold Gauze (Hemostatic Agent) (Get the Latest Generation NOT granular or old Gen Roll)
-Olaes Bandage


The tourniquets mentioned are the best. Done.
Quikclot is now proven to be the number one hemostatic agent.
The Olaes dressing has within its contents a plastic sheet that can be used as a chest seal, extra gauze for wound packing, eye cup/pressure point, and the dressing serves as an amazing pressure dressing.

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Quality post.

If you get the SOFT, get the wide (SOFTT-W): https://www.tacmedsolutions.com/prod...urniquet-wide/

I, too am a big fan of the OLAES, preferably the 4" flat pack. As an added bonus, the OLAES is available in a non-sterile training variant for less expensive practice unit replacement. I like the on-board roll of gauze within the dressing, that be used in conjunction with the wrap or separately as the wounds dictate. The plastic sheeting is also handy, especially when the dressing packaging is pre-wrapped with some tape. In it's flat pack configuration, that's a lot of capability in a small footprint. Add a pack of combat gauze.

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Originally Posted by Mr blasty

How long can these items stay applied before they need to be removed? I spend a fair amount of time in the back country solo and I get into dangerous activities frequently. I spend most of my time off the beaten path so to speak. For this reason I tend to carry more aid than a typical backpacker ever would. I have all 3 items mentioned and extra gauze roles for packing /changing dressings. My biggest concern is getting caught in a situation where I'm going to be there awhile and I don't want to rely on rescue to save my life. I try to think of long term (days) rather than hours.

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Backcountry med is a different animal. Same immediate action, different long term management. A big portion of that management is evac.

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Originally Posted by Ironman8

Aside from the multi use aspect of the Olaes (which you would still need tape for the improv chest seal, right?), what do you think about z-fold gauze and ace wrap as a low cost solution for a pressure dressing? Do you really need the pressure point/bar to make a pressure dressing work? And thanks for starting the thread. Good info!

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Originally Posted by Ironman8

As a single item for a single kit, no it's not a big deal. But if I wanted to stock multiple kits or a large kit for multiple ppl, then it adds up pretty quick when I can make 2-3 ace/gauze wraps per every one Olaes. I do agree overall though and will have an Olaes in my EDC kit.

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Open up any IBD, Cinch-Tite, OLAES, ETD, H-Bandage, Traumedic, or other trauma dressing. They all start with an elastic (ace) wrap, add a non-adherent pad, and except for the ETD and Traumedic have some sort of gizmo that helps add pressure. Some do a better job than others, are more intuitive, or have some neater tricks and capabilities if you want to learn them. But at the end of the day, the mechanism is the same. You can do largely the same thing with a 4" or 6" roll of elastic or control wrap, boosting pressure with some half-twists or added objects. Different paths to the same end.

Do note that not all ace-type wraps are the same. For example, a roll of Control Wrap (https://www.tacmedsolutions.com/product/control-wrap/) is the start of the OLAES without the frills, a far cry from a Walmart pharmacy ankle support wrap.

My primary bags are packed with OLAESs, and smattering of others. MASCAL bags are stuffed with control wrap and rolls or vacuum packs of gauze.

Most manufacturers of the dressings above offer their own training videos. Check them out.

ST911,

Thanks, that's the point I forgot to mention, the fact that ace/gauze is pretty much made of the same stuff as a pressure bandage, just without the pressure gizmo. Pack the wound with gauze and wrap the heck out of it with the ace bandage. That said, for a low pro BOK, it's hard to beat the versatility of the Olaes.

And yes, I've bought Walmart ace bandages and wouldn't even think of trusting my life to those.

Great recommendations, these 3 are the corner stone in every med kit I have. Some kits have as much as I can squeeze in, but my EDC kit is these 3 things. I don't have near the medical exp as TacMed (couple med classes and one TCCC) but I feel comfortable with use/application of these to stop arterial & venous bleeds. And I'm average joe so it has to be simple.

Gear can add up but over 3 years I've built up 4 differ med kits (plus one designated trainer TQ) ranging from bag-o-medical to EDC. Just buying what I can when I can, some were even givin as swag from classes. Expensive but worth it.

Ditch Medicine might be an option for those thinking worst case camping/hunting/etc senario. ESEE knives-RAT (Gadsden AL) http://www.eseeknives.com/index.html. offers Ditch med/survival/land nav/search-rescue/bushcraft/etc. They also team up with instuctors for Firearms/TCCC classes. Hugh Coffee teaches a hell of class and wrote the book on ditch medicine... Literally---you can buy it here http://www.amazon.com/Ditch-Medicine.../dp/1581603908. There are other schools as well around country.

There are some out there, however all are expensive if you are paying your way. I have been fortunate with it being department sponsored and occasionally at regional LE conference. Best one I ever took was by ITTS - Innovative Tactical Training Solutions. Keary Miller was one of the Instructors. He was a PJ on Takur Ghar in Afghanistan participating in the rescue of Neil Roberts (Roberts Ridge). Likely the best training of its type so far and I have had several TCCC courses under my belt.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q2SjNO0gjM0

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Originally Posted by Ironman8

Thanks again TacMedic. Do you have any recommendations for TCCC type classes? I think NAR offered them at one point but not sure anymore.

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For those of you who can't get out to a formal training class, there are a number of products and resources which can help in the interim.

Make Read with Doc Spears: Combat Lifesaver
http://panteao.com/product/combat-lifesaver/

Tactical Medical Solutions - product training page
https://www.tacmedsolutions.com/training-resources/

North American Rescue Products - product training page
http://www.narescue.com/Video_Downloads.htm

H&H Medical Products - product training youtube channel
https://www.youtube.com/user/gohandh/videos?view=0

Z-Medica (Combat Gauze) - product training youtube channel
https://www.youtube.com/user/ZMedicaQuikClot/videos

National Association of EMT - TCCC/TECC/LEFR guidelines and curricula
http://www.naemt.org/education/TCCC/...nes_curriculum
http://www.naemt.org/education/TCCC/tccc-ac

I'm going to a Counter-Robbery/Medical class this weekend. I'll ask the instructors about some good self-study resources.

OP - great thread, a good start on getting people to think about the messy side effects.

Holy crap this turning into a great thread! Med knowledge for the layman is not easy to come by and sorely lacking. Many who know it refuse to share and many non med types can't get to quality training easily for a number of reasons. Any and all info is appreciated.

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