ifak possibility

[gearguy141]

Hey guys,


how does this sound for a chest rig ifak
one npa, needle decomp , nar s rolled gauze, israeli dressing , tape , burn dressing ,
occlusive dressing, sharpie, gloves,shears , ratchet tourniqet,
thanks in advance

also any experiance with ratchet tourniquets? id love to hear some stories

[MSteele]

Definitely add some quikclot zfold and I would recommend the Halo chest seals. You get 2 in a package and you can fold it up to fit in most kits. Also I prefer the CAT TQ seems much easier then a ratchet. You can go on the SME's section and read what Jason has to say about TQ's.

[gearguy141]

Definitely add some quikclot zfold and I would recommend the Halo chest seals. You get 2 in a package and you can fold it up to fit in most kits. Also I prefer the CAT TQ seems much easier then a ratchet. You can go on the SME's section and read what Jason has to say about TQ's.

whats the SME ? im very new to the forum.

[Pax]

The Subject Matter Experts have their own subforum on this forum. You can find it by clicking the forum button and scrolling down. In Jason Falla's section, he essentially describes what particular items one ought to include in an IFAK.

Apart from Z Fold QuikClot and some PMI HALO or XL HALOs, I can only recommend that youi do NOT... let me say again NOT include items you are not qualified to use. If you have been trained to decompress a pleural cavity, go for it. If you have not. Good god. No. Just no.

Edit: The same can be said for NPAs, though far less training is required to use them and they are far more difficult to seriously injure a patient with. Also, Ive heard of QuikClot recently releasing a larger version of their Combat Gauze because some arterial hemorrhages required more than one pack of their original and/or z fold gauze to stop significant bleeding. I'd consider this if I were putting together an IFAK and Id search around for this larger, newer QC or get two Z fold packets.

[chuckman]

If you have training in or experience with a ratchet TQ, that's fine; if not, the CAT tourney is the way to go. Concur about being weary of NPAs and chest needles if you have not had training. Training aside, the elements of your kit are solid.

[eggroll]

Cant second the comment about training enough. Only include those items that your level of training can support.

That said, dont get hung up on #what# to carry your kit in either. Your role and environment will dictate the "how" while I build gear, people are "surprised" to hear that my kit components are housed in a ziplock bag and placed into a pocket of my work bag. The only thing *special* is that the bag is wrapped around with some med tape, and the material is thin enough to rip apart yet maintain integrity when stowed

At the base of it, the core of whatever kit should contain a main pressure dressing, gauzestuffer, and a tourniquet at the very least

[TehLlama]

Absolutely focus on the training first - if it helps, outfits like Austere Provisions Company will build trauma kits to your specs, I'm sure there are others. Being able to use the equipment is really the valuable part of it, but if it helps to have that squared away and figured out, do that. Courses like EMT-B are a good start, but you don't need to do a full TCC class to become confident with the basics of stopping bleeding, opening airways.

[Lone_Ranger]

Here's a neat read, for you. I'm carrying a TK-4, now because of it. Doesn't take up a lot of space either. Although one of my IFAK's came with an SOFT-T which is still in there.

EVALUATION OF SELF-APPLIED TOURNIQUETS FOR COMBAT APPLICATIONS, SECOND PHASE
Navy Experimental Diving Unit

http://www.gohandh.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/06/TQKREPT2007.pdf


Page #33 Conclusions

Ratcheting and stretch–retention type tourniquet systems are generally applied more quickly than windlass-type tourniquets.

From the data obtained and analyzed in this study, we recommend that one of the tourniquets which achieved a Group A rating (statistically equal to or better than all other tourniquets in every parameter tested) be highly favored in selection for forward deployment.

Group A: Burke Device, MAT (Mechanical Advantage Tourniquet),TK-3, TK-4

[chuckman]

people are "surprised" to hear that my kit components are housed in a ziplock bag and placed into a pocket of my work bag.

Before there were as many options for IFAKs, mine was in a gallon-size Zip-lok I put in one of my trouser's cargo pockets. I had all of my platoon's Marines do the same thing. It worked well enough.

[gearguy141]

wow thanks guys lots of good info here, elastic tournies aren't my thing but i think ill try a ratchet type and a cat or sof tq