Rate my new blowout kit

[HawaiianM4]

Mostly a smart person preparing for bad things. I shoot in the desert east of San Diego a lot and also down near the Mexican border with some CBP friends of mine. Not necessarily bad areas, but everything from risks of other shooters, to ricochets, to gun-toting smugglers/border crossers are always a possibility. Better safe than sorry.

The kit is just for me and worst case boo-boo scenarios. I added the Bolin because while I know how to use everything else I've got, I'm not trained on, nor would I attempt needle decompressions. I figured I would use the Bolin on entry and Halo on exit. There's an extra Halo in my kit because they come in a 2-pack. I could also use the second Halo as an anchor (with a hole punched in it) for the Bolin.

As far as the BFG pouch goes, it's molle attached to my first line belt and deploys easily. I have other med kits and supplies for home and vehicle, but this is my mobile/shooter kit.

I like the kit and that you have others for home and vehicle. These other kits come in handy.

[maddy345]

Looks ok to me

[Vash1023]

neosporine*.. lol

thats not a blow out kit thats a NAR LRG MEDIC BAG, lol

[krisjon]

neosporine*.. lol

thats not a blow out kit thats a NAR LRG MEDIC BAG, lol

Well, I've always subscribed to the idea that it's better to have it and not need it, than need it and not have it. It all fits in my regular BFG pouch on my first line belt, so it's good to go.

I tore up my hand pretty good while out shooting recently, so the gauze, tape and other stuff came in handy. Ended up with stitches.

I've also used my vehicle kit this past year to help a woman who had been hit by a car, so just having stuff to help others (or myself) has been a good thing.

[AK49]

How does someone personally size a NPA? Doesn't sound like too much fun.
The one I have is a 28R, which I thought was fairly standard.

I second the NPA and would also add an OPA for good measure. Sometimes access through the nostrils isn't an option. I would also swap out the quick clot for Celox gauze. I watched a comparison demo using both products on live pigs and Celox did remarkably better than quick clot (they used the granules and plunger for the demo).

Celox site here

[Caduceus]

I'd add an NPA, decompression needle, and a few more pairs of gloves. As far as the chest seals, the four sided ones are no less effective than three sided or valved ones from what I was told (in the NAR course I mention below). The difference is basically negligible, as far as I understand.

Personally I keep two or three pairs in my trauma kit behind the seat in my truck, one pair in the little cubby in the dash, and usually I'll have another set in the left cargo pocket of my shorts.

You may not know how to use the decompression needle, but the person caring for you might have the skills and knowledge to use it safely. One thing to thing about though; if a guy is absolutely going to die unless you poke that hole in his chest cavity, how much bad are you really going to do if you don't put it in exactly the right spot? If you can't breathe, you can't live. The side of the chest wall is a mofo to try to put them in because of the length of the needle, but the normal way is fairly simple... or at least it seemed that way when I was shown how to do it.

The NPA; it's not hard. If you tilt the head back a little and pig nose the person, then put the beveled side in toward the septum it should go right in. Never done it on a real person, but it was easy enough on the practice dummies the few dozen times I did it. You can use blood to help insert it if yours didn't come with a little surgical lube packet.

I took North American Rescue's Operator/First Responder course in Carthage, NC, back in May and found it extremely beneficial. I highly recommend it.

2 comments:
- first, shoving that needle through a great vessel or a heart goes from a "he's dying" situation to "you killed him" situation. That could, theoretically turn into manslaughter charges.

-second, you can still be liable for damages. Good Sam laws are great, but there was a case about a year ago in L.A. where some
lady tried so sue her friend for moving her after a car accident.
http://abcnews.go.com/TheLaw/story?i...1#.UJCBFlJ62So

[ncrebel8]

2 comments:
- first, shoving that needle through a great vessel or a heart goes from a "he's dying" situation to "you killed him" situation. That could, theoretically turn into manslaughter charges.

-second, you can still be liable for damages. Good Sam laws are great, but there was a case about a year ago in L.A. where some
lady tried so sue her friend for moving her after a car accident.
http://abcnews.go.com/TheLaw/story?i...1#.UJCBFlJ62So

Im with Caduceus on this one, without TRAINING, not just being shown how to do it, you would be crazy to try a chest decompression on anyone. Hell, I know people who have been trained that I wouldnt want doing it to me!

I am pretty amazed that there are people out there showing and promoting this in "classes". Death of the patient is only one of the complications that come from improper technique of chest decompression.

[bruin]

In lieu of trauma shears, consider a serrated folding rescue knife. It zips through tough fabric and webbing a lot faster than shears, takes up less space, and can be clipped just about anywhere. Spyderco makes a few good models, and their Salt folders are effectively rustproof. Serrated H1 is work hardened at the edge and stays sharp as long as the premium steels (i.e. S30V).

I'd also add a sharpie, remove the Bolin, and move the burn gel and prep pads to a larger trauma kit. IMHO a blowout kit is specifically geared to treat massive bleeding and reduce the chances of tension pneumothorax.

[calicojack]

Im with Caduceus on this one, without TRAINING, not just being shown how to do it, you would be crazy to try a chest decompression on anyone. Hell, I know people who have been trained that I wouldnt want doing it to me!

I am pretty amazed that there are people out there showing and promoting this in "classes". Death of the patient is only one of the complications that come from improper technique of chest decompression.

without training/licensure sticking someone and killing them is a quick way to get your ass thrown in jail. Hell even someone that is licensed, at a lower level, faces criminal charges and loss of licensure for sticking someone. "good samaritan laws" only cover what the basic layperson would do in that situation. it does not cover advanced life support (which decompressing a tension pnuemothorax is considered)

[Todd00000]

Well, I've always subscribed to the idea that it's better to have it and not need it, than need it and not have it. It all fits in my regular BFG pouch on my first line belt, so it's good to go.

I tore up my hand pretty good while out shooting recently, so the gauze, tape and other stuff came in handy. Ended up with stitches.

I've also used my vehicle kit this past year to help a woman who had been hit by a car, so just having stuff to help others (or myself) has been a good thing.

If you get rid of the pen light get a hands free head light.