My truck bag, for your review and suggestions

[Trigger Time]

When I read and see articles like this one I see just how unprepared I am. Thank you fellas for posting up this information for guys like me to learn. Where is a good place to get some training? I would like for my friend and I to learn some of the basics.

 

[teddy12b]

What are your thought on celox? If you like them about how many 2g packets of the celox do you all think would be appropriate?

This is the best deal I've seen:
Celox Home 2g - 10 packets - Stops bleeding fast! | eBay

 

[alloyguitar]

I'm probably going to order the bandages with that stuff in it, rather than the powder. I've read that, if it blows in your eyes, it'll permenantly blind you.

I'm sure one of the emts here will know more about it than I, though.

 

[rbrthenderson]

You might think about field stripping those MRE's. That would give you the ability to carry more of them for a longer scenario. As many have said, carrying a good trauma kit is a must. I carry the ETA kit that we sell here at ITS Tactical. There are a lot of kits out there but I prefer ours because it fits into a small space and has everything you'll need to deal with severe trauma.

Other than that, everything looks good. I carry 3 to 4 pairs of socks in my bag and I also keep 50' of paracord in case I need to make a shelter out of the poncho or what not.

 

[teddy12b]

You might think about field stripping those MRE's.

After seeing the video I will be field stripping those MRE's as soon as I get a chance. I never really field stripped & repackaged an MRE like that but that video was well worth watching and I will start doing that.

 

[rbrthenderson]

After seeing the video I will be field stripping those MRE's as soon as I get a chance. I never really field stripped & repackaged an MRE like that but that video was well worth watching and I will start doing that.

It helps out so much with space! I have the ability to put 6 or 7 MRE's where I would have had 3. I always think about bugging out and how long I might be living out the pack and I want to give myself the longest time possible.

I also keep a couple small paperbacks and a deck of cards in my bag as time killers and sanity keepers.

 

[teddy12b]

The part that got me about the video was how much dumping the cardboard boxed really saved space. That was incredible. I'd definately keep the accessory pouch for the TP & matches at least, but the shakes could always get tossed out as far as I care.

 

[Gamez235]

What are your thought on celox? If you like them about how many 2g packets of the celox do you all think would be appropriate?

This is the best deal I've seen:
Celox Home 2g - 10 packets - Stops bleeding fast! | eBay

I would just stick with H bandages and Izzy's for your bag.

 

[teddy12b]

I would just stick with H bandages and Izzy's for your bag.

Did you recognize the papoose? That's the one that was sitting on the shelf at your shop until I gave it a good home.

 

[Gamez235]

It should be promptly threaded and a can tossed in that bag as well..

 

[teddy12b]

 

[the1kidd03]

call me a jarhead....but I prepare for the worst...so the following is the start of my suggestions

while in a live or die situation would you rather bleed to death, or seek a surgery later on.....study up, and keep the suture kits....when you have access to properly trained medics and live in a perfect world then sure you may not need them....but then if that were the case you wouldn't have a need for such a bag to begin with....it's called just in case for a reason

.I've known many guys to use the superglue trick and it will work so long as the injury isn't rushing out enough blood to wash out the glue...in which case you will need the sutures......get your hands on some local anesthetic if you can

on a similar note...in the odd instance you should need to calderize a wound, which I wouldn't recommend but sometimes may be necessary....you should have a clean blade....so you may wish to pack a knife without the spray paint finish

MRE's have more calories in them than you really need in a day's time...that being said you can make due on one per day...keep that in mind when packing.....but you can't live as longs without water...extra containers/canteens can never hurt

you may also wish to pack quik clot just in case of significant blood loss

I'll add more, I have to go back and look again...I don't remember all that I noticed

 

[the1kidd03]

additionally

the slingshot is largely unecessary...unless you wish to have the ability to fling an object away from you in order to get the attention of an enemy sentry as a sort of distraction if they are close to walking up on you and you're outnumbered....you can also use a water bottle with the heater powder from your MRE's works really well for this in making a loud boom of a more "time-delayed" distraction

you don't know how long you'r going to live on this bag, what the situation may be, or where you will be....you may not always be able to build a fire and it will also give your position away.....so should think about at least one pair of a change of clothes bundled tightly in a waterproof bag(trash bag)....if you were to have to cross a river in very cold weather you will appreciate this......a number of pairs of sox....and I like to pack a good weather resistant rope/climbing rope capabale of holding my weight with gear.....but that's me and if you come across a time when you need it...again you will soon think what would I have done without it

 

[the1kidd03]

the thing about military issue gear...or at least Marine Corps gear...is that the pack is designed to be neutrally boyant...meaning it will float in water instead of drag you to the bottom.....you may wish to consider this....and test out your pack with gear in it

 

[the1kidd03]

compass, and navigation equipment...topo maps for the regions where you will most likely be......you will probably have a small collection of maps for this purpose....but if you were using this bag can you guarantee that you will be able to use cell phones or GPS signals?

you might buy a small POS pistol which you wouldn't mind "tearing up"....I wouldn't simply put my life on the line of a 22

depending on how prepared you want to be....you may think about batteries and hand held radios for communications between you and a friend/family member if you have plans to have one with you.......throat mics are great for hands free operation and not really any more expensive than a normal walkie talkie setup....but that sort of stuff just depends on how prepared you want to be and for what situations

 

[2ADMNLOVER]

call me a jarhead....but I prepare for the worst...so the following is the start of my suggestions

while in a live or die situation would you rather bleed to death, or seek a surgery later on.....study up, and keep the suture kits....when you have access to properly trained medics and live in a perfect world then sure you may not need them....but then if that were the case you wouldn't have a need for such a bag to begin with....it's called just in case for a reason

.I've known many guys to use the superglue trick and it will work so long as the injury isn't rushing out enough blood to wash out the glue...in which case you will need the sutures......get your hands on some local anesthetic if you can

on a similar note...in the odd instance you should need to calderize a wound, which I wouldn't recommend but sometimes may be necessary....you should have a clean blade....so you may wish to pack a knife without the spray paint finish

This ^ "rambo" advice will get you killed . More correctly , will have you committing suicide , the SLOW , PAINFUL way .

Can we say septic shock ? Sew yourself in an austere conditions and you will know all about it .

There are reasons why trained professionals will not sew you up in the field .

Here's a good article on the practice I borrowed from another site .




Yes, I've seen unqualified people entrap nerves, tendons and even arteries attempting to suture. Take too deep a bite and that can happen.

I'm not saying don't close wounds; I'm saying there is no good reason to close a wound under any but the correct conditions. While it really takes a suture to cause nerve damage, any closure including a butterfly, a staple, or just tape can cause problems. Closing (any method) if the wound isn't clean, if it's not debrided, if foreign material is left in, if hemostasis isn't achieved, causes considerable risk.

When I go to suture a wound in the ED, I use at least a liter of fluid (usually quite a bit more) under pressure to flush it out. I examine the wound using very high intensity light, and often magnification. I debride devitalized tissues (with a local anesthetic), make sure that there are no major bleeders, and then approximate the edges and suture, using the right materials and under clean conditions.

And thats for a 'fresh' wound. If someone comes in and it has been more than 8-12 hours since the injury, we won't close it at all right away: We will dress the wound, probably with packing, and tell them to return in 48-72 hours for closure, because even in perfect conditions it's dangerous to close that wound - infection may have set in. Close it up and sepsis, an abscess, or even a compartment injury from swelling can occur.

A wound not sutured may have worse scars, but those scars can be corrected after healing by a plastic surgeon, with usually very good results.

You can't do that in the field (I've tried). Any wound you can hypothesize that would be better closed in the field under bad conditions I can hypothesize would be made worse - got a big flap of abdomen hanging there? Better not put any stress on it at all.

Finally, most people don't appreciate how the body is assembled. It's got layers - in the thigh, for example, you have skin, fat, fascia, a couple layers of muscle, then bone. Aside from the bone, each layer has to be closed separately, using the right materials and needle, with the right knots and technique, if you want to have anything like the right result. Just sew up the skin and it will tear out from the pressure of the layers underneath. Use the wrong suture materials on the underneath layers and the body will treat it like a foreign body and have an immune reaction. Thats all assuming you get it cleaned out, and don't have an infection.

I teach medical students (sometimes residents) how to do it....but they already know the anatomy. Not something you can learn safely over the web, despite efforts to learn from a book or youtube video.

 

[the1kidd03]

call it what you will.......but you live in a typical world and society where medical care is readily available......he's preparing for an occasion where that more than likely would not be the case and not be available.....that being said that's why such tactics are last resort and for life or death situations........teach all the medical classes you want in the cozyness of your classroom/hospital, but when you get a 6" opening across your leg and there isn't a functional hospital within hundreds of miles nor any sort of communications...it's obviously NOT a perfect world is it........

.furthermore, just because you're at a proper facility doesn't mean they are experts either, no matter how much someone tries to pass them off as such....medicine is a science and as such is only considered "fact" until the next best theory comes up or it's proven wrong....in any case i've seen MANY occasions where such "expert" have done more harm than good....myself included whereby I can no longer bend one of my fingers, and that was treated by one of the biggest/best hospitals in the area

my entire point is...that if the case should arise...it's better to have studied up on it as much as possible before hand...obviously anyone should know to keep a wound clean, but should also learn other proper methods......simply telling someone to "leave it to the professionals" is irresponsible in the instance that person actually does need to use the knowledge and chooses not to because he didn't read up on it....and I wouldn't suggest the internet for a credible source of information on anything(at least not when your life depends on it)...go get credible books....academic/scholarly journals are the BEST sources of information because they are reviewed by numerous experts in the field before being published

 

[Trigger Time]

I'm probably going to order the bandages with that stuff in it, rather than the powder. I've read that, if it blows in your eyes, it'll permenantly blind you.

I'm sure one of the emts here will know more about it than I, though.

An EMT and other EMS cannot use that. If you would like to hear an accurate account of it's use, ask a soldier. That is an absolute last resort method too. Not recommended for application in a daily setting.

 

[teddy12b]

Guys,
I don't want to come to come off as a buzz kill, but I think we need to start a new discussion on the topic of wound closures. There's a lot of information being discussed here that is likely to be missed by someone looking at the title of the thread and thinking the discussion is about some guys bag in the back of his car. I'll start a new topic on wound closures and post a link to it here. I think we need to move that discussion to it's own arena and I for one am really looking forward to reading what everyone has to say about it, because severe wounds are something that I'm not as confident about as I should be.


The discussion on the medical supplies and wound treatment has been moved here https://www.indianagunowners.com/forums/showthread.php?p=2154539#post2154539

 

[alloyguitar]

Likewise. I'll be following that closely!