The problem with posting about anything you carry around or store is that, no matter what it is, there’s always some moron who says “What if…”. For example, if you say you have enough fuel stored to run your generator for three weeks, they’ll chime in with something brilliant like “But what if the disaster runs four weeks?”. If you said you had fuel for five years they’d come back with “Yeah, but what if the disaster runs six years?”. I genuinely believe that if you said you had enough food to last you fifty years they’d come back with “But what if the disaster lasts 51 years?” and not realize they’re being idiots. It’s because of morons like that I usually don’t bother giving exact quantities of things I keep around. It’s just so irritating, y’know?
Anyway….
From time to time, I mention the Bag O’ Tricks. It’s nothing dramatic, it’s just a bag with a lot of things that would be useful across the board if I get caught somewhere. It’s not a ‘get home’ bag, it’s not a ‘bugout bag’, and it’s not a ‘bailout bag’. It’s just a bag with things that I like to have around in case something unexpected happens. I’ve mentioned it before. Matter of fact, last time I was asked about it the response I gave was very similar to the opening paragraph:
The problem is, no matter what I write, some idiot will chime in with “But what about…”, “You dont need…”, “You should have….”, and that sort of thing. I’ll give you an example… everytime someone posts something about how much food they have it goes like this: “We keep enough stored food for [X] months” and someone says “But what if the disaster goes on for [x+1] months?”. Doesn’t matter how long the timeframe is…if I said I had enough food for twenty five years some idiot will jump in with “But what if the crisis lasts 26 years.” Those kinds of conversations annoy me to no end. So…no junk-on-the-bunk dumpout of the Bag O’ Trick. Just a once in a while thing where I pull something out and mention it.
So, whats in the bag? Well, I’ve touched on a couple things that I keep in there. But, of course, there’s more. Imma pull an item out at random and we’ll see how that goes. :::fishes around in bag:::
Behold:
On the right is the Maxpedition first aid pouch. It’s got QuickClot, compress banadges, rolled gauze, various bandages, tape, pads, non stick pads, burn gel, triple antibiotic, etc, etc. (And by “etc”, that probably covers 90% of “What about…”). These aren’t supposed to be an ‘end of the world’ type of thing…they’re just to let me get myself patched up and functionable until I can get to a more detailed treatment. Woulda come in dang handy a week ago.
On the left is the very nice tourniquet kit from North American Rescue which I’ve posted about before. These kits, as well as the individual tourniquets, come on sale every so often and I really would recommend at least a couple. I also strongly encourage you to pay a little more and buy directly from NAR because the Chinese fakes of these are all over eBay and Amazon. This is not the sort of gear you want to take chances with and try to save $15 by getting one off eBay no matter how honest the seller seems. Don’t do it.
Both of these have MOLLE webbing and straps so I normally just attach them to each other to keep them handy. I do, however, need to get a nice waterproof bag to keep them in since you never know what sort of conditions you’re going to be under when something goes wrong.
But, there you go….one more trick outta the Bag O’ Tricks.
Well first off, you Certainly dont need the…………..
Sorry couldnt help myself.
I really enjoy article such as this for the ideas i can get from them. Thanks for posting this.
I like the way you have these kits separated in your Bag O’ Tricks. I know the big pouch will always be used more often. However, if you ever need the smaller pouch…then you REALLY need the smaller pouch! I’ve tried to keep this same gear in every car and always end up with an M3 medic bag in the trunk, kinda overkill. I might try streamlining my medical kit to something like this and using a tool bag as my own Bag O’ Tricks. I’ve got the gear in the car anyway, maybe put it all in one place. Thank you the tips & tricks as always.
One of those seldom needed supplies that comes in handy when you REALLY need it. Arterial gushers can be such a bother !
More firearm users (especially hunters) should carry blow out kits. But until maybe five – six years ago, I never heard ANY ONE the practice. Bandaids and gauze – yes. Nowadays, especially if you are in a riot zone, carrying one in your vehicle is almost mandatory. You don’t know what an Orc will do at any given moment.
Of late, I have been just using ziplock freezer bags to organize first aid things within a larger, heavy duty bag. Label with a sharpie and you can also just see what is in the bag. I got tired of forgetting what was where inside of those smaller pouches. Pint, quart, and gallon sizes to choose from. Not fancy, but it works better for me.
I’ve got a kit very similar to the Maxpedition one.
I chose it based on a few things.
Experience as a paramedic.
High need versus low.
A couple of real life savers in there. (TKs, hemo bandages).
Sorry you didn’t have these with you.
Not in the realm of a medkit, but more of a comment of a “Bag O’ Tricks. I have two of the Maxpedition Fatty Pocket Organizers that I use almost every work day on the truck/ambulance. Each is packed with items I’ve wanted/needed over my career, yet I don’t have room for my Maxpedition Fatboy in the new Transit vans. One is a pure power supply for phones/tablets, when I post or get posted to another station, it has a short extention cord and a 6 gang USB charger with a 10′ USB 3.0 charging cable and some headphones. The other is my driving bag, filled with things I would want on long transfers or post times. A 10,000mAh USB 3.0 fast charger, a 6′ USB 3.0 charger cord, a Dual charger cigarette plug, two bottles of 5 Hour, some gum, a seatbelt cutter/window punch, a titanium spork and a backup supply of my partner’s hearing aid batteries. These are attached at the carry handles by a small carabiner.
People chuckle when I move them from truck to truck, until I pull out something they need or forgot at home.
Good stuff!
When I vacuum sealed all the water-vulnerable items in my medic bag, I included a (dummy corded) retractable razor knife.
Trying to get into the durned thing, the other day, slowed my WHY!
Very well prepared article and your bags are a fine example for each of us!
Yeah, the typical loadout for field ops are what everyone worries about BUT, how many extra potato peelers do you have? Can openers? It is the simple stupid things that will go away in hard times.
I don’t say this with venom but really, a potato peeler is a wise timesaver- get some extras. Little stuff like this makes hard times more bearable.
Regards
In my opinion the biggest problem with social media is the people who frequent the sites, everybody has a different situation so their needs vary. Unfortunately lots of people believe their needs are your needs and are very vocal about that.
Personally I can’t see myself doing a mostly daily blog for free and putting up with them.
So thanks for your input and thoughts on the various subjects discussed here.
I had a perfect med kit in my truck that had everything I could need for just about anything. Neatly stowed, clearly labelled, all up to date gear. Sat in the back seat of my truck with the -other- trauma kit (for inflicting not fixing).
Drove to my in laws place to help them move. Packed the moving truck and then drove it to a storage facility. Met everyone there. We all start unloading the truck, things went sideways and it’s duct tape, maxi pads, Leatherman tool, light by iPhone and whatever else could be scrounged because I left the high speed low drag gear in my truck.
Never occurred to me as I casually and without thinking hopped into the moving truck and drove off to think “hey, I’m leaving my insurance policies behind.”
Now I make sure -not- that my gear goes with the vehicle, I make sure my gear goes with -me-.
It’s an personal IFAK, not an ER.
Everyone’s should be constructed a lot like the medical version of a redneck tool kit:
Hammer, screwdriver, WD-40, and duct tape.
Anything else you need, you can either improvise from what you have, or, in the words of every Hollywood producer I’ve ever worked for:
“Tell me what you need, and I’ll tell you how to live without it.”
Improvise, adapt, overcome.
One of my wilderness EMT lesson assignments was to construct a functional traction splint, from regular items.
I can buy a Hare traction splint from (everything is Galls now) EMS catalog for something around $300-400.
I can make one (and have) from a mop handle, 20′ of clothesline (or electrical cord), and a couple of eyebolts (or nails, or screws), for about $20.
Mine works as well as the purpose-built rig, at 5% of the cost.
Someone else made one from a kayak paddle, a couple of fanny packs. and a stick.
Another one was done with an umbrella and a seat belt.
Yet another from a section of bamboo, and a hank of paracord.
They all worked.
There probably isn’t a construction guy alive that hasn’t made bandaids from a Kleenex or napkin or paper towel, and duct tape.
I’ve taught people how to make butterfly bandages from any other tape as well.
We made a backcountry litter (and carried a 250 pound patient around) in a stretcher made from a single coil of climbing rope. It’s also stronger and more comfortable (for both patient and bearers) and stable than a $500 steel Stokes litter.
Any kit’s job is just to be a spare tire, not a Cadillac.
Whatever keeps you going long enough to get to better care is both enough, and good enough.
More than that is just more ounces, which lead to pounds, which equal pain.
Maxi kits belong in a vehicle, or a building.
Not in your pocket or on your belt.
And my SF 18D-worthy bag doesn’t have more things, it mainly has more OF the same things any little bag has.
Including a lot of functional groups of stuff, sorted into those colored zipper pouches you can get for $3@ at WallyWorld: Red for bandages, blue for airway items, green for boo-boo stuff, yellow for tools and toys, and so on.
If you have 2-4 red bags, you can toss ’em to bystanders/helpers, and everybody has what they need to deal with a bleeding patient, because each one has a little bit of everything.
I have no idea how many ways there are to skin this particular aid kit cat, but I stopped counting somewhere north of 2000.
Grunt Rule 1: “If it’s stupid, but it works, it ain’t stupid.” Period.