Pocket Carry IFAK Update

Well, if you look back about a year, you'll see a blog entry I made on a small trauma kit meant for everyday carry. The premise being, what you have in your pockets day to day, is all you're likely to have should bad luck find you.

The kit has held up and worked well, however carry was only possible while wearing cargo pants due to the size of the pouch. Fine with me, but I also need to wear jeans from time to time (per my wife).

Not to long ago, I borrowed a friend's vacuum sealer and created a pouch with the same capabilities in a much smaller footprint. I wanted something wallet sized that I could carry in a front pocket.

What's in it? Swat tourniquet to function as a tourniquet or pressure dressing. Quickclot Combat gauze to pack a wound or apply hemostatic agent at the point of bleeding. Gloves to keep the ickies off me. And if need be, the wrapper can function as a chest seal. I cut some pre-tears on the edge of the packaging to allow easier opening under stress.

Like any other piece of equipment though, if not trained properly it will be of little value to you. Get training somewhere, anywhere, and maintain and increase your skills. Being physically fit and proficient with your carry weapon is only part of the package. You need to be able to treat yourself or a loved one until professional medical help arrives.

LMS Defense's Defensive Medicine course is one place you may want to start. Here's a link to one coming up in March in Nevada http://www.lmsdefense.com/lms/home/courseinstance/305 and here's an after action review of a recent course in California http://www.lmsdefense.com/forum/index.php?topic=6208.0

Start the year out right and inventory the skills and training you have and what you're lacking.