I know its been a long time since we last posted one of these but we often run across articles that we feel may be of interest to our readers. Here are a few.
This New Army Tourniquet Is Going To Save Lives – Gizmodo
My Point of View – Bodyworn Surveillance
Guns.com Interviews Author Dalton Fury
National Strength and Conditioning Association – Tactical Strength and Conditioning Conference
The Army Tries On Bomb-Proof Briefs
Lumus Shows Off 720p, See-Through Video Glasses
Blue Force Gear sent us this cool promo for Valentine’s Day.
Are you expecting your Valentine’s Day to be especially traumatic? Have you been stabbed in the back or your heart ripped out? If so, you need a Blue Force Gear® Trauma Kit NOW!™ to aid those who may be suffering or plan to (as we all have at some point….) we’re offering our legendary Trauma Kit NOW!™complete with our standard trauma supplies for a ridiculous $70! Normally retailing for $115, were clearing the shelves for the revolutionary Helium Whisper™ products expected in next week.
Get yours here and enter this PROMO Code VDAYTKN6 at the checkout and you’ll see the discount taken off your total. We first released this sale earlier this week through our email newsletter so if you want to be first on the list, sign up on our website!
In all seriousness, we have gotten quite a few accounts of how these kits have literally saved lives downrange. That is why we are in this business. Though common in the military, it is frightening how little importance professional and recreational folk here at home place on emergency trauma first aid. In our view, the Trauma Kit NOW!â„¢ is something everyone from the work commuter to the zombie apocalypse survivor should have. A good trauma kit will at least keep you in the fight and could end up saving your life.
Chinook’s TMK-ME (Medic) Pack is a medium size backpack with labeled pockets. The pack features two small quick access outer pockets on each side and one main zipper pocket on the front. Once open, it features a large internal compartment that comes with seven interchangeable, removable mesh medical supply pouches (4 smaller, 2 medium and 1 large). As you can see, these can be labeled. Additionally, the pack has top and side handles plus concealed adjustable shoulder, sternum, and waist straps allow for a variety of carrying methods.
It’s available in Black, Coyote, OD, MucltiCam and UCP. I’m not trying to mislead you, the deal is only on UCP but they don’t have any photos of the UCP variant. You know what UCP looks like. Imagine it on the pack. Overall, it looks to be a good option no matter which color you choose. You just have to ask yourself if UCP is worth the discount. The pack is also available pre-packed with supplies. This offer is only good for the bag itself.
TMK-ME (Medic) Pack, ACU Only
Retail Price: $ 289.95
Government Price: $ 259.96
Special Offer: $ 239.54 and Free Ground Shipping
Chinook Medical Gear is offering their ultra-slim TMK-ME (Medic) Pack in UCP at a serious discount. They’ll also throw in free Ground Shipping. Simply enter the code “SHIPTMKME” upon checkout to take advantage of this great deal.
At last week’s Military Mountain and Cold Weather Symposium I had an opportunity to check out several creations from Natick’s Load Carriage Prototype Lab. One of those items was a much needed facelift for the Individual First Aid Kit pouch which was rushed into service not long after Operation Iraqi Freedom began.
The current issue item is a modified SAW ammo pouch and it really isn’t well executed for what it needs to do. It’s kind of like attaching a brick to the armor vest. PM Soldier Clothing and Individual Equipment’s Rich Landry worked with the Army’s medical community to determine the latest and greatest contents list and then set about redesigning the pouch. One big change is that the Soldier is now issued two Combat Application Tourniquets so the new insert accommodates that.
The biggest change is the pouch’s basic shape. It is now a horizontal envelope-style with PALS webbing along its face and openings on either end to accept the insert. I was able to try the pouch out and it is easy to access the insert and restage. The insert is still attached to the pouch via an elastic coil bungee which can be detached via Velcro if needed. Both ends of the insert feature pull loops so it can be deployed left or right depending on the preference of the Soldier and mounting location. Additionally, its flat format allow it to be mounted on the lower back or under other pouches on either side of the cummerbund.
In a Natick press release, Landry commented, “We designed it literally about three or four months ago, the medical community said, ‘Awesome idea. Let’s move out with it.’ Overwhelmingly, they thought this was a huge improvement over the current IFAK.”
Unfortunately, I’m not sure when it will become a general issue item but recent testing at Ft Polk was very promising.
SOTech developed a similar pouch in 2010 based on the contents of the SOF IFAK. It completed testing and was released for sale late last year.
ITS Tactical has introduced an Every Day Carry Trauma Kit. It’s a great idea. Second only to training, I’d say that kit and ease of carry size is the biggest hurdle to getting folks to have medical supplies on hand when needed.
As you can see, it’s compact enough to always have close at hand. The EDC Trauma Kit is designed to stop the bleeding and is the size of an average wallet and weighs a mere 6 ounces.
The contents are latex-fee and all are Made in USA! except the gloves. Contents have a 3-Year Shelf Life.
-Combat Gauze LE (1)
-SWAT-T Tourniquet / Pressure Bandage (1)
-Pair of OD Nitrile Gloves (1)
-Pouch (1)
The Combat Gauze LE is a great product to use to start getting hemorrhaging under control. It is a soft, white, sterile, nonwoven 3†by 4 yds z-folded gauze impregnated with kaolin, an inert mineral that does not contain animal or human proteins or botanicals. It is recommended as the number one hemostatic agent by the COTCCC (Committee on Tactical Combat Casualty Care).
Additionally, I am a big fan of the SWAT-T which is an occlusive bandage that can be used as a tourniquet. Think of it as the product of the crossbreeding of an ace bandage and a bicycle innertube.
Naturally, we urge EVERYONE to seek out basic first-aid training and to train with the equipment you will be using. On top of that, gather the supplies you will need, based on your mission and have them available. Whether it’s from this kit, another brand, or something you put together yourself, do it.
You can get your ITS EDC Trauma Kit at www.itstactical.com. It is available with a Coyote or Black protective pouch.
Note: Due to Z-Medica policy ITS cannot ship QuikClot Combat Gauze outside the US to non APO/FPO addresses. Any International non APO/FPO orders are not allowed on ETA Kits.
I like dogs. I like veterans. I like organizations that legitimately support injured or troubled veterans. So I love Paws and Stripes and thoroughly enjoyed my time with Jim Stanek and his service dog Sarge (both of whom you may have seen previously with Jim’s wife and Paws and Stripes co-founder Lindsay on Oprah’s ‘Ultimate Favorite Things’ episode, which they were nominated to attend by a Paws and Stripes veteran’s wife.)
Paws and Stripes was founded to pair service dogs with physically or emotionally injured veterans at no cost to the veteran. As good a service as that is, what makes it even more interesting is the source of the dogs “enlisted†for the canine therapy working dog program: they come from animal shelters, and in many cases could have been euthanized if not selected for service.
Al veterans are given the opportunity to select their own service dog, though the founder of Stars and Stripes jokes that it’s often the canines who make the selection. Selected canines are evaluated by Paws and Stripes trainers before being brought into the program—the veterans themselves enter an equipment contract to complete the training.
Jim Stanek and Sarge of Paws and Stripes
Veterans train with the dog and trainer throughout the program to strengthen their bond, to increase the understanding of the dog’s capabilities and to provide therapy. It also increases the veterans understanding about the canine’s instinct, natural pack tendency and so on. It takes approximately six months for Paws and Stripes to complete a training cycle.
As Paws and Stripes says, “Many organizations have a strict curriculum for their service dogs, requiring they learn the basic 86 commands associated with service dogs. Our enrollees, however, are not blind, deaf or paralyzed. They have unique disabilities that generate unique daily symptoms, so the dogs are trained custom to the veteran.â€
Often the simple presence and actions of a service dog mitigates or even prevents the onset of an anxiety, PTSD or similar episode the veteran might otherwise suffer. They have been trained to sense the onset of psychiatric disorders and will ground the individual or even bring them back from an episode by licking the veteran’s face, pawing or barking. As might be expected, they are very solicitous of their veteran’s needs and welfare, and will even assist or seek help for an incapacitated handler.
Right now the organization is looking for help from people with the right backgrounds. Support can include directed funds, general funds, expertise, gear for an auction, whatever. Right now they are in desperate need of a bookkeeper and a grantwriter. They Staneks and their friends are overtaxed as far as time goes now, though they are driven to succeed and don’t appear to take much time off.
“How can I rest now with these guys coming back with this hanging over my head?†Jim said during our interview. “This program can make a difference, and those guys deserve the help. I can’t slack off.â€
Watching the interaction between he and Sarge (a polite young lady of labrador, pit, pug, Catahoula and who knows what other mix), it was clear how well mannered, intuitive and helpful she was
They’re working on an auction now and have been talking to several big name companies to help out (including Larue, LWRC, Hornaday, Troy, Doublestar and several others). During SHOT the guys at Predator Tactical gave up a four thousand dollar custom 1911 pistol for auction and started the bidding out at $3,000 to raise money for Paws and Stripes.
Jim Stanek and the winner of the Predator Tactical pistol provided to auction for Paws and Stripes. Bidding started at $3k.
You can find more about Paws and Stripes on their website or on the Paws and Stripes Facebook page. Please take a look and consider supporting them.
-DR
This is borderline unbelievable, with staggering implications for our wounded. A company called RHTRLLC has developed a Bio-Electric Wound Dressing that basically cuts the healing time for surface injuries in half.
Yes, in half.
They call it the 7 Day Wound Bandage, and it’s really interesting stuff. There were pictures and case studies there showing the positive results of bioelectric bandaging on everything from burns to injuries suffered by a man that went through the windshield of his car to a case of facial cancer. All of them benefited from the use of the bandage, which is essentially a lightweight piece of cloth covered in tiny, wafer thin disks of different metal activated upon application to provide a very mild electric current that speeds healing.
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CTOMS exhibited at the recent Outdoor Retailer Winter Market, exhibiting their new TRACE (Tactical Rope Access and Confined-space Extraction) system. They received quite a few government visitors and a little bit of interesting industry attention.
