Item Showcase - Individual First Aid Kit (IFAK)

Good evening people, my apologies for the lack of posts, I tend to write A couple posts every month or so, but i'll try to make it more consistent, however, there is only so much gear that I have left to write about. I will be "acquiring" more equipment next week from A new AMAZING shop that just opened, so here's a shout-out to Outdoor Gear Malaysia / Legion Paintball !

Anyways, This post is about a First Aid Kits (IFAK). Apart from the rather obscene acronym, the "I" stands for Individual, not to be confused with the US Military's Improved First Aid Kit. It's important to understand that Individual implies that it will be made to your needs and specifications.

This the a rather comprehensive FAK that you can get from OGM

My needs require that my IFAK be able to accommodate for paintball games, hiking/camping trips, and everyday emergency situations, should the arise. Usually the situation's you would face are bleeding trauma's, sprains, broken bones, heat stroke, dizziness, dehydration, etc.

So, for your first aid kit, one that you should carry with you everywhere you go, should contain things that would treat an immediate life threatening situation. I don't keep aspirin, painkillers, etc in my kit, because my priority is to treat life threatening situations, not someones headache. However, this may vary if that's what you want your IFAK to accommodate, then by all means.

So here's my setup

1 Set of splints

1 Bottle of antiseptic solution

2 Triangular bandages

1 Roll of elastic bandage

2 Pair of latex gloves

3 Pcs band aid

1 Field dressing (medium)

2 Field dressing (Large)

1 Paracord 3ft

and 3 pieces of unorthodox bits

2 Sachets of Ice-T powder (with sugar, not that sweetener stuff)

3 Condoms

6 Pcs tampons

The triangular bandages are great for several applications, from cradling or wrapping a broken arm, as a bandage to stop bleeding, or even as a tourniquet when you have nothing else.

Elastic bandages. I find that sprained ankles are very common, and that usually means that you're either out of commission, or if that is not an option, that you're in for a very long, painful tab. Wrapping that sprained ankle will give it additional support, and help reduce pain, and probably further damage. It has come in handy for me once while travelling, and I hot tendinitis on my right ankle. This thing is a savior. 

Latex gloves are important to protect yourselves from you are exposed to when treating someone else. Last thing you want is to come into contact with contaminated liquids. Always have a spare, as there is no substitute for your own protection. 

Band aids are great for those small cuts and nicks. 

Field dressings are a wonderful thing when trying to stop a larger open wound.

Paracord is a must have for any situation. In my case of an IFAK, I haven't found a proper tourniquet yet, so this will have to do for now.

Now, onto the unorthodox stuff. Some people will argue that they are stupid or even impractical. But it seems like it could come in handy one day, so I will keep it anyways.

Ice-T sachets. I made sure not to get the ones with artificial sweeteners. This is meant to be mixed with water from my hydro pack  and then used to treat someone with low blood sugar levels. This is more common in paintball than you think. Some guy who didn't have breakfast or lunch plays half the day with only water to drink, could eventually succumb to low glucose levels, especially since they've been exerting themselves.

Condoms are rather useful if you want to keep a wound dry. Just snip off the end and pull it over the wounded area. Probably won't work on someones thigh though.

Tampons. I'll let this article explain

http://www.snopes.com/military/tampon.asp

Now, I package everything in a ziplock bag to make sure everything stays dry and help with the organizing bit. Also, the bags can be used to treat a sucking chest wound.

A great addition, which I plan on adding, is a faceshield for CPR, tweezers, paramedic scissors, and antihistamines. 

This pack is perfect for me for several reasons. It allows me to act on most of the injuries I learnt in first aid. It's small enough to be carried conveniently, the pack itself is a Molle pack i got from Helikon-Tex, so it'll fit right on my Tactical Assault Vest. Anyways, it's far from perfect, and as any IFAK should be, a work in progress.

Having an IFAK is no substitute for proper First Aid training. Join a course now! before it's too late to have made a difference.

Cheers! And thanks for reading!