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Sunday, November 7, 2010

Every day carry gear: Emergency Bandage (Israeli bandage)



About 6 hours ago, hanging out with the guys after carbine shooting class:
“Say, when did men start carrying purses?” said one of them pointing at my bag.
“When they started carrying a pile of stuff with them.” Came my reply with a smile.

Left to right, up down: Ammo, mini first aid kit, roll of guaze, Quikclot sponge, quikclot gauze, emergency bandage.
The first time one of the guys asked what the heck did I have in that bag that I carry with me all day I showed them a couple of the items in it. Lots of “cool”, “nice” and head nods, but only a couple items brought the “Seriously, could you please get me one of those for me?” comment and that was the Quikclot and emergency bandage. 

Back of Emergency bandage package

Since we’re all into shooting and in many ways like minded in terms of self defense training and such, its not much of a surprise to see such interest. One of them mentioned that they had a worker injured with some broken glass while in the country and they had a hard time stopping the bleeding.  He said the quikclot sponge would have come in handy. I’ve posted about Quiklot before, here’s the link.
The emergency bandage has a few advantages when compared to ordinary ones. 
The Emergency Bandage 4" (Israeli Bandage) 
The Emergency Bandage 4" (Israeli Bandage) 
The main characteristic is that thanks to the plastic peace called “pressure bar”, it makes it possible to transfer the tension of the wrapping into direct pressure on the wound, what you would otherwise do with your hands. The closure bar makes for easy closure, but can also be used as a tourniquet. The video below explains all this better:


So yes, another piece of gear worth considering. Space is limited in my edc bag but these make a lot of sense and are downright mandatory for a range bag where the odds of injury are greater. Of course it can be just as valuable if you get shot or otherwise injured in an accident on the streets, so that’s why I make space for them in my everyday carry bag. If you have some first aid training and plan on being the good Samaritan if someone gets hurt, don’t forget the latex gloves and face shield as well.

Yes, before anyone asks, it’s a new bag I’m trying out. This one is from Rothco.
Heavyweight Classic Messenger Bag - Olive Drab 
Heavyweight Classic Messenger Bag - Olive Drab 
 Its ok if you don’t have much stuff in it. It lacks the rigidity other bags I own have, but then again its much more affordable as well. Main criticism? It could use a zipper for the main compartment (I’ll add that myself soon ) and it would be nice to have them in the pockets as well. Sometimes bags get thrown around a bit, used as rifle rests when shooting (actually we did that today) and you can end up loosing some small items from the exterior pockets.

FerFAL

11 comments:

Anonymous said...

consider carrying Maxi-Pads in
your man-bag. they absorb well
and have adhesive to stay put.
just don't get the ones with
'wings'.

Unknown said...

I'm also using a bag like the one you are testing. I carried mine through three countries in Africa (and with me everywhere I go around home, too) and never lost anything.

I have sometimes wished for a little more rigidity along the inside of the main packet, but the heavy-duty buttons on the side pockets have served me well. I keep a large handkerchief tied around the closed buttons to stop anybody from seeing into the pockets and to ensure no small items fall out. So far, I've not lost anything out of the bag.

If you travel to a place with very fine dirt particles you will need to clean the velcro or it loses some of its power. Also, you will probably want to put on some device to close the front pockets (I used buttons like the side pockets).

At least that is my experience with a bag that looks very similar to the one you are testing.

Anonymous said...

Also to hold that tampon is duct tape. Can also serve as an impromptu bandage, bandaid as well as handcuffs. The strong stuff can be used as a rope too.

I also read super glue can seal small wounds up, once the wound is dry. Beats a band aid. Can also be used for blisters once popped to prevent the skin coming off.

EN said...

Tampons also work well. I carry four. I get the good stuff, others get the tampons, which work well for bullet holes. There's also the issue of few people in a gun fight get shot once. multiple bullet holes are the norm. I carry two Israeli bandages and two Celox gauze bandages which are also good for bruns.

Anonymous said...

Used to carry a bag like that once when living in Europe. After returning to the U.S. with a funny accent, many of my acquired habits had to change. Now that I'm old, I dont' fit in once again as I've become a 'trend setter'. Many high quality bags and day packs can be found at a thrift store for cheap. I've walk out the door with an arm full for less than $5 bucks just to play around with. These can be good for tools, specialty equipment, misc. gear, protective coverings, or something to carry stuff in.

-The mini tampax are said to plug holes well, and we know they do.

-Anyone not buying silver, if not buying something more valuable, should.

Anonymous said...

Dermabond is the medical superglue.
it doesn't 'burn' as much while
curing. you can get it cheap on
eBay. regular superglue will work,
but it's not sterile.

Unknown said...

Perhaps there is something I don't understand. Why would you carry tampons or maxi-pads when you can carry real bandages and first-aid gear? Surely actual bandages and first-aid gear works better.

Anonymous said...

ummm....because a package of Celox gauze costs $35. And maxi pads last time I checked were about $5.

Unknown said...

Ahh. Thank you. A doctor buddy gave me a gigantic supply of first aid stuff and I have no idea how much it all costs.

Anonymous said...

Hey Ferfal, thumbs-up on the messenger bag you recommended. I selected the same one on Amazon and found it to be spacious and pretty well-made, and hopefully less attractive to thieves as well.

Darth Fader said...

the israeli bandage is awesome. ive got one in my bob. the package that the israeli bandage comes in has a second purpose other than storage. if you take your knife and cut it, it can be used as a valve for a sucking chest would. this is very valuable when dealing with a penetrating peumothorax injury. use you knife to cut the package into a 4x4 square. lay over the wound and tape on 3 sides. as the victim takes a breath the plastic blocks the passage of air thru the wound. u will need to add some surgical tape to your kit to make this happen. btw i just recently found your site and find it a great read, your ideas are based on reality. keep up the good work.