@brainmist not a HC professional. But it really is a good idea to have an emergency kit in your car. If you’re far from help (or even no signal) could save a life.
I actually have one in both mine and my wife’s car (I think both came from Meh actually, in Meh’s first year)… I really need to check what has expired by now and needs replacing.
I also keep a mini emergency kit in my kayak that never leaves the kayak.
@brainmist The Torniquets are likely to be garbage. They appear to be a knock-off of the CAT Torniquets, the best rated ones on the market. Google it & you can find multiple articles & reviews comparing various Torniquets & knock-offs. The cheap CAT copies have ALWAYS failed in every test I’ve seen.
Aside from the splint & compression bandage, the rest is run-of-the-mill first aid stuff you’d find in a kit under $5.
The red nylon case interests me the most, as good ones are pricey, but at this price point I question if they’ll survive moderate use without failures of seams or materials. Also cheap (Chinese) generic cases like this made for MOLLE attachment often get strap spacing or other specs wrong so attaching to other gear is sometimes awkward & difficult. The pictures imply it’s MOLLE compatible, but if it really is, why no mention it in the specs? That is a BIG selling point for outdoorsy & preparedness people but since it doesn’t say it is, I don’t know.
Over the years (very active around the world in my youth) I’ve used more various first-aid kits than I can remember. I’d love to get one of these to review, but I’ve been so grossly disappointed in low-cost kits over the years that I don’t want to waste $15 to find out I’m probably right.
If I’m wrong I sure apologize, but I give 10-1 odds I’d only be disappointed in it. If this is a high quality kit & components, then this is an outrageously good deal, but experience tells me not to roll the dice.
@brainmist@troy thanks for the video.
While I am still very skeptical because of past experience, and because I’ve seen so many shill videos on YouTube, it does look a lot less crappy than I feared.
The tear-away velcro panel is a very nice feature in a med-kit bag. For the sake of those placing orders I hope it is a good value on a solid pouch. IF it’s a good bag, it’s worth the purchase price on its own even without the contents. IF.
I would definitely throw the Torniquet away though. Seriously. If you want to be prepared for traumatic injury, go buy a genuine C-A-T Torniquet from the manufacturers website. Definitely NOT Amazon, I’ve seen too many fakes there.
This could be a nice kit for someone who doesn’t have any first aid stuff at all. Better to at least have something. As your first aid skills grow & gain experience you’ll learn what’s good & bad, and add to the kit & customize to your personal needs.
@brainmist $5 worth of odds and ends. That would be the SAM splint knockoff. CPR kit? No such thing. The gloves will rot in a year. Money better spent at a community college class on first aid and CPR. Then build your own kit cause you’ll know.
30 year medic
@brainmist@lowlypeon
Sorry, but naw, you kinda need to have the safety glasses or a splash shield for the arterial spray- they go with the tourniquet.
/giphy blood spray
Also, the NAR dressing is low compression, so an Israeli or CAT tourniquet would be a good upgrade.
/image Israeli dressing
EMS-trained PA, still currently working while waiting for retirement.
Jokes on us because most bandages and medical equipment have an expiration date as well due to the packaging being compromised by outside air which included pathogens!
@bmtka@robthedude05@somf69 Right? I was just picturing in my head coming up on a major car wreck and not putting a compression bandage on someone because it was past expiration and a little bit of air might have entered and ruined the sterile state.
Meanwhile the victim has dirt, gravel and metal in them…
@Kyeh@show_the_maw@stinks OK so the robot in the giphy will need a different kind of first aid kit when it hits the earth. No parachute or rocket backpack.
Recon medical tourniquets, lol. This kit needs legitimate tourniquets, a chest seal, decompression needle, and a nasopharyngeal airway device unless you’re just looking for a kit to have on hand for a skinned knee.
@adamwesv Oh stop. It looks like it’s mostly geared as a STOP THE BLEED kit for lay people. If the tourniquet isn’t garbage, it’s a great deal. Bet it sucks, though.
@bmtka you’re definitely not wrong. I should have said that if you want to take first aid seriously, then to get at least basic instruction on triage and keep the tools you need with you. I have a wife and kids that I don’t want to lose if we happen to be present for the still-rare-but-growing number of mass shootings/fatal car accidents.
@adamwesv agreed this is missing a lot. I would remove the Q and just use it as a bo-boo kit. Otherwise it needs about $20-40 more in equipment. It’s still a good foundation though, nice red bags are good for this stuff.
@adamwesv reading your response made me so sad…because you aren’t wrong. I never thought of that scenario, but it’s something that is happening more and more often, unfortunately.
Honest question…would you (in the general sense) leave a loved one to run a distance to your car to grab your kit? Because obviously someone isn’t going to just carry it everywhere, right? What if you’re in a mall or at a concert and far from your kit? I realize that’s probably a stupid question, but it just made me think for a second about a shooting scenario, and what I would actually do.
I don’t know why I just gave it such deep thought, lol! And having a kit, and the proper training, is absolutely worth it no matter what! Maybe it’s because it’s a situation I fear happening, and your response made me realize that a good kit could come in handy for more than just crashes or outdoor activities.
I’m currently just CPR certified (and it’s been years since I took an actual first aid class), but I think I need to refresh my knowledge. Thanks (or no thanks ) for making me think of another reason to do so.
@k4evryng if you’re somewhat close to a larger city, you can usually find medical trauma classes being put on for free or cheap. Many of them have free seats for teenagers. And your question is difficult to answer given so many variables, since sometimes you can stop the arterial bleed with a finger or knee and wait for EMS, and other times it might be worth the sprint to the car for the tourniquet. I know for sure that the first step is mitigating the threat. Some people just add a tourniquet to the items they carry with them every day, so that might be an option. Get a cheap amazon tourniquet to practice applying it, and then keep a quality tourniquet in your EDC.
I’d replace the recon medical tourniquets with NAR CATs and add an Israeli bandage and medical tape. Also modern cpr nixes the breaths and focuses on compression so you wouldn’t need the cpr breathing barrier
This doesn’t look bad, and as far as having all the advanced medical devices… Layman can get into trouble if they don’t know what they are doing per Adam… From an RN… I am Not EMT. or ER
No, “a shock often occurs” when you buy something on Meh and it turns out to be actually worth what you paid. Or a fork and a socket
Shock comes from blood loss.
I saw this before I went to bed last night and passed. but am now thinking about getting it for scout. She has a homemade one and got her first aid patch already, this would be nice to add to her scout bag.
That video shared does not demonstrate the same Med Bag as what’s being sold here. What’s in the video but NOT verified to be in this kit:
Emergency Trauma Dressing (In the list but not photographed)
HyFin Vent chest Seal Twin pack ( in neither the photos nor in the list of items)
The bag seems to be different too. The dude mentions multiple times his love of grab handles there seem to be none on the bag in these photos.
That being said this looks like a good kit or at least a good foundation. You may just have to get some of the other items elsewhere and build it into something you can use.
Speaking of using, this kit is useless unless you know how to use the items inside of the kid I HIGHLY recommend you get some form of training. A good place to start is a few good videos from one of my online resources, Skinny Medic: (Warning some of his videos are graphic.)
!-These specifically are not graphic, but there may be suggested ones that are.-!
What’s in:
How to use:
Nothing replaces real training! Most fire stations in the US offer training just drop in and ask if you’re curious.
I just don’t trust the quality of the items in these low-cost kits, even basic stuff like bandage adhesive. I purchased one on a deal years ago and have checked out a few that friends have had in their vehicles, and all of them were disappointing to start with and degraded quickly in hot weather.
I have a kit that I built for my most likely scenarios: wound cleaning, minor to moderate cuts/burns (with a focus on durable dressings), ankle/wrist sprains, minor allergic reactions, and basic pain relief. I’ve weirdly been first on scene of five pretty bad car accidents, and I’ve never had to bust out a tourniquet, but I’ve helped a lot of friends with injuries that fall into the above categories.
@Kabn at the very least a nice red bag is worth the price. You can purchase what you want to put in it. Good med kits are almost always built not bought.
I am not endorsing any of the above, but I have bought from the links below and was very impressed with both their products and service. As icing on the cake, it is a veteran owned and operated small business. Check out their sometimes hilarious, but always on point youtube page.
They also offer MAD discounts periodically [as in 50% off nearly everything during Prime Days this past month].
This is their [high quality] empty bag for $17.95, close to the price of the current [sold out] Meh listing [and a 23% discount is currently offered on their whole site]:
Just want you folks to know that the deal was paused until 4pm, I clicked the buy button at 4pm and it was immediately sold out. So I guess VMP members only get a single item before it’s sold out again. lol
Specs
Product: 2-Pack: Surviveware Survival Trauma & First Aid Kits
Model:
Condition: New
Individual First Aid Kit, or IFAK
What’s Included?
Price Comparison
Was $189.98 (for 2) at Amazon
Warranty
90 days
Estimated Delivery
Monday, Jul 24 - Tuesday, Jul 25
Can this cure the trauma caused by not getting an IRK in the last mehrathon?
@OnionSoup It seems likely it can cause similar trauma to getting an IRK, does that count?
@OnionSoup Not getting an Irk is its own reward.
@brainmist even comes with a red bag
@OnionSoup you must live with that trauma until you die
@OnionSoup I got a drying rack for my Irk, so you are probably better off.
@alose
So many questions…
How’d did it get wet?
Did it shrink?
Did the colors run?
How long did it take to dry?
¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Vaguely tempted because, although this seems pretty basic, it also seems cheap and like it puts in the minimal effort I haven’t.
Any actual emergency HC professionals want to weigh in?
@brainmist not a HC professional. But it really is a good idea to have an emergency kit in your car. If you’re far from help (or even no signal) could save a life.
I actually have one in both mine and my wife’s car (I think both came from Meh actually, in Meh’s first year)… I really need to check what has expired by now and needs replacing.
I also keep a mini emergency kit in my kayak that never leaves the kayak.
@brainmist Current nurse, previous medic. Looks good to me, though I’d add an occlusive dressing and take out the glasses.
@brainmist The Torniquets are likely to be garbage. They appear to be a knock-off of the CAT Torniquets, the best rated ones on the market. Google it & you can find multiple articles & reviews comparing various Torniquets & knock-offs. The cheap CAT copies have ALWAYS failed in every test I’ve seen.
Aside from the splint & compression bandage, the rest is run-of-the-mill first aid stuff you’d find in a kit under $5.
The red nylon case interests me the most, as good ones are pricey, but at this price point I question if they’ll survive moderate use without failures of seams or materials. Also cheap (Chinese) generic cases like this made for MOLLE attachment often get strap spacing or other specs wrong so attaching to other gear is sometimes awkward & difficult. The pictures imply it’s MOLLE compatible, but if it really is, why no mention it in the specs? That is a BIG selling point for outdoorsy & preparedness people but since it doesn’t say it is, I don’t know.
Over the years (very active around the world in my youth) I’ve used more various first-aid kits than I can remember. I’d love to get one of these to review, but I’ve been so grossly disappointed in low-cost kits over the years that I don’t want to waste $15 to find out I’m probably right.
If I’m wrong I sure apologize, but I give 10-1 odds I’d only be disappointed in it. If this is a high quality kit & components, then this is an outrageously good deal, but experience tells me not to roll the dice.
@brainmist @mbimeh here’s a video review if it helps:
@brainmist @mbimeh I have little doubt that these will be cheap Chinese knockoffs
@brainmist @troy thanks for the video.
While I am still very skeptical because of past experience, and because I’ve seen so many shill videos on YouTube, it does look a lot less crappy than I feared.
The tear-away velcro panel is a very nice feature in a med-kit bag. For the sake of those placing orders I hope it is a good value on a solid pouch. IF it’s a good bag, it’s worth the purchase price on its own even without the contents. IF.
I would definitely throw the Torniquet away though. Seriously. If you want to be prepared for traumatic injury, go buy a genuine C-A-T Torniquet from the manufacturers website. Definitely NOT Amazon, I’ve seen too many fakes there.
This could be a nice kit for someone who doesn’t have any first aid stuff at all. Better to at least have something. As your first aid skills grow & gain experience you’ll learn what’s good & bad, and add to the kit & customize to your personal needs.
@brainmist $5 worth of odds and ends. That would be the SAM splint knockoff. CPR kit? No such thing. The gloves will rot in a year. Money better spent at a community college class on first aid and CPR. Then build your own kit cause you’ll know.
30 year medic
@brainmist @mbimeh @troy Condor’s tear-away bag costs as much as this kit. I bet even the bandaids* are cheap crap.
@brainmist Yes- get a genuine CAT tourniquet.
And LEARN HOW TO USE IT!!
@brainmist @mbimeh @troy That video does not show the same items that are photographed.
@brainmist @lowlypeon
Sorry, but naw, you kinda need to have the safety glasses or a splash shield for the arterial spray- they go with the tourniquet.
/giphy blood spray
Also, the NAR dressing is low compression, so an Israeli or CAT tourniquet would be a good upgrade.
/image Israeli dressing
EMS-trained PA, still currently working while waiting for retirement.
Finally, not soon to expire food
@somf69 But you could add a few individually-wrapped Stroopwafels for emergency food, or to distract aggressive dogs or bears.
@pmarin @somf69 Came here to ask if there were any expired Stroopwafels inthe kit!
@mehcuda67 @somf69 The dogs and bears can’t read the expiration date! Except maybe one…
/image yogi smarter than your average bear
@somf69
Hah!
Jokes on us because most bandages and medical equipment have an expiration date as well due to the packaging being compromised by outside air which included pathogens!
@robthedude05 @somf69 have they posted the expiration dates of the items in this kit?
@robthedude05 @somf69 If the packaging is intact, you can assume it’s clean enough for first aid purposes. You aren’t doing surgery out there.
They only started putting expiration dates on stuff like bandages fairly recently because compliance. It’s mostly BS.
@bmtka @robthedude05 @somf69 Right? I was just picturing in my head coming up on a major car wreck and not putting a compression bandage on someone because it was past expiration and a little bit of air might have entered and ruined the sterile state.
Meanwhile the victim has dirt, gravel and metal in them…
@somf69 Don’t worry… that’s still available on sidedeal today so you won’t miss out totally.
@somf69 Hey, now! Last time I ordered food from Meh it was ALREADY expired!
Wow this actually seems pretty decent. I’ve spent way more building my own, but this is a darn good starting point to customize from.
@Stormchaser only thing it’s missing is condoms and bubblegum
@chiefbugbung use the gloves.for that purpose.
@chiefbugbung @OnionSoup probably could use them for both those purposes.
@chiefbugbung @Stormchaser I have come here to chew bubblegum and use condoms. And I’m all out of bubblegum.
Oh man. What have I done. A Mehoffering I’ve actually wanted!
/gify handy-inexpensive-industry
@show_the_maw
Needs to be /giphy
@Kyeh @show_the_maw
/giphy handy-inexpensive-industry
btw, how did you get a drop of blood for an icon/avatar?
edit: it appears to signify that you have a meh tattoo.
@show_the_maw @stinks Yeah,
it’s supposed to be a drop of ink.
@Kyeh ok but hear me out. I’m overworked and exhausted and didn’t have time to do things correctly at 11pm.
@Kyeh @show_the_maw @stinks OK so the robot in the giphy will need a different kind of first aid kit when it hits the earth. No parachute or rocket backpack.
@Kidsandliz @Kyeh @show_the_maw @stinks I think that’s a Halo soldier.
Recon medical tourniquets, lol. This kit needs legitimate tourniquets, a chest seal, decompression needle, and a nasopharyngeal airway device unless you’re just looking for a kit to have on hand for a skinned knee.
@adamwesv we don’t need idiots on the street thinking they’re high speed trying to give an NCD
@adamwesv Oh stop. It looks like it’s mostly geared as a STOP THE BLEED kit for lay people. If the tourniquet isn’t garbage, it’s a great deal. Bet it sucks, though.
@adamwesv I am basically looking for a kit for a skinned knee. If I need a decompression needle I’m probably gonna die.
@bmtka you’re definitely not wrong. I should have said that if you want to take first aid seriously, then to get at least basic instruction on triage and keep the tools you need with you. I have a wife and kids that I don’t want to lose if we happen to be present for the still-rare-but-growing number of mass shootings/fatal car accidents.
@adamwesv agreed this is missing a lot. I would remove the Q and just use it as a bo-boo kit. Otherwise it needs about $20-40 more in equipment. It’s still a good foundation though, nice red bags are good for this stuff.
@adamwesv @bmtka A Quik-clot gauze pad or the equivalent would be a useful addition for acute hemorrhage.
/giphy hemorrhage
@adamwesv reading your response made me so sad…because you aren’t wrong.
I never thought of that scenario, but it’s something that is happening more and more often, unfortunately.
Honest question…would you (in the general sense) leave a loved one to run a distance to your car to grab your kit? Because obviously someone isn’t going to just carry it everywhere, right? What if you’re in a mall or at a concert and far from your kit? I realize that’s probably a stupid question, but it just made me think for a second about a shooting scenario, and what I would actually do.
I don’t know why I just gave it such deep thought, lol! And having a kit, and the proper training, is absolutely worth it no matter what! Maybe it’s because it’s a situation I fear happening, and your response made me realize that a good kit could come in handy for more than just crashes or outdoor activities.
I’m currently just CPR certified (and it’s been years since I took an actual first aid class), but I think I need to refresh my knowledge. Thanks (or no thanks
) for making me think of another reason to do so.
@k4evryng if you’re somewhat close to a larger city, you can usually find medical trauma classes being put on for free or cheap. Many of them have free seats for teenagers. And your question is difficult to answer given so many variables, since sometimes you can stop the arterial bleed with a finger or knee and wait for EMS, and other times it might be worth the sprint to the car for the tourniquet. I know for sure that the first step is mitigating the threat. Some people just add a tourniquet to the items they carry with them every day, so that might be an option. Get a cheap amazon tourniquet to practice applying it, and then keep a quality tourniquet in your EDC.
Does it include Lance’s shot of adrenaline?
@djslack not even his little black medical book…
Why can I only buy one pair?
@melliott well it’s sold out now so perhaps there’s your answer.
I’d replace the recon medical tourniquets with NAR CATs and add an Israeli bandage and medical tape. Also modern cpr nixes the breaths and focuses on compression so you wouldn’t need the cpr breathing barrier
This doesn’t look bad, and as far as having all the advanced medical devices… Layman can get into trouble if they don’t know what they are doing per Adam… From an RN… I am Not EMT. or ER
No, “a shock often occurs” when you buy something on Meh and it turns out to be actually worth what you paid. Or a fork and a socket
Shock comes from blood loss.
I am protected, as I already own a first aid kit. But nice write-up anyway!
(lol)
Needs kerlex, and a better tourniquet. Still, you’d pay at least 80 for 1 kit at an army surplus around here, so I’ll add what it needs.
/giphy gifted-mischievous-cactus
@MehAmphetamine That’s adorable. Hey, @yakkoTDI, is it one of yours?
@ircon96 @MehAmphetamine No, but I would welcome him into the herd.
@ircon96 @MehAmphetamine
@yakkoTDI I thought of you when I was at our local Farmer’s Market this past weekend.
AND it DOES come in Georgia RED (& black)!!
And its sold out?!?! I would have passed anyway
I saw this before I went to bed last night and passed. but am now thinking about getting it for scout. She has a homemade one and got her first aid patch already, this would be nice to add to her scout bag.
That video shared does not demonstrate the same Med Bag as what’s being sold here. What’s in the video but NOT verified to be in this kit:
That being said this looks like a good kit or at least a good foundation. You may just have to get some of the other items elsewhere and build it into something you can use.
Speaking of using, this kit is useless unless you know how to use the items inside of the kid I HIGHLY recommend you get some form of training. A good place to start is a few good videos from one of my online resources, Skinny Medic: (Warning some of his videos are graphic.)
!-These specifically are not graphic, but there may be suggested ones that are.-!
What’s in:
How to use:
Nothing replaces real training! Most fire stations in the US offer training just drop in and ask if you’re curious.
I just don’t trust the quality of the items in these low-cost kits, even basic stuff like bandage adhesive. I purchased one on a deal years ago and have checked out a few that friends have had in their vehicles, and all of them were disappointing to start with and degraded quickly in hot weather.
I have a kit that I built for my most likely scenarios: wound cleaning, minor to moderate cuts/burns (with a focus on durable dressings), ankle/wrist sprains, minor allergic reactions, and basic pain relief. I’ve weirdly been first on scene of five pretty bad car accidents, and I’ve never had to bust out a tourniquet, but I’ve helped a lot of friends with injuries that fall into the above categories.
@Kabn at the very least a nice red bag is worth the price. You can purchase what you want to put in it. Good med kits are almost always built not bought.
/giphy unused-touching-mimosa
Here is an IFAK Trauma Kit review:
https://taskandpurpose.com/gear/best-ifak/
…and some sources:
https://darkangelmedical.com/ifaks/
https://tactical-medicine.com/collections/ifak-kits
https://www.rescue-essentials.com/ifak/
https://www.narescue.com/tccc-ifak-trainer.html
I am not endorsing any of the above, but I have bought from the links below and was very impressed with both their products and service. As icing on the cake, it is a veteran owned and operated small business. Check out their sometimes hilarious, but always on point youtube page.
They also offer MAD discounts periodically [as in 50% off nearly everything during Prime Days this past month].
https://tacticon.com/product/ifak-v1-compact-individual-first-aid-kit/
https://tacticon.com/product/ifak-v2-standard-individual-first-aid-kit/
Their higher level kit is on Amazon:
https://www.amazon.com/TACTICON-Extensive-Tourniquet-Attachment-Emergency/dp/B0B9RNX2TP
This is their [high quality] empty bag for $17.95, close to the price of the current [sold out] Meh listing [and a 23% discount is currently offered on their whole site]:
https://tacticon.com/product/ifak-v1-bag-empty/
It’s $1 less on Amazon, but you lose out on the 23% odd:
https://www.amazon.com/TACTICON-Everyday-Tactical-Survival-Emergency/dp/B0B9PWK777
Also, if you register any purchase for warranty purposes, they give you a lifetime 25% discount on their site.
Dang
@j37hr0 “Dang” What? They just re-opened the store.
@Chronicle @j37hr0 Yeah, for about 2 seconds
@Chronicle yes, fine just but it already, oops sold out
Only saved 32 for members at 4:00pm? meh
@crow And nothing for VMP. Grump.
/giphy queasy-jokey-net
Just want you folks to know that the deal was paused until 4pm, I clicked the buy button at 4pm and it was immediately sold out. So I guess VMP members only get a single item before it’s sold out again. lol
@RackDaddy All members, not just VMP. If it were VMP maybe it would last more than 2 seconds. Maybe 4?
Well you must have kept 1 for 4:00 because it sold out instantly… refreshing screen starting at 3:59 hits 4:00, is available, click buy… SOLD OUT !!!
@jodiewhetsel Not even close to the first time I saw that occur.
/giphy universal-futile-destruction
/giphy gritty-panicky-family
Dang that was fast… felt like I was going after an old $5 irk!
These arrived quickly, like they might have been delivered by ambulance!
Anyway, if more decent kits like these at a non-ruinous price can be had, I might grab a pair.