If you carry a firearm, you should be carrying a med kit or IFAK (individual first aid kit.) The two go hand in hand really, if you get shot in a gunfight it sure will be convenient to have a med kit on hand. It will also come in handy should anybody else who doesn’t deserve it get hit during the exchange. However, let’s take it further because the med kit’s usefulness is not limited to combat. What’s more likely to happen to you, you get in a gunfight or you experience a car accident where someone is injured? Severe injuries can occur through a number of medians that we experience in our day-to-day lives. With this in mind it’s more likely you’ll need a med kit before you will ever need a firearm.
A daily carry medical kit should contain a few specific items but what you keep in it is up to you; I’ve heard of dudes rocking nothing but a TQ, pack of homeostatic gauze, and strip of duct tape. A tourniquet (TQ) is probably the most important aspect of a med kit for everyday carry, there are quite a few options out there to choose from but I would recommend picking one that has a proven track record. I would also recommend some homeostatic gauze, Quikclot as it’s called comes in a very small package and can be stuck in a pocket with ease. Bandages and equipment to deal with tension pneumothorax (chest seal and decompression needle) would be my next priority. Supplement the rest with relevant supplies, this could include medical tape, laryngeal tube, trauma shears, even band-aids for the smaller daily stuff. I realize this ends up being a lot to fill your pockets with so it may be best to have a dedicated med kit/bag.
Above all you should be well training in the use and application of your chosen medical kit items. Get training on how to apply them correctly and study on your own too. If you’re taking the time to train in the use and application of a firearm for self-defense, you should be doing the same with a med kit. At the very least carry and be familiar in the application of a tourniquet, a TQ can buy time until you can obtain proper medical treatment. Carry a med kit because you are more likely to find yourself in a situation where rendering medical aid is required than anything else and just like self-defense, it can mean the difference between life and death.
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