Post by thcone on Sept 30, 2013 16:41:56 GMT -8
Is DIY cheaper than buying a commercial IFAK?
Let me first say that I'm not an MD, EMT, or a PJ. This is just what I do and you should probably not follow my lead. I'll also say that most bags and vehicles that are in use by my family have traditional boo boo kits that are somewhat slanted towards family wilderness adventures. What follows is not for that.
This stuff is for the very worst of days. While this stuff is carried around by Mrs. Cone and I, either in a bag and/or in a truck, we pray we never have to break any of it out.
A little background. I have been a big fan of the Tactical Response V.O.K.s and there are several of these kits around here, and I carry one every day in my Jumbo. The high point of this kit is its overall compactness and that it is the cheapest complete kit on the market. Of course, "complete" is a very subjective concept in this context and, frankly, nothing is really complete in an absolute sense. However, you can only realistically carry so much, so...
BTW, V.O.K. stands for Ventilated Operator's Kit which, in turn comes from their acronym M.O.V.E. which stands for Motionless Operators Ventilate Easily. You know, Get off the "X" and all that.
Anyway, here is a picture of the V.O.K. as it comes from TR.
Here it is unpacked. Please note that this next picture is of a DIY V.O.K. that includes a 4" Israeli bandage that is standing in for the Chinch Tight "H" bandage. I think that many would argue that the Israeli bandage is just a less luxurious version of the CT "H". In any event, they are similarly sized. And I'll say right here, even if you don't go full blow out kit, adding a couple of 4" Israeli bandages to a standard boo boo kit is really cheap insurance imh(and non-expert)o. I also forgot to get the primed gauze in the picture. Opps!
The TR V.O.K. contains all the following-
1x Cinch Tight compression "H" bandage
1x TK4 Turni-Kwik
1x Primed gauze (aka, crinkle cotton); not pictured here, btw, because I stink like a skunk.
1x Nasopharygeal Airway
1x 14 ga. x 3 1/4
1x Alcohol prep pad (you should have these in your house)
2x Safety pins (5 shown)
1x Duct tape (2
1x Nitrile N-Dex gloves
1x three gram tube of Surgilube (comes with airway)
Now for part one of the DIY verses prepackaged competition. That's right, you better go for snacks, there is a part two and part one isn't even over yet.
So, I purchased a few V.O.K.s from TR four or five years ago. The best I can remember, I paid $39.95 each. And if you have ever shopped around for kits of this type, you know that's pretty darn cheap given its capabilities. Heck, in theory, you could even make a chest seal with the plastic wrapper and the duct tape. Now, because some of the contents have expiration dates on them, including, if you can believe it, the TK4, I have been trying to get a few new one's from TR. But they always seem to be out of stock.
Now, they can still be had at a place called Tactical Medic, but for $49.95. Yikes, that's ten buck more, and y'all know how cheap I am so...
You can build the exact same thing with components from Rescue Essentials, including the missingfrommypicture "H" bandage for $34.01. That's a heck of a good deal for a stripped down Blow out kit/IFAK, don't you think? This round goes to the DIY kit.
But wait, there's more!
So last week I saw a video at TR's YT channel wherein one of TR's instructors said that while there were no V.O.K.s on the website, that they still had some in stock. Desperate for new replacement V.O.K.s, I emailed them, explained the situation, what I saw/heard, what I needed and... I heard nothing but crickets. Hence, the DIY project.
I will say that I have purchased various stuff over the years from TR and they have always had pretty good CS, so maybe this was an anomaly. On the other hand, I just spent $170 at Rescue Essentials that would have gone to TR and in the process learned that I can save at least $6, and as much as $15 (assuming that the Tactical Medic price is the new V.O.K. retail price), by building my own.
Now for the last few months, because of my frustration at not being able to buy a V.O.K. from TR, I've been exploring other options. The lead contender after looking around quite a bit was the D.A.R.K. from Dark Angle Medical. I think it stands for Direct Action Response Kit. In this example, I didn't buy the kit, I simply made a couple. The pre-made kit would include a custom pouch that is about the size of a single double mag pouch and a PVC medic patch. The complete D.A.R.K. from DA costs $159.95 and you can get the refill, minus the pouch, patch and EMT shears for $104.95.
The complete kit includes-
1x Pouch
1x PVC medic patch
1x Tactical trama shears; as you can imagine, what makes them "tactical" is the fact that they are black and green (or tan). Stealthy!
1x C.A.T. (Combat Application Tourniquet)
1x Nitrile gloves
1x HALO chest seal (two pack)
1x Nasal airway
1x 4" Israeli Bandage
1x QuikClot combat "Z" gauze
1x H&H Primed compressed gauze
(Note- I didn't link to things that are linked under the V.O.K. contents list)
Excluding the pouch and patch, this can all be had from Rescue Essentials for $109.23 or, with the usually available 10% off promo code, $98.31. If you add the price of the shears ($4.95) to the refill, that is a potential savings of $11.59. Again, in the DIY verses a prepackaged BOK/IFAK, DIY comes out on top.
Here is a picture of my DIY version.
Now, DA's custom pouch is designed around the kit, so it has a nice spot up front for the C.A.T. and is the perfect size for all the rest off the stuff. But most of us have lots of pouches, and, since I happen to have a 5.11 2x double mag pouch that I aquired from our friend Gnarly when I bought a 5.11 RUSH 72 from him a while ago, I figured if I'd see if I could cram all of it in there.
Here is a picture of the attempt. Does it all fit in a single mag pouch (left side only in this case)?
The answer is "yes", but just barely. It is only made possible by the fact that this particular pouch has elastic banding around it. The shears are weaved through the MOLLE in the back, but could have gone on the side opposite the C.A.T. under the elastic banding too. Now, is an ammo pouch the best place for your IFAK? Probably not, but in a pinch this would work. You could also take a red Sharpie and make a cross.
I'll also note here that the DA kit and refill come vacuum sealed which would likely make it easier to carry this way. That said, if you have a vacuum sealer in your kitchen and can convince your wife to stop what she is doing, you might be able to vacuum seal your DIY kit. Mine said, "Maybe tomorrow". I should really learn how to use that thing.
The DIY D.A.R.K. kit also easily fits in the 5.11, OSOE, and Spec-Ops IFAK pouches I had easy access to today and I'm positive I can also get it in the main compartment of my Jumbo along with the "10 essentials bag" I keep in there.
So, there you have it. I have to conclude, based on these two kits, that going DIY is probably the cheaper way to go regardless of what you are trying to put together (the possible exception is if you also need a bag/pouch, then the DA complete set up, or something similar, might be a better value). No surprise there, really.
I know from past experience that even boo boo or wilderness kits are often this way as well. I'm sure lots of us have Adventure Medical kits that we have modified by adding stuff to it. Plus, who among us hasn't had a good time putting bandaids in an Altoids tin. As such, I'm a bit perplexed as to why I waited this long to do what I did with these IFAKs, but better late than never, I suppose.
Now, if any of you have seen pictures of my Jumbo contents, you'll remember that I supplement the V.O.K. that is in there with some other stuff, most notably some HALO chest seals, QuikClot, and some Israeli bandages. I do this with the others I own as well. That said, if space was truly at a premium, I'd probably feel pretty good with just the V.O.K.
Is all of this really necessary? Only you can answer that question. Like I alluded to in the beginning, I'd happily be considered a fool for having carried stuff I never used rather than to be caught without it just once.
There are obvious reasons why the protector class would carry a kit like one of these, but there are very pedestrian events that may require real trauma kits that have nothing to due with the evil that sometimes finds its way into our lives. Car accidents, construction accidents, grandma running with scissors, etc. are all valid reasons to have this sort of gear even if you are not a person who has a martial mindset.
So maybe you'll want to build one of these yourself. And if you do, don't forget to get some real training. Although, even if you don't, I can easily see how you having this gear on you would be helpful, say, at a car wreck, when the nurse three cars back wants to help but doesn't have supplies. Synchronicity, folks, synchronicity. This, BTW, is the basic idea behind the military's IFAKs. Sure, a person can use the supplies on themselves, but it is really there so the medic can use your IFAK on you.
I hope anyone who read all that at least found it helpful and somewhat informative. And remember, I'm not an expert, I'm just some guy who worries a lot.
Later edit- I posted this at the other place a few days ago, but since you can no longer link to outside "commercial" websites, I figured I'd post it here as well so the links would be easily available. I should also note that in the last week since I purchased supplies for the build from Rescue Essentials, TR has put V.O.K.s back up on their site for $45. BTW, I still haven't received a reply to the email I sent them.
Let me first say that I'm not an MD, EMT, or a PJ. This is just what I do and you should probably not follow my lead. I'll also say that most bags and vehicles that are in use by my family have traditional boo boo kits that are somewhat slanted towards family wilderness adventures. What follows is not for that.
This stuff is for the very worst of days. While this stuff is carried around by Mrs. Cone and I, either in a bag and/or in a truck, we pray we never have to break any of it out.
A little background. I have been a big fan of the Tactical Response V.O.K.s and there are several of these kits around here, and I carry one every day in my Jumbo. The high point of this kit is its overall compactness and that it is the cheapest complete kit on the market. Of course, "complete" is a very subjective concept in this context and, frankly, nothing is really complete in an absolute sense. However, you can only realistically carry so much, so...
BTW, V.O.K. stands for Ventilated Operator's Kit which, in turn comes from their acronym M.O.V.E. which stands for Motionless Operators Ventilate Easily. You know, Get off the "X" and all that.
Anyway, here is a picture of the V.O.K. as it comes from TR.
Here it is unpacked. Please note that this next picture is of a DIY V.O.K. that includes a 4" Israeli bandage that is standing in for the Chinch Tight "H" bandage. I think that many would argue that the Israeli bandage is just a less luxurious version of the CT "H". In any event, they are similarly sized. And I'll say right here, even if you don't go full blow out kit, adding a couple of 4" Israeli bandages to a standard boo boo kit is really cheap insurance imh(and non-expert)o. I also forgot to get the primed gauze in the picture. Opps!
The TR V.O.K. contains all the following-
1x Cinch Tight compression "H" bandage
1x TK4 Turni-Kwik
1x Primed gauze (aka, crinkle cotton); not pictured here, btw, because I stink like a skunk.
1x Nasopharygeal Airway
1x 14 ga. x 3 1/4
1x Alcohol prep pad (you should have these in your house)
2x Safety pins (5 shown)
1x Duct tape (2
1x Nitrile N-Dex gloves
1x three gram tube of Surgilube (comes with airway)
Now for part one of the DIY verses prepackaged competition. That's right, you better go for snacks, there is a part two and part one isn't even over yet.
So, I purchased a few V.O.K.s from TR four or five years ago. The best I can remember, I paid $39.95 each. And if you have ever shopped around for kits of this type, you know that's pretty darn cheap given its capabilities. Heck, in theory, you could even make a chest seal with the plastic wrapper and the duct tape. Now, because some of the contents have expiration dates on them, including, if you can believe it, the TK4, I have been trying to get a few new one's from TR. But they always seem to be out of stock.
Now, they can still be had at a place called Tactical Medic, but for $49.95. Yikes, that's ten buck more, and y'all know how cheap I am so...
You can build the exact same thing with components from Rescue Essentials, including the missingfrommypicture "H" bandage for $34.01. That's a heck of a good deal for a stripped down Blow out kit/IFAK, don't you think? This round goes to the DIY kit.
But wait, there's more!
So last week I saw a video at TR's YT channel wherein one of TR's instructors said that while there were no V.O.K.s on the website, that they still had some in stock. Desperate for new replacement V.O.K.s, I emailed them, explained the situation, what I saw/heard, what I needed and... I heard nothing but crickets. Hence, the DIY project.
I will say that I have purchased various stuff over the years from TR and they have always had pretty good CS, so maybe this was an anomaly. On the other hand, I just spent $170 at Rescue Essentials that would have gone to TR and in the process learned that I can save at least $6, and as much as $15 (assuming that the Tactical Medic price is the new V.O.K. retail price), by building my own.
Now for the last few months, because of my frustration at not being able to buy a V.O.K. from TR, I've been exploring other options. The lead contender after looking around quite a bit was the D.A.R.K. from Dark Angle Medical. I think it stands for Direct Action Response Kit. In this example, I didn't buy the kit, I simply made a couple. The pre-made kit would include a custom pouch that is about the size of a single double mag pouch and a PVC medic patch. The complete D.A.R.K. from DA costs $159.95 and you can get the refill, minus the pouch, patch and EMT shears for $104.95.
The complete kit includes-
1x Pouch
1x PVC medic patch
1x Tactical trama shears; as you can imagine, what makes them "tactical" is the fact that they are black and green (or tan). Stealthy!
1x C.A.T. (Combat Application Tourniquet)
1x Nitrile gloves
1x HALO chest seal (two pack)
1x Nasal airway
1x 4" Israeli Bandage
1x QuikClot combat "Z" gauze
1x H&H Primed compressed gauze
(Note- I didn't link to things that are linked under the V.O.K. contents list)
Excluding the pouch and patch, this can all be had from Rescue Essentials for $109.23 or, with the usually available 10% off promo code, $98.31. If you add the price of the shears ($4.95) to the refill, that is a potential savings of $11.59. Again, in the DIY verses a prepackaged BOK/IFAK, DIY comes out on top.
Here is a picture of my DIY version.
Now, DA's custom pouch is designed around the kit, so it has a nice spot up front for the C.A.T. and is the perfect size for all the rest off the stuff. But most of us have lots of pouches, and, since I happen to have a 5.11 2x double mag pouch that I aquired from our friend Gnarly when I bought a 5.11 RUSH 72 from him a while ago, I figured if I'd see if I could cram all of it in there.
Here is a picture of the attempt. Does it all fit in a single mag pouch (left side only in this case)?
The answer is "yes", but just barely. It is only made possible by the fact that this particular pouch has elastic banding around it. The shears are weaved through the MOLLE in the back, but could have gone on the side opposite the C.A.T. under the elastic banding too. Now, is an ammo pouch the best place for your IFAK? Probably not, but in a pinch this would work. You could also take a red Sharpie and make a cross.
I'll also note here that the DA kit and refill come vacuum sealed which would likely make it easier to carry this way. That said, if you have a vacuum sealer in your kitchen and can convince your wife to stop what she is doing, you might be able to vacuum seal your DIY kit. Mine said, "Maybe tomorrow". I should really learn how to use that thing.
The DIY D.A.R.K. kit also easily fits in the 5.11, OSOE, and Spec-Ops IFAK pouches I had easy access to today and I'm positive I can also get it in the main compartment of my Jumbo along with the "10 essentials bag" I keep in there.
So, there you have it. I have to conclude, based on these two kits, that going DIY is probably the cheaper way to go regardless of what you are trying to put together (the possible exception is if you also need a bag/pouch, then the DA complete set up, or something similar, might be a better value). No surprise there, really.
I know from past experience that even boo boo or wilderness kits are often this way as well. I'm sure lots of us have Adventure Medical kits that we have modified by adding stuff to it. Plus, who among us hasn't had a good time putting bandaids in an Altoids tin. As such, I'm a bit perplexed as to why I waited this long to do what I did with these IFAKs, but better late than never, I suppose.
Now, if any of you have seen pictures of my Jumbo contents, you'll remember that I supplement the V.O.K. that is in there with some other stuff, most notably some HALO chest seals, QuikClot, and some Israeli bandages. I do this with the others I own as well. That said, if space was truly at a premium, I'd probably feel pretty good with just the V.O.K.
Is all of this really necessary? Only you can answer that question. Like I alluded to in the beginning, I'd happily be considered a fool for having carried stuff I never used rather than to be caught without it just once.
There are obvious reasons why the protector class would carry a kit like one of these, but there are very pedestrian events that may require real trauma kits that have nothing to due with the evil that sometimes finds its way into our lives. Car accidents, construction accidents, grandma running with scissors, etc. are all valid reasons to have this sort of gear even if you are not a person who has a martial mindset.
So maybe you'll want to build one of these yourself. And if you do, don't forget to get some real training. Although, even if you don't, I can easily see how you having this gear on you would be helpful, say, at a car wreck, when the nurse three cars back wants to help but doesn't have supplies. Synchronicity, folks, synchronicity. This, BTW, is the basic idea behind the military's IFAKs. Sure, a person can use the supplies on themselves, but it is really there so the medic can use your IFAK on you.
I hope anyone who read all that at least found it helpful and somewhat informative. And remember, I'm not an expert, I'm just some guy who worries a lot.
Later edit- I posted this at the other place a few days ago, but since you can no longer link to outside "commercial" websites, I figured I'd post it here as well so the links would be easily available. I should also note that in the last week since I purchased supplies for the build from Rescue Essentials, TR has put V.O.K.s back up on their site for $45. BTW, I still haven't received a reply to the email I sent them.
