My Voodoo tactical set up

[dtwn92]

I've been wanting to do this for a bit now, this gives me good reason to "inventory" my bag. It is still and will always be a work in progress but I've got a decent start IMO. I work as a paramedic so I know how to and am trained to use everything in the bags.

Well built bag with plenty ways to mod and make it your own.

I've got a IFAK and BIG towel (blanket) attached to the bag. It weighs 23 pounds loaded.


Diagnostics:
-BP cuff
-Stethoscope
-Glucose monitor (ready to go, its a Bayer it takes almost no blood to get a reading and its fast I love it)
-Pulse ox (Yes I know, but you can slap that on and have your hand free for other things)
-ALS field manual

Meds:
-Asprin
-Motrin
-Benadryl
-Imodium
-Oral glucose
-Squishers (fast hydration drink...tastes YUK but works)
-IV NS 500cc bag and kit
-Small bottles of Peroxide and Alcohol
-Alcohol preps



- 1 12x36
- 6 5x9's
- 12 4x4's
- 500 2x2's
- 2 Israel bandages
- 2 army field dressings
- 1 Kerlex
- 3 roller gauze
- 2 3" ace wraps
- 3 rolls of tape
- 1 roll of gorilla tape
- 3 tagaderm
- 2 cat TQ's

Misc:
-3 Sam splints
-2 pen lights
- Thermal emergency blanket
- flashlights
- chem light
- CPR mask
- Safety glasses
- Hepa Masks
- Gloves (colorful right?)
- Spray hand cleaner



The attached IFAK (also from Voodoo)

Contents:
-Scissors
-32g Nasal w/lube
-Cat TQ
-Extra gloves
-14g IV needles (decompression)
-H&H bandage
-Isreal bandage
-3 4x4's
-3 5x9's
-Hand wipes (just in case)
-Tape
-Roller gauze


Would love to hear your feed back and suggestions.

[okiebill]

Nice set-up...

500 2x2's... I know that's the size they come in but you may free up some space unless you really need 500...

If it uses batteries make sure you have spares on hand.. More Kirlex the stuff is great!

I'm a big tegaderm fan... I stock the small 2x3 all the way up to a 6x8, nothing beats a good water resistant breathable dressing.

Switch out to wipes for your alcohol , swap the peroxide out for betadine swabs.

Another tube of oral glucose

Any Mylar is better then no Mylar blanket but I'm a big fan of the SOL Survival Blankets

Some adds you may consider:

-Orajel
-Sunscreen (wipes)
-Bugspray (wipes)
-Single serving size squishers (sugar packet sized)
-fingernail / toenail clippers
-Tweezers (silver grippers) easier then digging out the surgical kit
-cough drops
-chapstick
-hydrocourtisone cream (single use packs)
-triple antibiotic ointment (single use packs)

[dtwn92]

Nice set-up... Thanks!

500 2x2's... I know that's the size they come in but you may free up some space unless you really need 500... LOL they dont' take up much room but I see what you are getting at.

If it uses batteries make sure you have spares on hand.. More Kirlex the stuff is great! Solid ideas!

I'm a big tegaderm fan... I stock the small 2x3 all the way up to a 6x8, nothing beats a good water resistant breathable dressing. Love the stuff myself.

Switch out to wipes for your alcohol , swap the peroxide out for betadine swabs.

Another tube of oral glucose

Any Mylar is better then no Mylar blanket but I'm a big fan of the SOL Survival Blankets

Some adds you may consider:

-Orajel
-Sunscreen (wipes)
-Bugspray (wipes)
-Single serving size squishers (sugar packet sized)
-fingernail / toenail clippers
-Tweezers (silver grippers) easier then digging out the surgical kit
-cough drops
-chapstick
-hydrocourtisone cream (single use packs)
-triple antibiotic ointment (single use packs)

Great suggestions, I like the detail you put into your reply. A few of those things listed are in the bag, um...I forgot to list it. See I told ya it was a good idea to do this simply to take inventory.


Thank you for the feedback.

[docdredd]

Needs wayyyy more kerlex. (Or at least I used the shit out of kerlex, YMMV)

[docdredd]

For your IV supplies, Unless your doing TKO drip rates your going to punch through 500 pretty fast. The 1000 size bags of NS give you more open time with out having to switch things up so often. Also if you can get your hands on it a few Hekstend bags are great for large volume replacement (Trauma) with out creating electrolyte imbalances. Its not as good as blood or plasma, but its great when they are not available.

[dtwn92]

For your IV supplies, Unless your doing TKO drip rates your going to punch through 500 pretty fast. The 1000 size bags of NS give you more open time with out having to switch things up so often. Also if you can get your hands on it a few Hekstend bags are great for large volume replacement (Trauma) with out creating electrolyte imbalances. Its not as good as blood or plasma, but its great when they are not available.

Good stuff, I agree. 500cc's are much easier for me to get now. But the 100cc's do last longer and free you up for other things. I will look into Hekstend, sounds good.

As for the Kerlex...its a work in progress.

[rwiklund8]

How much does that bag retail for?

[URBAN ASSAULT]

Sounds a bit off, but I'd throw in a few Tampons. You'll never know when you will have a female around that you are caring for, and the Tampons will work as bloodstoppers for everything from a bloody nose to a bullet wound(in a pinch).

They don't take up much room, are very light and can also be used as emergency tinder to get a fire going.

Cheers.

-urban

[dtwn92]

How much does that bag retail for?

I picked it up for $107 +tax from a local army/navy shop. They are always good to me there but I've seen them on the net for a bit cheaper.

http://www.militaryluggage.com/OD-Field ... 8174od.htm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
http://www.amazon.com/Voodoo-Tactical-P ... B004YW5L36" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Its worth every penny to have everything I want or need at hand.

[dtwn92]

Sounds a bit off, but I'd throw in a few Tampons. You'll never know when you will have a female around that you are caring for, and the Tampons will work as bloodstoppers for everything from a bloody nose to a bullet wound(in a pinch).

They don't take up much room, are very light and can also be used as emergency tinder to get a fire going.

Cheers.

-urban

Actually, this is a great idea I've thought about, in all my smaller kits I carry pads (not the same thing I know) for small blood stoppers, but this is been brought up more and more in the IFAK kit world.

Thanks.

[IANMCDEVITT]

You don't need the dam tampons. You have an opportunity to set up a bag, pack it with the correct shit. The tampons were an adjunct to those in areas where they were not able to get the proper dressings. Trust me, don't start the dam tampon discussion on here......use your search there Little Brother before you start that discussion again. I'll say it again, for you because you were not around for it, I have NEVER EVER seen anyone use a tampon to treat a traumatic injury, nor have I spoken to anyone, nor do I work with or have friends that may have worked with some clown that used a tampon on a traumatic injury.............If you have the opportunity NOW before an injury arises to pack the bag, pack it correctly..........If you want to remember a rule of thumb for packing that bag, PACK IT WITH THREE TIMES THE BANDAGE MATERIAL YOU THINK YOU'LL NEED.............there.

[IANMCDEVITT]

I'll tell you a quick story about the stupid tampon thing.......I was speaking in Atlantic City at a convention, I was speaking before that dude who wrote that book, "On Killing", I was with Dr. Fabrice Czarnecki and it was the International Law Enforcement Firearms Trainers (or something like that), and I went over, WAY over my time limit, I had NATO cops, FAM's, FBI, all kinds of dudes there. At the end of the talk, I did a practical, where I did the paractical, then I had myself, fabrice, and my wife (Trauma Nurse, FF, EMT, Bodyguard) helping me.......Sooooooo, this dude walks up to me from a, lets say "Task Force" operating on the southern border, he starts with, "Hey, great Ian, great, HEY, guess what I have all my guys carry?!?!?................C"MON, GUESS!!..........I'm like, "I have no idea"...........He says.......TAMPONS!, CAN YOU BELIEVE IT, TAMPONS!!!!............I'm now just standing there with dozens of people quiet around me now looking........and I say, "why don't you just buy each of them a trauma dressing BEFORE hand?........The guy just looks at me, and I can see the light bulb go on over his head with the "Holy Shit, He's right" look. So trust me, the tampon thing is an internet myth. Contact Rescue Essentials, set your bag up like I know you can, like a Tactical Paramedic, not some clown.

[okiebill]

I will plead the "Tampon Defense" in the affirmative: ( Pay attention to the time frame though)

1994 I had a UDM issue me 2 tampons as a part of a IFK / Gunshot wound kit, The team I deployed with at the time thought we were going somewhere with females so we were stoked The UDM did not know what they were for only that he was directed to make them part of our gear. The high speed gear did not really start getting into the system until after 2001 though I was only ever issued the little white mice one time...

As Ian said there are way to many field proven products to ever settle for a Tampon in this day and age ( I paraphrase).

[URBAN ASSAULT]

Yeah, but you gents ain't trying to take care of a wife like I am, or having a couple blood-plugs in the bag would be higher on the priority tree for you.

Is a tampon a better choice for blood stoppage than a sealed, hygienic, purpose-specific wound dressing?... of course not.

But it can come in handy as an adjunct, while also taking care of the sanitary needs of a female in your care. No sane person is advocating carrying a full box of scented Tampax Pearl's dummy-corded to a high-speed Tac vest , but one or two tucked in a corner of a med pouch ain't gonna hurt either.

-urban

[Doc_45ACP]

Nice kit! I've been looking at the Voodoo bag vs the STOMP...

Couple suggestions:

1. Unlike others here, I prefer 500mL NSS bags to liter bags. I'd suggest you carry twice as many of them, but you get much more flexibility. You can't (ie shouldn't) recycle half a liter bag for a different patient in the event that the first one gets better or expires. But you can always hang another 500mL bag when the first one runs dry.

2. I'd add a few 3-way stopcocks (if your squad doesn't have them, your local ICU or PACU will). This makes repeated decompression of a tension pneumo more convenient than just a standard hep lock.

3. Super kudos for the emergency blanket in the kit! I do that too, and no one ever seems to think that their hemorrhaging patient is going to be cold when they're going into shock. I also slip a dollar store type disposable poncho in my kit to keep them dry, just in case.

4. If you're anything like me, you haven't actually had to look anything up in the ALS field manual in quite some time. I respectfully suggest leaving that at home (or selling it to a paramedic student). I think that has less than no utility in your kit...

5. I carry a one-size-fits-all c-collar and a Blackhawk roll up "stretcher".

6. Personally, I think 3 SAM splints is overkill.

7. I second the little packets of hydrocortisone and antibiotic ointment.

8. I see little utility for the Immodium. Diarrhea of infectious origin needs to run its course. Meds that slow diarrhea make you feel a little better but can prolong the illness. I'd suggest some sublingual Zofran instead, for nausea.

9. I'd strongly recommend that you stay away from the Hekstend/Hetastarch etc! Clinical trials have shown no increased survival from crystaloid vs colloid in traumatic volume resuscitation. It still has no oxygen carrying ability, so unless you're going to give it to increase intravascular oncotic pressure in someone who is hypoalbunemic, (which you won't be!) it's not worth it. Also, it has the added benefits of costing a lot and perpetuating renal failure. I carry 4 500mL NSS bags and one D5/NS liter. I restrict IV fluids to patients who seriously cannot tolerate PO liquids, since IV bags are heavy and I don't wanna carry too many. Also, I'm not sure what drip sets you're carrying, but with a disaster/tactical med kit, you won't be titrating drip meds. I carry 10gtt macro sets, throw those 60gtts away!

10. And as was already said, more Kerlex never hurts!

11. The tampon thing is total urban legend. A tampon can't exert enough pressure to tampanade even a significant central venous bleed, let alone anything arterial. Also, as a general rule, shoving things into penetrating wounds is almost always a bad idea. I mean, what if the strings breaks and you need to explain to the ER doc that not only was some poor guy shot in the chest, but now he has a foreign body lodged in there as well? I say that mostly in jest, but shoving the applicator tube in could push the round in deeper and cause it to lacerate adjacent structures that were previously undamaged. You can put me down as a +1 to the whole line of "Why not pack the right things now?" As far as keeping some for a wife/girlfriend, that's mighty considerate of you guys, I'd probably make her carry them herself. If I was feeling generous, I still wouldn't keep them in my med kit (shaving kit, maybe.)

12. Lastly, if you make friends with a doc (or if you're really close with your PCP), I'd suggest a few PO benzos (valium is good) a few PO narcs (vicodin is good), and some broad spectrum antibiotics (IV is better but harder to get ahold of, PO is good enough) to cover gram (+), gram (-) and anaerobes.

Anyway, just some friendly advice! Good looking kit!

[VXMerlinXV]

Is this a trunk bag or something else?

[dtwn92]

Thanks to you all for spending the time reviewing my kit. The advice and suggestions are all outstanding. I appreciate the time you all spent for my benefit.

On the tampon debate, I have a few females in the house so I guess they could serve several purposes. As for wound care, they are clean, and just another tool in the kit to have on hand. It would NEVER be a 1st line for me or would I recommend it for use on a wound.

It added some food for thought on how I would improve what I have in the bag as I add to it.

[dtwn92]

Is this a trunk bag or something else?

Its my everyday kit, when we go somewhere as a family, it generally comes with us. We stay over night about 6 weeks a year due to softball tournaments. While the weight is 'light' it is light enough for me to carry comfortably.