We’re always trying to stay up on the latest and greatest for our ETA Kits and we’ve just made some major changes that we hope you’ll like.
Included in the updates are some additions, substitutions and changes based on feedback from our readers and guys downrange using our kits.
The ETA Kit is purpose built to treat the three leading causes of death in the field; Extremity Hemorrhage, Tension Pneumothorax and Airway Obstruction. Hence the name ETA, cleverly suggest by one of our readers during our contest to rename the kit from Blowout Kit, which is a common military term for what this kit treats, blowouts!
Below we’ll get into the changes we’ve made and even have a video showing it all. [Read More…]
Believe it or not, there’s more to Nitrile Exam Gloves than you may think.
Nitrile has become synonymous with protective gloves and today we’re going to fill you in on why it’s superior to other rubber and even how to properly remove them after use.
Proper body substance isolation is extremely important when coming in contact with bodily fluids, and personal protective equipment (PPE) like Nitrile gloves is your first line of defense.
Wearing gloves is not only important in protecting against potentially infectious materials, such as blood and body fluids, but also against harsh chemicals and biological risks. [Read More…]
Today we’ll be reviewing a couple of new Medical Bags that John sent over from Original S.O.E. Gear. At first glance they may not appear much different than other medical bags, but the gratuitous use of organizational elastic goodness is where they truly shine.
Despite only one of these bags earning the Vehicle Medical Bag nomenclature, they both function extremely well as vehicle med bags. The biggest difference in the Medical Satchel is that the rear of the bag is lined with PALS Webbing for attaching it to a pack, vest or any MOLLE system.
These bags organize medical supplies extremely well through the use of the aforementioned elastic, and provide a great way to carry your medical supplies with you on the go. [Read More…]
It’s no secret that we’re huge fans of PMI’s HALO Chest Seal and it’s the only chest seal we put into our ETA Kits.
PMI has just released the details on the big brother to the HALO Chest Seal, the HALO XL. A highly aggressive oversized 8.5″ x 12″ transparent occlusive dressing designed primarily to cover larger blast wounds. The XL is an excellent occlusive dressing for large abdominal wounds, peppering chest wounds associated with IED blast injuries and secondary blast injuries (SBIs) along with securing other wound dressings.
The patented hydro-gel provides superior adhesion to the wound area even when moisture, fluids, or blood is present. PMI also tells us that the hydro-gel adhesion properties of the XL are actually more aggressive than the standard HALO Chest Seal.
Like the HALO Chest Seals, the Halo XL also performs without loss of adhesion in extreme temperatures. Performance tested from (-40°C) -40° to (65 °C) 150° Fahrenheit. You can also store and carry the XL folded like the original chest seals without a loss of integrity or functionality. And of course they’re made in the USA!
We’ve been hearing about the new SOF Tactical Tourniquet – Wide for some time now, and just realized it’s now available!
While we haven’t been hands-on with this new design, we’ve heard great things about it from those who have been. We’ve always preferred the SOF-T over the CAT when it comes to Tourniquets and have never hidden the fact that the CAT has some inherent issues.
The new SOFTT-W represents a fantastic upgrade from the previous version of the SOF-T, eliminating the Alligator Clip-like routing and thumb screw retention. Even though we felt the SOF-T was the best thing on the market, the previous routing/retention system always seemed bulky to us. The thumb screw always presented an issue too, as it takes somewhat fine motor skills to turn.
As everyone knows, fine motor skills go right out the window in situations that would require you to perform self-aid with a tourniquet. Needless to say, the new SOFTT-W looks to offer some solid features and we can’t wait to get hands-on with one.
Update: We’re now offering the SOFTT-W in our store! Look for a detailed review coming soon!
[Read More…]
Today I’ll be covering two medical items from CTOMS (Canadian Tactical and Operational Medical Solutions) the Tourniquet Pouch and Warfighter CFAK (Combat First Aid Kit) Flat Panel.
CTOMS was established in April 2005 as a means to propagate, standardize and evolve tactical medicine in the military and law enforcement communities in Canada and to expand its appropriate attributes to remote casualty care in Search and Rescue and wilderness environments. [Read More…]
Have you ever spent the weekend enjoying a camping trip or went for a hike off the beaten path to a less traveled trail?
Perhaps you live near a state park or national forest and enjoy your off time out in areas far away from the modern world.
Let’s hope that while enjoying the great outdoors nothing serious ever happens but if it does, here are some tips to do the best you can when you have next to nothing. [Read More…]
Just received an alarming tip from a reader, alerting us to a knockoff CAT Tourniquet being produced by a Hong Kong Airsoft Company.
A general email was distributed to the DOD on May 10th with the following PDF on how to tell the difference between the North American Rescue Combat Application Tourniquet and the fake Element Airsoft E-CAT.
[gview file="http://www.itstactical.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/faketourniquet.pdf"]
As we’re sure you realize, fake tourniquets are nothing to take lightly, and the close resemblance of these to the real thing is scary indeed. The possibility of these being purchased by uninformed consumers is real. Please distribute this information to all those you know in harms way, or anyone who could potentially be using a tourniquet. [Read More…]
March is officially Brain Injury Awareness Month, and we were recently contacted to see if we would help spread the word.
Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is becoming a common wound of modern warfare. It has even been coined the “signature wound” of the War on Terror.
While TBI is becoming more prevalent in wartime activity, many service men and women continue to go undiagnosed. Institutions, like the US Department of Veterans Affairs, are working to make quick and accurate diagnoses in order to prescribe appropriate and effective treatment. [Read More…]
Today we’d like to review a sampling of the compact medical pouches available from OSOE (Original Special Operations Equipment).
The three pouches we’ll be reviewing are the Medical Rifle Mag Insert Tray, Compact Tear-Off VOK (in both horizontal and vertical mounts) and the TK4 Tourniquet Pouch.
For those of you unfamiliar with John Willis and OSOE, they began as a custom manufacturer producing bombproof gear for Naval Special Warfare and have grown into one of the leading custom manufacturers in the industry.
Willis is widely known for his attention to detail and his passion for ensuring that Operators are readily equipped.
OSOE policy makes it clear that incoming orders are triaged, in order to get those going into harms way the gear they need for the fight. [Read More…]
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