Most of us on this page are fans of spending time in the great outdoors, whether it be 4-wheeling, camping, hiking or all of the above.
Expect the Unexpected
While we don’t wish anything bad to happen, life is full of unexpected twists and turns. You might be familiar with Murphy’s Law, which basically states that anything that can go wrong, probably will. So while we hope for the best, we need to prepare for the worst. Are you prepared?
Suriveware is a company that helps you stay ready. We’ve covered their products in the past—check out the Large Surviveware First Aid Kit and the Survival First Aid Kit.
Surviveware has taken all of the guesswork out of what you need, should you, or one of your loved ones find themselves injured far away from civilization.
Find It Online
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Surviveware Trauma First Aid Kit: Check Price
Table Of Contents
My Background
Qualified Reviews
You might’ve seen that Trail Tacoma likes to pair writers with products that they are most qualified for. The previously mentioned Surviveware articles were written by an Army medic and a law enforcement officer. This one is no different.
Experience Counts
As a military paramedic for 22 years with multiple deployments over 8 years in the Middle East, I have seen my fair share of trauma.
Whether we are outside the wire or walking around the base, we ensured that every Soldier, Airman or Marine had what is called an Individual First Aid Kit, or IFAK, on them at all times. Inside these IFAKs is almost exactly what you are going to find in the Surviveware IFAK.
Kit Contents
As with most Surviveware kits, this one is well equipped.
The kit contains the following:
- 600D Polyester Pouch with MED Patch (x1)
- Surviveware Splint 18″ (x1)
- NAR Mini Responder 4″ (x1)
- Emergency Blanket (x1)
- Trauma Shears (x1)
- Pressure Bandage (x1)
- Gauze Pads 7.5cm x 7.5cm 3 Pack (x5)
- Compressed Gauze (x1)
- Recon Medical Tourniquet (x1)
- Permanent Marker (x1)
- Hyfin Vent COMPACT – Two Pack (x1)
- Nitrile Glove Pair (x3)
- Face Goggles (x1)
- Anti-septic Wipes (x5)
Some may assume they’re ready for any injury that may happen after purchasing an individual first aid kit. That’s not 100% true.
The primary purpose of the IFAK is to treat life-threatening injuries that involve massive hemorrhaging or airway loss. Two of the three services mentioned above include a Nasopharyngeal airway in their kit. That single piece of gear can mean the difference between life or death in a pinch… but it’s not necessarily the end all be all to protecting an airway.
Having this pouch of goodies on your backpack or in your vehicle is the first step to saving someone’s life in the event of the unthinkable. Your next step should be to obtain knowledge on how to use what is inside by grabbing an Army field manual, logging onto YouTube or taking a course. It’s nice to have supplies that look cool on your kit, but they’re worthless if you don’t know how to use them when the stress level hits maximum and someone is dying right in front of you.
Bonus Items
Rugged Outdoor Tape
Also included in this review is the Surviveware Duct Tape.
I am blown away at the quality and versatility of this product. Far tackier than standard duct tape and stronger to boot. With a little imagination and ingenuity, you can build anything from a bandage, cordage or even a drinking cup!
This tape might also come in handy to repair a tent or patch a tarp. The possibilities are only limited by your imagination.
Find it online
- Surviveware Outdoor Duct Tape: Check Price
Credit Card Multi-Tool
Next to the duct tape is another very useful device that was included in the kit; a Credit Card Tool. I’ve seen a lot of these tools throughout the years, but this one has just about everything you need, and even some stuff you might not think of.
A screwdriver, wood saw, file, bottle opener, can opener, spanner, ruler, wire stripper, fish scaler and even a protractor. Keeping this in your pocket while hiking around the woods would prove very useful in a pinch. They literally thought of everything!
Things To Add
As with any preassembled first aid kit, one size does not fit all. It is all based on what you are going to be doing, your skill level, knowledge and what could possibly go wrong while you’re out.
In this kit, there are only three additional things I would modify to make it perfect for what I do. The first being the tourniquet. The traditional tourniquet provided works perfectly for adults and adolescents but isn’t the best if something smaller begins to bleed uncontrollably. That’s why I would consider trading it out for the RATs tourniquet.
Not only is it faster to apply, smaller to carry, but goes around any diameter limb that may need occlusion – even my 2-pound dog’s leg! The second would be one or two packs of QuickClot gauze. Being able to not only occlude the bleeding with a tourniquet is important, but you also want to be able to stop bleeding you can get a tourniquet around.
Lastly, and just for good measure, I would add some Band-Aids, Motrin and MoleSkin. Blisters, headaches and scratches happen all the time. Having that handy while not having to carry more packs is just the logistically smarter thing to do.
Find it online
- RATS GEN 2 Rapid Application Tourniquet System: Check Price
- Mole Skin: Check Price
- Ibuprofen: Check Price
- QuikClot Gauze: Check Price
- Band-Aids: Check Price
Final Thoughts
Overall, this kit provides what the layman adventurer would need for basic survival and first aid, as well as an effective way to stop massive bleeding. You can also address sprains and other minor injuries.
Surviveware makes great products and I’m happy to add this kit to my first aid supplies. As with any first aid kit, get the training and then practice with it.
Take it out of the package and use it, become familiar with how it works and what you’ll need to do when the time comes. You can always refresh your supplies that have been used.
Be safe, be prepared, and I’ll see you on the trail!
