Medical EVERY Citizen Should Have

• August 3, 2024
• By Jared Daub

Medical EVERY Citizen Should Have

We believe that there is certain Medical EVERY Citizen Should Have. Most of us will tend to focus on what firearm, chest rig, holster, light, or other accessory will best serve us. The reality is we don’t give enough consideration to what medical gear we should all have on tap. It is more likely that you will find yourself in need of medical gear than to find yourself in a gunfight. Yet we still prioritize the guns and other gear over medical. Admittedly, we feel that we waited TOO long to add medical gear to our site, but we just fixed that. Let’s talk about 3 ways every American should be carrying medical equipment.

Vehicle Carry

Each year there are over 40,000 fatal car accidents in the United States. That statistic alone should be enough to make each of us realize that we need to be carrying medical with us daily. You likely find yourself getting into a vehicle multiple times a week. How often are you making sure you are keeping a quality medical kit in that vehicle? I chose vehicles to discuss first because I believe they are the first step. Keep a quality medical kit in some very accessible place in your vehicle. Make sure it is accessible from your drivers seat. Invest in a quality kit that not only has bandaids and boo boo kit, but has serious tools for serious injuries. Car accidents can be nasty, and EMS can sometimes be 10+ minutes away when you call. Sometimes you will not have that much time.

The good news about vehicle carry is you will have ample space to put a quality kit. It is very simple to establish a place where your medical kit always resides. For vehicle carry, we recommend the Get Home Alive Kit. This entire kit is self contained and has the tools you would need in a traumatic situation. Further, we should desire to be prepared to help others we may come across on our travels. While at initial glance you may think this kit is expensive, I like to have this mindset: What if I didn’t have a kit and I found myself in a situation where I needed it? Would I regret not spending the money? Likely I would. I have found myself being a first responder on multiple occasions in my life thus far. It is not as rare as you would think.

You should have more than one kit

One last consideration: I have medical kits in 3 separate locations in my jeep. You might be saying “man that’s overkill!”. I think it’s prudent. There is a kit on my drivers side door that I could access even in the event I couldn’t open my door. There is an additional kit on the passenger side rear door. My last kit is on the passenger side front. Each kit has at least one tourniquet. On the drivers side door I have 2 TQ’s.

Off Body Carry

The way I would define off body carry is some sort of bag. While technically the bag is ON your body, the medical is not. It is contained in the backpack. Off body carry is the next most important type of medical carry solutions I am after. I find that most places I frequent I can carry a bag. A small bag allows me to carry medical that could serve more than one person. Additionally, I use bags daily for work, so I ALWAYS have a backpack on hand. For that reason, it was very simple for me to integrate medical kits into my bags. Additionally, your medical kit is fully concealed and protected from the elements and sweat/other conditions. Back packs are easy to throw at a buddy in an emergency, they are simple to put on and off, they offer more security. Again, this is a type of Medical Every Citizen Should Have.

Make Medical Carry Mainstream

Most in our community will view bags as tools to carry EDC and firearms, and this is true. But let’s make carrying medical a MAINSTREAM part of our every day carry. Another question you could be asking: “Couldn’t off body and vehicle carry be combined”? The short answer is, yes. But in my mind they should be viewed separately. My vehicle medical kits NEVER leave my vehicle unless I am actively using them or training with them. I want to know with certainty that they are where they need to be when I need them. Additionally, I ensure I never deplete the supplies in my vehicle kits. If I do use something, I will immediately replace it. Vehicle accidents often could have more than 1 injured person, so I make sure I have kits that are up to the task. Here are some of the kits that I love to integrate into my Off Body Carry Routine:

• Responder IFAK: This is a great kit for most backpacks. It is much smaller than the Get Home Alive Kit and doesn’t add much bulk to your bag.

• Base Med Kit: This is a supplemental kit that is great to add smaller supplemental medical tools .

• Direct Action TQ: This is a very sleek tourniquet holder that makes it easier to keep a TQ close by.

All three options are great for backpacks and you can carry multiple of each if need be.

On Body Carry

On body carry is the most difficult to accomplish. I consider carrying “on body” when I cannot access my backpack. In these situations, I unfortunately have less ability to carry medical on me. Additionally, I have to be more focused with the tools I can carry. Directly on body I care less about minor cut and scrape treatment. I’m not worried about minor stuff, I only have room for a FEW small tools. A TQ is always a part of that list, but I don’t wear cargo pants. For that reason, I don’t have tons of pockets to load up with gear. I’m also picky about what is in my pockets at any given time. I presented the problems, let’s talk about a viable solution.

The EDC Pocket Trauma kit is a perfect solution. This truly is a type of medical that every citizen should have. It is the size of a wallet, fits in your pocket, and contains juuuuust enough gear to treat a serious injury. Additionally, you can take it out of your pocket, set it on a table at dinner or at a meeting, and nobody will be alarmed. It fits discreetly in your pocket and can be carried anywhere. From courthouses to airplanes, this little on body solution is amazing.

A well rounded medical plan makes you a well rounded citizen.

Having a plan to tread first aid makes you a better prepared citizen. If we desire stronger communities, then we need to be a part of them. We need to be there to care for others if we are called to act. While sometimes that may be with a firearm, it’s much more likely that you’ll need your medical gear. And listen: not every medical event is an emergency. Sometimes your child gets a scrape and just needs a cute little bandage. In those situations, check out the Little Explorers Ouch Pouch. Most individuals are not even prepared for minor medical situations. Let’s commit to being the community that is prepared to step up, to stand up, and to act.

Why did we choose Live the Creed for the med kits?

I ( Jared) have been personally purchasing and running LTC medical kits since around 2017/2018. After my first real medical training event, I immediately purchased about a half dozen complete kits. I’ve been buying from them since the time when they called themselves “Wild Hedgehog Tactical.” I’m not saying that to puff up my ego, but to let you know that I personally put skin in the game on their kits. Their kits saved my dogs life, helped me when my kids got hurt, and are always made to exacting standards. I believe in them, so I’m happy to add them to our site.

If you have ANY questions about the medical kits we carry, simply email us: info@tatargets.com. If you purchase any medical kits off our site we will obviously financially benefit from it. We physically stock these kits in our warehouse and ship them directly to you ourselves. Consider supporting us and grabbing a kit. Thank you for the support!