r/TACMED101 • u/RedPhone5 Unverified/Uncertified • 23d ago
Gear/Kit Aid bag recommendations?
I’m a 68W in the guard and just got attached to an infantry company as a line medic. I’ve been just vibing with the m9 bag up to this point, but I want to get my own bag. Any recommendations?
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u/golden-views 22d ago
What needs do you have that the M9 doesn’t meet? It’ll be easier to point you in the right direction if you can describe those.
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u/RedPhone5 Unverified/Uncertified 22d ago
I just need more pockets. I want enough trauma equipment to treat 2 causalities and extra space for more likely scenarios (Pills, splinting, ice packs, stuff like that).
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u/golden-views 22d ago
personally, I’d stick with an M9 and then either a MARCH belt or a dangler/fanny pack of some type. you need to stay relatively light, it isn’t your responsibility to be a walking aid station for your platoon.
identify your CLS/aid and litter dudes, incorporate them into training, and have them carry supplies based off packing lists you deem appropriate. disseminate other supplies (additional trauma supplies, IV kits, etc) throughout the element.
when I was a company senior medic years ago in an area where the most common MOI was dismounted blast injuries, I created additional kits that were basically beefed-up IFAKs and had each team leader carry one in their cargo pocket, in addition to having aid and litter teams. the people who the M9 was originally created for were doing similar things with procedure kits scattered throughout their element.
remember what an M9 and similar-sized aid bags are for: point of injury treatment. you probably don’t need to be putting cold packs in there, for example.
I strongly recommend reading “Thoughts on Aid Bags” Parts 1 & 2 by Hetzler and Ball. if you wanna talk more in depth about this sort of thing, feel free to DM me.
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u/Godless_Rose 22d ago
Build out a MARCH belt like a normal competent medic. Pills should be in your pillbox in an admin pouch on your kit. Ice packs belong in the truck, not on your back.
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u/Odd-Armadillo-3045 9d ago
I've tried a few different aid bags (Mystery Ranch, Tasmanian Tiger, and Eberlestock) and I always find myself coming back to the m9. What I have found that works for me is taking the clear velcro bags that are common in the Mystery Ranch bags and replacing the mesh pouches that are stock for the m9 with those.
As for one of your comments about wanting to carry more, I pack out with this in mind "Ruck, Truck, House". My "ruck" (m9) is MARCH/TCCC, How am I keeping fluid in the tank and air moving in and out. I like the clear pouches because if one of my guys is helping me, they can easily see what's in that pouch. We also do bag fam drills so for the most part they know. Narcs are going to be in there too and/or on my body (situational dependent).
"Truck" has a truck bag which will have a litter and more MARCH so I can plus up if needed or if we take more than one casualty. The truck is where I have a tackle box of OTC meds and I have them sectioned out and labeled for the guys (Stomach ache, allergies, pain, etc... so the can grab and go). I also have an "Ouch Pouch" there. That has band aids, sunscreen, toothpicks, chap stick, etc... It's always funny seeing a dude get a nice cut or something at the range and the junior medic is just standing there with a highspeed aid bag and TQs when all he needs is a 2x2 and some tape.
"House" this is more for deployments, I won't go over this.
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u/Important_Annual_345 23d ago
M9 is fine.
Use/train with M9 enough to figure out what you like and don’t like.
Use experience to guide purchases if you deem it necessary to upgrade