The year is 2012 and the only thing that keeps reoccurring in your mind is the Mayans prediction that the world will come to an end? Your reality is what you perceive it to be.
If you happen to believe that, in fact the world is coming to an end you may be correct. Will it happen this year….. doubtful. Many of the people that read this are active members of the outdoor community. Many of you pursue many interests that have you frequenting your local wilderness and some of you are fortunate enough to travel the world’s wildernesses. No matter what you do or where you go, “If your not always prepared, your never prepared”.
When you’re saddling up for your next great adventure, if you’re anything like me, you have a check list. You want to ensure that you don’t forget some of your most basic items as well as the bigger, bulkier stuff. This list can encompass many, many items but ill give you a short and sweet version of my list: hair dryer, rocket launcher and a satellite phone with level five encryption. Okay, so I was making a minor attempt to humor you a little. With that set aside I would like to take some time to discuss a critical component that is often overlooked; The First Aid Kit.
No matter what you tell yourself, when things go wrong, they always go wrong at the worst possible moment, and location. I have been pretty fortunate in regards to my wilderness injuries; to date nothing major has happened. Despite having had nothing major happen to me, I have however come so very close a few times that my life could have been lost. By the grace of God I was spared and allowed to wander the earth another day.
Ok, lets get onto the meat of this show. The first aid kit or FAK is nothing new to anyone. They have been around for an extremely long time. The only thing that changes in them is the product, the design, and the manufacturer. I have been using your basic FAK from Johnson & Johnson my whole life. Then, about ten years ago, I leaned more towards Adventure Medical Kits, then five years ago I started to make my own kits. While I really enjoyed developing my own mission specific first aid kits, they wound up being expensive and could only cover basic austere medical conditions. While yes I could treat a gunshot wound with ease (in concept, not reality) but handling the smaller things was quite the challenge. With this set aside I started scouring the inter webs and of all places, YouTube.
A while back I came across a man by the name of David Pruett. He had quite the interesting YouTube channel name. I am even willing to bet that many of our Equip 2 Endure members have even heard of him; USNERDOC. I found David’s videos of great use. They were practical, easy and just fun to watch. Then one day, David started sharing his personally designed first aid kits. I remember after watching the first video, my comment said something to the tune of: you should really make and sell these kits. Well, March 2011 my dream, or rather I say David’s dream came true. AMP-3, Austere Medical and Practical Preparedness Project, was born.
Since the inception of AMP-3, David has designed various first aid kits that are mission specific. As I was watching these kits come to life, I kept holding out for the kit that was just right for me. Then came the iFak or individual first aid kit. I was in love and a few weeks (maybe months later) I finally got around to purchasing one of these great kits.
My first impression of the iFAK was WOW! What a great designed, well thought of and put together kit. It comes in a waterproof pack from Lok-Sak and every individual smaller “specialty” kit was in its own bag. This helps with organization and makes re-assembly even easier. You only have to pull out what you need. Did I mention the kit came in a waterproof bag. What an epic thought for a wilderness kit. I know I have lost many items in the past due to water damage. The iFak is a compact, lightweight high-adventure first-aid kit with serious capabilities.
The contents of the iFAK are as follows: Fabric Bandages, Knuckle Bandages, Abdomina Pads, Gauze Pads, Black Gloves, Duct Tape, Cloth Tape, Flexible Wrap, Moleskin, Transparent Dressing2, Butterfly Bandages, Skin Tape, Antibiotic Ointment, Sting Relief Pads, CRP Shield, Splinter Out, Safety Pins, Folding Razor Knife, Mini Scissors, Tweezers, Irrigation Syringe, Splash Shield, Betadine Pads, Alcohol Prep Pads, Liquid Skin Glue, Benzoine, Ibuprofen, Acetaminophen, Ranitidine, Diphenhydramine, Meclizine, Asprin, Hydrocortisone Cream, Personal Medical Information Card, Mini Pencil and 9 Line Injury Report Form all in a 6X12 Loksak. (SEE PICTURES)
At the end of the day, you just can’t go wrong with an AMP-3 kit. They are functional, practical and well, just great to have in your pack. David is in the process of creating an outfitter kit which will be completed very soon. It’s even on sale until the 8th of April. So you might want to hurry up and get one. I have pre-ordered mine and can’t wait to get it. I plan on using it for my hunting and camping adventures with my friends. When its not at base camp, it will be utilized for general use around my home. I have a lot of kits laying around and the outfitter is designed for larger groups of people. I have always wanted to consolidate all my supplies to one larger capable kit, and AMP-3 is doing just that for me.
Another kit that Ill pick up soon is the range medic. I work in Law Enforcement and go shooting often. Besides spending time on the range, I travel to some of the most remote locations throughout Arizona. So having a highly capable FAK is a requirement for me. The range medic will eventually replace my current LE FAK that I designed a while back. While my personally designed kit is very capable, I just want something that can take the extra step.
If your in the market for a high quality, well designed first aid kit that is made in the USA be sure to check out AMP-3. David and his wife, Beth, are great. Their son Matt helps out with the assembly process of the kits as well. This is truly a family affair, and they put their best foot forward. Customer service is TOP notch and you won’t be disappointed.
Be sure to check out their website at http://www.amp-3.net/ If your not looking for a big kit, be sure to check out the smaller kits that are available as well.
This will be a three part series:
ONE: This article
TWO: A written interview with David Pruitt
THREE: Overview of the outfitter (still in production)
The Guts of the Kit
Tool Module
Medication Module
The Outfitter (Coming Soon)
The Range Medic