#Medical

5.11 Tactical’s ABR Academy classes were insanely popular after making a return in early 2023. They were so popular in fact that 5.11 has just announced that they’ll be further expanding their ABR Academy class schedule in partnership with the USCAA to give even more Americans access to quality emergency, survival, and preparedness education.

Developed with advice and suggestions from active duty medical personnel and made with the same high-quality materials and craftsmanship that High Speed Gear is known for, the new ReFlex IFAK is the latest plate carrier compatible piece of gear on the market. The new hanging IFAK pouch features an ambidextrous design, adjustable retention for the stored items, and will be compatible with a wider variety of plate carriers and chest rigs than other IFAKs already on the market.

If you discuss home defense scenarios with fellow firearms owners, you will almost certainly get a wide variety of ideas and responses. People’s chosen defensive firearms, planning, and training will vary significantly based on their individual backgrounds and a host of other variables. In my particular circle, AR-15s and modern semi-automatic handguns tend to be the go-tos, far more than a trusty old shotgun. This is also the case for me; given my specific training and experience, I am most proficient, comfortable, and well-schooled with these types of guns. My most readily-accessible “bump in the night” firearm for a potential “Alamo” situation in my house is a suppressed, short-barrelled AR pistol with a high-quality weaponlight and optic. Where I live, it normally wouldn’t take long at all for an ambulance and law enforcement to come help me and my family in the event of a violent encounter like a home invasion. However, “normally” is the operative word – and we all know that the last couple of years have been anything but normal.

“Ask Doc” is a new series we are contemplating where we will answer questions from you, the readers. Topics will be answered by staff writers with significant experience in the field and tactical medicine. Submit your questions to tom.r@thefirearmblog.com (and try and keep them on topic).

Walther Arms is primarily known for making handguns. This German manufacturer produces a variety of semi-automatic pistols suitable for a range of purposes. Their modern lineup includes models optimized for competition, concealed carry, duty use, and more. Even James Bond is a fan, with the iconic PPK serving as 007’s primary sidearm throughout a great deal of his time on the silver screen and in the pages of many Bond novels. The company recently began offering high-end custom shop versions of some of their pistols, upgraded under their “Meister Manufaktur” program. In addition to guns, this fine gunmaker offers a smattering of accompanying gear items as well. To compliment their EDC-intended handguns, they’ve just announced a new ankle medical kit.

Those of you who like to LARP around like I do or perhaps just be prepared for the worst will be familiar with rapid deploying medical pouches. Imminent Threat Solutions has just released its new TraumaQuick Rapid Access system. The New system is supposed to be worn from almost any position or piece of field equipment and as an added bonus Imminent Threat Solutions is offering a limited-time introductory offer for their new TraumaQuick system.

Most gun owners, particularly concealed carriers and those who employ firearms as part of their profession, have had to consider the possibility of defensive firearms use. We’ve thought about what might theoretically happen in various scenarios – a home invasion, a parking lot mugging, maybe a carjacking – and how we would react. There is an entire cottage industry on the subject, with a plethora of related books, websites, videos, and training classes. But for all the time, money, and energy we spend preparing to defend ourselves from violence, what about the post-event fallout?

Firearms usage and medical preparedness go hand in hand. Whether you’re enjoying a casual range day, hunting, shooting competitively, or carrying a concealed handgun in your everyday life, unfortunately mishaps can and do happen from time to time. Many shooting organizations and competitive bodies are increasingly encouraging or requiring their members and participants to include some form of trauma medical kit in their gear lists. Plenty of quality defensive shooting instructors are championing the practice of including medical gear in your EDC as well.  Galco Gunleather has shared a carry method that you may find useful. Meet the Galco Ankle Trauma Medical Kit, available now. The release reads:

EDC is always a hot topic, but the importance of medical gear is often overlooked. This might be because it doesn’t seem as sexy of a topic, but it is an important part of the gear we might need. There is a greater probability that we will need to plug holes than make them. This simply means the likelihood of us having to defensively protect ourselves is far outweighed by the probability we will come across someone in medical trauma needing medical gear. However, there are some drawbacks to medical gear. Often medical gear is large and difficult to carry, getting torn up when carried in a pocket or taking up valuable space for other tools. Defense Mechanisms came out with an ankle med kit to solve this problem. I previously had never carried anything on my ankle so it was a new endeavor for me, but it was worth the effort.

Walking through the Wednesday Pop-Up showcase is always a mixed bag.  Most of the booths are things that would not warrant a full display at SHOT.  I do, however, enjoy heading up there and looking for the diamonds in rough.  I think this year Rapid Stop Tourniquet was my favorite find.

Everyone should have a well-stocked medical kit. More-so, I think that all gun owners should have, at the very least, a small kit to deal with the injuries they have an increased chance of encountering. We all enjoy watching YouTube videos of “people doing dumb things and getting injured” but rarely do we see any of these “influencers” applying basic first aid. Let’s take a look at what should be in a gun owner’s EDC First Aid Kit.

There are endless tactical black or multi-cam bags on the market claiming to be “low profile”. These same bags display numerous Velcro patches, have pals webbing on the outside of the bag, and scream gun! However, the industry is starting to listen to those wanting a quality pack in a very non-descript package. In order to accomplish this task, the bag has to be able to sit next to your standard North Face or Jansport pack and not look substantially different. Let’s take a look at the Haley Strategic FlatPack.

When the subject is the future of infantry, the conversation inevitably turns to one thing: Powered, armored exoskeletons. Since the publication of Heinlein’s Starship Troopers in 1959, the concept of an armored suit with enhanced mobility from an internal power source has fascinated military futurists, quickly solidifying as a military fiction staple, and even appearing repeatedly in official “future soldier” concepts from armies and companies around the world.

In a recent letter released to Army general officers, Chief of Staff of the Army Mark Milley outlined a plan for reform of the Army’s development and procurement arms. In it, he also made mention of the Army’s plans for future individual weapons and equipment. Among those, the General mentioned a new piece of kit for the soldier: Exoskeletons. From the letter:

In the comments section of my recent article Are We Gearing Up to Lose the Next War? Overmatch, Part 2: Bullets & Backbreakers, two of TFB’s readers shared documents that help us describe the problem of the modern soldier and Marine’s load. The first, from reader cwolf, is a 2007 report by the Naval Research Advisory Committee entitled Lightening the Load. It is available on Slideshare here, or for download here. The second, from ReanerF, is a GAO report on personal protective equipment (PPE, i.e. body armor) from March of this year. In this brief post, we’ll be taking a glance at these reports, which I highly recommend interested readers make time to read in full.