"Pick One"
“Pick One”
by Caleb Causey, hydration aficionado and owner of Lone Star Medics
The other day I presented a question on our social media accounts (FB and X) that sort of stirred up a conversation. Now, I know I may have been setting some folks up for failure right from the get go, but hear me out.
On “X” I posted a poll for 24hrs…
“You can only carry one piece of medical gear for your EDC (typical day for you), what would it be? Why would you choose that item?”
A. Tourniquet
B. EDC-style Bandage
C. Gauze
D. Triangle Bandage
Here is what the poll of 129 votes showed (percentage of the votes)
TQ…..68%
EDC ……12%
Gauze ……10%
Triangle Bandage ……10%
I knew the TQ would most likely be the favored item, but the real interesting part was the comments. Out of all those votes, only about 20 people made a comment answering “why.” Those comments were full of smart, and well thought-out reasons. Which most of those comments were also explaining why they chose “Triangle Bandage.” Which is what I would have chosen as well. In fact, several of the comments explaining their “why” were what I was thinking.
We all see it all the time, someone posts some sort of loadout for their everyday carry (EDC) items. A pistol, holster, flashlight, knife of some kind, one of those goofy mini pry bars, and if there are any medical supplies in the photo it usually is a lone tourniquet. Recently it is of a non-CoTCCC recommended medical device with zero peer reviews, studies, and claims made by the manufacturer on how superior it is for EDC. Claims that a SOFT has been doing for almost 20 years… and with data backing it up… and recommended by medical professionals instead of social media influencers. But I’m not going to continue that rant right now.
What I will rant about are two facts:
1. Most people do not understand the limitations or proper use of tourniquets, especially civilian laypersons who actually carry one on a daily basis.
2. Most people haven’t really war gamed their medical emergency plans.
Folks are always looking for the “Easy Button” no matter the subject. Unfortunately such a button does not exist when it comes to pre-hospital emergency medicine. Mindset, Education, and Tools win this battle and will every time. Recent studies have found that TQ’s are overused a majority of the time in the civilian pre-hospital setting. The study showed that while uncontrolled external bleeding is still a, if not the leading cause of preventable death in America; the severity of bleeding doesn’t always necessitate the need for a TQ. That study tells us that a simple pressure bandage is adequate enough for most pre-hospital scenarios requiring hemorrhage control. This comes back to a lack of Education, or proper training in the appropriate use of various hemorrhage control techniques. Techniques that are fundamental medical skills every person should know as well as their own phone number.
The second common issue I see is that folks really haven’t thought things through. Their Mindset, Education, Tools tells them they should carry dependable defensive tools such as a pistol, some sort of knife, and probably OC spray as a go-between between harsh language and lethal force for when a self-defense situation arises. What happened to using that same MET when it comes to medical emergencies? I ask my students all the time, “How many of you have used any of your defensive Tools to defend yourself or a loved one in the past 12 months?” No one raises their hands. Then I’ll ask, “How many of you saw a car wreck on your way to work this week?” Almost every hand is raised up. So you’ll invest in thousands of dollars buying Tools and accessories for a scenario that has a low probability yet high yield; but with that same Mindset you won’t invest two-hours in training (at a bare freaking minimum) and about $100 in medical gear for a scenario that has a high probability and high yield? That doesn’t make any sense at all!
Even if they do have kind of the right MET; they only carry a TQ and say with a straight face, “Heck yea, I carry med gear… I got a TQ!” and that’s it. They must have a magic crystal ball that tells them exactly how their medical emergency is going to play out before it does. That crystal ball tells them they are only going to bleed out of one of their arms or legs, and nowhere else on their body (because TQ’s only go on the arms and legs and they’re only carrying one TQ.) I do not own a working crystal ball and therefore must plan accordingly. So for my response to my own question above, I will choose versatility over limitations. Is there a time and place for improvised medicine? Absolutely there is. Can I improvise a lot of stuff? Sure I can. Is what I “create” going to work as well or at all compared to say a SOFT tourniquet or a HALO chest seal? One way to find out, unfortunately that may be a costly trial & error session.
Pro Tip: you COULD attend an actual class that teaches you how to maximize minimalistic gear and maybe even how to better improvise Tools… should you run out of the real stuff. Oh, yea, that happens. What? You didn’t war game what happens when only one or two people sustain multiple injuries that burns up all your supplies in your scenario? That crystal ball of yours is on fire, yo!
The triangle bandage (aka cravat) is a medic’s best friend. The multi-tool of the med kit. It is the Jack of all trades, yet master of none; which is a fairly accurate statement for a triangle bandage. With the right MET, and I’m not saying any of those three need to equivalent to the 18D course. I’m saying that with the right mindset and training, you can get a lot done with such a simple device. It isn’t the end-all, be-all Tool that can do everything. It is a Tool that can do a lot… and is compatible with several character traits I’m looking for in “a single EDC medical item.” But it too has limitations and is not the only Tool I want to carry as part of my EDC loadout. There are times when it has been the only tool, for reasons. Alas, my question up top was simply to see where people’s Mindset, Education, Tools are at. Not advocacy for carrying only one piece of medical gear for your everyday carry.
Drink Water,
- Caleb