Disclaimer: I am not a doctor nor to I portray one on TV. My advice below is only my opinion based on my experience as a former EMT and my years deployed on the battlefield. Seek your own training and continually improve your medical skillset.
The typical purpose of a vehicle med kit is to stabilize injuries until advanced help arrives. If you live in a city, an ambulance could be less than ten minutes away. We live rurally and depending where we are at on the road, an ambulance could be a half hour or more away. My med kit therefore needs to be a little more robust in capability. The main obstacles to vehicle med kits are typically space and temperature. So, when building your kit consider space available, temperatures your vehicle goes through, and of course your own skill level.
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Choosing your med kit bag is about the available space in your vehicle. You want it to be manageable in your vehicle but have enough space to hold what you need. If you have the room make it as big as you need.
Small First Aid Bag (2pack) Simple and easy to pack in a tight space. I have these in my kids vehicles. Holds the essentials.
Headrest Medical Kit Perfect for installing at the back of a headrest. The nice feature here is it Velcro backed and in an emergency gets ripped free of the headrest mount. Does not get in the way but can be seen from outside the vehicle so not a great choice in a high crime area.
The SOFTT-W tourniquet by TacMed Solutions and my personal TQ. It works no differently than a traditional CAT and has a separating buckle for trapped appendages where you can’t slide a traditional TQ in place.
Individually wrapped sterile 4”x4” bandages I also carry smaller 2”x2” bandages as well.
3” Gauze rolls can be used to wrap a dressing to secure it or entire rolls can be used to pack a wound without unrolling them.
QuikClot 3” Z-fold bandages use a natural clotting agent called Kaolin to accelerate your body’s natural clotting ability. They are more expensive than normal bandages but provide a massive life-saving advantage in the field. You can read my complete article on Quick Clot here: https://www.burgeondefense.com/blog/quikclot-gauze
Celox is a blood clotting agent (same concept as QuikClot) I use the small packets of the powder in all my med kits. It can be poured directly on the wound before you apply a dressing. Can be tricky to apply in rain or wind.
Israeli Style Bandage 6”. A med kit is just not complete with a couple of these. They also make 4” size which I carry in my ankle med kit. In my main bag I have two 6” and one 4”.
CPR Mask Everyday Carry These CPR masks have a great carrier pouch and can ft on your key ring. Simple way to provide a barrier.
CPR Mask for larger Med Bags Keep this on top or clipped to your bag strap. It has two masks one for adults and one for infants/children. They have a one-way valve and can connect directly to a bag valve hand pump.
Chest seals. twin pack The Hyfin Vented occlusive barrier provides a flexible but vented closure for open chest wounds. A chest puncture can occur in a vehicle accident so be ready for it.
I put a small handful of these band aids in a snack sized Ziploc inside my vehicle kit.
Eyewash. A sterile bottle of eyewash is important to wash out small objects. I keep one 1oz bottles in my vehicle kit.
I don’t carry any special eye shaped patches or gauze. I have a scissor and can create any unique shape I need with the gauze and bandages I already have.
Space blanket. The mylar thermal blanket has become a staple in almost every kit. When it gets cold just turn yourself into a baked potato and keep the body heat in. For a couple bucks a piece they are certainly worth it to have one per person.
Body warmers – Air activated hand or body warmers are worth their weight in a cold environment. I keep these in my vehicle kits in case I need to spend the night in my truck.
SAM Splint - Bulky but if you have the room it is necessary! This lightweight one splint wonder has been a staple in military and civilian medical kits for a long time. It is a thin flexible aluminum sheet covered in a semi-ridged foam. The SAM can be cut to size with scissors, just roll over the edge so it doesn’t dig in and cut the patient.
Scissors. This is a required item in my kits. Used to cut clothing, open med supplies, and trim bandages and splints. You may think a pocket knife is sufficient but they can easily injure a restless or aggressive patient. Medical scissors are safe and strong enough to cut through a seat belt like butter. There are two I recommend. First is a standard no frills Madison Supply stainless steel scissors used throughout the medical industry . Secondly, is the Raptor Rescue Shears, an upgraded version by Leatherman. These are the coolest scissors out there and they fold down and store in a belt holster. As can be expected from Leatherman, they are equipped with 6 essential tools, including folding emergency response shears, a strap cutter, a ring cutter, a ruler, an oxygen tank wrench and a carbide glass breaker.
Whistle – An emergency whistle for your vehicle is great to get attention when you need it.
Keychain or “Button” size Flashlight – Clip it to the inside flap of your kit to provide hands free lighting when digging through the bag. Cheap, just over a dollar a piece.
Durable Medical Tape. 1” rolls of cloth tape are an essential item. Strong enough to be used as a finger splint or hold bandages and gauze in place. They also make wider and narrower widths if you feel the need.
Instant Cold Packs. Shake, Squeeze, shake again, and you get 20-30 minutes of cold from these anywhere, anytime. If you got room in your kit carry one or two. Perfect for sprains, strains, headaches, and drama filled scraped knee kids.
Gloves – Nitrile gloves (not latex for allergy reasons). Don’t go cheap on these, make sure they fit and wont tear easily. Multiple pairs in a Ziploc inside your kit but also keep a set or two on the outside in a pouch like this one on your bag strap.
Triangular Non-Sterile Bandage. Used for arm slings, eye injuries, splint holds, etc. Tons of uses including a nice cool dude head cover if your stuck in the sun. It also has two safety pins which can be used for splinter removal, secure bandages, or holding your pants closed when a button breaks.
A vehicle med kit is by nature fairly minimal but doesn’t have to be if you have the room. Pay attention to expiration dates and anything affected by the temperatures your vehicle sits in. My prayer for you is that you will never have to use anything serious in your kit. Stay safe and stay researching for the reset.
