I got a chance to get my hands on Phokus Research Group's alternative to the sometimes bulky Individual First Aid Kits combat troops wear on their body armor vests. I saw the Sons Trauma Kit last week at the U.S. Army's Maneuver Warfighter Conference at Fort Benning, Ga., at the ADS Inc. booth.
This is a pretty good idea for grunts who want to trim down the kit they carry on their vests. The STK contains what you need to treat battlefield wounds, but it's designed to fit behind a standard Enhanced Small Arms Protective Insert.
The clear, medical grade vinyl packaging seems beefy enough to stand up to lots of abrasion.
The waterproof STK comes in a deployment and law enforcement configurations. There is also a hunter/hiker version. Here's what the deployment configuration contains:
QuikClot Combat Gauze x14" Z-Fold Gauze Bandage x2
14G Needle x1
Occlusive Dressing x2
NPA w/ 550 x1
3" Elastic Bandage x1
2" Safety Pins x2
Nitrile Gloves x1
Casualty Card x1
The STK weighs about a half a pound and is less than an inch thick. It is pricy though. The STK retails for around $210 for the deployment version. Phokus does says it offers government rates. It might be a lot cheaper if your unit buys them in bulk.
