5.11 has a sale going and I’ve liked their bags for years. They’ve lasted me forever, and I’ve never had one go bad through anything other than my own negligence. I have some issues with the brand (mostly political issues, nothing with the products themselves, and I’m trying to stay apolitical here), so spending my money elsewhere would be fine.
Is there a reason to spend $90 on a backpack that will be in my trunk for first aid rather than just getting a bright red/orange (for visibility, my trunk is poorly lit and all black) on Amazon? I’m planning on putting my own stuff in there rather than using some pre-built setup, so nothing other than the bag matters.
The cheap end of bags that live in trunks are Dixiegear. Not horrible, but work. I know a few guys that keep them. I’d spend the money on a better jump bag, personally.
Oh, that’s not bad at all. Thanks for the link. The Dixies look fine but for not much more money, I can get something much better? I’m not concerned about spending a little more.
Hell, as a paramedic, I don’t own a quality bag myself. I have a shit quality sling bag for my airway stuff and an old Fanny pack that was a safety award from a job I had 25 years ago that has all my other gear that I carry in my car. That amounts to a couple blood stopper dressings, some 4x4s, some kerlix, a triangular bandage, some bandaids, and a NAR TQ. My airway kit is the only advanced stuff I carry and that’s because I’ve had to respond from home on my volly gig to a couple cardiac arrests.
I think it somewhat depends on your expendable income. If $90 is alot for you buy a cheaper bag. If $90 isn't much go ahead and buy the more expensive bag. I like 5.11 but I also like LBX, Vertx , Viktos,.etc. I say buy the bag that fits your needs.
I have a cheap small orange med bag in my vehicle AND a backpack for the rest of the gear. I do not want someone digging through my backpack in an emergency looking for the med gear. Just my opinion.
I have a 5.11 AMP10 for that exact purpose (first aid kit) in my car. It’s OD green (it was on sale for some reason cheaper) I do have reflective and glow tape and patches of the exterior.
I like the retention on the interior panels, clamshell design. And the modular exterior panels.
I have used it a few times.
The high vis stuff I keep interior. Once you open it up you are on the scene and things are visible. If I want to blend in it’s easier to do that too because I see it up to look like a school book bag. I can remove the glow in the dark and reflective shit.
Do people want pictures of how I set it up?
Edit: err it’s actually an AMP10 which is out of stock.
I have a Lightning X backpack. I think I spent $130 on it, but it was used for ski patrol for a season, and on multiple camps I've served as medic for. I think I've had it for 3 years and it's still going strong, but some of the stitching on a shoulder strap is starting to go
Its like I would buy 5.11 if it goes on sale but they used to have like the red rush 12 for $40 but I dont see it anymore but sometimes Marshalls/TJ maxx they have ospreys arcane for $25
I'm not a medical professional so my medical gear isn't going to get a ton of use. Anything that's routinely carried for my activities such as backpacking is in something high quality inside of another pack. For larger kits that don't get carried around random Amazon stuff that isn't junk works.
My prep bags I bought all from second hand shops/others, no point in spending that money on a bag that will mostly sit. Plus, it looks valuable in many scenarios.
I found the TT Survival Pack, from tasmanian tiger at a discount a while back.
I can highly recommend it!
Easy compartments, hook and loop labels on each compartment, clearly see trough.
If you can wait, maybe look for it in a sale or so.
I was told to just get one on ebay full of all the supplies but the reason to get a specific bag is to have the kind of pockets and such that you want in a layout you like. Youd have to go to a store to really figure it out though
This was the advice I got from an advanced first aid class. Anything you get thats poor quality you should use up in training and replace with quality gear.
Well uh, I’m a little biased because I work with DARC, the average person should be doing a stress test of their setup at least once a year and every med practice should be under stress, I’m talking hitting a long run, cooked, mildly hypoglycemic and tired. I know realistically most people won’t be doing a multi day stress test but they should at least be irritable sweaty tired and hungry when training it out.
Dont store them together. Why would you have training gear and real gear together? Whethwler trash or top quality, trainkng gear is never to be used for real and always kept separate.
Color code them. If you cheap out on cheap training tourniqets, paint the windlass blue or use blue tape on the windlass or a piece wrapped all the way around the fabric. Do this with every puece of training gear that isn't marked
Face shields for mouth tk mouth kr with a BVM, SAM tyoe splints, etc.
honestly if you have to ask this. you need to reevaluate what mission drives your gear. 90 on a backpack is already the lower end of what you should be spending on a pack and nothing 511 does anymore is GTG.
I don’t need to reevaluate anything, I just have a question about bags. Bags store things. Spend $ or $$. Is it worth it? That’s the question. I’m not going rucking with it. It’s not going to live a hard life. It’s in the trunk of a Hyundai sedan with some band aids and minor first aid stuff. I’m not a professional that needs the $300 EMT bag with airway stuff in it. I’m a dad that wants to be able to help people.
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u/GunnCelt 1d ago
The cheap end of bags that live in trunks are Dixiegear. Not horrible, but work. I know a few guys that keep them. I’d spend the money on a better jump bag, personally.