The Military, “Blowout Kit!”
“Blowout kit” comes from the Military, and refers to a medical kit to treat life threatening wounds in the field. Your take on the terminology is that just like a tire has a blowout, so can you if you’re severely injured. A blowout kit is the human equivalent to a tire’s patch kit, which treats the sustained damage. Just as a patch kit is a temporary fix for a tire, a blowout kit is a temporary fix until a higher echelon of care can be reached, by a medical unit.
A blowout kit is designed to treat the three leading preventable causes of death in the field. These are Extremity Hemorrhage, 60%; Tension Pneumothorax, 33% and Airway Obstruction, 6%. While we say a blowout kit is used “in the field,” this doesn’t just refer to a military battlefield; it represents YOUR everyday field kit as well.
It can be driving to and from work; serving with local Law Enforcement, Fire or EMS; attending various shooting schools and everyday activities in between. If you find a personnel casualty while in the field, you should use that individual’s kit and not your own. One of the best things you can do it to go through it and see what there is inside and where to locate it when you need something. I would always add a few more things to it.
Below you will see what comes in most blowout kits and describe of the contents, enjoy and remember you can always have the kit, but if you do not know how to use it, then what good is it? Until next time
ITEM IDENTIFICATION ITEM USES
- H and H Compression Gauze
- Treat by packing wounds, securing SAMS Splints
- Combat Gauze
- Hemostatic agent for bleeding wounds
- Triangular Bandage
- Sling and Swath, securing splints
- Water Jel
- Treat burn injuries
- “H” Bandage
- Treat bleeding wounds, abdominal wounds
- Gloves BSI
- Alcohol Pads
- Clean sites
- Band-Aids
- Treat minor wounds
- Tape
- Securing items
- Iodine
- Cleaning sites, Water purification
- CAT Tourniquet Massive hemorrhage control
Gunner's Mate & EDM's Military Gear 