{"id":1338,"date":"2012-07-23T07:00:24","date_gmt":"2012-07-23T12:00:24","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/hammerheadcombatsystems.org\/?p=1338"},"modified":"2012-07-23T07:00:24","modified_gmt":"2012-07-23T12:00:24","slug":"where-are-you-ptk","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thetacticalhermit.com\/index.php\/2012\/07\/23\/where-are-you-ptk\/","title":{"rendered":"Where are you PTK??"},"content":{"rendered":"

(By Contributing Author Mark Edwards<\/strong>)<\/em><\/p>\n

A few days before the\u00a0tragic\u00a0Batman Movie Massacre\u00a0in\u00a0Colorado, I found myself without\u00a0my Pocket Trauma Kit (PTK).\u00a0\u00a0In\u00a0my daily travels,\u00a0I\u00a0find my brain dwelling on tasks at hand, and then at stop lights,\u00a0sometimes\u00a0wondering what I forgot to bring along.\u00a0\u00a0On a recent Thursday, it was my PTK.<\/p>\n

Some background might be in order.\u00a0\u00a0A few years back,\u00a0I took a course in Tactical Combat Casualty Care, or TCCC, as it is known for short.\u00a0\u00a0Since that course, I immediately re-evaluated what I carry with me\u00a0in\u00a0my vehicle, my workbag, what I have at home,\u00a0fighting bag and\/or pockets.\u00a0\u00a0I\u2019ll focus on the pockets today.<\/p>\n

So you might have had the revelation that\u00a0\u201cif you can make holes” with lead projectiles or\u00a0sharp pointy things, perhaps it might be a good idea to have\u00a0a way to plug some holes? \u00a0Put another way; to\u00a0give yourself a chance to stop your own traumatic bleeding or that of a loved one.\u00a0\u00a0Gun shot wounds (GSW\u2019s) are bad and knife wounds can be even worse.\u00a0\u00a0I have my normal trauma kit\u00a0in a back pack in my vehicle trunk, and another at home.\u00a0 But, hey, if you need to stop bleeding,\u00a0RIGHT NOW, where you stand or sit, what\u00a0are you going to\u00a0do?<\/p>\n

So back to the PTK.\u00a0\u00a0Why have it\u00a0at all?\u00a0\u00a0It’s another thing to manage, right?\u00a0\u00a0I\u2019m a fan\u00a0of the Keep It Simple Stupid or (KISS) approach. But when I checked\u00a0my cargo pants pocket\u00a0that day\u00a0it hit me:\u00a0\u00a0\u201cIf I get in\u00a0a car\u00a0wreck and puncture an artery, or catch a bullet through the wall of a movie theatre, I may not be able to get to my car trunk.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0The scenarios are, of course, endless, but imagine\u00a0this one:\u00a0 you catch a bullet\u00a0while at a stop light because\u00a0of some\u00a0gang activity.\u00a0 At that point, plugging a hole may be more important to your survival than firing back.\u00a0 Let\u2019s assume it is\u2026so,\u00a0time is of the essence.\u00a0\u00a0Again, getting to\u00a0the car trunk\u00a0still might not be feasible, so carry on your person is the most viable option.<\/p>\n

A few more assumptions\u2026you establish and agree that a PTK is good for your world.\u00a0\u00a0And you know enough about basic combat medicine to stop or reduce arterial bleeding to put a few\u00a0common medical supplies\u00a0to use.\u00a0 And\u00a0let\u2019s assume that\u00a0you practice accessing said items with either hand, and while seated, flat on your back, or standing.\u00a0 Good, now\u00a0what to put in\u00a0your PTK?<\/p>\n

Every possible version of contents could differ depending on what you do, your climate, work environment and type of clothing\/dress.\u00a0\u00a0You will find endless reference material on YouTube for both large and small trauma kits, some pocket-sizes and some not.\u00a0 But\u00a0I keep mine simple.\u00a0\u00a0I have long since removed boo-boo type stuff (band-aids, anti-bacterial goop,\u00a0alcohol prep pad)\u00a0after the TCCC studies.\u00a0\u00a0Keep in mind,\u00a0the following two features that were important for me:\u00a0 light\u00a0weight\u00a0and thin enough to carry at all times, and with just stuff to patch\u00a0a GSW or stab wound or other puncture wound.<\/p>\n

Here is a starting point:<\/p>\n