[300winmag]

Just some idle ramblings coming in the next few posts about our Hobbit Hole troop efforts. With all the mud they're trying to sling at all our troops, we have to refocus our thoughts on helping out however we can.

Along those lines, I've come to the conclusion that our efforts, aside from prayer, falls into the two distinct areas of food/goodies/comfort items, and handy hardware. Sort of "Hobbit Hole Snacks" and "Hobbit Hole Skunk Works".

I feel one of my duties in the Skunk Works (plenty of room for volunteers) is to keep an eye out for equipment to make the troops' lives safer and more comfortable. That brought me to the first item, which might also interest any of you who live more than a couple of minutes from effective EMS service.

First is the QuikClot trauma kit, which is already in the supply system with an official NSN. This costs Uncle Sam $18 apiece, and each Marine gets one. The Army issues a bunch to medics, but individual soldiers don't get them because they "cost too much". Big middle finger to the US Army on that one.

Reading up on this thing, it's a powder that is sprinkled directly onto the wound, where it coagulates the blood and stops the bleeding. It has been credited with saving many lives in combat already, because it can even stop major arterial bleeding, and can be self-applied with one hand. Also included are two bandages, and a compression bandage/tourniquet that can also be applied one-handed. It's designed from the ground up to be used by untrained personnel.

Questions: Are our Army troops getting these? Should we be asking guys like Steve about this? Do any of you see the need for something like this in your home first-aid kit?

I bought one to check out, although I have no plans for any traumatic injuries with arterial bleeding. But it will stay with my first aid supplies.

[300winmag]

Now for a less-serious, but still nifty, item from the Skunk Works: the QuiqLite. Again, this is already in the military supply system with a NSN, but who knows how available it is? (I remember being in the National Guard in the 1970s seeing brand-new nylon LC2 web gear being sold as surplus at gun shows when its existence was totally unknown in the Guard.)

Basically, the light clips over a pocket, armor strap, or helmet band. The light swivels 90 degrees, and the LED gets about 40 hours of constant use from the watch batteries that power it. The LEDs come in red, white, green, and night-vision blue. It would look good clipped next to our Hobbit Hole knife. Cost is comparable to the Photo Microlight. One advantage is that this is a no-handed light.

Just food for thought. Christmas is coming, and the Skunk Works takes pride in exercising due diligence in seaching out neat-but-practical stuff for our troops.

[RosieCotton]

BTW, if you are going to continue with low carb type eating in CO, it appears to be WAY worth it to buy in bulk, even though it may cost a bit to begin with. Remember I said I bought a big pack of chicken for ten dollars instead of the small one I usually get? Usually it's something like three dollars for a small package.

Today I broke up the big pack and put the amount I'd normally make for a meal in baggies and put most of them in the freezer. Each meal usually makes enough for dinner PLUS some to have with a salad for lunch the next day. And I must seven or eight meals' worth, easy. I kept taking piece after piece outta that package - I couldn't believe how much it ended up being! I'm set for a WHILE.

Now I'm trying to remember how much big packages of fairly inexpensive cuts of beef were. A lot, I think...but it might still be worth it.

Had lemon ginger garlic chicken for dinner, with a sorta Greek salad made with cucumber, olives, onion and feta cheese, with a vinegar dressing. Turned out good.

[osagebowman]

That is a really nifty idea. I googled it up and civilian price appears to be about $40.00 for the 'battlepac' and $25.00 for the quikclot. Fairly reasonable, all things considered. Might not need it more than once, but better to have etc.

Thanks very much for posting this.

btw, the flashlight is pretty cool as well.

[SuziQ]

How much is that kit, WM? That might be handy in my Girl Scout Troop First Aid kit, and for my son's Boy Scout Troop kit.

[smaagee]

Should we be asking guys like Steve about this?

I can see where that would be useful in general. However speaking for the 22 of us we have 10 Trained Combat lifesavers with fully stocked bags. This is something our Commander actually considered before we left. We generally have one in each truck in addition to our standard first aid kit. This could prove useful for others whose commanders didnt have the forsight to realize that people were getting hurt here. Thanks again for your thoughts and concern. Steve

[g'nad]

I bought one to check out, although I have no plans for any traumatic injuries with arterial bleeding.

I'd be happy to enlist some volunteers fer a trail run... got a few candidates in mind...

I've heard about these QuikClots... they're the s#!t...

[2Jedismom]

Wow...now I am really impressed with this kit. Really appeals to the RN in me!