r/TacticalMedicine • u/rima2022 • Jun 24 '25

TCCC (Military) The necessary extras

Being a medic in Ukraine means you have to get creative with your improvised kit due to resource constraints or lack of access. Teaching is where I usually hear the wilder ones but it leads me to ask,

What extra kit are you packing in your med bag that isn't traditionally on the list?

For example, I carry duct tape and a role of cling wrap in mine for various needs, taping down an improvised chest seal, or using cling wrap to keep bandages that need to be wet from drying out (plus a bunch of other things you can use cling wrap for).

(Please don't say tampons)

35 Upvotes

94% Upvoted

16 comments sorted by

23

u/Douglesfield_ Jun 24 '25

I honestly never thought how versatile cling wrap could be until someone pointed it out.

6

u/OctopusGoesSquish Jun 24 '25

Regularly stocked on ambulances in the UK because of its utility

5

u/Appropriate-Bird007 Jun 25 '25

We stock it on ours [US].

1

u/deathmetalmedic EMS Jun 29 '25

And Australian ambulances

9

u/tribalghostx Jun 24 '25

Same as you but also extra knife, glucose gel, tylenol, paracord

8

u/GrandTheftAsparagus Jun 24 '25

A bunch of these stupid clamps: https://amzn.eu/d/i3ISs8E

Organize loose IV lines and tubes

Clamp the ends of an open hypothermia blanket together

Turn any flat object into a clipboard

Hot hand packs: https://amzn.eu/d/121nQi0

Before commercial fluid warming devices, we would wrap the IV lines around a hand warmer, leaving enough of the line to radiate excess heat.

I’ve seen someone carry these for long litter evacuations, but personally I would never: https://amzn.eu/d/5reIngu

2

u/GMKdisplacedone Jul 11 '25

I did the hot or cold pack to warm/cool fluids on the ambulance for years. I just showed that trick to some of my peers last week in the ICU because all the Belmonts were in use on other patients.

1

u/GrandTheftAsparagus Jul 11 '25

This guy medics!

5

u/CGNvaardig Medic/Corpsman Jun 25 '25

Not regulated or recorded by the MoD, but having personal preference through learning and always mission depedent:

  • Small dutch flag (for above pt while hold/transport)
  • Cling wrap (burns, watertight etc)
  • Duct tape and tie wraps (repair, holding)
  • Tongue depressors (splint, anamnesis)
  • Self-adhesive bandages (when i’am lazy)
  • Spare batteries (in case)
  • Safety line (cuf, halo)
  • Headlamp (spare)
  • Power gel (in case)
  • Carabiner (hang bag)

2

u/the_selectus Jun 26 '25

Can you explain the Dutch flag?

7

u/CGNvaardig Medic/Corpsman Jun 26 '25

I’am Dutch so… or do you mean why I use them? I place the flag above the patient while in the exfil platform or on the holding area, so when they when they wake up or regain consciousness they know they (mostly dutch or partner/coalition forces) are in good hands.

1

u/lefthandedgypsy TEMS Jul 06 '25

How about the tongue depressor for anamnesis ?

2

u/CGNvaardig Medic/Corpsman Jul 06 '25

Sorry, i guess i made an translation error. We use the TD sometimes for a guided insertion from an OPA

2

u/lefthandedgypsy TEMS Jul 11 '25

Ohhh, gotcha!

4

u/Lazerbeam006 Jun 26 '25

As a 911 EMT, trashbags are great for when someone has multiple gunshot wounds. When someone is blown up or pumped full of holes and you need a chest seal for their whole chest, just use a trash bag and duct tape it on their body.

1

u/[deleted] Jun 25 '25

Civilian here, just to learn interesting stuff and make lists as this is both my hobby and job (designing-wise).

Reflective tape would be my recommendation but it ain't experience-backed. I just think that making things visible (in a no-longer hostile environment) is really valuable.