Do you know the history of IFAK ? This great medical bag used all over the world thanks to its efficiency and speed of use. Well that's what we're going to see today.
THE ORIGIN OF IFAK
The individual first aid kit, known as "IFAK", means individual first aid kit". The first IFAK pocket known to date was manufactured and marketed in 1998 by the company SOTECH. At the time, it was called the " Compact individual medical pouch (CIMP)".
Designed with the help of an 18D Special Forces medic named Chris Dwiggins, this pouch had slots for everything including tourniquet and pressure bandages. This was a game changer for the world of first aid kits.
THE EVOLUTION OF IFAK
Very quickly, this pouch was appreciated and other companies began to innovate on their side by designing their own individual first aid kits. Click here to discover some of them.
THE UNITED STATES MARINE CORPS IFAK
Around the same time the US military was issuing its IFAK, the US Marine Corps and US Navy developed and began issuing their own version of an IFAK, and by 2004 it was standard issue for all Marines as part of their basic equipment. This IFAK consisted of two modules, a trauma kit and a minor first aid kit, which were carried in a pouch.
THE trauma kit , delivered in a vacuum sealed bag, includes these components:
- Bandage, elastic, (2 EA) (field dressings)
- Bandage, gauze, (2 rolls)
- Tourni-Kwik tourniquet, one-handed, (1 EA)
- Wound Pack (QuikClot), Hemostatic Treatment, (1 EA)
US ARMY IFAK (Improved First Aid Kit)
This kit replaced the original US Army IFAK. It comes in a pouch with a collapsible insert that needs to be removed and is attached to the pouch with a lanyard. The insert contains the following:
- Tourniquet, combat application (CAT, combat application tourniquet)
- Bandage kit, elastic
- Gauze Bandage 4-1/2″ 100/Pkg
- Surg Tape 2″ 6’s Roll
- Airway, nasopharyngeal, 28fr, 12s
- Glove, patient exam 100/pkg (4ea)
- Cover, IFAK
Check out all of our medical pouches here .