Every thunderstorm begins with a single drop. Try to be this drop. Lorenzo Orsetti

The various sections of this handbook that pertain to medicine cover a great deal of equipment in an attempt to provide discussion about most of the items medics carry to actions. You do not need to acquire everything that was listed to be an effective medic. Most injuries are minor, and a major part of being a medic is providing emotional care to patients (something you need no equipment for). Knowing what to bring and what to leave behind is an important skill to develop. On one hand, you might be tempted to be prepared for every possible situation and overpack. On the other, you might think “I don’t really need this” and leave important equipment behind. This page will discuss ways to balance what to bring to actions.

Avoid Posturing #

When you are considering what equipment to acquire, consider whether you are making your choices based on what is the most useful for your goals or whether you are trying to become some idealized version of an Elite Riot Medic Warrior. Tacticool, a portmanteau of “tactical” and “cool,” is a derisive term used to describe equipment that looks cool but is unnecessary or not fit for purpose. It is not uncommon to see tacticool medics who have far too much personal protective equipment, are massively over-equipped, and yet manage to be wildly ineffective in their duties. You do not need an abundance of equipment to be a useful medic. You do not need to impress anyone with your gear. Acquire a minimal amount of actually useful equipment to start, and acquire more as you need it. Don’t be tacticool. Be practicool.

Additionally, if you don't know how to confidently use a tool, it isn't worth anything to you. It can even cause more harm than good. For example, while a suture kit might be cool to have and carry, without the training and skills to use it, it amounts to little more than a trinket. The cost is much better spent on wound care tools you know how to use.

Your Medic Bag #

Your medic bag should be something you can run and move quickly with, and should be sturdy, so you don't end up sprinkling supplies as you run to help someone. Simple backpacks or messenger bags are generally good choices, but it's often best to avoid the Dollar Store varieties. Your bag needs to be comfortable and suited for the environment you will be in. For example, bags that are worn over one shoulder may make it difficult to run, and carrying a bag in your hand is impractical and inadvisable.

Bespoke EMS backpacks, that is to say, those that are mass-produced and designed for the job typically have one main interior compartment, possibly with a large divider. They unzip all the way and open up like a clamshell so that their entire contents are visible and accessible at once. The equipment inside is divided into smaller pouches with clear plastic fronts so that their contents are visible. These pouches are usually color-coded and labeled to help medics quickly find what they are looking for. Pouches are often divided into a single responsibility such as bleeding control or CPR.

Beyond simple organization, your bag should be set up in a way that makes the most sense to you. As you work in the field, do not be afraid to make mental or written notes on optimizations for later modification. There is no hard and fast rule about what has to go where, and the best-organized kit is one where its primary user knows where everything is.

Following these simple guidelines will make it easier for you to find what you are looking for, and moreover, it will make it easier for your buddy or a bystander to help you find something. When your bag is well organized, you will know where everything is, and you can direct someone to hand you what you need by saying “Tourniquet. In the large red pouch.” Commonly used items such as examination gloves, a few gauze pads, trauma shears, and medical tape should be easily accessible. Medics will often put these into vest pockets or use a small hip or waist bag. MOLLE or ALICE-compatible equipment can be used with small pouches for commonly used items.

Clean Bags #

A clean bag is a bag that never has anything put into it that you wouldn’t bring to an action. What you bring is always up to you, but in some cases, this may mean a bag that has never had a weapon, recreational drug, or private document in it. As a medic, you may be stopped and searched, and you do not want to have forgotten to remove something from your bag, or have residue that a detection dog may be able to smell, which can result in additional delays and detainment. Use of a clean bag is a protection against accidents.

Even if it is illegal to bring weapons to a demonstration, you still may choose to do so for self-defense. In this case, putting weapons into your clean bag doesn’t violate the rule because it is something you have chosen to do knowing the risks. Having a dedicated bag for your medic gear is recommended in general. It makes packing easier since all of your gear is already packed from the previous action. Having a dedicated bag is a prerequisite for having a clean bag.

Packing Considerations #

Your bag has finite space, so you will have to prioritize its contents based on what you expect to use. As a reminder, if you don't know how to use something, or if using it requires an environment you won't be able to find in the field, leave it out of the bag.

Self care #

You should always bring water and food for yourself. You cannot help other people if you become weak and exhausted from not eating all day. Your food should be in sealed containers or packaging to prevent contamination from riot control agents or body substances. For this, a double-layer approach is always the best protection.

Protecting Food from Contamination #

In all cases, you want at least two layers between what you are going to put into your body and any potential contamination. The backpack itself does not count in this calculation. Say for example you have a sealed granola bar. The sealed packaging on the granola bar counts as the first layer, and a heavy-duty ziplock-type bag could be the second layer. For an item that is directly exposed to the atmosphere, like a sandwich or a piece of fruit, it is best to bag this twice.

If there is a risk of contamination, the best approach is to wipe down both your hands and the layer with a sanitary wipe; and then proceed to the second layer, which you also wipe thoroughly, before wiping your hands a second time, and then opening the food item and consuming it.

Protecting Water from Contamination #

For this, you want a water bottle with a good seal. Importantly, the water bottle should not have any straw or easy open functions, as these are points of entry for potential contamination. You want a high-quality water bottle that has a screw-top lid with a seal. If it may be contaminated, it should be wiped thoroughly with a sanitary wipe over the entire thing before it is opened. In all cases, if the water is discolored, or has an abnormal smell or taste, it should be assumed to be contaminated and discarded.

Protecting from the Elements #

Sunblock and extra layers of clothing may be appropriate depending on the weather. Remember that sunburn can happen even in overcast skies, and even during winter. Sunburn is dangerous for many reasons, but also raises the risk of disabling you, or slowing you down. An approved sunscreen with an SPF of at least thirty, that is not oil-based is advisable to be worn during all daytime events.

Don’t weigh yourself down #

You need to be able to keep pace with a moving action. This may just be marching all day, but it may also mean running, climbing stairs, and hopping fences. You must be capable of moving with your bag at a running pace. If you cannot keep up with an action, you cannot help anyone. Additionally, you are more agile with a lighter bag and this may help you avoid arrest. Take what you know how to use. If you have not trained with equipment, don’t bring it to an action. A stressful situation is the wrong time to learn to use new equipment. Leave it at home until you are comfortable using it.

Prioritize for common injuries #

The most common injuries are:

• Simple wounds (cuts and scrapes)

• Dehydration

• Low blood glucose

• Riot control agent contamination

• Overheating (summer) and hypothermia (winter)

Pack for these injuries first. The bulk of your bag should be dedicated to handling these types of injuries. Specialized equipment for less commonly seen injuries takes up space that is usually better used to care for patients you will more frequently encounter. If you know of a type of injury that is particularly common to your environment or event, pack treatment for it. For example, if you're expecting cold weather, mylar emergency blankets are high-value items, but if it's a heat wave, instant cool packs are a much more efficient tool.

Pack for many patients #

Many actions require little to no medical support, but you may also have many patients on any given day, and any situation can rapidly evolve into a mass-casualty incident. You should have enough gauze and bandages to treat many people. It's also important to remember to pack only what you can afford to lose. While at an action, your equipment may be damaged, stolen, or confiscated. Consider the frequency with which police confiscate things from protesters before bringing hard-to-acquire or expensive equipment to action.

Have eyewash easily accessible #

Your eyewash bottle should be easily accessible so that you can self-treat in the event you get pepper spray or other riot control agents in your eyes. You must be familiar with the type of Eye wash bottle you are carrying. Commercially available saline solution bottles can work, as can bottles designed specifically for that purpose, regardless, it's best to practice so that the first time you are flushing your or someone else's eyes out is not when they are contaminated.

Pack as a team #

Not every medic needs to carry a full loadout of all available gear. Generally, one medic per team can carry a large bag with less common equipment, and each medic carries a basic bag with gauze, medical tape, and examination gloves in the appropriate size. If you are working in a group, discuss with the group who will be responsible for what supplies, and work to make sure that everyone knows who is responsible for what.

Consider omitting (some) PPE #

Not every action is going to be tear-gassed, and a large respirator can be overly conspicuous and take up a great deal of space. For actions where you don’t expect tear gas or significant pepper spray, consider sticking only swimming goggles and a filtering half-mask respirator in a vest pocket. Importantly, you should never omit first aid-related PPE. Gloves and CPR barriers are a must-have to help keep both patient and medic safe.