2016 $25 and $50 Gift List

Once again I decided to join the $25 and $50 Pistol-Forum Secret Santa thing.  Last year I got a Celox Rapid and a SOF-T TQ, both of which I used within two weeks of getting them.  Since the holiday gift giving season is right around the corner its always good to know what you can (and should) buy the loved ones, friends and people you generally dislike but still have to purchase something for.  I always default to giving and asking for medical/trauma items that are consumable.  Specifically because a lot of these have a year or two shelf life and should be rotated out around the expiration date.  

$25 LIST:

There are a range of tourniquets you can purchase, so make sure you get the right one and type: The R.A.T.S. TQ has been gaining popularity, I have one but have not had the chance to use it.  My default, "go to" tourniquet is more than $25 though, but the TacMed SOFTT GenII TQ is $21.  I have one and it deploys slightly different, has a tension screw.  Still works really well.  Do yourself a favor and stay away from clones of the NAR CAT TQ, you don't know where they were made with what quality standards and they might as well be airsoft quality; bottom line you would not want them used on you and you should not want to use them on others.  A cheap alternative is a SWAT T TQ.  I had one and used it once and was not happy with the result but something is better than nothing, there are people who use them actively so your experience may differ from mine.

Hemostatic blood clotting solutions are absolutely necessary when you have a serious bleed.  They come in a very wide range of types and applications.  Celox has a few variations, they have a large gauze pad for large area bleeds, as does Quikclot, there is also a Quikclot Sport series of  hemostatic bandages which are all under $20 or so.  I am a fan of Celox, specifically because I have used it with good results.  Celox has a standard 15g Blood Clotting Solution, these are not pads they are granules, newest version which is being fielded right now by RU units in Syria and the Ukrainian theaters of war, which I posted about here.  If, for whatever reason you need something that a little bit more potent, there is a 35g Celox version which will stop most severe bleeds.  But you still need a pad or gauze.  Israeli Bandages come in different sizes, the 6" (linked) is my "go to" for these types of bandages.  H&H bandages are another good bandage which I carry in my Ryker AFAK.  So you could probably get away with spending around $25 for a pack of Celox and a good bandage, put them in a zip lock bag with a good set of gloves and you should be good to go.

Do not forget to either get a FOX Chest Seal or a  NAR Hyfin, both work really well and can be easily substituted for the proven HALO Seal, all of which are an easy solution to have for a sucking chest wound.

Of course you can get some cutting sheers and a Magpul DAKA Pouch to carry all this stuff in (its water tight by the way, I carry my med stuff this way).

$50 LIST:

The $50 items are pretty much the "better" and "cooler" versions of the above.  Celox Z-Fold and Tac Med SOF T Wide TQ, both of which are my EDC items on duty and off.  I also carry a Celox Granule Applicator and Plunger Set and a Celox Rapid Ribbon, all of which have different uses and applications, of course some will cover others.  I keep everything in a DAKA pouch.  

Some guys like to get the NAR Officer Kit, doesn't just work for LEO's, but can be easily used and applied by the CCW citizen.

All the above can be carried in a Ryker AFAK, I wear one everyday on duty and have used it successfully.  For the LEO's who don't seem to have space on their rigs or ankles because of whatever reason, I have been wearing a TacMed UMK, you can get it with a SOF T Wide for $43.23 off their site or the UMK itself for around $11-$15 depending on where you find it.  I'll be doing a review of it soon.  It holds two pouches of blood clot or bandages, a TQ and a chest seal.  Best part is that it is on your person at all times, even if you take a bullet to the vest you still have the very items you need to deploy to render life saving care.

As always with anything of this nature, please seek professional medical training before attempting to apply any advanced life saving care to anyone.  It is one thing to pour some granules into someone's gun shot wound in their arm, it is something completely different to do the same when they have a sucking chest wound.  Getting professional instruction on this topic is extremely important should be sought out.  Many ER's and hospitals offer these types of classes by request or you can find one of the numerous trainers for this type of thing, like Dark Angel Medical or an "official" style course can be found through the NAEMT.  Any training is better than no training.

Non-Medical $25 and $50 LIST:

There is always cool stuff that is out which we want for EDC or want to give someone who has an EDC that may be lacking in some capacity.  

Streamlight 2AA - $40 and was my "go to" light for a while until I very recently switched to a different light.  You can read my review here.

Streamlight MicroStream - $18 and has been my backup light for a long time.  It is a great little light which has a lot of potential and versatility.  I use it for reading documents without drowning them out with a high lumen light as well as clearing rooms that I need to get light into without entering them.  I usually give these as gifts to children because they are a good size and easily replaced if broken.  You can read my review here.

Ka-Bar TDI LE Blade - $40 and is a very good little blade.  I have had several over the years and have carried one for a while in various configurations and styles of sheaths.  There is no lack of aftermarket support for them.

SKD Gloves - $30-$60 depending on size and style.  I am a huge fan of these gloves and they are my everyday glove for nearly all tactical related stuff.  They just work well and the new Delta Utility Gloves work really well with touch screen phones and are nice and snug.  

Ameriglo Defoor Sights - $35 and the front Tritium Dot $50 - are a fantastically accurate upgrade to your OEM or otherwise inaccurate Glock sights.  

Sharpie Broad, Sharpie King and/or Sharpie Magnum - all around $3-$5, you should always be carrying a marker which will be stay on skin.  If you apply a TQ you need to write the time of application.  You sometimes need to write on stuff or cover something else that is written.  Worst case you can use it as a blunt impact tool.  Yes, you should have a pen as well (Sharpie Pens are great).

Moleskine Leather Journal - $20 (depending on configuration) is something everyone should have.  No you don't use it to write down who you like or some other highschool drama stuff, use it to write down your thoughts, your drills, your scores for standards, write out concepts which you want to revisit, write out quotes you hear and want to remember, then what they mean.  There is a whole scribe process and protocol which I will be posting about eventually.

RFID Blocking Slim Wallet - $10 to $50 depending on configuration.  We are all changing over to chip cards and our wallets are getting bigger for some reason.  Small wallets do not lead to the same types of back problems and having an RFID shield blocking people from getting your info is always a good idea. 

Car DVR - $40-60, specifically the G1W which is not that expensive but offers a good amount of features for the price.  Cheap insurance for what may happen on the road.  Do not forget to get a 32gb Class 10 micro SD Card for it.