REVIEW: ClawGear IFAK pouch

Everyone knows that I am a follower of med kits, technologies and skills. I feel that the aspect of first aid is often under looked in pretty much every application. I applaud anyone I see that carries a first aid kit in their car, even if they do not know how to use everything in it. The contents of this kit will still be useful to them in a first aid situation and could be even more useful to a first aid trained person that my be nearby. First aid kits can be purchased for very little in premade kits, or you can make them yourself to customize it to the products and materials that you like to use.

As everyone is also aware, if I can do it myself I probably will. With that being said, I am not always a fan of the quality of supplies included with premade kits. The bandaids are usually garbage, the gauze falls apart before you can use it and the tape wont even stick to itself most of the time. For the people that dont know any better, It is still better than having nothing with you. When you are making your own kit, you get more options as to how you plan to store your supplies as well. Instead of the generic red cross box or red bag, you can search the world of medical kits, pouches and bags to find something that suits your application perfectly.

Claw Gear IFAK

I would say the ClawGear IFAK would fall in at the level of  a small First Aid Kit (FAK) or an Individual First Aid Kit (IFAK). The internal storage offers lots of options for loop or pocket mounting. with a flip over cover for additional tool storage. The front is held shut with a single fastex buckle attached with milspec webbing that opens up to reveal a velcro closed mesh pocket that is ideal for holding immediate access supplies like gloves or a CPR mask. Once the outer flaps are open, you have access to a top handle that allows you to tear the kit out of its housing allowing for easier access and layout of all of your supplies. The outside of the pouch also features two single rows of molle webbing on each side as well as D rings to wear the pouch as a satchel or hang other equipment. The pouch is held shut by a heavy duty colour matched YKK zipper, the best there is.

Claw Gear IFAK

Once you’ve opened up the pouch you are displayed with a large selection of mounting and storage options. The front facing has one zippered pouch, good for medications, bandages, etc… as well as two large elastic loops that are great for gauze, kerlix or cohesive bandages. The other side of the pouch is where the magic happens. Immediately facing you is half a dozen different elastic loops for various supply storage that combine to a larger loop for keeping flat bandages, chest seals, or other flat supplies. On the right hand side of the pouch there is a pull tab that opens the main storage area to added tool storage. This is where you can keep your tweezers, scissors, scalpels, penlights and all of the fun stuff.

When it comes to construction, ClawGear does all the necessary tricks to build you a quality product. Double stitching is used on virtually every seam, x stitches for structure on attachment points and copious amounts of velcro where needed. The tear away portion is attached with not only a 5″x5″ velcro pad, but also four snaps (which are pretty much un necessary, but it certainly holds in place well). The MOLLE strapping on the back is made with a double thick layer of milspec webbing that has snaps on the end, it is three molle webs wide, but only has two straps for connection. You can add a third attachment if you see necessary, but it usually wont be.

This kind of brings us to the point of realizing the necessity of First Aid Training. As I have mentioned in previous articles, there are lots of supplies that you can carry. The catch to some of these nicer supplies is that you need to properly know how to use them. I get that some people cant afford to go out and get first aid training. There are a couple of things that you can do to over come this issue. Libraries often have a selection of first aid books, at a minimum you can read a book about it. Some knowledge is always better than none at all. You can also usually volunteer for your health and safety committees at work. On top of being able to obtain first hand knowledge and experience of first aid procedures, they will also likely fork over the money for your training. Dont think your workplace has a committee? Ask your boss, tell them you’re interested in knowing first aid so that you can help if ever needed and maybe they will cough up all or part of your costs.

I should end my little rant here, but you should take this point to think about what kind of first aid kit you might want to build for boo boos, general purpose or trauma. I would put the ClawGear IFAK on your list of things to look at when purchasing as it will fit the bill for less than $50. These little badboys are available from our sponsor Crypsis.

Tags: Claw Gear, ClawGear, edc, every day carry, featured, first aid, First aid kit, IFAK, practice, prep, prepared, prepping, scrape, simulator, Skills, Survival, survival kit, survival skills

Category: Soft Goods