I’ve been running with the Deploy Trauma Kit on ropes for a couple of months now and figured it was time for a gear review.
First impressions were great, and after a couple months of (ab)use in the field, they still hold up. It’s a well designed and seriously robust bit of kit that’s designed for the tough conditions we find ourselves in. The quick release mechanism is spot on, exactly what you want in a situation where seconds matter and you rarely have both hands free.
After a couple of months on the harness, getting dragged in and out of the kit bag, climbing through hatches, squeezing and snagging through structures, this thing has held up incredibly. I have no worries about the sturdiness of this kit.
Originally I had some issues finding the perfect spot for it on my harness; the molle attachment system was ridiculously secure but mounted to the waistbelt it overlapped the gear loops a little too much. I reached out to Dan Dass with some feedback and he literally sat down at his sewing machine that night and built a new ‘dog-bone’ attachment system so the system can mount centrally to the dorsal strap. That’s the kind of innovation we need in this industry.
The contents of the kit are exactly what you need in a worst case scenario, just enough to cover you for a heavy/traumatic bleed in a high risk situation.
Training for major bleeds while actually on ropes is something we should all take seriously. We practice rescues, we take first aid courses, but combining the two is where reality is. I want to know if something goes wrong with a panel of glass or a power tool, I have what I need to take care of myself or my colleagues.
Solid work Reecoil, this is clearly designed by people who do the job.
This kit will stay permanently on my harness, hopefully I never have to use it.
Joseph Long - Rope Access Specialist, Project Manager
