Offering airsoft orientated first aid kits

[Unionjack]

Hi, long time lurker here. I apologise if this has been posted before, I couldn't find anything on it.
The idea I had was providing custom med kits for players to keep on them while playing. Items it could include:

Bleed stopping items such as bandages, gauze, steri strips and band aids.
Burn gel
Nitrile gloves
Cpr mask
Tape
Sachet of saline solution
All packed in a thick ziplock bag, for waterproofing, or for easy transfer to a dedicated ifak pouch.
I could include items such as tourniquets but of course this would drive the price up. The swat-t is a good alternative though for £11. Definitly open to suggestions of what to add, or custom kits.

While there are plenty of potions on the market, many are quite pensive and full of things not needed by the average airsoft player. I am trying to gauge what kind of demand there would be for such an item.

Many thanks.

[Caldymoose]

Re: Offering airsoft orientated first aid kits

I could include items such as tourniquets but of course this would drive the price up..

Bloody hell, the day I need a tourniquet for its actual use rather than for show when I'm airsofting is the day I leave the sport.

On a more serious note overall demand is likely to be very weak to the point its not worth it. You're average air softer who plays a few times a month and doesn't really care what their load out is won't buy it and serious, hardcore Mil Sim players will make their own.

But, people should be playing on registered sites which have liability insurance. For the very reason that if somebody gets injured, they don't get sued. If a player goes down and needs serious medical attention (such as requiring the use of an IV and saline) then the only people who should be administering that should be trained paramedics. You're average player who just happens to be there should NOT be stabbing them with needle they produce from a pouch on their rig.

Insurance is there protect the site. If a player went down and needed help, the site should have the needed stuff to help them and it should only be used by somebody who has been trained to do it. If some random player tries to help and makes it worse, the victim can then sue them. People sue over everything in this day and age. Airsoft, and airsoft sites as a whole is a relatively safe sport. Sites should have had a full H&S assessment and risk assessment done on them to mitigate the chances of serious accidents happening. The chances of somebody injuring themselves to the extent they need serious medical attention are slim. We are not fighting in downtown Fallujah where if you've been shot you don't really care about who's administering your first aid you just want to not bleed to death. Were firing little plastic balls at each other.

In short, I don't think theres enough demand to make it worth it, plus the possible problems with people using your kits for trying to administer aid and then something going wrong.

[JFSebastien]

Re: Offering airsoft orientated first aid kits

Aye, some untrained player trying to use a torniquet is gonna do more harm than good. I hope people carrying them realise it's just a prop in their hands and don't endanger everyone by trying to use it.

[McKillmore]

Re: Offering airsoft orientated first aid kits

This. Just this

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[druid799]

Re: Offering airsoft orientated first aid kits

Nice of you to think of other players but in the current 'were there's blame there's a claim!' Culture we're living in you could also be opening your self up to litigation if some one was to use a pack you supplied and somthing went wrong (how many airsofters have proper first aid training/qualifications ?) . The first aid packs you buy from shops have legally worded and regestered disclaimers for this very reason . I'm a former army medic and am now an A&E nurse by trade and even I think twice about assisting injured players with out the consent of the site staff , somthing to think about ?

[Andy Mc]

Re: Offering airsoft orientated first aid kits

I agree with most of the comments, but also have my own opinion on it, I am a first responder, and have hazardous area response training from HART (so yea different environment) but I firmly believe if you are trained and someone is injured, then you give them assistance regardless, especially if its a life on the line, Obviously there might be people out there that have no training but think they can play medic. so there is a degree of risk for sure.
But a few weeks ago I was a designated medic for a few skirmishes and I suppose a little medic bag or something might have been pretty useful just to emphasise the fact that I was medic in the team, perhaps for re-enactment scenes or visual effect it's a pretty good idea, I have seen loads of medical type equipment on the airsoft websites but with no disclaimers etc.. it s just for realism.

If ya made them, I would probably purchase one, but not with the intention to save limbs and life, but to use for realism in the games. If it came to the crunch and my skills were needed in a game to help a genuinely injured player until staff/medics arrived, then yes of course I would use items in the medi pack. and I would probably replace them when the expiry dates are up.

[Abbadon101]

Re: Offering airsoft orientated first aid kits

Most of what you are listing as contents are easily found in your cheap off the shelf carboot/home first aid kit.

I am an ambulance tech and student paramedic and all I carry is a couple of sets of gloves and a dressing, because from my point of view if it's that serious they need attention right that second or they might die that's all that going to help me on an air soft site. If it's a boo boo then I will leave it up to the site staff to deal with.

As has been said above. Most people who want to carry a realistic IFAK want the real kit in it. Those who want a little first aid kit have plenty to choose from from plant of places and those who don't care won't buy one regardless. Unfortunately I don't see too much of a market.

[curlyboy]

Re: Offering airsoft orientated first aid kits

It is a good idea it is surprising how many people don't have a kit of some sort, I have witnessed first hand the 'site' first aid kit and how poorly maintained and stocked most are, ok if you get a cut no biggy it should deal with it but anything else they can be of little use.

So much so I built my own and yes I am a first aider so I know how to use it and I have frequently in the past. Myself and a friend attended a game a few years back where someone was shot in the eye and the site first aid kit was two big red trauma bags fantastic if you have real casualties with missing limbs etc but completely useless in this case luckily a player had a little kit With him with a eye pad and bandage so from then on my friend and I always carry a kit no matter what we do.

It should be something more players carry not for show but for practical use.

Curlyboy

[Fizzy]

Re: Offering airsoft orientated first aid kits

Bloody hell, the day I need a tourniquet for its actual use rather than for show when I'm airsofting is the day I leave the sport.

On a more serious note overall demand is likely to be very weak to the point its not worth it. You're average air softer who plays a few times a month and doesn't really care what their load out is won't buy it and serious, hardcore Mil Sim players will make their own.

But, people should be playing on registered sites which have liability insurance. For the very reason that if somebody gets injured, they don't get sued. If a player goes down and needs serious medical attention (such as requiring the use of an IV and saline) then the only people who should be administering that should be trained paramedics. You're average player who just happens to be there should NOT be stabbing them with needle they produce from a pouch on their rig.

I believe the saline sachet mentioned would be for eye wash, not for an IV (at least I hope so! )

But you're right, most players won't bother and those that do, such as the first aiders, outdoorsie types and such, will have their own